Lake Eyre in flood, 2011. With both the north and south sections combined, Lake Eyre is Australia’s largest lake covering 9690sq.km in north-eastern South Australia.

Lake Eyre is the terminal point of a basin encompassing one-sixth of the continent, draining inland rivers from Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

Rivers that originate in northern Australia – the Georgina, Diamantina, Barcoo and Thomson – typically provide Lake Eyre with the majority of its water.

In living memory only two major flood events of Lake Eyre have been recorded. However, it’s debatable what constitutes a ‘full lake’, as in our recorded history of floods, none has filled it to the highest shoreline, still visible from prehistoric times.

Even considering the rains and floods across Australia in 2010 and 2011, the greatest depth in June 2011 was just 1.4m. That’s still 4.6m shallower than the 1974 lake, but it’s a much more significant difference when you think about the volume and mammoth surface area and how the lake spreads out across this largely flat landscape.

Lake Eyre was named after John Edward Eyre, who was the first European person to see the lake, in 1840.

Lake Eyre is the lowest point on the Australian continent.

Lake Eyre fills so infrequently that sailing on it becomes a huge novelty.

There are only two public access routes to Lake Eyre. One leaves the Oodnadatta Track near the township of William Creek, then cuts through Anna Creek station to the northernmost edge of Belt Bay.

The Georgina, Diamantina, Barcoo and Thomson – typically provide the lake with the majority of its water. These rivers flow intermittently and whether or not they reach the lake is dependent entirely upon monsoonal deluges providing enough water to backfill numerous lagoons and swamps along the rivers’ courses. Only then can any overflow continue downstream and finally flow into the lake.