Great Dividing Range

The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's largest mountain range. It is the fifth longest land-based range in the world. The range is 3,500 kilometres (2,175 mi) in length and runs along the whole east coast of Australia. In the north it starts from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland. In Victoria the range turns west and ends at the Grampians in western Victoria. The width of the range varies from about 160 km (100 mi) to over 300 km (190 mi).

Elevation	2,228 m (7,310 ft)
Location

The difference in height between the narrow coastal area and the eastern mountains has affected Australia's climate. This caused by the mountains causing lots of rain as clouds move over them. There are many gorges where the rise is tall.

Description

The Great Divide dominates the eastern Australia landmass

Great Dividing Range sign on the Kings Highway between Braidwood and Bungendore, New South Wales

The Great Dividing Range is not a single mountain range. There is a complex of mountain ranges, plateaus, upland areas and escarpments. In some places the land is nearly flat, with only very low hills. The highlands range from 300 m (984 ft) to 1,600 m (5,249 ft) in height.

The Great Dividing Range is made of limestones, sandstone, quartzite, schists and metamorphic dolomite. Their shapes have been made by faulting and folding processes.

The crest of the range is the boundary between the drainage basins of rivers; those which drain east into the Pacific Ocean, or southward into Bass Strait; and those rivers which drain west and south into the Murray-Darling rivers. In the north, the rivers on the west side of the range drain towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The higher and more rugged parts of the "range" are not always part of the crest of the range. The term "Great Dividing Range" is used for both the watershed crest, and all of the hills and mountains between the east coast of Australia and the central plains and lowlands. At some places the Great Dividing Range can be up to 400 km (249 mi) wide. Most of the ranges and other features have their own names.

History

The Great Dividing Range was formed during the Carboniferous period, some 300 million years ago when the super continent Pangaea was forming. The range has eroded since then, and is now much lower than the more recent ranges such as the Alps and Himalayas. Its highest point is Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 m (7,310 ft).

Parks and protected areas

Much of the range lies in national parks and other protected areas. Most of the national parks are listed below. There are also many more state forests.

Alpine National Park – VIC Bald Rock National Park – NSW Barrington Tops National Park – NSW Baw Baw National Park – VIC Blue Mountains National Park – NSW Border Ranges National Park – NSW Brindabella National Park – NSW Brisbane Ranges National Park – VIC Budawang National Park – NSW Bunya Mountains National Park – QLD Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park – VIC Cathedral Rock National Park – NSW Conondale National Park – QLD Cunnawarra National Park – NSW Dandenong Ranges National Park – VIC Deua National Park – NSW

Dharug National Park – NSW Gibraltar Range National Park – NSW Girraween National Park – QLD/NSW Grampians National Park – VIC Guy Fawkes River National Park – NSW Heathcote-Graytown National Park Kanangra-Boyd National Park – NSW Kosciuszko National Park – NSW Lake Eildon National Park – VIC Lamington National Park – QLD Morton National Park – NSW Mount Buffalo National Park – VIC Mummel Gulf National Park – NSW Namadgi National Park – ACT Nattai National Park – NSW New England National Park – NSW

Nowendoc National Park – NSW Oxley Wild Rivers National Park – NSW Snowy River National Park – VIC South East Forest National Park – NSW Springbrook National Park- QLD Sundown National Park – QLD Toonumbar National Park – NSW Wadbilliga National Park – NSW Washpool National Park – NSW Werrikimbe National Park – NSW Wollemi National Park – NSW Yarra Ranges National Park – VIC Yengo National Park – NSW

The Great Dividing Range, as seen from near Mount Hotham, Victoria

The view from the peak of Mount Feathertop, facing north-east, showing the Fainters and Mount Niggerhead

Great Dividing Range Media

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  The Monaro Plains (top right) are drier than the verdant western upslopes (bottom left) as they lie in a rain shadow. (View of the Snowy Mountains region)

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  Mt Feathertop viewed from Smoko

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  Some of the most spectacular waterfalls in Australia, such as Dangar Falls at Dorrigo, New South Wales, are located along the Great Dividing Range.

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  A number of scenic railways, such as this one at Scenic World, Katoomba, climb various shorter routes along the range