Google Earth Community: Longest Fence - Australia's 5400km Dog Fence.

Australia's Dog Barrier Fence stretches from the cliffs of the Nullabor Plain to the fertile farms of South-Eastern Queensland. At 5400km, it is the worlds's longest unbroken fence and is two and a half times the length of the Great Wall of China!

The fence was built in the early 1900's to keep wild dogs (dingos and cross-breed packs) out of South-Eastern Australia. As a general rule, sheep are on the eastern side and cattle, which are less vulnerable to dog attack, are in the west. While there are still some dingos and wild dogs on the eastern side, they are more easily controlled and the majority remain in the west.

The fence has maintenance tracks running on either side of it, and there are gates where it crosses major roads. Permission must be sought to travel on these maintenance tracks, and a 4WD with plenty of water and fuel is essential. Fence maintainance is the responsibility of the many local councils that it passes through. The fence is currently being electrified in stages.

While there is no doubt the fence protects millions of dollars worth of sheep, it has very much changed the ecology of central Australia and thousands of native animals die along the fence as they seek water and pasture during times of drought. While kangaroos can jump it, emus and other animals are not so lucky.

I have tried my best to mark the track using overlays of government maps. However the fence has never been officially surveyed and there are areas where the true fence path is in doubt and I have had to give it my best guess. There are several areas through central South Australia where low resolution has made it tricky to identify. Any corrections are welcome.

Post Extras