Steep, eroded, and formed 6.4 million years ago,[1] Ball's Pyramid is positioned in the centre of a submarine shelf and is surrounded by rough seas, making any approach difficult.[1]
In The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island (1789), Arthur Phillip gives this description of the area around Ball's Pyramid.. before describing Lord Howe Island:
There lies about four miles from the south-west part of the pyramid, a dangerous rock, which shows itself a little above the surface of the water, and appears not to be larger than a boat. Lieutenant Ball had no opportunity of examining whether there is a safe passage between them or not.[3]
The first recorded person to go ashore is believed to have been Henry Wilkinson, a geologist at the New South Wales Department of Mines, in 1882.
In 1964, a team from Sydney attempted to climb to the summit of the pyramid. However, the climbers were forced to turn back on the fifth day as they ran short of food and water. The expedition was the idea of Australian adventurer Dick Smith, who was a member of Rover Scouts at the time. The expedition also involved other members of the Scouting movement and other people. Smith went on the expedition, but did not attempt the climb due to an unexpected medical operation two weeks before the expedition.
Ball's Pyramid was first climbed on 14 February 1965 by Bryden Allen, John Davis, Jack Pettigrew and David Witham of the Sydney Rock Climbing Club. Jack Hill of New Zealand then climbed to the summit with Pettigrew on the following day. Don Willcox and Ben Sandilands were part of the support team.[5]
In 1979, Smith returned to the pyramid, together with climbers John Worrall and Hugh Ward. They successfully reached the summit and unfurled a flag of New South Wales provided to them by PremierNeville Wran.
Climbing was banned in 1982 under amendments to the Lord Howe Island Act, and in 1986, all access to the island was banned by the Lord Howe Island Board. In 1990, the policy was relaxed to allow some climbing under strict conditions, which in recent years has required an application to the relevant state minister.[6]
Geography
Aerial view
Like Lord Howe Island and the Lord Howe Seamount Chain, Ball's Pyramid is based on the Lord Howe Rise, part of the submerged continent of Zealandia. Ball's Pyramid has a few satellite islets. Observatory Rock and Wheatsheaf Islet lie about 800 metres (2,600 ft) west-northwest and west-southwest respectively, of the western extremity of Ball's Pyramid. Southeast Rock is a pinnacle located about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) southeast of Ball's Pyramid.
The shelf is 20 kilometres (12 mi) in length and averages 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in width and lies under an average depth of 50 metres (160 ft) of water.[1] It is separated by a 500-metre-deep (1,600 ft) submarine canyon from another shelf on which Lord Howe Island is located. The cliffs of the stack continue under the water surface to the level of the shelf.
Flora and fauna
Melaleuca howeana
A Melaleuca howeana shrub was found growing on Ball's Pyramid. The bush was growing in a small crevice where water was seeping through cracks in the underlying rocks. This moisture supported relatively lush plant growth which had, over time, resulted in a buildup of plant debris several metres deep.[7]
Dryococelus australis
Ball's Pyramid supports the last known wild population of Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis).[8]
Following the last sighting of the Lord Howe Island stick insect on Lord Howe Island in 1920, the species was presumed extinct. Evidence of continued survival on Ball's Pyramid was discovered during the 1964 climb when a dead specimen was found and photographed. Throughout the following years, several more dead specimens were discovered, but attempts to find live specimens were unsuccessful.[9]
In 2001, a team of entomologists and conservationists landed on Ball's Pyramid to chart its flora and fauna. As they had hoped, they discovered a population of the Lord Howe Island stick insect living in an area of 6 by 30 metres (20 by 100 ft), at a height of 100 metres (330 ft) above the shoreline, under a single M. howeana shrub. The population was extremely small, with only 24 individuals. Two pairs were brought to mainland Australia, and new populations have been successfully bred[10] with the ultimate goal of reintroduction to Lord Howe Island.
In 2014 an unauthorised climbing team sighted live stick insects in an exposed position 65 metres (213 ft) below the summit of Ball's Pyramid in a thicket of sedge plants, suggesting that the insect's range on Ball's Pyramid is more widespread than previously held and its food preferences are not limited to Melaleuca howeana.[11][12]
^ abcdWoodroffe, Colin (29 May 2012). "Balls Pyramid and the efficacy of marine abrasion". Vignettes. Carleton College. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
^Geography and Geology 12 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Lord Howe Island Tourism Association. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
^Philip, Arthur (1789). The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island. Piccadilly, London: John Stockdale. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
^David, Andrew (1995). The Voyage of HMS Herald. Melbourne University Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN0-522-84390--5.
^Bryden Allen's climbing page (University of Queensland)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ball's Pyramid.
"Lord Howe Island Marine Park". Marine Parks. Parks Australia.
"Lord Howe Island and Ball's Pyramid". Nautical Chart. Australian Hydrographic Service. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012.
. Peakware.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
"Balls Pyramid". Volcano World.
Allen, Bryden. "Mountaineering exploits: Ball's Pyramid". University of Queensland.
January 07, 2023
ball, pyramid, erosional, remnant, shield, volcano, caldera, lying, kilometres, southeast, lord, howe, island, pacific, ocean, metres, high, while, measuring, metres, length, only, metres, across, making, tallest, volcanic, stack, world, part, lord, howe, isla. Ball s Pyramid is an erosional remnant of a shield volcano and caldera 1 lying 20 kilometres 12 mi southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean It is 562 metres 1 844 ft high while measuring 1 100 metres 3 609 ft in length and only 300 metres 984 ft across making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world 2 Ball s Pyramid is part of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park in Australia and is over 643 kilometres 400 mi northeast of Sydney New South Wales Ball s PyramidBall s Pyramid viewed from the surrounding watersHighest pointElevation562 m 1 844 ft Coordinates31 45 15 S 159 15 06 E 31 75417 S 159 25167 E 31 75417 159 25167 Coordinates 31 45 15 S 159 15 06 E 31 75417 S 159 25167 E 31 75417 159 25167GeographyBall s PyramidLocation on a map of OceaniaLocationLord Howe Island Group AustraliaParent rangeLord Howe Island GroupGeologyAge of rock lt 7 million yearsMountain typeVolcanic plugVolcanic arc beltLord Howe Seamount ChainLast eruptionUnknownClimbingFirst ascent1965Steep eroded and formed 6 4 million years ago 1 Ball s Pyramid is positioned in the centre of a submarine shelf and is surrounded by rough seas making any approach difficult 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 Discovery 1 2 Survey and exploration 2 Geography 3 Flora and fauna 3 1 Melaleuca howeana 3 2 Dryococelus australis 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory EditDiscovery Edit Illustration that accompanied Arthur Phillip s description The pyramid is named after Royal Navy Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball who reported discovering it in 1788 On the same voyage Ball also reported discovering Lord Howe Island In The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island 1789 Arthur Phillip gives this description of the area around Ball s Pyramid before describing Lord Howe Island There lies about four miles from the south west part of the pyramid a dangerous rock which shows itself a little above the surface of the water and appears not to be larger than a boat Lieutenant Ball had no opportunity of examining whether there is a safe passage between them or not 3 Survey and exploration Edit Denham s 1853 chart of Ball s Pyramid In May 1853 Henry Mangles Denham with HMS Herald and HMS Torch surveyed the area around Lord Howe Island including Ball s Pyramid producing the first chart of the pyramid 4 The first recorded person to go ashore is believed to have been Henry Wilkinson a geologist at the New South Wales Department of Mines in 1882 In 1964 a team from Sydney attempted to climb to the summit of the pyramid However the climbers were forced to turn back on the fifth day as they ran short of food and water The expedition was the idea of Australian adventurer Dick Smith who was a member of Rover Scouts at the time The expedition also involved other members of the Scouting movement and other people Smith went on the expedition but did not attempt the climb due to an unexpected medical operation two weeks before the expedition Ball s Pyramid was first climbed on 14 February 1965 by Bryden Allen John Davis Jack Pettigrew and David Witham of the Sydney Rock Climbing Club Jack Hill of New Zealand then climbed to the summit with Pettigrew on the following day Don Willcox and Ben Sandilands were part of the support team 5 In 1979 Smith returned to the pyramid together with climbers John Worrall and Hugh Ward They successfully reached the summit and unfurled a flag of New South Wales provided to them by Premier Neville Wran Climbing was banned in 1982 under amendments to the Lord Howe Island Act and in 1986 all access to the island was banned by the Lord Howe Island Board In 1990 the policy was relaxed to allow some climbing under strict conditions which in recent years has required an application to the relevant state minister 6 Geography Edit Aerial view Like Lord Howe Island and the Lord Howe Seamount Chain Ball s Pyramid is based on the Lord Howe Rise part of the submerged continent of Zealandia Ball s Pyramid has a few satellite islets Observatory Rock and Wheatsheaf Islet lie about 800 metres 2 600 ft west northwest and west southwest respectively of the western extremity of Ball s Pyramid Southeast Rock is a pinnacle located about 3 5 kilometres 2 2 mi southeast of Ball s Pyramid The shelf is 20 kilometres 12 mi in length and averages 10 kilometres 6 2 mi in width and lies under an average depth of 50 metres 160 ft of water 1 It is separated by a 500 metre deep 1 600 ft submarine canyon from another shelf on which Lord Howe Island is located The cliffs of the stack continue under the water surface to the level of the shelf Flora and fauna EditMelaleuca howeana Edit A Melaleuca howeana shrub was found growing on Ball s Pyramid The bush was growing in a small crevice where water was seeping through cracks in the underlying rocks This moisture supported relatively lush plant growth which had over time resulted in a buildup of plant debris several metres deep 7 Dryococelus australis Edit Ball s Pyramid supports the last known wild population of Lord Howe Island stick insect Dryococelus australis 8 Following the last sighting of the Lord Howe Island stick insect on Lord Howe Island in 1920 the species was presumed extinct Evidence of continued survival on Ball s Pyramid was discovered during the 1964 climb when a dead specimen was found and photographed Throughout the following years several more dead specimens were discovered but attempts to find live specimens were unsuccessful 9 In 2001 a team of entomologists and conservationists landed on Ball s Pyramid to chart its flora and fauna As they had hoped they discovered a population of the Lord Howe Island stick insect living in an area of 6 by 30 metres 20 by 100 ft at a height of 100 metres 330 ft above the shoreline under a single M howeana shrub The population was extremely small with only 24 individuals Two pairs were brought to mainland Australia and new populations have been successfully bred 10 with the ultimate goal of reintroduction to Lord Howe Island In 2014 an unauthorised climbing team sighted live stick insects in an exposed position 65 metres 213 ft below the summit of Ball s Pyramid in a thicket of sedge plants suggesting that the insect s range on Ball s Pyramid is more widespread than previously held and its food preferences are not limited to Melaleuca howeana 11 12 See also Edit Islands portal Volcanoes portalList of volcanoes in Australia Lot s Wife crag Rockall Stac Lee Stac an ArminReferences Edit a b c d Woodroffe Colin 29 May 2012 Balls Pyramid and the efficacy of marine abrasion Vignettes Carleton College Retrieved 9 July 2013 Geography and Geology Archived 12 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Lord Howe Island Tourism Association Retrieved on 2009 04 20 Philip Arthur 1789 The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island Piccadilly London John Stockdale Retrieved 9 April 2014 David Andrew 1995 The Voyage of HMS Herald Melbourne University Press pp 29 30 ISBN 0 522 84390 5 Bryden Allen s climbing page University of Queensland Mr Andrew Fraser Coffs Harbour Archived 2007 09 29 at the Wayback Machine in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1 May 1996 Lord Howe Island Return of the tree lobster GeoCurrents Retrieved 9 September 2022 Krulwich Robert 29 February 2012 Six Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway for 80 years National Public Radio Retrieved 18 January 2016 Smith Jim 2016 South Pacific Pinnacle The exploration of Ball s Pyramid Den Fenella press ISBN 978 0 9943872 0 2 Thomas Abbie 14 February 2001 Giant stick insect rediscovered Australian Broadcasting Corporation Smith Jim 2016 South Pacific Pinnacle The exploration of Ball s Pyramid Den Fenella press ISBN 978 0 9943872 0 2 Smith Dick 2015 Balls Pyramid Climbing the world s tallest sea stack Dick Smith Adventure Pty Ltd ISBN 978 0 646 94603 0Further reading EditHutton Ian 1998 The Australian Geographic Book of Lord Howe Island Australian Geographic ISBN 1 876276 27 4 Rock of Ages transcript of Australian Broadcasting Corporation Australian Story TV episode 11 April 2005 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ball s Pyramid Lord Howe Island Marine Park Marine Parks Parks Australia Lord Howe Island and Ball s Pyramid Nautical Chart Australian Hydrographic Service Archived from the original on 8 December 2012 Ball s Pyramid Peakware com Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Balls Pyramid Volcano World Allen Bryden Mountaineering exploits Ball s Pyramid University of Queensland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ball 27s Pyramid amp oldid 1119596942, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
