The Twelve Apostles (Victoria)
The Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The Twelve Apostles are located on the traditional lands of the Eastern Maar peoples.[1]
The Twelve Apostles Location within Shire of Corangamite and, inset, Victoria | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Port Campbell, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°39′57″S 143°06′16″E / 38.66583°S 143.10444°E |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | Victoria |
| LGA | Shire of Corangamite |
Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Eight of the original nine stacks remain standing at the Twelve Apostles' viewpoint, after one collapsed in July 2005.[2] Though the view from the promontory by the Twelve Apostles never included twelve stacks, additional stacks—not considered part of the Apostles group—are located to the west within the national park.[3]
Formation and history edit
The limestone unit that forms The Twelve Apostles is referred to as the Port Campbell Limestone, which was deposited in the Mid-Late Miocene, around 15 to 5 million years ago.[4]
The Twelve Apostles were formed by erosion. The harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually erode the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then become arches that eventually collapse, leaving rock stacks up to 50 m (160 ft) high. The stacks are susceptible to further erosion from waves. In July 2005, a 50-metre-tall (160 ft) stack collapsed, leaving eight standing at the Twelve Apostles' viewpoint.[2] Due to wave action eroding the cliffs, existing headlands are expected to become new limestone stacks in the future.[5]
The stacks were originally known as the Pinnacles, and the Sow and Pigs (or Sow and Piglets, with Muttonbird Island being the Sow and the smaller rock stacks being the Piglets), as well as the Twelve Apostles.[2][6] The formation's name was made official as the Twelve Apostles, after the Apostles of Jesus, to attract more tourists,[7] despite only ever having had nine stacks.[2]
In 2002, the Port Campbell Professional Fishermen's Association attempted to block the creation of the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park at the Twelve Apostles site.[8] The association approved of a later decision by the Victorian government to prohibit seismic exploration at the site by Benaris Energy,[9] believing such exploration would harm marine life.[10]
In March 2023, the Federal Court of Australia ruled in favour (under the Native Title Act of 1993) of formally recognising the Eastern Maar people as traditional owners' of 8,578 km2 of land located in south-west Victoria, including the Twelve Apostles.[11][12][13][14]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "About". Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d . parkweb.vic.gov.au. Parks Victoria Information Centre. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ Thomas Hunter (September 28, 2009). . theage.com.au. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^ Tassone, David R.; Holford, Simon P.; Hillis, Richard R.; Tuitt, Adrian K. (2012). "Quantifying Neogene plate-boundary controlled uplift and deformation of the southern Australian margin". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 367 (1): 91–110. doi:10.1144/SP367.7. ISSN 0305-8719.
- ^ Porter, Geoff (2006). Little Bites of Australia. Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Pu. p. 203.
- ^ Biunv (1 January 1898). "A picturesque resort". The Leader. p. 36. from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ "Twelve Apostles | Rock Formation, Australia, Description, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ . abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 April 2002. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ . abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 October 2003. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ . abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 October 2003. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Austin on behalf of the Eastern Maar People v State of Victoria [2023] FCA 237". www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "The Twelve Apostles are back in Aboriginal hands after Vic's first native title determination in 10 years". NITV. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ Latimore, Jack (28 March 2023). "'Arduous road' leads to native title ruling that returns Victorian land to traditional owners". The Age. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "Emotions run high as traditional owners secure land rights after more than a decade of petitioning". ABC News. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
External links edit
- Official website