A central Australian desert of red sand plains, gravel and spinifex between the Great Sandy and Great Victoria deserts.
Area
156,000 km²
Continent
Oceania
Location
Central Western Australia
Temperature
Up to 40°C
Rainfall
200–250 mm a year
Climate
Hot desert
About the Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert lies in the middle of Western Australia, a landscape of red sand plains, laterite gravel and spinifex grass. It is a protected wilderness and home to desert wildlife such as the rare bilby and marsupial mole. The desert takes its name from an explorer who disappeared crossing it.
Did you know?
It was named after Alfred Gibson, an explorer who vanished here in 1874.
Highlights
- Named after a lost explorer
- Protected desert wilderness
- Refuge for bilbies and marsupial moles
Photo gallery
Life in the Gibson Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Red kangaroo
The largest marsupial, roaming the arid Australian outback in mobs.
Dingo
Australia’s wild dog, a top predator across the outback deserts.
Thorny devil
A spiky Australian lizard that channels dew along its skin to its mouth.
Birds
Emu
Australia’s tall flightless bird, wandering the outback for food and water.
Trees & plants
Spinifex grass
Spiky hummock grass that covers vast stretches of the Australian outback.
Acacia (thorn tree)
Flat-topped thorn trees that survive on scarce desert groundwater.
Day & night in the Gibson Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Gibson Desert: Up to 40°C