Australia’s Insane Plan To Build An Inland Sea

#australia #inlandsea #science
In the early 1900s, Australia embarked on one of the most extraordinary and ambitious infrastructure proposals ever seriously considered by a nation—an audacious project to transform its vast, arid interior into a massive inland sea. At a time when drought and devastating heat plagued the Australian outback, visionaries, engineers, and political leaders entertained an astonishing plan to flood vast desert plains and salt lakes, hoping to fundamentally alter Australia's climate and economy forever.

Imagine the harsh and barren deserts of central Australia, known locally as the "Dead Heart," transformed into a vibrant freshwater sea teeming with life. Picture steam-powered ships sailing through newly created canals, desert rail towns like Alice Springs blossoming into thriving inland ports, and coastal rains finally falling on landscapes long abandoned to dust and drought. Incredibly, these were not merely the dreams of eccentric minds, but plans thoroughly debated at governmental and scientific levels, with detailed blueprints, surveys, and feasibility studies conducted over decades.

This video explores in meticulous detail Australia's radical inland sea proposals, highlighting visionary figures such as the respected South Australian statesman Sir Richard Baker, who initially championed a plan to flood Lake Eyre via a giant canal connecting it to the ocean. Baker, believing passionately that Australia's harsh climate could be improved by human intervention, spurred serious government consideration and even funded scientific studies in the early 1900s to test his theories. However, these early dreams collided head-on with the daunting realities of geography, cost, and practical engineering limitations.

But Australia's inland sea dreams did not end there. Decades later, renowned Australian civil engineer Dr. John Bradfield—famous for designing Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge—revived the inland sea concept in the late 1930s. Bradfield proposed the massive diversion of North Queensland's monsoonal rivers inland, across the Great Dividing Range, into the parched heartland. His "Bradfield Scheme," meticulously planned and mapped, envisioned redirecting rivers like the Burdekin, Herbert, and Tully inland, creating extensive new irrigation districts and potentially turning parts of Queensland and the interior into lush farmland and a permanent freshwater lake system.

Bradfield's ambitious proposal ignited a fervent national conversation, with advocates insisting that such a scheme would transform Australia into a prosperous agricultural giant, drought-proofing vast areas of the continent. Government officials, scientists, and engineers rigorously analyzed his plan, investigating its potential climate impacts, water yields, and economic feasibility. However, detailed reviews and rigorous hydrological studies soon revealed that Bradfield had significantly overestimated available water volumes, underestimated evaporation rates, and overlooked geological obstacles, causing initial enthusiasm to fade.

While Australia's inland sea was never constructed, the bold vision behind these extraordinary plans reveals much about the nation's psyche and historical relationship with its challenging environment. Indeed, even today, discussions occasionally resurface about revisiting or adapting elements of Bradfield’s original ideas, highlighting their enduring cultural resonance. From Charles Sturt’s arduous 19th-century expeditions in search of an imagined inland sea, hauling a whaleboat futilely across scorching deserts, to Baker and Bradfield's methodical and grand designs, Australia’s dream of an inland sea reflects the country's eternal battle with drought, isolation, and the harsh realities of its vast interior.

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[chinathesideyoudontsee]

In Australia it takes 6 months and millions to build a short road so the chance of something like this happening are all but none !

[fuzzyhair]

The weird thing is, the early European explorers were correct that a sea should be here. Only a few millions late

[robertlipka]

This approach would be problematic because seawater evaporation leaves behind salt deposits. With only inward water flow and continuous evaporation, the Australian interior would gradually accumulate salt until the basin becomes saturated, ultimately creating a massive salt flat rather than a sustainable inland sea. The environmental consequences would be severe, as prevailing winds would likely distribute salt and dust across surrounding regions, potentially damaging ecosystems and agricultural lands far beyond the immediate area.

[xiaowei]

Australia used to have an inland sea existing 120 to 90 million years ago called the Eromanga Sea. If the inland sea was pursued for Queensland, the main benefit might be to mitigate flood waters. For now, its unpredictability would rule out some sort of long term benefit for farming.

[PaxAlotin-xs]

*When I was in the RAH hospital in 2009 - I met an engineer who worked with the Australian Army in WW2*
He told me that shortly after Pearl Harbor that he was posted to work with the United States Army. In those early dark days of the war, the Americans wanted to see if Lake Eyre could be flooded. Their plan was for a 'just in-case situation'. So he was tasked with other US engineers to survey a possible route for a canal big enough to take freighters & barges - up the center of Australia. My memory is a bit hazy about the details, but he said that their intention was to bypass lake Frome, pumping sea-water directly into Lake Eyre. That was the plan, but in the end - it was shelved after the Battle of the Coral Sea halted the Japanese Navy.

[Expedient_Mensch]

I remember this being a thing in the seventies. I was in primary school and some teachers would often talk about the possibility of an inland sea.

[geradkavanagh]

Lake Eyre will be refilled again this year judging by rainfall from the Southern Mount Isa region, Winton and all areas covering the northern part of inflow.

[waynemartin]

Interesting. An entire industry would have likely developed around the utilization of salt, not just for consumption but also as a primary building material. Techniques such as compressing salt into rammed walls, pavement, and structural blocks could have been widely adopted, particularly in arid regions where traditional materials are scarce. Given the immense heat and extreme environmental conditions, I can envision a hybrid architectural style inspired by Coober Pedy, where structures are partially subterranean for cooling while incorporating salt blocks for thermal mass and aesthetic appeal. This could create naturally insulated spaces, harnessing salt’s reflective properties to reduce heat absorption while also offering a distinctive, almost crystalline aesthetic.

[Paul-ikfm]

If you made the inland sea big enough, it would make Australia an atoll.

[TheInsaneupsdriver]

Another idea, pumping sea water to the salt flats, using a desalinator using wind a solar putting the fresh water into a lake bed, and pumping the brine to place that can be mined for lithium to pay for it and refill salt flats.

[kellysouter]

We used to have an inland sea, where the great Simpson Desert is now a long time ago. Seashells are still found there. Now there's just Lake Eyre.

[RoverCaptain]

87% of the Australian population lives within 50km of a coastline.

If we put an ocean in the middle of the country, you encourage people to live along its coast.

All of a sudden, you start to stitch the nation together with new cities.

[cristop]

John S Beard suggested an opposite plan of draining saline waterlogged areas of inland WA using natural topography. The saline water would discharge into Southern Ocean and revitalize agricultural areas afflicted by secondary salinity.

[patrickmarsland]

Building a inland sea is brilliant it would solve flooding and water problems throughout the whole country absolutely fantastic

[anothergoldprospector]

Everyone in North QLD currently dealing with floods would be thrilled about the lake effect precipitation.

[RebelCowboysRVs]

The US did do something similar to the proposed canal. The US spent 12 years cutting a 377km canal called the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway. It gives ships a shortcut from the Tennessee River to the gulf of whatever. The Tennessee river turns north to the Ohio river before joining the Mississippi south. The Tenn-Tom cost about $2b to build an a study in 09 said it helped the economy to around $43b a year. Not counting saving the economies of several states when drought made the Mississippi un navigable just 4 years after it was finished. Its also the most common route to be taken in was cruisers call the Great American Loop. The Tenn-Tom being much calmer and more predictable than the Mississippi.

[brad]

The entire outback was a dense forest in prehistoric times. If you brought the water it definitely would encourage more rain, plant forests nearby and you can spread that rain. Forests create their own rain. If the right amount of serious money and effort was put in, it could definitely work. Don't stop until it does work.

[robertwilliams]

I wrote to the S.A Government suggesting a CSRO study to determine the benefit/cost of this proposal about 10 years ago. I suspect the salinity problem would diminish over time as the lake/lakes would be flushed by seawater. There would be an increase in bird and fish life. Any freshwater that flowed in would tend to sit on top of the dense salt water. Solar powered de-salination plants could be positioned around the lake to provide irrigation as well as drinking water for the towns that may well spring up around an inland sea/lake. There could be huge tourism potential too as far as fishing and boating activities. Planting more trees and native bushes around the lake would help to maintain a cooler environment where rainfall would be increased due to more condensation nuclei in the atmosphere. Water movement through the canal (tidal and rainfall generated) could be partially harnessed to produce energy.

[picoallen]

My family is from western South Australia near where this canal would open to the sea. So many people have tried to convince me this is a genious idea. If you are one of those who are perpetually keen on the concept, ask yourself this: if having a large body of salty water could make the desert green then why is central western Australia an arid desert right up to the coast when it has the entire Indian Ocean upwind of it?

[QuantumPK]

The Brine/Saltwater build up could also be mined for rare earth minerals and used for molten salt reactors, other uses are compressed blocks for building materials and infill for walls and foundations for housing, salt could prevent termite infestation rising from the ground and fire prevention, people seem to think that salt isn't that useful but in reality it is somewhat of a wonder material, and it was after all one of the first transnational commodities of the ancient world that instigated the trade routes and played a big part in animal husbandry.