How big is Big Ben?
Big! It lives up to its name, and much more so than the famous clock tower in London. Big Ben is the active volcano that makes up most of Heard Island. It is about 2,750 metres high at the summit (Mawson Peak), making it the highest Australian mountain, except for those in the Australian territory on the Antarctic continent. Big Ben is roughly circular and about about 18-20 kilometres in diameter at its base. See the the Location and Geography page in the About Heard Island section and the Landforms pages in the Nature section for more information. There are also several images of Big Ben in the Image Gallery.
The name Big Ben was given to a 14.5 tonne (16 ton) hour bell, which is actually the main bell housed within the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, however many people mistakenly call the Clock Tower ‘Big Ben’ The tower is 96.3 metres (315.9 ft) high. It is the world’s largest four-faced, chiming turret clock.
