51 Unheard Great Victoria Desert Facts That Will Amaze You!

The Great Victoria Desert is, by far, the largest desert in Australia.

The Great Victoria Desert (GVD) stretches from eastern Western Australia to the western half of Southern Australia, making it the largest desert in Australia. The Great Victoria Desert is separated from the Southern Ocean by the Nullarbor Plain, a vast dry and semi-arid area in South Australia with an essentially treeless environment.

Sand dunes, tiny sandhills, grassland plains, regions with densely packed pebbles (referred to as Gibber plains or desert pavement), and salt lakes make up the landscape.

It was named after Queen Victoria by British explorer Ernest Giles in 1875. The Great Victoria Desert can be scorching hot and arid, especially during summers. Animals and plants, like Acacia aneura, southern marsupial mole, great desert skink, and long-tailed hopping mouse, however, continue to survive there. This is because the plants have adapted to the dry, arid environment; else, they would perish. The Great Victoria Desert (GVD) is the world's seventh-biggest desert and among the largest sand dune Australian deserts, making it a tourist attraction.

Indigenous Australians from various tribes, such as the Kogara, Mirning, and Pitjantjatjara, make up the bulk of the population in the area. In this desert region, there has been an increase in the number of Aboriginal populations. Wilurarra Creative initiatives help young Indigenous individuals from the Great Victoria Desert area retain and grow their culture. The desert was formed by the reworking of valleys and piedmont sediments.

Despite their remote position from the Australian mainland, the Anne Beadell Highway and the Connie Sue Highway are fairly rough paths that cut through the Great Victoria. Some nuclear weapons testing and mining have occurred as a result of human activities.

If you want to read some fun desert facts about the Great Victoria Desert located in Australia, you should read further to know about it in detail. There is a lot of such information and desert facts on this little sandy desert and its endangered species, harsh conditions, arid climate, plant life, feral animals, and the many animal species found here. You could also check out our other fun facts articles on various lakes like Gobi Desert facts and grassland ecosystem facts.

Great Victoria Desert Geographic Location

The Great Victoria Desert is Australia's biggest desert, featuring several small sandhills, sand dunes, grassland plains, open woodlands, sections with a densely packed pebble surface (known as desert pavement or gibber plains), and salt lakes.

• It lies between the Nullarbor Plain, Gawler Ranges, and the Musgrave Ranges (south of the Musgrave Ranges and north of the Nullarbor Plain).
• Laverton and the Eastern goldfields border the desert on the west, while Coober Pedy and the Stuart Highway border it on the east.
• From the Gawler Ranges in South Australia to the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia, it is over 434 mi (700 km) broad and encompasses an area of 348,750 sq mi (348,750 sq km).
• The Western Australian mulga shrublands region is bordered on the west by the Little Sandy Desert (Tanami desert), on the northwest by the Gibson Desert, and the Central Ranges xeric shrublands, on the south by the Nullarbor Plain, and on the north by the Tirari-Sturt stony desert.
• The annual rainfall standards are 7.9-9.8 in (200-250 mm) per year, which is low and unpredictable.
• Thunderstorms are rather regular in the Great Victoria Desert, with 15–20 thunderstorms per year on average.
• Summer months' average daytime temperature varies from 90-104 F (32-40 C), while winter temperatures range from 64-73 F (18-23 C). It isn't as hot as it is in the Sahara Desert.
• The Great Victoria Desert is a World Wildlife Fund ecoregion with the same name as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for the Australian region.

Great Victoria Desert Biome Characteristics

In much of this environment comprising harsh conditions, only the toughest native vegetation can survive.

• The regions of woody steppe between the sand ridges are made up of Eucalyptus tree (gongylocarpa), Eucalyptus youngiana, and Acacia aneura (mulga) shrubs dispersed across areas of tough spinifex grasses, especially Triodia basedowii.
• There are also a few huge birds and small animals among the various species that adapted to the harsh climate of the Great Victoria Desert.
• However, the desert does support a variety of lizards, including the threatened species of Egernia kintorei (great desert skink), the Central Australia Ranges' taipan (found in 2007), and a number of tiny marsupials, such as the crest-tailed mulgara.
• A variety of desert creatures, like the Notoryctes typhlops (southern marsupial mole) and the water-holding frog, dig into the dunes as a means of survival, both of which are species of threatened mammals.
• Extensive lizard radiations and diversification occurred across Australia's dry interior, owing primarily to climate shifts in the late Pleistocene and the shifting and isolation of plant enclaves that resulted.
• The Great Victoria Desert, where the inhabitants of Ctentus brooksi are separated from populations in the Simpson Desert by a short strip of scrub vegetation in the south-central Northern Territory, is an example of this isolation.
• On the eastern fringe of the desert, the Aphelocephala pectoralis (Chestnut-breasted whiteface) can be found, as can the malleefowl of Mamungari Conservation Park.
• The dog (since the desert is located north of the Dingo Fence) and two huge monitor lizards, the Varanus giganteus (perentie) and the sand goanna, are among the desert's predators (Varanus gouldii).

Great Victoria Desert Conservation Status

The Great Victoria Desert is part of the Australian Deserts, often known as the Deserts of Australia.

• Because agriculture has always been limited in this desert, habitats have largely remained undisturbed.
• Parts of the desert have been designated as a protected area, such as Mamungari Conservation Park (previously referred to as Unnamed Conservation Park) in South Australia, a large area of untouched dry zone wilderness with cultural significance and one of Australia's 14 World Biosphere Reserves.
• In South Australia's Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal Local Government Area and Western Australia's Great Victoria Desert Nature Reserve, habitat is also maintained.
• Also, pastoralism and agriculture are not deemed practical due to the climate and geographical isolation of the area.
• As a result, there has been minimal land clearing or domestic stock grazing. This area has a nuclear weapons test site as well as a weapons testing range.
• Mineral exploration and mining have caused some environmental damage in certain locations, although these consequences are minor when seen on a regional basis.
• Furthermore, large swaths of land are preserved from development.
• The Unnamed Conservation Park of 8219 sq mi (21,289 sq km), located on the boundary between the Western Territory and South Australia, is the state's biggest conservation reserve.
• The nearby Pitjantjatjara Lands, given in 1981 to traditional landowners by the South Australian Parliament, effectively protect another 39,768 sq mi (103,000 sq km).
• The area encompasses around 20% of 1,930 sq mi (5,000 sq km) of Western Australia's Great Victoria Desert Nature Reserve.
• Between the years 1953 and 1963, the United Kingdom executed a series of nuclear weapon experiments at Maralinga and Emu, resulting in the contamination of a number of locations with radionuclides (Dept. PIE 1990).
• Because of its long half-life and the hazards presented by inhalation, the presence of plutonium-239 is of particular concern.
• Despite the fact that a rehabilitation program was implemented between 1996 and 1999, there is still much debate over its efficacy.
• The Woomera rocket and arm testing range have also caused some disruption, largely due to road construction.
• The growing popularity of 4WD vehicles poses a risk of disruption along any routes in this area, while this is not an issue in the Pitjantjatjara Lands, Maralinga, and Woomera Range, where public access is rigorously controlled.
• Feral animals, particularly rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), are the principal causes of extensive disturbances, which have a negative impact on native plants.
• After heavy rains, house mice (Mus musculus) may become very plentiful, posing a threat to smaller local animals.

Great Victoria Desert Attractions

The Great Victoria Desert, named after Queen Victoria, is home to a large number of desert attractions that make it a great tourist destination. Some of which are:

• Eucalyptus Youngiana, often known as Ooldea Mallee or Large-fruited Mallee, is a species of Eucalyptus.
• This tree reaches a maximum height of 36 ft (11 m). Eucalyptus Youngiana is distinguished by its enormous blossoms, which bloom from late winter to early June.
• Flowers with a diameter of 2.9 in (75 mm) are possible.
• These blooms are red, yellow, or cream in hue. It produces woody 'gum nuts' after the blooms have fallen off.
• One of the well-known characteristics of the Great Victoria Desert is the Marble Gum tree. This tree can only be found in a few arid locations like the central ranges and the west side of Great Victoria.
• The name 'marble gum' comes from two sources: first, the tree's spherical fruits, which resemble marbles, and second, the tree's trunk, which has a marbled appearance.
• The Acacia shrub may grow up to 20 ft (6 m) tall and spread out in a narrow belt for hundreds of kilometers.
• Acacia's golden-colored blossom blooms in the spring in the Victoria Desert, especially towards the Gibson Desert region.
• Emu bush grows to a height of 3.2-6.4 ft (1-2 m) and a respective width of 9.8 ft (3 m).
• This shrub is sticky in all forms, especially while it's young.
• The Emu shrub's red tubular blossom blooms from spring through autumn and has a honey-like flavor.
• Sturt's desert pea bloom is quite simple to identify because of its blood-red hue.
• There is a rough region in the center that is seldom white and usually black; it can resist extreme temperatures.
• This blooming plant's taproot aids in the discovery of water deep down in this great sandy desert.
• The Rock Wallabie is on the verge of extinction.
• These stunning creatures live on rocky outcroppings and jagged cliffs.
• Rock wallabies come in sixteen different species, and since they are members of the marsupial family, they are sometimes mistaken with kangaroos of South Australia.
• Like other desert animals, camels are a regular sight in the Great Victoria desert.
• Camels are generally found in North Africa and the Middle East. Hence the camels that live in the Great Victoria desert are wild.
• Bilbies have the appearance of house mice with rabbit ears.
• Bulb, bug, and fruit are among their favorite foods.
• Bilbies are marsupials with legs that resemble those of kangaroos, but instead of hopping, they like to gallop.
• Ardeotis Australis (Australian Bustard): Bustard may grow to a maximum of 3 ft (1 m) in height. The wingspan of these birds may reach 7.5 ft (2.3 m).
• They are heavy-bodied, ground-dwelling birds. Male bustards may weigh between 11-22 lb (5-10 kg), while females can weigh between 4.4-6.6 lb (2-3 kg).
• Malleefowl (Leipoa Ocellata) are small, ground-dwelling birds that are about the size of domestic chicken.
• Malleefowl are Australia's biggest megapodes and are notorious for building mounds. Seeds, flowers, fruits, tubers, fungus, herbs, and crustaceans are all eaten by malleefowl.
• Thornbill with a slender bill is around 3.93 in (10 cm) long in the western species. It has a 5.5-5.9 in (14–15 cm) wingspan. They're around 0.17-0.21 oz (5–6 g) in weight.
• They have feathers that are olive-grey and olive-brown in hue.
• The eastern and St. Vincent Gulf species are also present in South Australia.

Did You Know...

Read on for more interesting facts.

• One of the most fascinating Great Victoria Desert facts is that thunderstorms are rather regular despite being one of Australia's driest regions.
• Every year, between 15 and 20 occur, providing the majority of the area's precipitation.
• One of the most amazing Great Victoria Desert facts is that part of the desert has been designated as the 'Mamungari Conservation Park' by the Australian government.
• Since its establishment in 1970, this park has been referred to as a National Park.
• Only experienced visitors are permitted to enter the park, and journeys must be planned far ahead of time in order to get different permissions!
• One of the most terrible Great Victoria Desert facts is that the British government exploited this desolate location in the 1950s and early 1960s to perform different nuclear weapons testing.
• As a consequence, areas of the desert have been polluted by plutonium-239 and a variety of other radioactive waste.
• As a consequence, until today, the Maralinga and Emu Field (named after the iconic Australian bird) regions were entirely inaccessible!
• There are ten deserts in Australia, with the Simpson and Great Victoria deserts being the most well-known.
• Ayers Rock, popularly known as Uluru, is a sandstone rock structure in the Great Sandy Desert of Central Australia.

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