Organ Pipes – Keilor North, Australia - Atlas Obscura
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Organ Pipes

Keilor North, Australia

Cooled, fractured lava formed this geometric rock feature. 

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The Organ Pipes are aptly named. Greyhoundtom / CC-BY-4.0
The Organ Pipes are aptly named. Greyhoundtom / CC-BY-4.0
A sign explains how it all came to be. Obscuravibes (Atlas Obscura User)
Jacksons Creek runs past the pipes. Obscuravibes (Atlas Obscura User)
Rosette Rock is another basalt rock formation. Obscuravibes (Atlas Obscura User)
The tessellated pavement completes the trio of geological features. Obscuravibes (Atlas Obscura User)
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Named for its likeness to the pipe organ found in grand churches and concert halls, this geological feature is thought to be between 2.5 to 2.8 million years old. Its geometric pattern likely formed when lava cooled and fractured into hexagonal columns. Each column is about a meter (3 feet) wide.

The Organ Pipes are in the 300-acre Organ Pipes National Park, an area of the Maribyrnong Valley northwest of Melbourne. The park was established in 1972 to provide special protections to the land and allow the natural restoration of plants and indigenous animal species.

There are some other unusual natural features within the Organ Pipes National Park, including the tessellated pavement and Rosette Rock, both interesting features that formed from basalt columns. The area is part of the Keilor Plains, which is part of the third-largest lava plain in the world.

In addition to seeing the fascinating rock formations, visitors to the park may be lucky enough to spot animals such as echidnas, platypuses, and sugar gliders.

Know Before You Go

There is a car park at the Organ Pipes National Park. A walking trail takes visitors around the natural rock features.

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August 22, 2022
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