Abrakurrie Cave is a wild cave on the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia. It is located about 48 kilometres (30 mi) north west of Eucla[1] and is reported to have the largest single cave chamber in the southern hemisphere.[2] The stencils in the cave are the deepest penetration of Aboriginal art of any cave system in Australia.[3]
| Abrakurrie Cave | |
|---|---|
| Location | Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°39′26″S 128°29′23″E / 31.6572°S 128.4898°E |
| Depth | -70m |
| Length | 300+m |
| Discovery | bef. 1930s |
| Geology | Karst |
| Difficulty | easy |
Exploration
Visits to the cave occurred as early as the 1880s.[4]
The cave was explored by an expedition led by Captain J. M. Thompson in 1935. The explorers described a cave that was 1,200 feet (366 m) in length, 160 feet (49 m) wide and 150 feet (46 m) deep.[5] After progressing a further 250 feet (76 m) the group found the passage forked into two passages one of which continued a further 1,500 feet (457 m) leading to a huge cavern.[5]
Photographs of the cave were published after the 1935 expedition.[6][7]
It was a well documented cave by the 1960s.[8]
See also
References
External links
- Inside Abrakurrie Cave (1935) State Library of South Australia
- Abrakurrie Cave Caves of Australia