Lake Gairdner, Salt lake in South Australia, Australia
Lake Gairdner is an endorheic salt lake in South Australia, over 160 km long and 48 km wide, lying west of Lake Torrens about 150 km northwest of Port Augusta. Its salt crust reaches 1.2 metres thick in places, and six ephemeral creeks, including Garden Well Creek and Gorge Creek, feed it.
Governor Richard MacDonnell named the lake after Gordon Gairdner in October 1857, and it formed from an ancient inland sea that once covered much of central South Australia millions of years ago.
The traditional owners, the Gawler Ranges People, obtained native title to the lake and surrounding lands in 2011, maintaining strong spiritual and cultural connections to the area that visitors are requested to respect.
Visitors should use four-wheel-drive vehicles to reach Lake Gairdner via unsealed gravel and sand roads, and must bring their own supplies including food and water since facilities are extremely limited in this remote location.
Since 1990, the salt flats have hosted the annual Speed Week run by Dry Lakes Racers Australia, where drivers of various vehicles aim to break land speed records. Over six days in March 2025, 72 new speed records were set and the event drew more than 1000 visitors.
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