Mackay, Lake [key], large, usually dry, saline lake, 1,829 sq mi (4,737 sq km), 65 mi (105 km) long, 40 mi (64 km) wide, W central Australia, on the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The largest lake in Western Australia, it is named for the Australian explorer Donald George Mackay, who discovered it by aerial survey in 1930. The deeper Northern Territory portion of the lake can retain water for six months or longer after flooding, and is an important breeding area for shore birds.
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