Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Strzelecki Desert

It is partly in 3 states, far northern South Australia, southwest Queensland and western New South Wales. It is in the northeastern part of the Lake Eyre Basin, north of the Flinders Ranges. It is covered by extensive dune fields. These extensive dunefields stretch from western New South Wales not far from the border to Cooper Creek, its northeastern boundary. A chain of interlinked salt lakes, with Lake Frome at one end, is the southern boundary. Strzelecki Creek bisects the desert in about a north-south line. The Strzelecki Track runs along this creek. Numerous small claypans are scattered among the dunes. 3 wilderness areas in the Strzelecki desert are based around Lake Hope, Lake Callabonna and Lake Frome.

The dunes have a covering of tall shrubland comprised of Sandhill Wattle, (Acacia ligulata), needlebush (Hakea spp.) and Whitewood (Atalaya hemiglauca) and Hummock grasslands of Sandhill Canegrass (Zygochloa paradoxa) and hard Spinifex (Triodia basedowii). Tufted kerosene grasses (Aristida contorta and A. browniana) are characteristic understorey species, also undershrubs and herbs. There is a wide range of plant communities on the claypans. These communities vary with soil type, salinity and flood frequency.

Birdsville is in this desert and The Birdsville Track passes through it and the Diamantina River flows through it, when it is actually flowing.

Strzelecki and Tirari Deserts, Australia - Timing of Linear Dune Activity

Strzelecki and Tirari Deserts - Constraining Soil Formation in Linear Dunes

• Aridification of Australia
• Glacial Maximum
• Dunes