Geographical Centre Points of Australia
Dec 15, 2020 18:39:45 GMT -5
Ethereal, nei, and 1 more like this
Post by knot on Dec 15, 2020 18:39:45 GMT -5
We've already had an Australian major cities climate battle, so I just thought of doing a climate battle which utilises a much more accurate measure for to represent regional climates—geographical centre points, comprising all eight states and territories. Referencing this, I've located and used the nearest BoM stations to the geographical centre points. Some, like Wiluna (WA) and Tennant Creek Airport (NT), were unfortunately a hundred or more kilometres off; however, some, like the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station (ACT) and Miena Dam (TAS), were nigh exactly on-point.
Bendigo easily takes this, IMO; due to having the best summers, whilst retaining acceptably cool and wet winters, jointly with the best precip pattern—although Miena has the best winters, it's unfortunately plagued with a rancid, subpolar "summer".
My heirarchy as follows:
I. Bendigo, VIC
II. Trangie, NSW
III. Honeysuckle Creek, ACT
IV. Miena, TAS
V. Wiluna, WA
VI. Tarcoola, SA
VII. Winton, QLD
VIII. Tennant Creek, NT
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT): Honeysuckle Creek
The centre of the Australian Capital Territory might be thought of as the former site of the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, approximately 35km south-south-west of Canberra. The tracking station played a leading role in the NASA Apollo missions, closing in 1981 with the end of the Skylab program. The radio telescope was dismantled and relocated to Tidbinbilla in 1983.
35° 29’ 24” S, 149° 00’ 05” E
• New South Wales (NSW): Trangie Research Station AWS
One possible definition of the centre for New South Wales is located just off Cockies Road, 33km west-north-west of Tottenham (Tottenham is 110km west of Dubbo). This spot, south of the Fiveways Intersection, is marked by a large sign, constructed for Australia's Bicentennial celebrations.
32° 09’ 48” S, 147° 01’ 00” E
• Northern Territory (NT): Tennant Creek Airport
Using the method described earlier, one estimate of where the centre of the Northern Territory lies can be found approximately 91 km west-north-west of Tennant Creek. A short distance past the Kartijirarrakanya Claypan, this centre is in a particularly harsh, arid part of the territory.
19° 23’ 00” S, 133° 21’ 28” E
• Queensland (QLD): Winton Airport
In Queensland, the geographical centre is located 17km north-west of Muttaburra. Also famous from a paleontological perspective, this region was once a pre-historic inland sea. A wealth of fossilized remains has been uncovered here, and when a previously undiscovered species was found, it was became known as the Muttaburrasaurus.
22° 29’ 13” S, 144° 25’ 54” E
• South Australia (SA): Tarcoola Aero
Despite three sides of its border being straight lines, defining the centre of South Australia is no easier thanks to an irregular shaped coastline. According to one method, the centre is near the Churchill Smith bore, which is approximately 12km north-east of the Mt Eba cattle station. In relation to more commonly known landmarks, the centre of South Australia is located some distance south-west of Lake Eyre.
30° 03’ 30” S, 135° 45’ 48” E
• Tasmania (TAS): Miena Dam
One possible centre for Tasmania is found on the western shore of Little Pine Lagoon. This small lake lies next to the Marlborough Highway, between the towns of Bronte and Miena. On the Lyell Highway, just a short distance east of Bronte, lies a cairn which was erected in 1983 by members of the Institution of Surveyors (Australian Tasmanian Division). This marker commemorates the early surveyors who explored and mapped the state, and marks Trig Point 715 - said to be near the geographical centre.
42° 01’ 17” S, 146° 35’ 36” E
• Victoria (VIC): Bendigo Airport
Located around 10km south-south-east of Bendigo, the centre of Victoria might be considered to be on the steps of the Mandurang Uniting Church. No longer in use, the church sits on the site that corresponds with centroid calculations from a number of different organisations, including Geoscience Australia, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), and the Department of Geospatial Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
36° 51’ 15” S, 144° 16’ 52” E
• Western Australia (WA): Wiluna
In Western Australia, what could be called the centre is found in the Gascoyne Region, east south-east of the Glenayle Homestead and north east of the Glenayle - Carnegie Road.
25° 19’ 41” S, 122° 17’ 54” E
Bendigo easily takes this, IMO; due to having the best summers, whilst retaining acceptably cool and wet winters, jointly with the best precip pattern—although Miena has the best winters, it's unfortunately plagued with a rancid, subpolar "summer".
My heirarchy as follows:
I. Bendigo, VIC
II. Trangie, NSW
III. Honeysuckle Creek, ACT
IV. Miena, TAS
V. Wiluna, WA
VI. Tarcoola, SA
VII. Winton, QLD
VIII. Tennant Creek, NT
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT): Honeysuckle Creek
The centre of the Australian Capital Territory might be thought of as the former site of the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, approximately 35km south-south-west of Canberra. The tracking station played a leading role in the NASA Apollo missions, closing in 1981 with the end of the Skylab program. The radio telescope was dismantled and relocated to Tidbinbilla in 1983.
35° 29’ 24” S, 149° 00’ 05” E
• New South Wales (NSW): Trangie Research Station AWS
One possible definition of the centre for New South Wales is located just off Cockies Road, 33km west-north-west of Tottenham (Tottenham is 110km west of Dubbo). This spot, south of the Fiveways Intersection, is marked by a large sign, constructed for Australia's Bicentennial celebrations.
32° 09’ 48” S, 147° 01’ 00” E
• Northern Territory (NT): Tennant Creek Airport
Using the method described earlier, one estimate of where the centre of the Northern Territory lies can be found approximately 91 km west-north-west of Tennant Creek. A short distance past the Kartijirarrakanya Claypan, this centre is in a particularly harsh, arid part of the territory.
19° 23’ 00” S, 133° 21’ 28” E
• Queensland (QLD): Winton Airport
In Queensland, the geographical centre is located 17km north-west of Muttaburra. Also famous from a paleontological perspective, this region was once a pre-historic inland sea. A wealth of fossilized remains has been uncovered here, and when a previously undiscovered species was found, it was became known as the Muttaburrasaurus.
22° 29’ 13” S, 144° 25’ 54” E
• South Australia (SA): Tarcoola Aero
Despite three sides of its border being straight lines, defining the centre of South Australia is no easier thanks to an irregular shaped coastline. According to one method, the centre is near the Churchill Smith bore, which is approximately 12km north-east of the Mt Eba cattle station. In relation to more commonly known landmarks, the centre of South Australia is located some distance south-west of Lake Eyre.
30° 03’ 30” S, 135° 45’ 48” E
• Tasmania (TAS): Miena Dam
One possible centre for Tasmania is found on the western shore of Little Pine Lagoon. This small lake lies next to the Marlborough Highway, between the towns of Bronte and Miena. On the Lyell Highway, just a short distance east of Bronte, lies a cairn which was erected in 1983 by members of the Institution of Surveyors (Australian Tasmanian Division). This marker commemorates the early surveyors who explored and mapped the state, and marks Trig Point 715 - said to be near the geographical centre.
42° 01’ 17” S, 146° 35’ 36” E
• Victoria (VIC): Bendigo Airport
Located around 10km south-south-east of Bendigo, the centre of Victoria might be considered to be on the steps of the Mandurang Uniting Church. No longer in use, the church sits on the site that corresponds with centroid calculations from a number of different organisations, including Geoscience Australia, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), and the Department of Geospatial Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
36° 51’ 15” S, 144° 16’ 52” E
• Western Australia (WA): Wiluna
In Western Australia, what could be called the centre is found in the Gascoyne Region, east south-east of the Glenayle Homestead and north east of the Glenayle - Carnegie Road.
25° 19’ 41” S, 122° 17’ 54” E
