Pink Lake (Victoria)
Australian salt lake / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pink Lake (historically known as Lake Lochiel)[1] is a small, circular, salty pink lake on the Western Highway just north of Dimboola in me . Granville Stapylton, part of the explorer Thomas Mitchell's 1836 expedition into western Victoria, reconnoitered Pink Lake on 20 July 1836.[2]
Pink Lake | |
---|---|
Location in Victoria | |
Location | Dimboola, Victoria |
Coordinates | 36°25′05″S 141°57′40″E |
Type | Salt lake |
Basin countries | Australia |
Max. length | 2 km (1 mi) |
Max. width | 2 km (1 mi) |
Surface area | 45 ha (111 acres) |
Surface elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
The lake received its name from its distinctive pink colour.[3] The brightness of the hue varies according to the level of rainfall.[4] Until recently it was assumed that red algae created the pink hue; however, recent research reported by Australian Geographic describes the colour as result of a pigment produced by the Salinibacter ruber bacteria. A rest-stop overlooks the lake's basin.
Salt has been harvested from the lake since the 1860s and on average 20 tonnes a year are harvested by the Mount Zero Olive company working in conjunction with the Barengi Gadjin Land Council.[5] Commercial harvesting stopped in the 1970s but was resumed after negotiations between the Victorian State government, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council and the Mount Zero Olive Company in 2009.[6]