Tamara Fackrell
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The Twelve Apostles
I would like to write my e-portfolio about the picture that Mr. Allred is using as the
background for his website (since not too many people know about it) or in other words
the Twelve Apostles Rocks. 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. They are giant rock stacks (up to 45 meters high) created as a result of the
constant erosion of the limestone cliffs off the mainland which began 10-20 million years
ago. As a result of the erosion, the softer limestone formed caves and arches in the
cliffs, creating commandeering and iconic rock stacks along the coastline.
Tamara Fackrell
The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh weather conditions from the Southern
Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then
became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 meters high. The
site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard
Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks the Piglets); after which it was
renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became
known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks.
The Twelve Apostles in 1989.
In 2002, the Port Campbell Professional Fishermens Association unsuccessfully
attempted to block the creation of a proposed marine national park at the Twelve
Apostles location, but were satisfied with the later Victorian Government decision to not
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Tamara Fackrell
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allow seismic exploration at the same site by Benaris Energy; believing it would harm
marine life.
The Twelve Apostles in 2005.
The stacks are susceptible to further erosion from the waves. On 3 July 2005, a 50
meter tall stack collapsed, leaving eight remaining. On 25 September 2009, it was
thought that another of the stacks fell, but this was actually one of the smaller stacks of
the Three Sisters formation. The rate of erosion at the base of the limestone pillars is
approximately 2 cm (a little under an inch) per year. Due to wave action eroding the cliff
face existing headlands are expected to become new limestone stacks in the future.
Tamara Fackrell
Today, the Twelve apostles are used as one of the most popular tourist
attractions in Australia.
The Twelve Apostles in 2012.
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