Koonalda Cave facts for kids

Koonalda Cave is a very important cave located in South Australia, on the huge, flat Nullarbor Plain. It's famous because it's an amazing archaeological site, which means it holds clues about ancient human life. The cave is found near the town of Nullarbor.

Exploring Koonalda Cave

Koonalda Cave is a large and impressive natural wonder. It starts with a big sinkhole, which is a hole in the ground, about 60 meters (197 feet) wide and 25 meters (82 feet) deep. Inside, there are two main passages that connect through a high opening. The cave stretches for about 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) in total.

Underground Lakes

Deep inside the cave, about 80 meters (262 feet) below the surface, you can find three underground lakes. Beyond the third lake, there's a narrow space that leads to another large dome-shaped area with a lake, about 45 meters (148 feet) wide. Another underwater passage, called a sump, goes on for 30 meters (98 feet) from there.

Ancient Art and History

Koonalda Cave is incredibly special because of the ancient art found inside. Thousands of square meters of the cave walls are covered with parallel lines and patterns made by fingers. This artwork was created by Indigenous Australian people.

Oldest Art in Australia

Scientists have figured out that this artwork is about 20,000 years old. This makes it older than any known prehistoric art found in Europe! The cave is located about 99 kilometers (62 miles) west of the Nullarbor roadhouse. It is also about 97 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Eucla. The cave is protected within the Nullarbor Wilderness Protection Area.

Rediscovery of the Cave

The cave was left empty by people about 19,000 years ago. Modern archaeologists rediscovered it in 1956.

Early Expeditions

The first recorded exploration of Koonalda Cave happened in 1935. An expedition team, led by Captain J. M. Thompson, explored the cave.

Thompson's Exploration

The team used a ladder to get into the cave. They found themselves in a large chamber that was about 244 meters (800 feet) around. From there, they walked through tunnels that were over 366 meters (1,200 feet) long.

Flint Mining by Aboriginal People

In the 1960s, an archaeologist named Alexander Gallus began digging in the cave. He made an important discovery.

Gallus's Discoveries

Gallus found evidence that Aboriginal people had mined flint in Koonalda Cave. Flint is a hard stone that was very important for making tools and weapons in ancient times. This shows that the cave was a significant place for these communities.

Protecting Koonalda Cave

Koonalda Cave is a very important historical and cultural site, so it has been given special protection.

Heritage Listings

• On May 30, 1968, Koonalda Cave was made a prohibited area under the South Australian Aboriginal and Historic Relics Preservation Act 1965. This meant it was protected from damage.
• It was added to the South Australian Heritage Register on March 4, 1993.
• On October 15, 2014, it was listed on the Australian National Heritage List. This is a list of places that are very important to Australia's history and culture.
• The cave was also listed on the Register of the National Estate, which is a list that no longer exists.