The Collie River was named by Lieutenant Governor Stirling after Alexander Collie who, along with Lieutenant William Preston, in November 1829 was the first European to explore the river.

[4] The Collie River Catchment is located in the south-west of Western Australia, it covers over 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) and includes the Wellington Reservoir.

For Western Australia's growing population the reservoir is considered a valuable resource, but the water is too salty for drinking.

The Waters and Rivers Commission has a target of reducing the salinity of the river water to 500 mg/L by 2015 as a part of the State Salinity Strategy.

This article related to a river in Western Australia is a stub.