By August 2006, The Secret River had won the following prizes:

1. The Commonwealth Writers' Prize - Australasia/South Pacific Region

2. The Commonwealth Writers' Prize - Overall Winner

3. The NSW Premier's Prize for Fiction

4. The NSW Premier's Community Relations Award

5. The Australian Booksellers' Award

6. The Australian Book Industry Award for Fiction

7. The Fellowship of Australian Writers prize for Fiction

It had also been shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, the Queenland Literary Awards and the Kibble Award, and was short-listed for the Man Booker prize.