Australia's Ancient Himalayan Size Mountain Range: The Petermann Ranges

Hidden deep in Australia’s Red Centre, the Petermann Ranges are among the oldest mountain chains on Earth. Formed over 550 million years ago during the Petermann Orogeny, these rugged ranges tell the story of massive geological forces that once rivaled the Himalayas.

Unlike more familiar mountain belts, the Petermann Ranges are remnants of an intra-continental collision—where central Australia buckled under pressure from opposing landmasses. Today, these low-slung yet striking ranges offer a rare glimpse into Proterozoic tectonics, metamorphic belts, and some of the oldest exposed rocks on the continent.

Geology enthusiasts visiting this region will find ancient gneisses, granulites, and evidence of intense crustal uplift, all surrounded by sweeping desert landscapes.

Australia's Himalayan Mountains: The Geological Story of the Petermann Ranges

Beneath the red dust of central Australia lies the forgotten story of a vanished mountain range that once rivaled the Himalayas. The Petermann Ranges, now little more than subdued ridges near the Northern Territory’s western edge, were born from a violent geological upheaval over 550 million years ago during the Petermann Orogeny. This intraplate orogeny shattered the ancient crust of the Musgrave Province, thrusting deep rocks skyward and forming east–west mountain chains across Australia’s interior. But just as quickly as they rose, these mountains were torn down by erosion, leaving behind iconic sedimentary features like Uluru and Kata Tjuta — geological monuments built from the debris of those lost peaks. Explore how tectonic forces, sedimentation, and time shaped one of Australia’s greatest but least known geological epics.