If you were asked to think about the world's longest man made structure, the Great Wall of China or the Trans-Siberian Railway may come to mind, but rarely does one think about the world's largest dog fence. Situated in Australia, the Dingo Fence is one of the longest structures on the planet, and the world's longest fence. It stretches 5614 kilometres from the Great Australian Bight to the foothills of Queensland's Bunya Mountains.
Brief History of the Dingo Fence
1884 - A rabbit proof fence, which proved to be unsuccessful, was built across the South East section of Australia.
1914 - The unsuccessful rabbit proof fence was converted into a dog fence.
1948 - The Dingo Barrier Fence Scheme was first proposed where the dog fences were joined together to form one continuous structure called the Dingo Fence.
1948-1970's - Up until the early 1970s, most of the Dingo Fence was maintained by the landholders where the fence was erected. However sections started to fall into disrepair and an overhaul was needed.
1975 1982 - The estimated cost of repairing the whole 8614 kilometres of dog fence was $915,000. Due to the opposition to the cost of the project the state government decided to exclude previously protected areas in Central-Western Queensland and north-western Queensland, shortening the Dingo Fence to its current length of 5614 kilometres.
Quick Facts About The Dingo Fence
5614 kilometres is the total length of the Dingo Fence.
8614 kilometres was the total length of the Dingo Fence up until 1980, where due to repair costs it was shortened to its present length.
26.5 million hectares of sheep and cattle grazing country is what the Dingo Fence protects.
5,614,000 metres of wire mesh, that stands 180 centimetres in height and is a further 30 centimetres underground, was used to build the Dingo Fence.
623,777 wooden and steel posts hold the Dingo Fence together.
Names Of The Dingo Fence
The total 5614 kilometres of fence spans two Australian states, Queensland and South Australia. As a whole the fence is known as the Dingo Fence, however each of the 4 parts has its own name:
1) Great Barrier Fence or Wild Dog Barrier Fence (Queensland) - 2,500 kilometres
2) Queensland Border Fence (Queensland) - 394 kilometres
3) South Australian Border Fence (South Australia) - 257 kilometres
4) Dog Fence (South Australia) - 2,225 kilometres
Australia's Dog Fence Today
Today the condition in South Australia's outback may force a redesign of a section of the 2,225 kilometres Dog Fence, specifically due to the recent explosion in the camel population. It seems the camels are smashing down parts of the fence in search of water, although it has been reported that sometimes the problem comes from the amorous males when in heat. The worst affected area is a 100-kilometre stretch near Coober Pedy, and recommendations have been to either makes the fences higher or electrified along the top in the problem areas.
So the next time a trivia question comes up about the world's longest man made structure you will now be able to wow your friends with your knowledge of the world's longest fence, the Australian Dingo Fence.
Author Resource:-
This article was prepared for the North American Fence Builders Association, who list dog fence contractors all over North America. With the NAFBA you can easily find local Toronto dog fence contractors.
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