Moondyne Cave
Encyclopedia
Moondyne Cave is a karst
cave
in the Southwest region of Western Australia
. It is located on Caves Road, eight kilometres north of Augusta
.
It has a pothole entrance, a vertical extent of 26 metres, and a length of 270 metres, with some large dry chambers.
Moondyne Cave was discovered in 1881 by Joseph Bolitho Johns, who had formerly been the bushranger
known as Moondyne Joe
. It was first opened for public viewing in 1911. Guided tours ended in 1959, but it was reopened in 1992 after undergoing restoration.
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in the Southwest region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is located on Caves Road, eight kilometres north of Augusta
Augusta, Western Australia
Augusta is a town on the south-west coast of Western Australia, where the Blackwood River emerges into Flinders Bay. It is the nearest town to Cape Leeuwin, on the farthest south-west corner of the Australian continent. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1,694; by 2006 the population of...
.
It has a pothole entrance, a vertical extent of 26 metres, and a length of 270 metres, with some large dry chambers.
Moondyne Cave was discovered in 1881 by Joseph Bolitho Johns, who had formerly been the bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
known as Moondyne Joe
Moondyne Joe
Joseph Bolitho Johns , better known as Moondyne Joe, was Western Australia's best known bushranger.- Biography :...
. It was first opened for public viewing in 1911. Guided tours ended in 1959, but it was reopened in 1992 after undergoing restoration.