Mount Beadell (527 metres (1729 ft)) is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
located in the
Gibson Desert region of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
It is named after surveyor and explorer
Len Beadell
Leonard Beadell OAM BEM FIEMS (21 April 1923 – 12 May 1995) was a surveyor, road builder, bushman, artist and author, responsible for constructing over of roads and opening up isolated desert areas – some – of central Australia fr ...
, builder of the
Gunbarrel Highway
The Gunbarrel Highway is an isolated desert track in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. It consists of about of washaways, heavy corrugations, stone, sand and flood plains. The Gunbarrel Highway connects Victory D ...
.
The location is very remote being west of
Jackie Junction
Jackie Junction is a remote location in Western Australia on the Gunbarrel Highway. It was named by the road builder Len Beadell after his youngest daughter and is at the junction of the original Gunbarrel Highway and the road to Warburton. I ...
and east of
Carnegie Station, the western terminus of the original Gunbarrel Highway.
History
During survey work for the Gunbarrel Highway in May 1958, Beadell found the mountain which was to bear his name. He was always on the lookout for high points in the landscape, necessary for accurate surveys. Bill Johnson, who had known Beadell since their time in the army together, recommended that the feature be named in Beadell's honour. The Surveyor General of Western Australia formally approved the name in August 1958. An official survey mark and beacon was erected on the feature in May 1959. On 12 May 1996, exactly one year after the death of Beadell, a memorial was erected on top of the mountain consisting of a replica
theodolite
A theodolite () is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but it is also used extensively for building an ...
and plaque. The ceremony was attended by about 170 people.
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See also
* List of mountains in Australia
This is a list of mountains in Australia.
Highest points by state and territory
List of mountains in Australia by topographic prominence
This is a list of the top 50 mountains in Australia ranked by topographic prominence. Most of these ...
References
External links
Australia's highest mountains - Geoscience Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beadell
Mountains of Western Australia