Lake Ballard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Ballard |
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Lake Ballard
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 Lake Ballard
Location in Western Australia
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| Location | Goldfields-Esperance, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 29°25′33″S 120°45′07″E / 29.42583°S 120.75194°E |
| Type | Salt lake |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Max. width | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Surface area | 4,900 ha (12,108 acres) |
Lake Ballard is a special kind of salt lake in Western Australia. It's called an ephemeral lake because it's usually dry. It only fills with water after heavy rains. You can find it in the Goldfields-Esperance area, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of a town called Menzies. The lake is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) long and 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide.
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Amazing Sculptures
In 2003, something really cool happened at Lake Ballard. An artist named Antony Gormley created a unique art show. It was part of the 50th anniversary of the Perth International Arts Festival.
The Inside Australia Exhibition
Antony Gormley, who won a famous art award called the Turner Prize, placed 51 sculptures on the dry lake bed. These statues cover a huge area, about 10 square kilometers (4 square miles). Each sculpture is a life-sized figure of a local person.
Why the Sculptures Stayed
The plan was to remove the statues after the festival ended. But they were so popular that they stayed! Now, they are a permanent outdoor art gallery. Many tourists visit Lake Ballard to see these amazing figures standing silently on the vast salt flats.
Banded Stilts and Lake Ballard
Lake Ballard is very important for a special bird called the banded stilt. These birds are known for their long legs and unique black and white markings. They love salt lakes.
A Breeding Ground for Birds
When Lake Ballard fills with water after big floods, it becomes a perfect place for banded stilts to have their babies. They build their nests in large groups on low islands in the lake. This helps keep their eggs safe.
Important Bird Area
The last time banded stilts nested here was in 1995. This was after a big storm called Cyclone Bobby. Because of its importance to these birds, Lake Ballard is now part of an Important Bird Area (IBA). This means it's a protected place for birds. The lake and nearby Lake Marmion together form a 984 square kilometer (380 square mile) IBA. This area helps protect the banded stilts and their breeding sites.
