Friends of Great Victoria Desert Parks

The Great Victoria Desert (GVD) is the largest dune desert in Australia, covering 350,000 square kilometres (35 million hectares). It straddles the South Australia / Western Australia border, stretching more than 700 kilometres from west to east. Its rainfall averages around 200 mm to 250 mm per year, but the rains vary greatly from year to year.

The Friends of Great Victoria Desert Parks was formed in March 1994. We are supported by the Ceduna-based Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board and the Department of Environment and Water (DEW). Our activities are planned with them and the traditional owners of the area.

Botanical field work in the South Australian half of the GVD is our main focus.  A field trip (sometimes more than one) is undertaken each year.  The trips are carefully planned to ensure that our members can safely visit this very remote area.

We have published a vegetation field guide, Shrubs and Trees of the Great Victoria Desert.  This little book describes 50 of the most common native plants in the GVD.  Some copies are still available (January 2021) via our website.

Our members come from all walks of life. Some are retired and some are in full-time or part-time work. All have a passion for the bush and a keen interest in natural and cultural history. The group has expertise in identifying flora and fauna and our volunteers enjoy sharing their skills and knowledge.

Our general meetings are open to anyone with an interest in this magnificent remote area.  Meeting details are on our website - please come along as a visitor if you think you might like to join the group.