Mount Kosciuszko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Kosciuszko |
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| Tar-gan-gil/Kunama Namadgi | |
Mount Kosciuszko as viewed from Mount Townsend (the second highest peak in Mainland Australia), Kosciuszko National Park
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) |
| Prominence | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) |
| Isolation | 1,894.26 km (1,177.04 mi) |
| Listing | |
| Geography | |
 Mount Kosciuszko
Location in New South Wales
Mount Kosciuszko
Location in Australia
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| Parent range | Main Range, Great Dividing Range |
| Topo map | Perisher Valley |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Walk (dirt road) |
Mount Kosciuszko (pronounced KOZ-ee-USK-oh) is the highest mountain in mainland Australia. It stands at 2,228 meters (7,310 feet) above sea level. This impressive peak is located in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. It is part of the Kosciuszko National Park, which is a large protected area. The mountain is found west of Crackenback and close to Jindabyne. It is also near the border with Victoria.
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How Mount Kosciuszko Got Its Name
The mountain was named by a Polish explorer named Paweł Strzelecki. He named it in 1840 to honor General Tadeusz Kościuszko. Kościuszko was a famous Polish freedom fighter. Strzelecki thought the mountain looked like the Kościuszko Mound in Kraków, Poland.
The First Climb and a Map Mix-Up
Strzelecki led an exploration team in 1840. His team included James Macarthur and Indigenous guides Charlie Tarra and Jackey. Strzelecki wanted to study the land and find Australia's highest point. On March 12, 1840, he reached the peak.
They first climbed Mount Townsend, which is Australia's second-highest mountain. Strzelecki noticed that a nearby peak was slightly taller. He named this higher peak Mount Kosciusko. Macarthur returned to camp, but Strzelecki climbed to the very top alone.
Early maps of Victoria mistakenly swapped the names of Mount Kosciusko and Mount Townsend. This caused a lot of confusion for many years. However, maps from New South Wales always showed the correct location.
Clearing Up the Confusion
In 1885, another explorer, Robert von Lendenfeld, climbed Mount Townsend. He thought it was Mount Kosciusko because of the incorrect map. Local Aboriginal people called the mountain he climbed Tar-gan-gil. Like Strzelecki, Lendenfeld saw that a neighboring peak was higher. He named it Mount Townsend.
The confusion was finally fixed in 1940 by B. T. Dowd, a map expert. He proved that the mountain Strzelecki named was indeed the highest. Later, a book by C. Daley in 1941 confirmed this. This means Tar-gan-gil was the Aboriginal name for Mount Townsend. Mount Kosciuszko did not have an Indigenous name.
Changing the Spelling and Aboriginal Names
The mountain's name was first spelled "Mount Kosciusko." In 1997, the official spelling became "Mount Kosciuszko." This is closer to the original Polish spelling.
There are several Aboriginal names linked to Mount Townsend. These names, like Jagungal or Tar-gan-gil, mean "Bogong Moth". These moths used to gather on the mountain.
In 2019, a new name, "Kunama Namadgi," was suggested for Mount Kosciuszko. This name means "snow" and "mountain" in the Ngarigo language. Some Indigenous people say this has been the mountain's name for thousands of years.
What is Mount Kosciuszko Made Of?
Mount Kosciuszko was formed by the Earth's crust slowly pushing upwards. It was not made by volcanoes. The top of the mountain has large granite rocks. These rocks are left over from when the mountain was formed and then worn down by weather.
Plants and Flowers on the Mountain
Many unique plants grow on Mount Kosciuszko. These include:
- Kosciuszko buttercup (Ranunculus anemoneus)
- Vickery's grass (Rytidosperma vickeryae)
- Phebalium (Nematalolepis ovatifolia)
- Billy buttons (Craspedia spp.)
- Snow gum trees
Reaching the Summit
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest point in mainland Australia. It is a popular place for hikers.
Walking Paths to the Top
Until 1977, people could drive very close to the summit. Now, the road is closed to cars to protect the environment. You can walk or cycle from Charlotte Pass. This path is 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) long and leads to Rawson Pass. From there, a 1.4-kilometer (0.9-mile) walking path goes to the very top.
Another easy way to reach the peak is from Thredbo. You can take a chairlift up the mountain. From the top of the chairlift, it's a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) walk to Rawson Pass. Then, it's another 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) to the summit. This path has a special mesh walkway. It helps protect the plants and stop the ground from wearing away.
The walk to Mount Kosciuszko's summit is considered the easiest of all the Seven Summits. These are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.
Australia's highest public toilet was built at Rawson Pass in 2007. It helps serve the many people who visit the mountain each summer.
The Challenging Hannel's Spur Track
A third, more difficult path is the Hannel's Spur Track. This track is 15.5 kilometers (9.6 miles) long. It climbs 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) vertically, making it Australia's biggest vertical climb. This is the same route explorer Paul Strzelecki used in 1840. It was also used by stockmen to graze cattle and by Aboriginal tribes to find Bogong moths.
Winter on the Mountain
In winter and spring, from June to October, the mountain is covered in snow. The paths are marked with snow poles for cross-country skiers.
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Fun Activities and Sports
Kosciuszko National Park is also home to popular ski resorts. These include Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, and Perisher. These are the closest ski slopes to Canberra and Sydney.
Every December, a very long running race called the Coast to Kosciuszko takes place. Runners start 240 kilometers (150 miles) away at the coast. They then run all the way to the top of Mount Kosciuszko.
Other Tall Mountains in Australia
While Mount Kosciuszko is the highest on mainland Australia, there are taller peaks in Australian territories. These include:
- Mawson Peak (2,745 meters or 9,006 feet) on Heard Island.
- Dome Argus (4,030 meters or 13,222 feet) in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
- Mount McClintock (3,490 meters or 11,450 feet) in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
- Mount Menzies (3,355 meters or 11,007 feet) in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Also, Puncak Jaya in New Guinea, Indonesia, is 4,884 meters (16,024 feet) tall. It is the highest mountain in the wider Australian continent region, also known as Oceania.
Images for kids
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Kosciuszko National Park as viewed from the summit
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The base of a survey trig marker at the summit
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East side of the mountain
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Mount Kosciuszko Summit walk
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The summit from Charlotte Pass, New South Wales
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Mount Etheridge from south side showing high elevation toilet at Rawson Pass
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View of Mount Kosciuszko and the Etheridge Range from the headwaters of the Snowy River
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The plate at the top
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River flowing down from the summit
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Lake Cootapatamba, the lake on the highest place in the Australian mainland
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Adjacent mountain ranges
See also
In Spanish: Monte Kosciuszko para niños
- Australian Alps
- Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves
- List of mountains of Australia
