View source for Australian Alps

{{short description|Bioregion in Australia}}
{{about|the general mountain range and [[bioregion]]|the group of heritage listed [[protected area]]s|Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type       = region
| name       = Australian Alps
| state      = au
| image      = Mount Feathertop and Razorback.jpg
| caption    = [[Mount Feathertop]], Victoria
| image2     = IBRA 6.1 Australian Alps.png
| caption2   = The [[Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia|interim Australian bioregion]]s,<br/>with the Australian Alps in red
| image2_alt = 
| pop        = 
| est        = 
| area       = 12330
| lga        = 
| lga2       = 
| lga3       = 
| lga4       = 
| stategov   = [[Electoral district of Benambra|Benambra]]
| stategov2  = [[Brindabella electorate|Brindabella]]
| stategov3  = [[Electoral district of Gippsland East|Gippsland East]]
| stategov4  = [[Electoral district of Monaro|Monaro]]
| stategov5  = [[Electoral district of Ovens Valley|Ovens Valley]]
| fedgov     = [[Division of Eden-Monaro|Eden-Monaro]]
| fedgov2    = [[Division of Gippsland|Gippsland]]
| fedgov3    = [[Division of Riverina|Riverina]]
| logo       = 
| url        = 
| near-n     = [[South Eastern Highlands]]
| near-ne    = [[South Eastern Highlands]]
| near-e     = South East Corner
| near-se    = South East Corner
| near-s     = South East Coastal Plain
| near-sw    = Victorian Midlands
| near-w     = [[Riverina]]
| near-nw    = [[South West Slopes|NSW South Western Slopes]]
| near       = Australian Alps
}}
[[File:AustAlpsRegionMap.png|thumb|Map of Australian Alps]]

The '''Australian Alps''' are a [[mountain range]] in southeast [[Australia]]. The range comprises an [[Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia|interim Australian bioregion]],<ref name="IBRA 5.1">{{cite report |author=Environment Australia |title=Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) and Development of Version 5.1 - Summary Report |publisher=[[Department of the Environment and Water Resources]], [[Government of Australia|Australian Government]] |url=http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version5-1/summary-report/index.html |access-date=2007-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060905215218/http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version5-1/summary-report/index.html |archive-date=2006-09-05 |url-status=dead |author-link=Environment Australia}}</ref><ref name="IBRA 6.1">[http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/version6-1/index.html IBRA Version 6.1] data</ref> and is the highest mountain range in Australia. The range straddles the borders of eastern [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], southeastern [[New South Wales]], and the [[Australian Capital Territory]]. It contains Australia's only peaks exceeding {{convert|2000|m|abbr=on}} in elevation, and is the only bioregion on the Australian mainland in which deep [[Snow in Australia|snow falls annually]]. The range comprises an area of {{convert|1232981|ha|acre|abbr=on}}.<ref name="IBRA7">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/bioregion-framework/ibra/ibracode7.html |title=Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA7) regions and codes |work=Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |year=2012 |access-date=13 January 2013}}</ref>

The Australian Alps are part of the [[Great Dividing Range]], the series of mountain and hill ranges and tablelands that runs about {{convert|3000|km|abbr=on}} from northern [[Queensland]], through New South Wales, and into the northern part of Victoria.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geology of the Australian alps|url=http://www.australianalps.environment.gov.au/learn/pubs/geology.pdf|access-date=30 November 2013|page=1|quote=The Australian Alps are the highest part of a larger entity, the Eastern Highlands of Australia...}}</ref> This chain of highlands divides the drainage of the rivers that flow to the east into the [[Pacific Ocean]] from those that flow west into the drainage of the [[Murray–Darling Basin]] (and thence to the [[Southern Ocean]]) or into inland waters, such as [[Lake Eyre]], which lie below sea level, or else evaporate rapidly.

The Australian Alps consist of two biogeographic sub regions: the [[Snowy Mountains]], including the [[Brindabella Range]], located in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory; and the [[Victorian Alps]], located in Victoria. The latter region is also known as the "High Country", particularly within a cultural or historical context.

==Geology==
Unlike the high mountain ranges found in places like the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]] (highest peak {{convert|4401|m||abbr=on}}), the European [[Alps]] (highest peak {{convert|4,808|m|abbr=on}}) or the [[Himalayas]] (highest peak {{convert|8,848|m|abbr=on}}), the Australian Alps were not formed by two [[continental plate]]s colliding and pushing up the Earth's rocky mantle to form jagged, rocky peaks. Instead, the Australian Alps consist of a high plateau, with significantly softer rolling hills spread across a long, wide plateau that was lifted thousands of feet up by the movement of magma when [[Gondwana]] began to break up between 130 and 160 million years ago. The highest peak in the Australian Alps is [[Mount Kosciuszko]] ({{convert|2,228|m}}).<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2014-05-15 |title=Highest Mountains |url=https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/landforms/highest-mountains |access-date=2022-05-17 |website=Geoscience Australia |language=EN}}</ref>

Formation of the Australian Alps was largely complete by around 100 million years ago, but during the past 90 million years, a number of minor uplift episodes occurred, with occasional eruptions of basalt lava from small volcanoes, which flowed across the landscape and down some of the valleys, filling in the low-lying areas to form the flat landscapes of these high plains.

During the [[Pleistocene]] ice age, commencing around 2 million years ago, when ice caps formed on many high ranges around the world, as well as at the poles, small glaciers were formed on the very highest parts of the Australian Alps, mostly in the vicinity of Mount Kosciuszko. Whilst no glaciers remain today, evidence of their past presence can be found in the numerous tarns and cirques found in that region, such as Club Lake, Blue Lake, and Hedley Tarn.

==Ecology==
[[File:Morning views from the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, Kosciuszko National Park 17.jpg|thumb|The [[Snowy Mountains]] region of [[New South Wales]] ]]
The Australian Alps are important for [[conservation biology|conservation]], [[recreation]], and as a water [[drainage basin]], with much of the range's eastern slopes having its runoff diverted artificially into the Murray River and its tributary the [[Murrumbidgee River]] through the [[civil engineering]] project of the [[Snowy Mountains Scheme]].

The range's natural ecology is protected by large [[National Park|national parks]], in particular the [[Kosciuszko National Park]] in New South Wales and the adjoining [[Alpine National Park]] in Victoria. These are managed cooperatively as the Australian Alps National Parks by agencies of the [[Australian government]] and the state governments of this region.

The Australian Alps also contain the only [[skiing]] areas of mainland Australia. Along with the town of [[Cabramurra, New South Wales]], these are practically the only permanent settlements in the area. Several medium-sized towns can be found in the valleys below the foothills, such as [[Jindabyne, New South Wales]], [[Corryong, Victoria]], and [[Mount Beauty]].

The Australian Alps are not as high or as steep as the European Alps, [[New Zealand's Southern Alps]], or the [[Andes Mountains]], and most of their peaks can be reached without using [[mountaineering]] equipment. 

=== Wildlife ===
Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish live in the Australian Alps. There are approximately 40 native mammals, 200 bird species, 30 reptile species, 15 amphibians, 14 native fish species, and a wide variety of invertebrates.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2013 |title=Fauna of the Australian Alps |url=https://theaustralianalps.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/fauna.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917122807/https://theaustralianalps.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/fauna.pdf |archive-date=17 September 2020 |access-date=7 January 2024 |publisher=Australian Alps National Parks}}</ref> Additionally, many non-native, feral species have been introduced to the Alps, such as the European rabbit, deer, house mice, red foxes, dogs, cats, horses, and pigs.<ref name=":1" /> 

Among this wide variety of different species of wildlife, there are different habitat requirements for each of the mentioned species, regardless of whether it is native or introduced.<ref name=":1" /> In addition to rock outcrops and decaying logs, there is often vegetation that provides food and shelter or a combination of these factors.<ref name=":1" /> Consequently, topography, soil type, and temperature determine the type of vegetation in an area and how animal populations are distributed.<ref name=":1" />

===Birds===
The Australian Alps have been classified by [[BirdLife International]] as an [[Important Bird Area]]. The range's montane forests and woodlands support large breeding populations of [[flame robin]]s and [[pilotbird]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |title=IBA: Australian Alps|access-date=2011-05-19 |work=Birdata |publisher=Birds Australia}}</ref> 

=== Insects ===
The [[bogong moth]] seasonally migrates long distances towards and from the Australian Alps and gregariously [[Aestivation|aestivates]] in caves and other sites throughout the mountain range during the summer to avoid high temperatures and lack of larval food resources.<ref>Warrant, Eric; [[Barrie Frost|Frost, Barrie]]; Green, Ken; Mouritsen, Henrik; Dreyer, David; Adden, Andrea; Brauburger, Kristina; Heinze, Stanley (2016). [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00077/full "The Australian Bogong Moth ''Agrotis infusa'': A Long-Distance Nocturnal Navigator"]. ''Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience''. '''10'''. [[Digital object identifier|doi]]:[https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffnbeh.2016.00077 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00077]. [[International Standard Serial Number|ISSN]] [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1662-5153 1662-5153].</ref> The moth is a food source for many species living within the region, such as the endangered [[mountain pygmy possum]].<ref name=":0">Green, Ken; Broome, Linda; Heinze, Dean; Johnston, Stuart (2001). [http://www.lsln.net.au/jspui/handle/1/9521 "Long distance transport of arsenic by migrating Bogong moths from agricultural lowlands to mountain ecosystems"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003125552/http://www.lsln.net.au/jspui/handle/1/9521 |date=3 October 2017}}. ''The Victorian Naturalist''. '''118''' (4): 112–116. [[International Standard Serial Number|ISSN]] [https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0042-5184 0042-5184].</ref> However, the moth has also been a biovector of [[arsenic]], transporting it from lowland feeding sites over long distances into the mountains, leading to the [[bioaccumulation]] of the element in the environment and animals in the mountain range.<ref name=":0" />

===Bushfires===
Due to their mostly hot, dry climate, [[bushfires in Australia]] occur frequently, particularly in the well-forested areas of the Australian Alps. The Alps, particularly on the Victorian side of the border (known as the Victorian Alps), are periodically subject to major bushfires and have been almost entirely burnt through by bushfires on various occasions, notably; [[Black Thursday bushfires|Black Thursday in 1851]], [[Black Friday (1939)]], and during fires in [[2002-03 Australian bushfire season|2003]] and [[2006-07 Australian bushfire season|2006-07]].

Certain native [[Flora of Australia|flora]] in Australia have evolved to rely on bushfires as a means of reproduction, and fire events are an interwoven and an essential part of the ecology of the continent. In some [[eucalypt]] and [[banksia]] species, for example, fire causes seed pods to open, allowing them to germinate. Fire also encourages the growth of new grassland plants. Other species have adapted to recover quickly from fire.

Nevertheless, damage to surrounding human habitations and [[Australian fauna|native fauna]] can be extensive and occasionally catastrophic. The [[2003 Canberra bushfires]] severely affected almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory's pasture, forests (pine plantations), and nature parks. After burning for a week through the Brindabella Ranges above Canberra, the [[bushfire|fires]] entered the suburbs of the city on 18 January 2003. Four people died and more than 500 homes were destroyed or severely damaged. The Victorian [[Black Saturday bushfires]] were particularly intense in parts of the Victorian High Country and destroyed several towns, including [[Kinglake, Victoria|Kinglake]] and [[Marysville, Victoria|Marysville]]. The fires killed 173 people,<ref>{{Cite report |url=http://royalcommission.vic.gov.au/finaldocuments/summary/PF/VBRC_Summary_PF.pdf |title=2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission - Final Report |date=July 2010 |publisher=Government Printer for the State of Victoria |access-date=16 July 2020}}</ref> Australia's highest-ever loss of life from a bushfire.<ref>{{cite news |title=Horrific, but not the worst we've suffered |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/horrific-but-not-the-worst-weve-suffered-20090210-83ib.html |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=11 February 2009 |access-date=16 July 2020 |first=John |last=Huxley |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213204825/http://www.smh.com.au/national/horrific-but-not-the-worst-weve-suffered-20090210-83ib.html |archive-date=13 February 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Statewide, the fires burned out over 400,000 hectares and destroyed 2,029 properties.<ref name="homeslost">{{cite Hansard |jurisdiction=Parliament of New South Wales |house=Legislative Assembly |title=Victorian Bushfires |url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/permalink?id=HANSARD-1323879322-65292 |date=13 March 2009 |speaker=Andrews, Marie}}</ref>

==Alpine huts==
Within the Australian Alps, the roughly 120 active [[Mountain hut|alpine hut]]s mostly date back to the early cattlemen's days, early skiing huts, and early research and surveying huts. Many of these have remained in use by [[fly fishing|fly fishers]] (seasonal), [[hikers]], and [[skiing]] groups throughout the year. Most of these huts are maintained by [[Volunteering|volunteer]]s through the [[Kosciuszko Huts Association]] and the local National Parks and Wildlife Service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://khuts.org/index.php |website=Kosciuszko Huts Association |publisher=KHA Inc. |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref>

Some of the more noteworthy huts include [[Moscow Villa|Moscow Villa Hut]], Valentine Hut, [[Seaman's Hut]], and Mawsons Hut. In recent years many huts have been lost through lack of maintenance and bush fire, as occurred with the Pretty Plain Hut and [[Mount Franklin, Australian Capital Territory|Mount Franklin Chalet]], which were destroyed by the Canberra bushfires of 2003.

==Attractions==
*[[Australian Alps Walking Track]] is a long-distance walking trail through the alpine areas of Victoria, New South Wales, and the ACT. It is {{convert|655|km|abbr=on}} long, starting at [[Walhalla, Victoria]] and running through to [[Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory|Tharwa, ACT]] near [[Canberra]].
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;New South Wales:
*[[Mount Kosciuszko]], Australia's highest peak at {{convert|2228|m|abbr=on}} above sea level
*[[Kosciuszko National Park]]
*[[Snowy Mountains]]
*[[Alpine Way]]
*[[Barry Way]]
*[[Snowy Mountains Highway]]
*[[Snowy Mountains Scheme]]
**[[Lake Eucumbene]]
**[[Lake Jindabyne]]
*[[Yarrangobilly Caves]]
*[[Kiandra|Kiandra gold & skifields]] (where [[Skiing in Australia]] began in the 1860s).
*[[Adaminaby|Trout fishing in New South Wales]]
*[[Skiing in New South Wales]]
{{col-break}}
;Victoria:
*[[Alpine National Park]]
*[[Avon Wilderness Park]]
*[[Baw Baw National Park]]
*[[Mount Buffalo National Park]]
*[[Mount Bogong]], Victoria's highest peak at {{convert|1986|m}} above sea level
*[[Mount Feathertop]]
*Mount Skene scenic reserve
*[[Bogong High Plains]]
*[[Great Alpine Road]]
*[[National Alpine Museum]]
*[[Lake Tali Karng]]
*[[Skiing in Victoria]]
{{col-break}}
;Australian Capital Territory:
*[[Namadgi National Park]]
*[[Bimberi Nature Reserve]]
*[[Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve]]
*[[Bimberi Peak]], the ACT's highest peak at {{convert|1912|m}} above sea level
*[[Tharwa Road]]
*[[Corin Forest]]
*[[Mount Franklin (Australian Capital Territory)]]
*[[Skiing in the Australian Capital Territory]]
{{col-end}}

==Resort skiing areas==
{{main|Skiing in Australia}}
[[File:Kosciuszko Perier SLNSW FL3419792.jpg|thumb|Skiing, Mt. Kosciusko, Australia, c. 1925, by Albert James Perier]]
[[File:Perisherbluecowskiing.JPG|alt=|thumb|[[Perisher Ski Resort|Perisher]], New South Wales, is Australia's largest ski resort.]]
The Australian Alps are the main region in which [[skiing in Australia]] takes place (although skiing is also possible in [[Tasmania]]). Skiable terrain stretches through large areas of territory from June to October. New South Wales is home to Australia's highest snow country, oldest ski fields, and largest resort. Recreational skiing in Australia began around 1861 at [[Kiandra]], New South Wales, when [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] gold miners introduced the idea to the frozen hills around the town.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kiandra – Culture and History |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/kiandra--culture-and-history-20081121-6df7.html |access-date=4 May 2010 |date=21 November 2008}}</ref> The first and longest-surviving ski club in the world, [[the Kiandra Snow Shoe Club]], is believed to have been formed at Kiandra in that year.<ref name="Selwyn Snowfields">{{cite web |title=History |work=Selwyn Snowfields website |url=http://www.selwynsnow.com.au/templates/sel/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=69 |access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Norman W. |title=Kiandra: goldfields to skifields |isbn=0-646-46337-3 |publisher=Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club (1870) Ltd |year=2006}}</ref> Steeper slopes and more reliable snows lie further to the south, and in the 20th century the focus of recreational skiing in New South Wales shifted southward, to mountains in and around the [[Main Range (Snowy Mountains)|Kosciuszko Main Range]] region, where Australia's best vertical drop is found at [[Thredbo]] and Australia's biggest resort, [[Perisher Ski Resort|Perisher]] is now found. The [[State of Victoria]] is the one with the largest number of skiing areas in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australia.com/articles/vic_snow_play.aspx |title=Snow play on Victoria's slopes |work=australia.com |access-date=25 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210132402/http://www.australia.com/articles/vic_snow_play.aspx |archive-date=10 February 2012}}</ref>

[[Mount Bogong]], with its peak at 1986 m above sea level, is the highest peak in Victoria. The surrounding [[Bogong High Plains]] is one of the largest areas of snow country in Australia. It includes the leading resorts of [[Falls Creek, Victoria|Falls Creek]] and [[Mount Hotham]].<ref name="ga.gov.au">{{cite web |date=23 December 2009 |title=Highest Mountains |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/highest-mountains.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406044856/http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/highest-mountains.jsp |archive-date=6 April 2010 |website=Geoscience Australia |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia}}</ref> Recreational and practical skiing was being practised in the [[Victorian Alps]] by the 1880s and 1890s with skis made from local timbers, and making use of single steering poles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heritage (part 4) 3 |url=http://www.australianalpineclub.com/pages/H_prt4/H_prt04_03.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707191157/http://www.australianalpineclub.com/pages/H_prt4/H_prt04_03.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |access-date=25 January 2016 |work=Australian Alpine Club}}</ref> Skiing began at [[Mount Buffalo]] in the 1890s, and a chalet was constructed in 1910. Australia's first ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo in 1936.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australianalps.environment.gov.au/parks/mount-buffalo.html |title=National Parks and Reserves of the Australian Alps - Mount Buffalo National Park |publisher=Australianalps.environment.gov.au |access-date=2016-01-25}}</ref>

[[Cross-country skiing]] is possible in the ACT, as well as in New South Wales and Victoria, but downhill skiing can only be done in New South Wales and Victoria:
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;New South Wales
*[[Perisher Ski Resort|Perisher]]
**[[Perisher Valley, New South Wales|Perisher Valley]]
**[[Guthega, New South Wales|Guthega]]
**[[Blue Cow, New South Wales|Mount Blue Cow]]
**[[Smiggin Holes]]
*[[Thredbo, New South Wales|Thredbo]]
*[[Charlotte Pass, New South Wales|Charlotte Pass]]
*[[Selwyn snowfields|Selwyn Snowfields]]
{{col-break}}
;Victoria
*[[Mount Buller]]
*[[Falls Creek, Victoria|Falls Creek]]
*[[Mount Hotham]]
*[[Dinner Plain, Victoria|Dinner Plain]]
*[[Mount Baw Baw]]
*[[Mount Buffalo National Park|Mount Buffalo]]
*[[Lake Mountain (Victoria)|Lake Mountain]] (cross country)
*[[Mount Stirling]] (cross country)
*[[Mount St Gwinear]] (cross country)
*[[Mount Donna Buang]] (snow play)
{{col-end}}

==Panoramas==
[[Image:Mt hotham alpine range scenery.jpg|thumb|800px|center|Summer view of the Victorian Alps from [[Mount Hotham]]]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080718200217/http://australianalps.deh.gov.au/ Australian Alps National Parks official website] (archived 18 July 2008)
* {{cite web |date=28 August 2022 |title=Fauna of the Australian alps |url=https://theaustralianalps.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/fauna.pdf |access-date=28 August 2022 |website=Australian Alps National Parks}}

{{New South Wales mountains|state=autocollapse}}
{{Victorian mountains |state=autocollapse}}
{{Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA)|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Great Dividing Range]]
[[Category:Regions of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Regions of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:IBRA regions]]
[[Category:Biogeography of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Biogeography of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Victoria (state)]]