Lake Macdonald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake MacdonaldKarrkurutinyja |
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 Lake Macdonald
Location in Australia
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| Location | Western Australia and Northern Territory |
| Coordinates | 23°30′S 129°00′E / 23.500°S 129.000°E |
| Type | Salt lake |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 58 km (36 mi) |
| Max. width | 23 km (14 mi) |
Lake Macdonald is a special lake in Australia. Its name in the Pintupi language is Karrkurutinyja. This lake is called an ephemeral lake. This means it only has water sometimes, usually after a lot of rain.
Lake Macdonald is located right on the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It lies to the south of another lake called Lake Mackay. It is also southwest of a town called Kintore, Northern Territory.
About Lake Macdonald
This area has been home to Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. They have lived on and cared for this land for a very long time.
Europeans first visited the lake in 1889. This visit was part of an exploration trip. The trip was supported by the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia. This society is a group that helps explore and map new places.
Early Exploration
The expedition was led by a man named William Tietkens. During this trip, the first known photographs of Uluru were taken. Uluru is a very famous and important rock formation in Australia.
Lake Macdonald was named after the secretary of the Victorian branch of the Geographical Society at that time. The area around the lake has also been looked at for mining. People have explored the possibility of mining potash there. Potash is a type of salt that is used to make fertilizer for plants.
Important Cultural Area
The southern edge of Lake Macdonald marks a special boundary. It is the boundary of the Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area. This is a large area of land. It is managed and protected by Indigenous Australian communities.
The land around Karrkurutinyja is very important for art. It is the birthplace of many famous modern Indigenous Australian artists. These artists include Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi, Shorty Lungkarta Tjungurrayi, and Narputta Nangala. Narputta Nangala was the mother of another well-known artist, Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri.
