At 2228m above sea level, Mt Kosciuszko in New South Wales is the highest mountain in Australia. It is in the Snowy Mountains, part of the Great Dividing Range which runs along the eastern side of Australia between Queensland and Victoria. 
 GET IT RIGHT 
Polish explorer Count Pawel Strzelecki was the first to reach the mountain's summit, in 1840. He named it after a Polish hero, Gen. Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
Initially the name was misspelt in English as "Kosciusko" but was changed to the proper Polish spelling Kosciuszko in 1997.
 WRONG ONE 
Mt Kosciuszko is not much higher than the surrounding peaks. In fact, it was originally named Mt Townsend but after measurements showed that it was slightly higher than nearby Mt Kosciuszko, the NSW government exchanged the names of the mountains in 1910 so that Kosciuszko remained the name of the country's tallest mountain.
 TRY THE CLIMB 
Unlike the highest mountains on other continents, which can be extremely difficult to climb, it is possible for people with reasonable fitness to walk to the top of Mt Kosciuszko once winter is over and the snow has melted.
There is a road to Charlotte Pass and from there an 8km path will take you to the summit.
Or there is a chairlift operating year-round from the ski resort of Thredbo. From the top of the chairlift there is a 6.5km walkway, which is raised to protect the fragile vegetation. 
 SCENIC PARK 
Mt Kosciuszko and surrounding areas are part of picturesque Kosciuszko National Park, which includes lakes, alpine meadows, snow gums and rivers such as the Snowy and Thredbo rivers. 
Skiing and snowboarding are popular winter sports in resorts such as Perisher and Thredbo. In the summer, activities include mountain biking, kayaking, horseriding, hiking, camping and fishing.
 DID YOU KNOW?  
 Australia's highest public toilet is at Rawson Pass, 2100m above sea level. It is about 1.6km from the summit.
 Western pygmy possums live in the region and are endangered in NSW. They are able to go into a deep sleep for several days in cold weather when food is scarce.
 Australia's coldest temperature of -23C was recorded at Charlotte Pass on   June 29, 1994.
 Mt Everest, the world's highest mountain, is 8848m above sea level, 6620m higher than Mt Kosciuszko.