| Great Dividing Range | |
| Eastern Highlands, Great Divide | |
| Range | |
 |
|
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| States | ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC |
| Highest point | Mount Kosciuszko |
| - elevation | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Length | 3,500 km (2,175 mi), North-South |
The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Mount Kosciuszko is a Mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys The range stretches more than 3500km from the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, then into Victoria and turning west, before finally fading into the central plain at the Grampians in western Victoria. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent The Grampians National Park is a National park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne
Sharp rises between the coastal lowlands and the eastern uplands has affected Australia's climate, mainly due to orographic precipitation, and these areas of highest relief have revealed impressive gorge country. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric [1]
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Terminology
The Great Dividing Range does not consist of a single mountain range. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys It consists of a complex of mountain ranges, plateaus, upland areas and escarpments with an ancient and complex geological history. The physiographic division name for the landmass is called the East Australian Cordillera.
The crest of the range is defined by the watershed or boundary between the drainage basins of rivers which drain directly eastward into the Pacific Ocean, and those rivers which drain into the Murray-Darling River system towards the west. A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions In the north, the rivers on the west side of the range drain towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies
It should be noted that the higher and more rugged parts of the "range" do not necessarily form part of the crest of the range, but may be branches and offshoots from it. The term "Great Dividing Range" may refer specifically to the watershed crest of the range, or to the entire upland complex including all of the hills and mountains between the east coast of Australia and the central plains and lowlands. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Notable ranges and other features which form part of the range complex have their own distinctive names.
History
The ranges were originally home to Australian Aboriginal tribes, such as the kulin. Evidence remains in some places of their occupation by decorated caves, campsites and trails used to travel between the coastal and inland regions.
After European settlement in 1788, the ranges were an obstacle to exploration and settlement by the English settlers. Although not high, parts of the highlands were very rugged.
In 1813, a usable route was finally discovered directly westward from Sydney across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst by the party of Gregory Blaxland. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia, which borders Sydney 's metropolitan area beginning approximately 50 kilometres Bathurst is a regional centre in the state of New South Wales, Australia approximately 200km west of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council Gregory Blaxland (17 June 1778 – 1 January 1853 was a pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia This was the start of the development of the agricultural districts of inland New South Wales. Easier routes to inland New South Wales were discovered towards Goulburn to the southwest, and westwards from Newcastle. Goulburn is a provincial City in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council. The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
Subsequent explorations were made across and around the ranges by Allan Cunningham, John Oxley, Hamilton Hume, Ludwig Leichhardt and Thomas Mitchell. Allan Alan or Allen Cunningham may refer to Sir Alan Cunningham, World War II general Allan Cunningham (author (1784-1842 This article is about the person For the Australian pilot ship see John Oxley (ship. Hamilton Hume ( 19 June 1797 &ndash 19 April 1873) was the first Australian born explorer Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt ( October 23, 1813 - probably 1848 in Inner Australia was a Prussian explorer and naturalist Major Sir Thomas Livingstons Mitchell ( June 16, 1792 -1855 surveyor and explorer of south-eastern Australia, was born at Grangemouth These explorers were mainly concerned with finding good agricultural land.
By the late 1830s the most fertile rangelands adjacent to the mountains ranges had been explored and some settled. These included the Gippsland and Riverina regions in the south, up to the Liverpool Plains and the Darling Downs in the north. The Liverpool Plains are an extensive pastoral area covering approximately 1 The Darling Downs is a Farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia.
Various road and railway routes were subsequently established through many parts of the ranges, although many areas remain remote to this day. For example, in eastern Victoria there is only one major road crossing the highlands from north to south.
Notable components
Parts of the highlands consisting of relatively flat and, by Australian standards, relatively well-watered land were developed for agricultural and pastoral uses. The Kings Highway connects Canberra and Batemans Bay. It starts at Capital Hill then via Canberra Avenue passing through Canberra's suburb of Braidwood (postcode 2622) is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Palerang Shire Bungendore is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Palerang Council. Such areas include the Atherton Tableland and Darling Downs in Queensland, and the New England Tableland, Southern Highlands and Southern Tablelands in New South Wales. The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent New England is the name given to a region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia. Other parts of the highlands are too rugged for agriculture and have been used for forestry. Many parts of the highlands which were not developed are now included in National Parks. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution
All of mainland Australia's alpine areas, including its highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 metres AHD), are part of this range. Mount Kosciuszko is a Mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. The Australian Height Datum is a Geodetic datum for Altitude measurement in Australia. The highest areas in southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria are known as the Australian Alps. The Australian Alps are the highest Mountain ranges of mainland Australia.
The central core of the Great Dividing Range is dotted with hundreds of peaks and is surrounded by many smaller mountain ranges or spurs, canyons, gorges, valleys and plains of regional significance. For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is Some of the major plains include the High Plains of South-Eastern Australia, the Southern Highlands the Central highlands and Bogong High Plains of Victoria. The High Plains of South-Eastern Australia are a region or more strictly a string of adjacent areas in and adjacent to the Great Dividing Range. The Southern Highlands, also locally referred to as the Highlands, is a geographical area in New South Wales, Australia, 103km south west of Sydney The Central Highlands area of Victoria is situated east of Ballarat, south of Bendigo, north of Melbourne, west of the Alpine areas and into The Bogong High Plains are a section of the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong. Other tablelands considered part of the Great dividing range are the Atherton Tableland, Northern Tablelands, Canberra wine region and the Southern Tablelands. The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The Northern Tablelands is a Plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. The Canberra wine region is located around Canberra, in the Capital city of Australia. The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia.
The Bunya Mountains, Blue Mountains, Liverpool Range, McPherson Ranges and the Moonbi Range are some of the smaller spurs and ranges that make up the greater dividing range. The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia, which borders Sydney 's metropolitan area beginning approximately 50 kilometres The Liverpool Range is a Mountain range and a Lava -field province in New South Wales, Australia. The McPherson Range is an extensive Mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra to the The Moonbi Range is a chain of hills which forms a part of the Northern Tablelands New South Wales, Australia. Other notable ranges and tablelands which form part of the Great Dividing Range include the New England Tableland, Liverpool Range, Mount Royal Range and the Monaro District. New England is the name given to a region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Liverpool Range is a Mountain range and a Lava -field province in New South Wales, Australia. The Mount Royal Range is a Mountain range in New South Wales, Australia. There are other uses for the term Monaro. Monaro (pronounced "mon-air'-ro" is the name of a region in the south of New Whilst some of the peaks of the highlands reach respectable heights of a little over 2000 metres, the age of the range and its erosion mean that most of the mountains are not very steep, and virtually all peaks can be reached without mountaineering equipment.
In some areas, such as the Snowy Mountains, Victorian Alps, the Scenic Rim and the eastern escarpments of the New England region, the highlands form a significant barrier. For the Snowy Mountains of Wyoming USA see Medicine Bow Mountains. The Australian Alps are the highest Mountain ranges of mainland Australia. The Scenic Rim is a group of Mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range in South East Queensland. New England is the name given to a region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia. In other areas the slopes are gentle and in places the range is barely perceptible.
Well known passes on the range include Cox's Gap, Cunningham's Gap, Dead Horse Gap and Spicer's Gap. Cunningham's Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and Brisbane areas in Queensland, Australia. Spicer's Gap lies 100 km west of Brisbane, Australia, and was the original route over the Great Dividing Range in the area around Brisbane
Notable towns located on the upland areas of the range include Atherton, Toowoomba, Armidale, Oberon, Goulburn, Canberra and Omeo. Omeo is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. Atherton Toowoomba (nicknamed 'The Garden City' is a City in South East Queensland, Australia. Armidale (population 21660 is a university and cathedral city in northern New South Wales, Australia, in Armidale Dumaresq Council Oberon is a town and Local Government Area (see Oberon Council) in the central tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Goulburn is a provincial City in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council. Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. Omeo is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. Many other towns and cities are located in lowland areas and foothills adjacent to the highlands.
Water catchments
The lower reaches are used for forestry, an activity that causes much friction with conservationists. The ranges is also the source of virtually all of eastern Australia's water supply, both through runoff caught in dams, and, throughout much of Queensland, through the Great Artesian Basin. The Great Artesian Basin provides the only reliable source of Water through much of inland Australia.
Valleys along the chain of mountains have yielded a water source for important reservoirs and water supply projects such as the Upper Nepean Scheme, Snowy Mountains Scheme and Warragamba Dam. The Upper Nepean Scheme is a series of dams in the catchments of the Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers of New South Wales The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a Hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia Warragamba Dam is Sydney 's primary water source. It is approximately 65 km to the west of Sydney on the Warragamba River The Bradfield Scheme has been mooted as a way to transport water from the tropics in coastal Queensland south to dryer regions. The Bradfield Scheme was devised by Dr John Job Crew Bradfield (1867-1943 a Queensland born civil engineer who also designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the
The Great Dividing Range creates the drainage basins of the Australian south-east coast drainage division and the Australian north-east coast drainage division, whose water flows to the east coast and into the Pacific Ocean, Tasman Sea, and Bass Strait with the westerly Murray-Darling Basin which flow inland, away from the coast into the interior plains. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The south-east coast drainage division is the very long narrow area of southern Australia between the Great Dividing Range and the sea The north-east coast drainage division is the area of Queensland between the Great Dividing Range and the ocean. The Eastern states of Australia refers to the states adjoining the east coast of Australia. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 Kilometres (1250 Miles across Bass Strait (bæs is a sea Strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland ( Victoria in particular The Murray-Darling Basin is 3375km long drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass and is currently by far the most significant agricultural area in Australia
Some of the rivers which flow west of the ranges includes the Condamine River, Flinders River, Hastings River Herbert River, Lachlan River, Macdonald River, Macintyre River and Namoi River. The Condamine River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin, drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland, The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia at about 840 km The Hastings River is a large river on the mid-North Coast of the Australian state of New South Wales that empties into the Tasman Sea, a branch of The Herbert River is a river located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Lachlan River is a significant River in central New South Wales, Australia. There are two rivers named Macdonald River in New South Wales, Australia. The Macintyre River is a river in northern New South Wales, Australia, part of which forms the border with Queensland. The Namoi River is a major tributary of the Darling River in inland New South Wales, Australia. Rivers that flow east into the Pacific Ocean include the Burdekin River, Brisbane River, Richmond River, Hawkesbury River, Snowy River, Shoalhaven River and the Mary River. The Burdekin River in Queensland, Australia rises on the western slope of the Seaview Range and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Upstart The Brisbane River is situated in southeast Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Richmond River is a River in the north-eastern corner of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Snowy River is also the name of a river in the South Island of New Zealand. The Shoalhaven River is a river on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The Mary River is a river system in South East Queensland, Australia.
Features
Railways
The engineers of early rail passages across the Great Dividing Range needed to find low sections of the range to cross, as well as suitable, low gradient paths up the mountains on either side. Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council Rail passages include:
- Ipswich-Toowoomba (1867)
- Newcastle-Tamworth (c1870) - summit at Ardglen Tunnel
- Sydney-Lithgow, crossing the range via the Blue Mountains
- Sydney-Goulburn (1869)
- Melbourne-Seymour, crossing the range near Heathcote Junction (1872)
- Melbourne-Bendigo, crossing the range near Woodend (1862)
- Melbourne-Ararat (1875) via Ballarat
Road Transport
Many of Australia's highways such as the Alpine Way, Great Alpine Road, Hume Highway, Great Western Highway, Capricorn Highway, New England Highway, Warrego Highway, Waterfall Way, Thunderbolts Way and the Murray Valley Highway traverse parts of the range. The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia The Ardglen Tunnel is a summit tunnel on the Main North railway in New South Wales Australia between Newcastle and Werris Creek. The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia, which borders Sydney 's metropolitan area beginning approximately 50 kilometres Heathcote Junction is a Railway station on the North East railway in the town of Heathcote Junction, Victoria, Australia. Woodend is a small town in Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local government area. Ballarat (formerly spelt "Ballaarat" is a city in Victoria, Australia, and one of the country's largest inland cities Freeways in Australia This is a list of Highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location The Alpine Way is a State highway in New South Wales, Australia. The Great Alpine Road (B500 is a country tourist road in Victoria, Australia, running from Wangaratta in the north to Bairnsdale in the The Hume Highway / Hume Freeway is one of Australia's most important and notable interstate Highways which runs for 880 km inland between Sydney and The Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. The Capricorn Highway is located in Central Queensland, Australia, and links the city of Rockhampton with western Queensland See also New England Interstate Highways, a system of numbered highways in New England, USA, from 1922 to 1927 The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. The Waterfall Way is a road and State Highway 78 in New South Wales, Australia. Thunderbolts Way is a 160 kilometre New South Wales country road linking Gloucester to Walcha (where it crosses the Oxley Highway) and the The Murray Valley Highway (/ follows the south side of the Murray River in Victoria, Australia.
Protected areas
Much of the range lies within a succession of national parks and other reserves including the Alpine National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, and the Grampians National Park. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution Protected areas of Australia include Commonwealth and off-shore Protected areas managed by the Australian government as well as protected areas within each of the six states The Alpine National Park is a national park in Victoria ( Australia) northeast of Melbourne. The Blue Mountains National Park is a National park in New South Wales ( Australia) 81 km west of Sydney, and located in the Blue The Grampians National Park is a National park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne
References
- ^ Löffler, Ernst; A. Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Mount Hotham Village and Mount Hotham Ski Resort J. Rose, Anneliese Löffler & Denis Warner (1983). Australia:Portrait of a Continent. Richmond, Victoria: Hutchinson Group. ISBN 0091304601.
External links
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