Deserts : Australia has 1,544,000 square kilometres of desert [nearly two thirds of the continent is officially referred to as semi-arid]. Australia's largest desert is the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia, which occupies 414,000 square kilometres. Other deserts are : Great Victoria Desert [325,000 square kilometres] Simpson Desert [310,000 square kilometres] Tanami Desert [38,000 square kilometres] Little Sandy Desert [30,000 square kilometres] Gibson Desert [20,000 square kilometres] Sturts Stony Desert [20,000 square kilometres] Tirari Desert [5,000 square kilometres] Strzeleuki Desert [5,000 square kilometres]