Uluru Fun Facts For Kids
Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers Rock, is a very, very big rock located in central Australia. It is a very famous location that attracts many visitors from all around the world every year.
Ayers Rock is made from sandstone and has a brown appearance during the day, but its color really depends on whether the sun is shining on it or not.
Sometimes it looks brown but early in the morning (at dawn) and early in the evening (at dusk), it can look red!
Uluru is a very tall structure. You might have been to New York and spotted or even visited the Empire State Building? Well, Ayers Rock is almost as tall as this great structure.
It is 1,141 feet tall, almost as tall as the Empire State building which is 1,450 feet long (to the tip).
Interesting Facts About Uluru
The rock was formed over 600 millions years ago.
The name ‘Uluru’ comes from the Aboriginal language. The name ‘Ayers Rock’ came about after it was named after the eighth Premier (President) of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers.
The English-born Australian explorer William Gosse gave it the name Ayers Rock when he first came across it with his fellow explorers in 1873.
The top of Uluru is flat, but it is actually covered in crevices and grooves. The rock goes straight up at the sides however, so it would be quite hard to climb!
It would originally have sat at the bottom of the sea, way underground. Over time, more of the rock became visible on land, as the land and sea changed in shape and form.
Uluru is a very important place for the Aboriginal people, and was listed as a World Heritage site in 1987. It also appears on the list as a cultural site due to its importance to the Aborigines.
