Great Sandy Desert
Second largest Australian desert, home to Aboriginal communities and unique landforms.
via Wikipedia: Great Sandy Desert · see source
The Great Sandy Desert is an interim Australian bioregion covering 284,993 square kilometers (110,036 square miles), making it the country's second largest desert after the Great Victoria Desert. It sits in northeastern Western Australia, overlapping the Pilbara and southern Kimberley areas, and stretches east into the Northern Territory. The Gibson Desert borders it to the south, and the Tanami Desert lies to the east. The landscape features large ergs, often made up of longitudinal dunes. In the northeastern part of the desert, you'll find Wolfe Creek crater, a meteorite impact site. In the western Pilbara region, there are "fairy circles"—barren circular patches of land, 2 to 12 meters in diameter, often surrounded by a ring of lush grass. The cause of these formations is still unknown, though one idea suggests Australian harvester termites have built and occupied them since the Pleistocene.
The area is very sparsely populated, with most residents living in Aboriginal Australian communities or mining centers. The Aboriginal people here are mainly the Martu in the west and the Pintupi in the east, speaking various Western Desert languages. Many were forcibly removed from their lands during the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries and relocated to settlements like Papunya in the Northern Territory. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, some original inhabitants returned. Young adults from the region take part in Wilurarra Creative programs to maintain and develop their culture and strengthen their community.
Rainfall is low across the desert and, especially in the north, highly seasonal. Near the Kimberley, average rainfall exceeds 300 mm (12 inches), but it can be patchy. Many dry years end with a monsoon cloud mass or a tropical cyclone. Like many Australian deserts, precipitation is relatively high for a desert, though the driest areas get just under 250 mm (9.8 inches) annually. The intense heat of the ground surface creates a massive evaporation cycle, which partly explains the higher-than-normal rainfall. This region helps generate the heat lows that drive the northwest monsoon. Almost all rain comes from monsoon thunderstorms or occasional tropical cyclone rain depressions. Most of the area sees about 20–30 thunderstorm days per year, while the north near the Kimberley averages 30–40. Summer daytime temperatures are among the highest in Australia; regions further south average 38 to 42 °C (100 to 108 °F), except when monsoon cloud cover is active. Several people have died here during seasonal flooding after their vehicles got stuck or broke down on remote dirt roads. Conversely, travelers have also died from vehicle breakdowns in the hottest months, with dehydration, sun exposure, and heatstroke as the main causes. Winters are short and warm, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 °C (77 to 86 °F). Frost is rare across most of the area, though the far southeast near the Gibson Desert may see a light frost once or twice a year. Away from the coast, winter nights can still feel chilly compared to the warm days.
Indigenous art is a major industry in central Australia. Mines, including the Telfer gold mine (one of the country's largest) and the Nifty copper mine, along with cattle stations, are found in the far west. The undeveloped Kintyre uranium deposit lies south of Telfer.
The desert's vegetation is mostly spinifex. Animals include feral camels, dingoes, bilbies, mulgara, marsupial moles, rufous hare-wallabies, and red kangaroos. Various lizards live here too, such as goannas (including the large perentie), thorny devils, and bearded dragons. Birdlife includes the rare Alexandra's parrot, the mulga parrot, and the scarlet-chested parrot.
- type
- Interim Australian bioregion
- location
- Northeast Western Australia, extending into the Northern Territory
- area
- 284,993 km² (110,036 sq mi)
- rank
- Second largest desert in Australia
- bordering deserts
- Gibson Desert to the south, Tanami Desert to the east
- notable features
- Wolfe Creek meteorite impact crater, fairy circles, longitudinal dunes
Lore & Background
The region is sparsely populated. The main populations consist of Aboriginal Australian communities and mining centres. The Aboriginal people of the desert fall into two main groups, the Martu in the west and the Pintupi in the east. Linguistically, they are speakers of multiple Western Desert languages. Many of these Indigenous people were forcibly removed from their lands during the late 18th, 19th, and the early 20th centuries, to be relocated to other settlements, such as Papunya in the Northern Territory. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, some of the original inhabitants returned. Young adults from the Great Sandy Desert region travel to and work in the Wilurarra Creative programs to maintain and develop their culture, and a greater sense of community. Rainfall is low throughout the coast and, especially further north, is strongly seasonal. Areas near the Kimberley have an average rainfall that exceeds 300 mm, but can be patchy. Many dry years end with a monsoon cloud mass or a tropical cyclone. Like many of Australia's deserts, precipitation is high by desert standards, but with the driest regions recording total rainfall a little below 250 mm. The heat of Australia's ground surface creates a massive evaporation cycle, which partially explains the higher-than-normal desert rainfall. This region is one which gives rise to the heat lows, which help drive the NW monsoon. Almost all the rain regionally comes from monsoon thunderstorms, or the occasional tropical cyclone rain depression. Annually, for most of the area, there are about 20–30 days where thunderstorms form. However, in the north and bordering the Kimberley, 30-40 per year is the average. Summer daytime temperatures are some of the highest in Australia. Regions further south average 38 to 42 °C, except when monsoonal cloud cover is active. Several people have died in this region during seasonal flooding, after their vehicles were stuck or broken down on remote dirt roads. Conversely, a few travellers have had their vehicles malfunction during the hottest times of the year, with dehydration, sun exposure and heatstroke being the predominant causes of death. Winters are short and warm; temperatures range from 25 to 30 °C. Frost does not occur in most of the area. The regions bordering the Gibson Desert in the far southeast may record a light frost or two every year. Away from the coast winter nights can still be chilly in comparison to the warm days.
Reader's Guide
The Great Sandy Desert holds significance as a vast, sparsely inhabited region that preserves both natural wonders and Indigenous cultural heritage. Its features include the Wolfe Creek meteorite impact crater and enigmatic fairy circles—circular barren patches of unknown origin, possibly built by termites since the Pleistocene. The desert supports a unique ecosystem dominated by spinifex vegetation, with fauna including feral camels, dingoes, bilbies, mulgara, marsupial moles, rufous hare-wallabies, red kangaroos, various lizards (goannas including the large perentie, thorny devils, and bearded dragons), and rare birds like Alexandra's parrot, the mulga parrot, and the scarlet-chested parrot. Economically, the region hosts major mines such as the Telfer gold mine (one of the largest gold mines in Australia) and Nifty copper mine, as well as cattle stations and a significant Indigenous art industry. The undeveloped Kintyre uranium deposit lies south of Telfer. The desert's Aboriginal communities, forcibly displaced historically, have seen some return in recent decades, with cultural programs like Wilurarra Creative helping sustain traditions. The harsh climate—with extreme summer heat, seasonal flooding, and risks of dehydration—poses dangers to travellers, as noted by fatalities from vehicle breakdowns.
Did You Know?
- The Great Sandy Desert is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert, encompassing an area of 284,993 km².
- Fairy circles in the western part of the desert vary between 2 and 12 m in diameter and are often encircled by a ring of stimulated grass growth.
- Many Indigenous people were forcibly removed from their lands during the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, relocated to settlements such as Papunya in the Northern Territory.
- Summer daytime temperatures in regions further south average 38 to 42 °C, among the highest in Australia.
- The Telfer gold mine, located in the far west, is one of the largest gold mines in Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Great Sandy Desert?
It is an interim Australian bioregion classified as a desert, sitting in the northeastern part of Western Australia and spilling eastward into the Northern Territory. It ranks as the second-largest desert on the Australian continent.
How large is the Great Sandy Desert?
The desert covers roughly 285,000 square kilometres (about 110,000 square miles), making it the second-biggest desert in Australia behind only the Great Victoria Desert.
Where exactly is the Great Sandy Desert located?
It stretches across the northeast of Western Australia, bridging the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions, before crossing the border into the Northern Territory. The Gibson Desert sits to its south and the Tanami Desert to its east.
What makes the Great Sandy Desert geographically notable?
The landscape is dominated by massive sand ergs built from long, ridge-like dunes, and the northeast corner holds the Wolfe Creek meteorite impact crater. The region also features so-called fairy circles and supports Aboriginal communities.
Which deserts border the Great Sandy Desert?
The Gibson Desert lies to the south while the Tanami Desert sits to the east. Together with the Great Victoria Desert, these form part of the vast arid belt across central and western Australia.
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