Mount Kosciuszko, << `kos` ee UHS koh, >> also spelled Kosciusko, is the highest peak in Australia. It rises 7,310 feet (2,228 meters) above sea level in the Snowy Mountains area of the Australian Alps. The Australian Alps are part of the Great Dividing Range, which runs along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Mount Kosciuszko is in the southeastern part of the state of New South Wales, at the border with the state of Victoria. See Australian Alps ; Great Dividing Range ; Snowy Mountains .
Mount Kosciuszko stands in Kosciuszko National Park, the largest national park in New South Wales. The park is one of Australia’s most popular winter ski destinations. Summer tourist activities include boating, fishing, hiking, and water skiing. Many people come to the park to climb Mount Kosciuszko. During the summer months, a large variety of wildflowers covers the mountain slopes. Eucalyptus trees grow at the lower altitudes. The park area has a number of scenic caves and gorges. Animals that live in the area include echidnas, kangaroos, and wallabies.
In 1840, the Polish-born explorer Paul Edmund de Strzelecki climbed and named the mountain. He named it in honor of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish patriot who had fought for the independence of both the United States and Poland. See Kosciuszko, Tadeusz ; Strzelecki, Sir Paul Edmund de .
