Question 1

True or false: The desert is a major habitat for the rare bilby, a small marsupial with long ears.

Accepted Answer

True. Bilbies thrive in the sandy soils of the Great Victoria Desert, and conservation efforts help protect them.

Question 2

True or false: The desert receives less than 250 mm of rainfall annually on average.

Accepted Answer

True. Annual rainfall is typically 200-250 mm, with most falling in summer, making it a true arid desert.

Question 3

True or false: The Great Victoria Desert is the largest desert in Australia.

Accepted Answer

False. It's Australia's largest sand dune desert, but the Great Sandy Desert is larger by area.

Question 4

True or false: The Great Victoria Desert was named after Queen Victoria in the 1800s.

Accepted Answer

False. It was named by explorer Ernest Giles in 1875 after Queen Victoria, but he originally called it the 'Great Victoria Desert'.

Question 5

True or false: The desert contains parts of the largest gold mining operation in Australia.

Accepted Answer

True. The Super Pit gold mine near Kalgoorlie lies on the desert's edge, producing massive amounts of gold annually.

Question 6

True or false: Temperatures in the Great Victoria Desert can exceed 50°C in summer.

Accepted Answer

False. Summer highs often reach 40-45°C, but 50°C is extremely rare; the highest recorded is around 49°C.

Question 7

True or false: The Great Victoria Desert is home to the world's longest dingo fence.

Accepted Answer

False. The Dingo Fence is in southeastern Australia, not the Great Victoria Desert; it stretches over 5,600 km.

Question 8

True or false: No permanent human settlements exist anywhere within the Great Victoria Desert.

Accepted Answer

True. The desert is extremely remote with no permanent towns, though Indigenous groups live in outstations and travel through.

Great Victoria Desert Trivia Questions