It is not however, the highest mountain on Australian Territory. This title belongs to Mawson Peak with a height of 2745 metres , being the highest summit of “Big Ben” on Heard Island in the Australian sub Antarctic territory of Heard & McDonald Islands.
Mt Kosciuszko is part of the Great Dividing Range which straddles the state boundaries of Victoria and New South Wales in the immediate vicinity of the mountain, and then forms a chain stretching north all the way into tropical far-north Queensland. Mount Kosciuszko is located half-way (280 miles/450 km from each) between Sydney and Melbourne in Southeastern Australia.
Debate continues about whether the mountain is one of the “seven summits.” Dick Bass (USA) included it in his “Seven Summits” quest in which he completed the highest 7 summits on each continent after topping out on Mt. Everest on April 30, 1985. Many purists contend that the highest point on the Australasian continent is actually Carstenz Pyramid in Irian Jaya. (Tectonically speaking on the same continental plate as Australia). Since then many have completed Dick Bass’ version of the “Seven Summits” including a 20 year old girl.
