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Lake Eyre. 
Lake Eyre receives the drainage from the Macdonnell Ranges, and the ranges 
lying immediately to the south of them, together with the drainage from a great 
part of west and south-west Queensland. Its basin includes those of all the 
rivers that drain into it, and having no outlet it is entirely encircled by a line of 
water-parting. The drainage throughout the basin is to the S.E., S., and 
S.W., Lake Eyre itself being situated close to the southern border of the basin. 
The Lake Eyre Basin occupies the eastern half of South Australia between 
the northern termination of Flinders Range and the Macdonnell Ranges, and 
the greater portion of west and south-west Queensland from the Great Dividing 
Range westwards. The rivers which drain this enormous area are taken in 
order from west to east—the Neales, Macumba, Finke, Todd, Hale, Sandover, 
Plenty, Mulligan, Diamentina, and Cooper or Barcoo. 
The western boundary of the Lake Eyre Basin is formed by the Cretaceous 
plains flanking on the east the Everard Range, in which the Neales River takes 
its rise. by the eastern extremity of the Musgrave Range, from which the 
Alberga heads, and by the western extremities of the George Gill and Gardiner 
Ranges, where some of the large tributaries of the Finke have their sources. 
The northern boundary is formed by the Macdonnell and Hart Ranges. The 
north-eastern and the eastern are formed by the Selwyn, McKinlay, and the 
Great Dividing Ranges, in which the sources of the Mulligan, Diamentina, and 
Rarcoo (Cooper's Creek) are ‘situated. Lastly, the southern boundary is for the 
most part formed by the northern slope of the Flinders Range, from which 
short narrow creeks flow northwards to Lake Kyre. 
Form, Area, §c.—The general form of the basin is roughly quadrilateral, 
with one angle situated on the northern slope of Flinders Range, to the south 
of Lake Eyre south. Another of the angles coincides with the western ex- 
tremity of the Macdonnell Ranges about Mount Ziel. A third lies near the 
head of the Mulligan, and the last is situated about the source of the Barcoo 
River. ‘The total area of the basin cannot be less than 500,000 square miles, 
the greatest breadth, lying along the 24th parallel, is about 900 miles, and the 
greatest length, occurring about the 137th meridian of E. longitude, is about 
750 miles. 
Lake Kyre itself, including Lake Eyre south, lies within the 137th and the 
138th meridians of E. longitude and between 27° 50’ and 29° 29’ S. latitude, and . 
occupies an area of about 5,000 square miles. It is situated almost at the very 
southern extremity of the basin, the south edge of Lake Eyre south being only 
a few miles north of the northern extremity of Flinders Range. The margin of 
Lake Eyre has been calculated to be 39ft. below sea level. 
Lake AMADEUS. 
The Lake Amadeus Basin is not well known, but it appears to be of small 
extent as compared with that of Lake Eyre. It comprises in all probability an 
area of between 20,000 and 380,000 square miles. The northern boundary of 
the basin extends probably from the western end of George Gill Range to Wat- 
son Range, and thence along the north of the 24th parallel to about the Western 
Australian border. The southern limit of the basin lies possibly along the 
Rawlinson and Petermann Ranges, while its eastern and western boundaries are 
apparently unknown, 
