Lake Wells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Wells |
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 Lake Wells
Location in Western Australia
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| Location | Goldfields-Esperance, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 26°43′23″S 123°15′00″E / 26.72306°S 123.25000°E |
| Type | Ephemeral |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 70 km (43 mi) |
| Max. width | 52 km (32 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,895 km2 (732 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 436 m (1,430 ft) |
Lake Wells is a large salt lake in the middle of Western Australia. It is an ephemeral lake, which means it only has water after heavy rain. Most of the time, it is a dry, salty flat area. Lake Wells is very big, covering about 1,895 square kilometers. That's larger than many cities! It sits about 436 meters above sea level.
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What is Lake Wells?
Lake Wells is a huge, flat area covered in salt. It's not like a normal lake that always has water. Instead, it only fills up with water when there's a lot of rain. When it's dry, it looks like a giant, white, salty plain.
Where is Lake Wells Located?
This unique lake is found in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It's quite remote, located east of a town called Wiluna. You can find it near the edge of two big deserts: the Little Sandy Desert and the Gibson Desert. It's also to the northwest of the Great Central Road, which is a long road through the outback. Lake Wells is also close to another salt lake called Lake Carnegie.
Who Discovered Lake Wells?
Europeans first recorded seeing Lake Wells in March 1892. This happened during a big trip called The Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition.
The Elder Expedition
The Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition was a scientific journey that took place from 1891 to 1892. It was paid for by a rich man named Sir Thomas Elder. The leader of the expedition was David Lindsay.
In 1892, Lindsay sent his second-in-command, a surveyor named Lawrence Wells, on a smaller trip. A surveyor is someone who measures and maps land. During this trip, Lawrence Wells explored the area east of the Murchison River. He found and named several lakes, including Lake Way, Lake Darlot, and of course, Lake Wells, which was named after him.
