Lake Gairdner

Lake Gairdner

Extreme southern reaches of Lake Gairdner
Lake Gairdner
Location in South Australia
Location Central South Australia
Coordinates 31°34′S 136°00′E / 31.567°S 136.000°E / -31.567; 136.000Coordinates: 31°34′S 136°00′E / 31.567°S 136.000°E / -31.567; 136.000
Type Endorheic, salt lake
Basin countries Australia
Designation Lake Gairdner National Park
Max. length 160 km (99 mi)
Max. width 48 km (30 mi)

Lake Gairdner is a large endorheic salt lake in the Australian state of South Australia, to the north of the Eyre Peninsula. When in flood, the lake is considered the third largest salt lake in Australia.[1]

Lake Gairdner, as viewed from the air.

Description

Lake Gairdner is located about 440 kilometres (270 mi) northwest of the state capital of Adelaide and about 150 kilometres (93 mi) northwest of Port Augusta in the foothills on the northern side of the Gawler Ranges and to the west of Lake Torrens.

The lake is over 160 km (99 mi) long and 48 km (30 mi) across with salt over 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) thick in some places.

Lake Gairdner was named by the Governor of South Australia, Richard MacDonnell in October 1857 after Gordon Gairdner, a Chief Clerk of the Australian Department in the Colonial Office.

Lake Gairdner along with Lake Everard and Lake Harris form the extent of the Lake Gairdner National Park.[2] The lakes were all once part of an inland sea that stretched all the way to the Gulf of Carpentaria.[3]

Six ephemeral creeks feed the lake including Garden Well Creek, Gorge Creek and Yeltabinna Creek.[4]

The land occupying the extent of Lake Gairdner was gazetted as a locality by the Government of South Australia on 26 April 2013 under the name 'Lake Gairdner'.[5][6]

Salt Lake Racing

Speed Week 2009

It has been a site for various land speed record attempts on its salt flats and is currently the location for the annual Speed Week event run by the Dry Lakes Racers Australia.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Largest Waterbodies". Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  2. ↑ South Australia. Department for Environment and Heritage (2004), Lake Gairdner National Park management plan (PDF), Department for Environment and Heritage, p. ii, ISBN 978-0-7590-1079-6
  3. ↑ "Lake Gairdner National Park". Explore Australia. 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Amend, Rita (2015). "Lake Gairdner - Gawler Ranges". Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Search result for " Lake Gairdner (LOCB)" (Record no SA0067089) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  6. ↑ Proposed Locality Boundaries for Pastoral Areas (PDF) (Map). Government of South Australia. 31 October 2012. Rack Plan 951. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  7. ↑ "It all starts with Speed Week". Dry Lake Racers Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  8. ↑ Robertson, Kimberley (15 March 2010). "Tourism operator says the road to Lake Gairdner is shocking". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
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