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List of volcanoes in Australia facts for kids

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See also: Lists of volcanoes

Australia is a land of amazing landscapes, and some of these were shaped by volcanoes! This article will tell you about the volcanoes found across Australia and its island territories.

When we talk about volcanoes here, we mean not just single mountains, but sometimes groups of volcanoes or places where lava came out of the ground at similar times. We'll mostly look at volcanoes from the Cenozoic Era, which started about 66 million years ago. But we'll also mention some older ones.

It's interesting to know that no volcanoes on the Australian mainland have erupted since Europeans arrived. However, some volcanoes in Victoria, South Australia, and North Queensland might have been seen erupting by Aboriginal people thousands of years ago! The only truly active volcanoes in Australia's territories today are on the Heard and McDonald Islands.

Australian States

Queensland

Queensland has many volcanoes, some of which are quite old. Here are a few notable ones:

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Atherton Volcano — — 17°30′S 144°30′E / 17.5°S 144.5°E / -17.5; 144.5 (Atherton Volcano) Less than 100,000 years ago
Lake Barrine 730 — 17°12′S 145°24′E / 17.2°S 145.4°E / -17.2; 145.4 (Lake Barrine) More than 17,000 years ago
Mount Quincan 703 2,306 17°18′11″S 145°34′39″E / 17.30306°S 145.57750°E / -17.30306; 145.57750 (Mount Quincan) 10,000 years ago
Chudleigh Volcano — — 10°30′S 144°12′E / 10.5°S 144.2°E / -10.5; 144.2 (Chudleigh Volcano) 250,000 years ago
Lake Eacham — — 17°12′S 145°36′E / 17.2°S 145.6°E / -17.2; 145.6 (Lake Eacham) More than 9,000 years ago
Kinrara Volcano — — 18°18′S 144°36′E / 18.3°S 144.6°E / -18.3; 144.6 (Kinrara Volcano) 7,000 years ago
Nulla Volcano — — 19°42′S 145°18′E / 19.7°S 145.3°E / -19.7; 145.3 (Nulla Volcano) 13,000 years ago
Sturgeon Volcano — — 20°18′S 144°12′E / 20.3°S 144.2°E / -20.3; 144.2 (Sturgeon Volcano) 92,000 years ago
Toomba — — 19°30′S 145°00′E / 19.5°S 145.0°E / -19.5; 145.0 (Toomba) 21,000 years ago
Undara Crater 1,020 3,345 18°15′S 144°45′E / 18.25°S 144.75°E / -18.25; 144.75 (Undara Crater) 189,000 years ago
Glass House Mountains — — — 26–27 million years ago

New South Wales

New South Wales also has a history of volcanic activity, with many ancient volcanoes.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Mount Canobolas 1,395 — 33°18′S 149°00′E / 33.3°S 149.0°E / -33.3; 149.0 (Mount Canobolas) 12–13 million years ago
Mount Kaputar or Nandewar Volcano 1,507 — 30°12′S 150°06′E / 30.2°S 150.1°E / -30.2; 150.1 (Mount Kaputar) 17–18 million years ago
Mount Warning or Tweed Volcano 1,157 3,796 28°23′50″S 153°16′15″E / 28.39722°S 153.27083°E / -28.39722; 153.27083 (Mount Warning) 23–24 million years ago
Warrumbungles inc The Breadknife — — 31°18′S 149°00′E / 31.3°S 149.0°E / -31.3; 149.0 (Warrumbungles) 13–17 million years ago

Victoria

Victoria is home to some of Australia's youngest volcanoes. Some of these might have been active when Aboriginal people lived in the area.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Budj Bim, in Budj Bim National Park — — 38°04′S 141°55′E / 38.07°S 141.92°E / -38.07; 141.92 (Mount Eccles) About 36,900 years ago
Mount Elephant 395 — 37°58′S 143°12′E / 37.96°S 143.20°E / -37.96; 143.20 (Mount Elephant) 5,000–20,000 years ago
Mount Franklin 635 — — 470,000 years ago
Mount Leura 311 — 38°06′S 143°06′E / 38.1°S 143.1°E / -38.1; 143.1 (Mount Leura) 5,000–20,000 years ago
Mount Napier 440 1,440 37°48′S 142°30′E / 37.8°S 142.5°E / -37.8; 142.5 (Mount Napier) 32,000 years ago
Mount Noorat 310 — 38°10′37″S 142°55′39″E / 38.1769267°S 142.9276341°E / -38.1769267; 142.9276341 (Mount Noorat) 5,000–20,000 years ago
Mount Porndon 278 — 38°11′S 143°10′E / 38.18°S 143.17°E / -38.18; 143.17 (Mount Porndon) 300,000 years ago
Tower Hill, in Tower Hill State Game Reserve 103 338 38°19′16″S 142°21′35″E / 38.3212°S 142.3597°E / -38.3212; 142.3597 (Tower Hill) About 36,800 years ago
Mount Warrnambool 216 — 38°11′S 142°26′E / 38.18°S 142.44°E / -38.18; 142.44 (Mount Warrnambool) 5,000–20,000 years ago

South Australia

South Australia has some of the youngest volcanoes in Australia. They are all found in the Limestone Coast region. These volcanoes are considered dormant, which means they are sleeping but could erupt again one day.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Mount Burr 187 614 37°33′S 140°28′E / 37.55°S 140.46°E / -37.55; 140.46 (Mount Burr) 4,750 years ago
Mount Gambier 190 623 37°50′S 140°47′E / 37.84°S 140.78°E / -37.84; 140.78 (Mount Gambier) 4,500 years ago
Mount Schank 158 518 37°56′S 140°44′E / 37.94°S 140.74°E / -37.94; 140.74 (Mount Schank) 5,000 years ago
Mount Muirhead 130 427 37°34′S 140°25′E / 37.56°S 140.41°E / -37.56; 140.41 (Mount Muirhead) 5,000 years ago

Western Australia

Western Australia doesn't have any active or dormant volcanoes. However, it does have some extinct ones, which means they won't erupt again. For example, there are nineteen small extinct volcanoes in the valley of the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Argyle diamond mine — — 16°36′S 128°18′E / 16.6°S 128.3°E / -16.6; 128.3 (Argyle Diamond Pipe) 1.58 million years ago

Tasmania

Tasmania has some very old volcanoes, showing its long geological history.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Table Cape 181 594 40°57′S 145°44′E / 40.95°S 145.73°E / -40.95; 145.73 (Table Cape) 12 million years ago
The Nut 143 469 40°46′S 145°18′E / 40.76°S 145.3°E / -40.76; 145.3 (The Nut) 25-70 million years ago

Territories

Australia Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory has one notable ancient volcano.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Mount Stromlo 770 2,530 35°19′0″S 149°1′0″E / 35.31667°S 149.01667°E / -35.31667; 149.01667 (Mount Stromlo) Silurian period (very old!)

Heard and McDonald Islands

These remote islands are home to Australia's only currently active volcanoes!

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Big Ben (Mawson Peak) 2,745 9,006 53°6′0″S 73°31′0″E / 53.10000°S 73.51667°E / -53.10000; 73.51667 (Big Ben) 2004/2019
McDonald Islands 230 755 53°02′S 72°36′E / 53.03°S 72.60°E / -53.03; 72.60 (McDonald Islands) 2005

Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island is a beautiful place that was also formed by ancient volcanic activity.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Ball's Pyramid 562 1,844 31°45′07″S 159°15′05″E / 31.75194°S 159.25139°E / -31.75194; 159.25139 (Ball's Pyramid) —
Mount Gower 875 2,870 31°34′51″S 159°04′54″E / 31.58083°S 159.08167°E / -31.58083; 159.08167 (Mount Gower) —

Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island and its nearby islands, Nepean Island and Phillip Island, are actually the tops of a very old shield volcano.

Name Elevation Location Last eruption
metres feet Coordinates
Norfolk Island 315 1,033 29°S 168°E / 29°S 168°E / -29; 168 (Norfolk Island) 2.4 million years ago
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