Mount Schank, Dormant volcano summit in South Australia

Mount Schank is a dormant volcanic peak in South Australia that rises roughly 100 meters above the surrounding terrain. Two dry craters mark its summit, with the northern crater measuring around 300 meters in diameter.

James Grant discovered the location in 1800 and named it after Admiral John Schank, who designed his vessel HMS Lady Nelson. This peak became a landmark during early exploration of South Australia.

The Bunganditj people recorded eruptions through their creation story about a giant named Craitbul and his family. This narrative remains part of the region's cultural memory.

Reach the site from the Riddoch Highway about 20 km south of Mount Gambier, where a small carpark and picnic table sit at the base. Steps ease the short but very steep climb to the crater rim; the rim walk itself is fairly simple but exposed and treacherous in gusty weather.

Mount Schank is a dormant volcano, not an active one; its eruption about 5,000 years ago left two small subsidiary craters beside the main cone and lava flows. The lava shows structures typical of rapid cooling on contact with seawater, suggesting the area was under water during the eruption, which fits its position 15 km north of the coast.