It is native to eastern Australia (Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland).

Seen between one and seven metres tall, it may be identified by the thin, prickly trunk, 5 to 15 cm wide.

The sori lack true indusia, the base of the sorus bears a ring of scales.

In 1865 Ferdinand von Mueller described it as Alsophila leichhardtiana from several specimens, one of which was collected by Ludwig Leichhardt in Moreton Bay, and another by Louisa Atkinson in the Blue Mountains.

[5][8] Plants of the World Online currently accepts Sphaeropteris australis as the species' name.