How tall is Mount Kosciuszko?
Mount Kosciuszko is 2,228 metres tall, making it the highest mountain on mainland Australia. It stands in Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.
The mountain was named in 1840 by Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki after Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish and Lithuanian national hero. Strzelecki thought its shape resembled a mound in Krakow built in Kosciuszko's honour.
Kosciuszko is one of the easiest major summits to reach. In summer, walkers take a chairlift from Thredbo and follow a raised steel walkway about 6.5 kilometres to the top. In winter, the area is covered with snow and used for skiing.
Australia's highest peak?
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest point on the mainland, but Mawson Peak on Heard Island, an Australian external territory, is higher at about 2,745 metres. The Australian Antarctic Territory also has taller peaks.
The surrounding Kosciuszko National Park covers about 6,900 square kilometres and includes the ski resorts of Thredbo and Perisher, as well as the source of the Murray River.
Did You Know?
Many climbers count Kosciuszko as Australia's entry in the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent.