Australia Highseas

The Great Australian Bight is a wide ocean opening along the south coast of mainland Australia. Much of its northern shore is a hard limestone cliff facing the open sea, with few safe anchorages between rocky capes and long stretches of dry land. South of the coast lies the Nullarbor Plain, and the shelf waters are swept by variable currents and frequent westerly weather.

Cold, nutrient-rich water supports whales, fish and great seasonal gatherings of marine life. Whales could be seen close to the cliffs, while seals and seabirds used the rocky shore. For coastal peoples, the dry hinterland and scarce waters made movement highly seasonal, but the sea remained part of a long-used coastal country.

European navigators first encountered the western edge in 1627, when François Thijssen sailed along the coast. Matthew Flinders made the first accurate chart in 1802 during his circumnavigation of Australia. The bight's exposed cliffs and lack of shelter made it a dangerous passage, best crossed with steady winds and known positions rather than by seeking landfall.