Twelve Apostles, spectacular group of rock formations that line the coast of southwestern Victoria, Australia. Part of Port Campbell National Park, the Twelve Apostles lie in the Southern Ocean just east of Port Campbell and about 275 km (170 miles) west of Melbourne. They are a popular tourist attraction on the Great Ocean Road, a scenic route along the Victorian coast, and are often photographed at sunset, when the play of light makes them appear especially majestic in shades of orange and red.
The rocks of the Twelve Apostles have sported several English monikers, including the Pinnacles and, with nearby Mutton Bird Island, the Sow and Piglets, the island being the “sow.” In the 20th century, despite there being only nine rocks in the formation, the stacks were officially named after the Apostles of Jesus in an effort to attract tourists. In 2005 a pillar standing some 50 metres (160 feet) tall collapsed as a result of continuing erosion; another collapsed in 2009. Six of the seven remaining stacks are easily visible from the main viewing platform.
Each of the Twelve Apostles is a limestone sea stack, a type of coastal rock formation shaped by weathering and erosion. Some 10 to 20 million years ago the stacks formed part of the soft limestone cliffs of the mainland shoreline. Over time, ocean waves and wind eroded the cliffs and gouged out sea caves. Eventually, the persistent weathering and erosion wore away the caves and the cliff margins until sea arches formed. When the tops of the arches finally collapsed, only the most resistant rock remained, as isolated pillars—the Twelve Apostles sea stacks. The tallest of these extends some 45 metres (150 feet) above the surface of the water, and each contains millions of tiny marine fossils. Like the cliffs, caves, and arches that preceded them, the Twelve Apostles continue to be lashed by wave and wind action, and they too will ultimately be worn away.
In March 2023 the Federal Court of Australia formally recognized the Eastern Maar peoples as the traditional owners of more than 8,500 square km (more than 3,280 square miles) of land located in southwestern Victoria, including the Twelve Apostles. The decision formalized the rights of the Eastern Maar peoples to access, use, manage, and protect this public land and its natural resources in accordance with their traditional laws and customs.