Lake Tyrrell
Encyclopedia
Lake Tyrrell is a shallow, salt-crusted depression located in the Mallee district
of north-west Victoria
. It covers approximately 180 square kilometres is 314 kilometres northwest of Melbourne
. While much of the time it is dry, the lake is occasionally fed by Tyrrell Creek, a distributary
of the Avoca River
. The town of Sea Lake is on its southern shore. Chislem Salt in Sea Lake extracts and processes salt from the lake.
In 1838, Australian explorer Edward Eyre
discovered Lake Tyrrell while searching for new grazing land.
Each year on the Queen's Birthday long weekend the lake hosts the Mallee Rally, part of the Australian Rally Championship most years.
On the Sea Lake side of the lake, 5–6 kilometres from the township, is the local lookout and astronomy point, built in the late 1990s.
The Mallee
The Mallee is the most northwesterly district in the state of Victoria, and also encompasses the agricultural district of South Australia. Definitions vary, however all are based on the Victorian distribution of mallee eucalypts...
of north-west Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It covers approximately 180 square kilometres is 314 kilometres northwest of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. While much of the time it is dry, the lake is occasionally fed by Tyrrell Creek, a distributary
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...
of the Avoca River
Avoca River
The Avoca River drains a substantial part of Victoria, the southernmost state of mainland Australia. The river rises at the foot of Mount Lonarch in the Central Highlands near the small town of Amphitheatre, and flows north for 270 km through Avoca, Charlton and Quambatook...
. The town of Sea Lake is on its southern shore. Chislem Salt in Sea Lake extracts and processes salt from the lake.
In 1838, Australian explorer Edward Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
discovered Lake Tyrrell while searching for new grazing land.
Each year on the Queen's Birthday long weekend the lake hosts the Mallee Rally, part of the Australian Rally Championship most years.
On the Sea Lake side of the lake, 5–6 kilometres from the township, is the local lookout and astronomy point, built in the late 1990s.