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Take a look at our States page
A distinctive landscape* How big is Australia?* Where is its centre?
* Which State shares its borders with all other mainland States?
* Locate and map any feature of interest using AUSLIG's Master Names File data.
While the dimensions of Australia are impressive, the country is, in fact, the smallest of the continents. It is also the lowest, the flattest and, apart from Antarctica, the driest.
Its landscape is strikingly distinctive, with a variety of landforms ranging from extensive plains and plateaux behind narrow coastal uplands in the east, to great expanses of sandy and stony desert and low tablelands in the arid centre and the west. These landscape features are described as the 'western plateau', the 'interior lowlands' and the 'eastern uplands'.
* How many deserts are there in Australia?
* Which is the highest mountain?
* Which is the tallest waterfall?
A complex mosaic of land tenure stretches across Australia, comprising freehold, leasehold and Aboriginal land, and reserves for nature conservation, forestry, water and the like.
* How much land is dedicated as nature conservation reserve?
* Which has the greater area - public or privately-held land?
Read on to discover more about the dimensions, landforms and land tenure of Australia, and the answers to these questions.or look at our States page.
DIMENSIONS
1: AREA
How big?
STATE/TERRITORY MAINLAND ISLAND TOTAL AREA AREA AREA (square kilometres) ---------------------- --------- ----- --------- Queensland 1 723 936 6 712 1 730 648 New South Wales 800 628 14 800 642 Victoria 227 010 406 227 416 Tasmania 64 519 3 882 68 401 South Australia 978 810 4 672 983 482 Western Australia 2 526 786 3 089 2 529 875 Northern Territory 1 335 742 13 387 1 349 129 Australian Capital Territory 2 358 - 2 358 Jervis Bay Territory 72 1 73 AUSTRALIA 7 659 861 32 163 7 692 024source: AUSLIG 100K Coastline database 1993.
Note: these new calculations supersede those appearing in the Australian Yearbook, but are not yet official.
How small?
The Canberra - Yass district was chosen as the site of the new national capital in 1908, and an area covering 2 358 square kilometres was ceded to the Commonwealth in 1911, forming the Australian Capital Territory. It was considered that the capital should have its own port and, consequently, the Jervis Bay Territory was formed in 1915. This land was surrendered to the Commonwealth by NSW.
2: STATE BORDERS
STATE LENGTH (kilometres) ------------------------ ------- Queensland 3 339 New South Wales 4 635 Victoria 2 541 South Australia 3 185 Western Australia 1 862 Northern Territory 3 179 Australian Capital Territory 306 Jervis Bay Territory 32 source: AUSLIG 100K Coastline database 1993.
The 'Corners' of South Australia
South Australia shares a border with all the mainland States, as well as the Northern Territory. Where the border meets another State, or changes direction, it has been officially named, except where it meets the NSW - Victorian border.The following table lists the 'corners' of the South Australian border.
POINT NAME COORDINATES latitude longitude ------------ ------------------------- -------- --------- SA - WA - NT Surveyor General's Corner 26º S 129º E SA - NT - Qld Poeppel Corner 26º S 138º E SA - Qld Haddon Corner 26º S 141º E SA - Qld - NSW Cameron Corner 29º S 141º E You can use these coordinates to look the 'Corners' up on a map
3: COASTLINE
STATE/TERRITORY MAINLAND ISLAND TOTAL LENGTH LENGTH LENGTH (kilometres) -------------------- --------- ---------- --------- Queensland 6 973 6 374 13 347 New South Wales 2 007 130 2 137 Victoria 1 868 644 2 512 Tasmania 2 833 2 049 4 882 South Australia 3 816 1 251 5 067 Western Australia 12 889 7 892 20 781 Northern Territory 5 437 5 516 10 953 Jervis Bay Territory 54 3 57 -------------------- --------- ---------- --------- AUSTRALIA 35 877 23 859 59 736 source: AUSLIG 100K Coastline database 1993.
4: Centre of the Continent
Where is the centre of the continent? *
There are several methods available for calculating the centre of mainland Australia, depending on the application. The following four 'centres' enclose an area which includes the town of Alice Springs and the MacDonnell Ranges, two icons of central Australia.
1. Centre of Gravity Method
Over 50 000 digitised points
representing the coastline of mainland Australia were assigned a unit weight.
The moments were calculated assuming equal units of latitude and longitude,
the latter varying with the cosine of latitude. The result of this calculation
gave the centre as:
23 degrees 7 minutes
south latitude, 132 degrees 8 minutes east longitude.
2. Lambert Gravitational
Centre
In 1988 the Royal Geographical
Society of Australasia determined, as a Bicentennial project, the geographical
centre of Australia. A monument was erected to mark the location and named
in honour of Bruce Lambert, a former director of AUSLIG, for his achievements
in the national survey, levelling and mapping of the continent. Similar
to the centre of gravity method, the location was calculated from 24 500
points at the high water mark of Australia's coastline. The computed result
was:
25 degrees 36 minutes
36.4 seconds south latitude, 134 degrees 21 minutes 17.3 seconds east longitude.
3. Furthest Point From
The Sea
A series of concentric circles
drawn on transparent material were moved over the top of a 1:5 million
scale map of Australia until one circle was found to touch the coast at
three points. The centre of the circle was then marked and the coordinates
scaled from the map. This method resulted in a good agreement with the
centre of gravity method and gave coordinates of:
23 degrees 2 minutes
south latitude, 132 degrees 10 minutes east longitude.
4. Median Point
The median point was calculated
as the midpoint between the extremes of latitude and longitude of the continent,
giving the following coordinates:
24 degrees 15 minutes
south latitude, 133 degrees 25 minutes east longitude.
* Officially, there is no centre of the continent.
5: CONTINENTAL EXTREMITIES
Australia is approximately 3700 kilometres long, from its most northern point to its most southern point, and it is almost 4000 kilometres wide, from east to west.
FEATURE LATITUDE LONGITUDE ----- -------------------------- ------------------ ----------------- North: Cape York (Cape York Peninsula) 10º 41' 21" S, 142º 31' 50" E East: Cape Byron (Byron Bay) 28º 38' 15" S, 153º 38' 14" E West: Steep Point (Shark Bay) 26º 09' 5" S, 113º 09' 18" E South: South East Cape (Tasmania) 43º 38' 40" S, 146º 49' 30" E The most southern point of the mainland is : South Point (Wilson's Promontory) 39º 08' 20" S, 146º 22' 26" EThese coordinates will help you look up the continental extents on a map of Australia.
6: CLIMATIC EXTREMES
Temperatures
Several places can claim to be the hottest in Australia, depending on how the temperature is measured: the place with the highest recorded temperature, the most frequent occurrences of high temperatures, or the hottest yearly average.
The hottest place ever recorded in Australia is Cloncurry, in Queensland, which registered a temperature of 53º Celsius in 1889.
Western NSW is the area with the most frequent occurrences of temperatures over 50º C.
The highest average monthly temperatures, and longest hot spells have been recorded at Marble Bar, in the north of Western Australia, which has had 160 consecutive days over 37.8ºC. In terms of average annual temperatures, the hottest place is Wyndham, also in northern WA.
The coldest place in Australia is Charlotte Pass in the snowfields of NSW, not far from Mount Kosciuszko. In June 1994, Charlotte Pass recorded a new minimum temperature of minus 23ºC, breaking its own previous record of minus 22.2º C, held since July 1945.
The area with the greatest difference between its highest and lowest recorded temperatures is White Cliffs, in western NSW, with an extreme range of 57.2º C.
Rainfall
Although Australia's average annual rainfall is 465 mm, rainfall across Australia is highly uneven and variable from year to year. Areas with less than 500mm of rain annually are often classified as semi-arid, while areas with less than 250mm are considered arid.
The driest area in Australia is the Lake Eyre drainage basin in the north-east corner of South Australia, which averages less than 125mm of rain per year.
The area with the most rain also varies, depending on how it is measured.
The wettest places are found in north-east Queensland and south-west Tasmania, at the northern and southern extremities of the continent.
The most rain ever recorded in a single day fell in southern Queensland, at Crohamhurst, which recorded 907mm of rain on the 3rd of February 1893.
The coastal region of north-east Queensland, between Cairns and Cardwell, has recorded the highest yearly rainfall, at Bellenden Ker, where 11 251 mm of rain fell in 1979. This area has also recorded the nation's highest median annual rainfall (4048mm).
Western Tasmania has a similar amount of annual rainfall, but it is more evenly distributed throughout the year. Here, Lake Margaret has a median annual rainfall of 3565mm. This area also has the State's highest recorded annual rainfall, with 4505mm of rain in 1948.
The rainfall in Tasmania is more frequent than elsewhere in Australia, with rain falling in the Lake Margaret area on around 250 days of the year.
For more detailed information
on Australia's climate, see the Climate Volume of the Atlas
of Australian Resources (AUSLIG).
Continue on to Landforms,
or go to Land Tenure.
LANDFORMS
1: DESERTS
Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent in the world. About 35 per cent of the continent receives so little rain, it is effectively desert. In total, 70 per cent of the mainland receives less than 500mm of rain annually, making it arid or semi-arid.
The major deserts in Australia are listed below. These are distributed throughout the western plateau and interior lowlands. The total area of these deserts is almost 20% of the total mainland area of Australia.
NAME STATE(S) SIZE (sq. km) --------------- ------------ --------- Great Victoria WA, SA 348 750 Great Sandy WA 267 250 Tanami WA, NT 184 500 Simpson NT, QLD, SA 176 500 Gibson WA 156 000 Little Sandy WA 111 500 Strzelecki SA, QLD, NSW 80 250 Sturt Stony SA, QLD, NSW 29 750 Tirari SA 15 250 Pedirka SA 1 250 Nullarbor Plain WA, SA 105 750 --------- Total 1 476 750
source: AUSLIG Deserts database 1994.
2: HIGHEST MOUNTAINS
Which is Australia's highest mountain?
It is a little known fact that the highest point on Australian Territory, at a height of 2 745 metres, is Mawson Peak, on a mountain called Big Ben. This is an active volcano on Heard Island, well south of the Australian continent in the Southern Ocean, approaching the coast of Antarctica.
The highest mountains on
the Australian mainland form part of the Great Dividing Range, which bounds
the interior lowlands on the east. The highest are found near the border
of NSW and Victoria. The ten highest are all in the Australian Alps, and
are listed below.
NAME HEIGHT (metres) ----------------- -------- 1 Mount Kosciuszko 2 229 2 Mount Townsend 2 209 3 Mount Twynam 2 195 4 Rams Head 2 190 5 Abbott Peak 2 159 6 Carruthers Peak 2 145 7 The Sentinel 2 140 8 Mount Northcote 2 131 9 Mount Clarke 2 100 10 Mount Lee 2 080 source: AUSLIG National Geodetic database 1993Some of the next highest mountains include:
Gungartan (2 068 metres), Mount Tate (2 068 m), Jagungal (2 061 m), Mount Stillwell (2 054 m), Mount Perisher (2 053 m), Watsons Crags (2 022 m), Dicky Cooper Bogong (2 003 m), Mount Anton (2 000 m), Back Perisher (2 000 m) and Mount Anderson (1 997 m), all in NSW.
With a height of 1 986 metres, Mount Bogong is the highest mountain in Victoria, followed by Mount Feathertop (1 922 m). Another well known Victorian mountain is Mount Hotham (1 868 m).
There is more information
for those wishing to visit our highest mountains and the Australian Alps
on AUSLIG's Australian Alps
Tourist Map. For further information on the highest mountains for
each state, click here to go to the state details.
3: ELEVATION
ELEVATION AREA Percentage Total of Australia * --------------- --------- -------- ------ Below sea level 8 500 0.11 % 0.11 % 0 - 200m 2 909 500 37.98 % 38.09 % 200 - 500m 3 728 700 48.68 % 86.77 % 500 - 1 000m 940 600 12.28 % 99.05 % 1 000 - 1 500m 66 600 0.87 % 99.92 % 1 500 - 2 000m 5 200 0.07 % 99.99 % over 2 000m 800 0.01 % 100.00 % * Excludes islandsAs already stated, Australia is the lowest continent in the world. It has an average elevation of only 330 m, which is the lowest of all the continents, while the highest points on the other continents are all more than twice the height of Mount Kosciuszko. The worlds highest montain, Mount Everest (8 848 m) is 4 times as tall!
HIGHEST AND LOWEST POINTS NAME STATE HEIGHT ----------- ------------ ----------------------- Mawson Peak (Heard Island) 2 745 metres Mt. Kosciuszko NSW 2 229 m Lake Eyre SA 15 m below sea level source: AUSLIG GEODATA 250K database 1993
4: LARGEST LAKES
NAME STATE SIZE (sq. km) ------------- ----- -------- Lake Eyre SA 9 475 Lake Torrens SA 5 745 Lake Gairdner SA 4 351 source: AUSLIG 1:2.5M databaseThese salt lakes, which are normally dry, are part of a major internal drainage system in the interior lowlands. They are found near the Tirari, Strzelecki and Sturt Stony deserts, on the border between SA, NSW and Queensland. Generally, the ephemeral rain in this area is absorbed by the surrounding deserts before any runoff can reach the lakes via a network of channels. However, when there is sufficient rain, water floods into these lakes. Lake Eyre has only been filled three times this century, and Lake Torrens only once.
5: LONGEST RIVERS
The Murray River, and its tributary the Darling River, are the main rivers in the Murray-Darling River Basin. This drainage basin comprises the major part of the interior lowlands of Australia, covering more than one million square kilometres, or about 14 per cent of Australia.
The Darling River flows south from the junction of the Culgoa and Barwon rivers. Although the Culgoa is longer than the Barwon, the source of the Darling is generally agreed to be the Barwon River as it has the greater volume of water. The headwaters of the Darling can be traced to the MacIntyre River, which starts in the Great Dividing Range, and forms part of the border between NSW and Queensland. It eventually flows south into the Barwon. The Barwon-MacIntyre section is sometimes referred to as the Upper Darling. When measured from its source in Queensland to its mouth on the coast south-east of Adelaide, the Murray-Darling river system is 3 370 kilometres long, about half the length of the world's longest river, the Nile.
The Murray-Darling River system
NAME STATE LENGTH (kilometres) ------------------------------- --------- ----- Murray NSW/VIC/SA 2 520 Murrumbidgee NSW 1 575 Darling (from the Murray to Culgoa) NSW 1 390 Upper Darling (Barwon - MacIntyre Rivers) NSW 1 140 Culgoa - Condamine NSW 1 350 source: AUSLIG GEODATA 250K database
6: TALLEST WATERFALLS
Where is the tallest waterfall?
NAME STATE ESTIMATED HEIGHT (metres) ------------ --- -------------------------- Wallaman QLD 305 (numerous ledges) Wollomombi NSW 220 (100m as single drop) Ellenborough NSW 200 (single drop)These waterfalls occur on rivers forming a coordinated drainage system throughout the eastern uplands. Wollomombi includes a single drop of 100 metres. It is sometimes quoted as Australia's tallest waterfall, but this is only so if measured from its highest point, where the land has a much gentler gradient and the water does not truly 'fall'.
7: LARGEST ISLANDS
Australia is the world's largest island. It also has many hundreds of small fringing islands and numerous larger ones. These range in size from small rocks which are not covered by water at high tide, to some over twice the size of the Australian Capital Territory. Australia has several islands larger than 1000 square kilometres:
NAME AREA (sq. km.) -------------- ------ Melville 5 786 Kangaroo 4 416 Groote Eylandt 2 285 Bathurst 1 693 Fraser 1 662 Flinders 1 359 King 1 091 Mornington 1 002
8: EXTERNAL TERRITORIES
Name Area (sq. km) ---------------------------------------- -------------- Australian Antarctic Territory (including sea) 6 100 000 (excluding sea) 5 896 500 Coral Sea Islands Territory 780 000 (aprox.) Territory of Heard and MacDonald Islands 370 Territory of Christmas Island 135 Macquarie Island 128 * Norfolk Island 35 Lord Howe Island 15 ** Territory of Cocos(Keeling)Islands 14 Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands 2 * A dependancy of Tasmania ** A dependancy of NSW
LAND
TENURE
How much land is dedicated as nature conservation reserve?
Which has the greater area, public or privately-held land?
The first park to be dedicated for public use was Kings Park in Perth, in 1872. The oldest national park in Australia, Royal National Park, at Port Hacking (NSW), was established in 1879. However, it was not until the 1950s that conservation reserves began to be systematically dedicated in Australia.
The following information is available from AUSLIG's Australian Land Tenure map (1993).
PUBLIC LAND ('000 square kilometres)
CATEGORY QLD NSW VIC SA WA NT TAS ACT TOTAL
------------------ ------------------------------ -------------------------------
Nature conservation
reserve 54.2 38.1 30.6 203.7 155.0 27.8 13.5 1.2 524.1
Aboriginal freehold-
nat. park - - - - - 10.8 - - 10.8
Vacant crown land 0.6 1.4 - 8.3 863.3 82.8 4.3 - 960.7
Other crown land 13.9 6.4 2.0 0.8 42.7 12.3 2.5 - 80.6
Forestry reserve 40.1 34.6 36.4 1.0 20.9 - 15.1 0.1 148.2
Water reserve 0.3 2.8 1.5 0.2 5.3 - 0.9 - 11.0
Defence land 3.8 0.4 0.4 3.6 6.6 3.5 0.3 - 18.6
Mining reserve 4.3 - 0.3 - 0.4 - - - 5.0
Mixed category lands 0.8 2.0 1.1 - 0.8 - 4.0 0.2 8.9
-------------------------- ---- ---- ----- ------ ----- ---- --- ------
Total 118.0 85.7 72.3 217.6 1095.0 137.2 40.6 1.5 1767.9
PRIVATE LAND ('000 square kilometres)
CATEGORY QLD NSW VIC SA WA NT TAS ACT TOTAL
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------------
Freehold 627.2 405.5 155.2 158.4 205.1 6.4 27.2 - 1585.0
Crown leasehold 939.8 308.9 0.1 418.4 899.9 666.6 - 0.9 3234.6
--------------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ ----- ---- --- ------
Total 1567.0 714.4 155.3 576.8 1105.0 673.0 27.2 0.9 4819.6
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES
STRAIT ISLANDER LAND ('000 square kilometres)
CATEGORY QLD NSW VIC SA WA NT TAS ACT TOTAL
----------- --------------------------------------------------------------
Freehold 20.5 0.4 - 189.0 - 516.8 - - 726.7
Leasehold 18.9 1.1 - 0.6 126.1 19.2 - - 165.9
Reserve 2.8 - - - 199.4 - - - 202.2
----------- ---- --- ----- ----- ---- -----
Total 42.2 1.5 - 189.6 325.5 536.0 - - 1094.8
TOTAL LANDS ('000 square kilometres)
CATEGORY QLD NSW VIC SA WA NT TAS ACT TOTAL
------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------
Public 118.0 85.7 72.3 217.6 1095.0 137.2 40.6 1.5 1767.9
Private 1567.0 714.4 155.3 576.8 1105.0 673.0 27.2 0.9 4819.6
Aboriginal &
Torres Strait
Islander 42.2 1.5 - 189.6 325.5 536.0 - 1094.8
------------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ ------ ---- --- ------
TOTAL 1727.2 801.6 227.6 984.0 2525.5 1346.2 67.8 2.4 7682.3
MARINE RESERVES ('000 square kilometres)
OTHER* QLD NSW VIC SA WA NT TAS ACT TOTAL
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 361.6 3.4 0.8 0.5 - 11.4 2.5 - - 380.2
*Marine reserves in Commonwealth waters
source: AUSLIG
Land Tenure database 1993.
AUSTRALIAN SURVEYING & LAND INFORMATION GROUP
