viewed from
Smoko Parts of the highlands consisting of relatively flat and, by Australian standards, well-watered land were developed for agricultural and pastoral uses. Such areas include the
Atherton Tableland and
Darling Downs in Queensland, and the
Northern Tablelands,
Southern Highlands and
Southern Tablelands in
New South Wales. Other parts of the highlands are too rugged for agriculture and have been used for forestry. Many parts of the highlands which were not developed are now included in
National Parks. All of
mainland Australia's alpine areas, including its highest mountain,
Mount Kosciuszko (
AHD), are part of this range, called the
Main Range. The highest areas in southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria are known as the
Australian Alps. The central core of the Great Dividing Range is dotted with hundreds of peaks and is surrounded by many smaller mountain ranges or spurs,
canyons,
valleys and plains of regional significance. Some of the major plains include the
High Plains of South-Eastern Australia, the Southern Highlands, the
Central Highlands and
Bogong High Plains of Victoria. Other tablelands considered part of the Great Dividing Range are the
Atherton Tableland,
Canberra wine region and the
Southern Tablelands. The
Dandenong Ranges,
Barrington Tops,
Bunya Mountains,
Blue Mountains,
Liverpool Range,
McPherson Ranges and the
Moonbi Range are some of the smaller spurs and ranges that make up the greater dividing range. Other notable ranges and tablelands which form part of the Great Dividing Range include the
Liverpool Range,
Mount Royal Range and the
Monaro District. Whilst some of the peaks of the highlands reach heights of a little over , the age of the range and its erosion mean that most of the mountains are not very steep, and virtually all peaks can be reached without mountaineering equipment. In some areas, such as the
Snowy Mountains,
Victorian Alps, the
Scenic Rim and the eastern escarpments of the
New England region, the highlands form a significant barrier. The eastern escarpment is the site of many spectacular waterfalls which were formed by rivers plunging off the tablelands. In other areas the slopes are gentle and in places the range is barely perceptible. Well known passes on the range include
Coxs Gap,
Cunninghams Gap,
Dead Horse Gap,
Nowlands Gap, and
Spicers Gap. Major cities located on the upland areas of the range include
Canberra,
Toowoomba and the outer suburbs of
Sydney,
Melbourne,
Brisbane,
Gold Coast and
Cairns in north Queensland. Many towns and cities are located on the range, and also in lowland areas and foothills adjacent to the highlands. There is a strong natural history and cultural attachment to the Dividing Range region in towns and on many, sometimes remote, landholdings. Some of the towns/cities located on or near the range include: •
Canberra – ACT •
Albury – NSW •
Queanbeyan – NSW •
Goulburn – NSW •
Cooma – NSW •
Jindabyne – NSW •
Katoomba – NSW •
Lithgow – NSW •
Oberon – NSW •
Bowral – NSW •
Yass – NSW •
Crookwell – NSW •
Cowra – NSW •
Young – NSW •
Bathurst – NSW •
Orange – NSW •
Wellington – NSW •
Blayney – NSW •
Mudgee – NSW •
Cessnock – NSW •
Wauchope – NSW •
Casino – NSW •
Grafton – NSW •
Inverell – NSW •
Glen Innes – NSW •
Gunnedah – NSW •
Singleton – NSW •
Armidale – NSW •
Tamworth – NSW •
Narrabri – NSW •
Coonabarabran – NSW •
Scone – NSW •
Gloucester – NSW •
Dorrigo – NSW •
Walcha – NSW •
Guyra – NSW •
Tenterfield – NSW •
Roma – Qld •
Gatton – Qld •
Dalby – Qld •
Goondiwindi – Qld •
Beaudesert – Qld •
Toowoomba – Qld •
Pittsworth – Qld •
Stanthorpe – Qld •
Warwick – Qld •
Kingaroy – Qld •
Biloela – Qld •
Emerald – Qld •
Moranbah – Qld •
Blackwater – Qld •
Clermont – Qld •
Charters Towers – Qld •
Atherton – Qld •
Mareeba – Qld •
Omeo – Vic •
Healesville – Vic •
Gisborne – Vic •
Ballarat – Vic •
Beaufort – Vic •
Bendigo – Vic •
Ararat – Vic •
Heathcote – Vic •
Stawell – Vic •
Seymour – Vic •
Benalla – Vic •
Castlemaine – Vic •
Kilmore – Vic •
Kyneton – Vic •
Maryborough – Vic •
Shepparton – Vic •
Wallan – Vic •
Wodonga – Vic •
Wangaratta – Vic
Water catchments , are located along the Great Dividing Range. The lower reaches are used for forestry, an activity that causes friction with conservationists. The range is also the source of virtually all of eastern Australia's water supply, both through runoff caught in dams, and throughout much of Queensland, through the
Great Artesian Basin. Valleys along the chain of mountains have yielded a water source for important reservoirs and water supply projects such as the
Upper Nepean Scheme,
Snowy Mountains Scheme and
Warragamba Dam. The
Bradfield Scheme has been mooted as a way to transport water from the
Wet Tropics of Queensland in the coastal northeast of
Far North Queensland via a series of
Dams &
Tunnels, southwest to inland dryer regions, including a tunnel through the Great Dividing Range into the
Flinders River then a tunnel into the Torrens Creek in the
White Mountains National Park then flows south into
Thompson River /
Cooper Creek, part of the
Eyre Basin. Many other variations have been proposed. The Great Dividing Range creates the
drainage basins of the
Australian south-east coast drainage division and the
Australian north-east coast drainage division, whose water flows to
the east coast and into the Pacific Ocean,
Tasman Sea, and
Bass Strait with the westerly
Murray–Darling basin which flow inland, away from the coast into the interior plains. Some of the rivers which flow west of the ranges includes the
Condamine River,
Flinders River,
Herbert River,
Lachlan River,
Macdonald River,
Macintyre River and
Namoi River. Rivers that flow north into the Murray–Darling Basin from Victoria include the
Goulburn,
Mitta Mitta,
Kiewa,
Ovens,
King,
Loddon and
Campaspe rivers. Rivers that flow east into the Pacific Ocean include the
Annan River,
Barron River,
Brisbane River,
Burdekin River,
Burnett River,
Clarence River,
Daintree River,
Fitzroy River,
Hastings River,
Hawkesbury River,
Hunter River,
Karuah River,
Macleay River,
Mary River,
Pascoe River,
Richmond River and the
Shoalhaven River. Those that flow south, primarily through Victoria, include the
Snowy,
Cann,
Tambo,
Mitchell,
Latrobe,
Thomson,
Yarra,
Werribee,
Hopkins and
Glenelg rivers. ==Features==