The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Originally the site was called the Sow and Piglets. Muttonbird Island near Loch Ard Gorge was the ‘Sow’ and the smaller rock stacks the 'Piglets'.[1] The name was changed in the 1950s to present name recalling the biblical The Twelve Apostles.
This was done to lure more visitors to the state[citation needed]. Despite the name there are not twelve individual stacks visible in any one location.
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Location
The Twelve Apostles are between the towns of Port Campbell and Princetown on the Great Ocean Road. In the early 2000s a visitor centre was built on the inland side of the road to allow for easy parking and access to the best viewing area.[2] Helicopter rides around the formations are also available.
Creation of the Apostles
Existing headlands will eventually become new limestone stacks in the future.[3]
- Wave action erodes the cliff face, leaving harder rock as headlands.
- Waves eat away the rock at sea level, forming caves on each side of the headland.
- The caves eventually meet up, forming an arch.
- The arch collapses, leaving a rock stack.
- Further undercutting by waves and opening up of vertical cracks in the rock by rain and saltwater, gradually reduce the stack to a low platform or reef. An easier example is the limestone cliff collapsing so that there was 12.
Erosion of the Apostles
The stacks have been formed by erosion, and are all different heights and thicknesses. A number have fallen over entirely as waves continually erode their bases.
A 50-metre tall Apostle collapsed on July 3, 2005.[4] Although it was initially thought that one of the Twelve Apostles fell on September 25, 2009 it was later revealed that it was one of the smaller stacks knowns as The Three Sisters.[5]
Other well-known features in Port Campbell National Park created by erosion are the London Arch, Loch Ard Gorge and the Island Archway [6]
The rate of erosion at the base of the limestone pillars is approximately 2 cm per year.[7]
Gallery
 The Twelve Apostles |
 The leftmost stack disintegrated on July 3, 2005 |
 This picture was taken one hour after the stack had crashed on July 3, 2005 |
 The Twelve Apostles as seen eastward from the lookout point |
 The Twelve Apostles |
 The Twelve Apostles, taken in April 2007 |
 Sunset at the Twelve Apostles |
 An evening shot of the Twelve Apostles |
See also
- Australian Landmarks
- Gibson Steps
- London Arch (formerly London Bridge)
- Loch Ard Gorge
References
- ^ Twelve Apostles Sign.
- ^ Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre 2003 AILA Victoria & Tasmania Awards in Landscape Architecture
- ^ Porter, Geoff (2006). Little Bites of Australia. Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Pu. p. 203.
- ^ Apostles lose one of their own. CNN. July 4, 2005.
- ^ Hunter, Thomas (September 28, 2009). Sister, not apostle, crumbles into sea. The Age.
- ^ McNaught, Megan (June 11, 2009). Island Archway near Loch Ard Gorge loses its archway. News.com.au.
- ^ (At a destructive rate of 2-3 cm per year)
External links
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Coordinates: 38°39′57″S 143°06′16″E / 38.66583°S 143.10444°E
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