Summary Two locations in southwestern Australia, 120 km apart, are comparable in terms of soils, natural vegetation, lithology and, to a lesser extent, topography; but not in terms of climate. The low rainfall area (400 mm) has erosion rates an order of magnitude greater than the higher rainfall location (1400 mm). However, data from unbounded hillslope erosion plots in other parts of Australia do not yield such a clear relationship; neither are slope erosion rates related to differences in vegetation, lithology or slope angle. Differences in denudation rates obtained from stream sediment data in Australia and worldwide support a climatic interpretation; but the comparability between these data and those obtained from hillslope plots is unclear. It is suggested that this comparison may provide a fruitful area for further research.