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Ball’s Pyramid — Australia

Thief
May 13, 2021

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Earth Sculptures #4

img via Tenor

The world’s tallest volcanic stack sits 12 miles southeast of Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia. It is over 300 nautical miles off the Australian coast between Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean.

The first reference to the pyramid was in 1788 when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball was en route from Botany Bay (now part of Sydney.) He also discovered Lord Howe Island.

First historical sighting descriptions can be read in works by Captain Arthur Phillip and Watkin Tench. The later — a particularly good read in paperback called 1788.

Ball’s Pyramid sits at 1844 ft. in height, and is uninhabited.

The first person to go ashore was geologist Henry Wilkinson in 1882 and it was first climbed in 1965. Climbing is now banned.

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