The 12 Apostles is a set of limestone structures that jut out of the ocean. They make one of the most iconic views along the Great Ocean Road. They are one of the most famous parts of Australia. But how were they formed?
TL;DR
The 12 Apostles are limestone sea stacks along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Formed over 10 to 20 million years of coastal erosion, only 7 remain standing. They didn’t get their famous name until the 1890s, and they never actually numbered 12.
They’re called the 12 Apostles. There are only 7 left. And the name didn’t exist until the 1890s.
That’s the short version of the 12 apostles history. The longer version involves 20 million years of geological work, a couple of name changes, and a coastline that’s still eroding today.
How the 12 Apostles Formed
The 12 Apostles are made of limestone, and that limestone started forming 10 to 20 million years ago when this stretch of Victoria was ocean floor. Trillions of tiny marine organisms died and their shells settled on the seabed. Compressed over millions of years under enormous pressure, those shells became the limestone you see today.
Beneath the limestone sits a layer of softer clay and mudstone. Because clay and mudstone erode faster than limestone, they wear away more quickly, creating the narrow banding visible on the stacks. It’s why the formations look layered, thinner in parts, chunkier at others.
When sea levels dropped, the Southern Ocean started working on the exposed cliffs. Waves cut into the base of the headlands, carving caves. Where caves formed on both sides of a headland, they eventually met and created an arch. The arches weren’t permanent. When they became too narrow to hold the weight above them, they collapsed, leaving behind isolated pillars of rock.
The 12 Apostles are what remained after that sequence. The process hasn’t stopped. The base of each stack continues to erode at around 2cm per year.
The Name
When George Bass charted this coastline in 1798, he called the formation “Sow and Pigs.” Not romantic, but functional. By 1891, a photograph referenced them as the “Pinnacles.” The name “12 Apostles” gained traction through the 1890s, though no single person has ever been credited with coining it.
The name change wasn’t accidental. It was a tourism decision. A biblical name was more compelling than “Pinnacles,” and the change was made to attract visitors to the region. The stacks were never confirmed to have numbered 12. They probably never did. Tourism named them before anyone bothered to count.
How Many Are Left
Seven stacks are standing today. There were nine until July 2005, when a 50-metre stack collapsed into the ocean. Another fell in 2009. The tallest remaining stack reaches 45 metres.
If you’ve searched the 12 apostles history and found conflicting counts online, that’s why. The number has dropped over time and will likely drop further.
Visiting the 12 Apostles
The 12 Apostles sit in Port Campbell National Park, 275km west of Melbourne. The drive takes approximately four hours along the Great Ocean Road. The stacks are spread across 17km of the Shipwreck Coast, a stretch of ocean named for the volume of ships wrecked here between the 1830s and early 1900s.
Sunrise and sunset are the best times to visit. The light turns the limestone orange and the crowd is a fraction of what it is at midday. If you can get there before 8am on a clear morning, do it.
Gibson Steps is worth adding to the itinerary. It’s a short drive from the main 12 Apostles viewpoint. Stone steps cut directly into the cliff take you down to the beach, where you can see the stacks from sea level rather than from above.
In March 2023, the Federal Court formally recognised the Eastern Maar people as traditional owners of the land, which includes the area around the 12 Apostles.
Make It a Full Day
The 12 Apostles are best seen as part of a full Great Ocean Road day, not a quick stop between Melbourne and wherever you’re going next. Great Ocean Road Melbourne Tours runs full-day tours that give you enough time to explore the coast properly, including time at the 12 Apostles at the right hour of day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many of the 12 Apostles are left?
Seven. The count was nine until a 50-metre stack collapsed in July 2005, and another fell in 2009. Erosion continues, so the number will likely change again.
How were the 12 Apostles formed?
Marine sediment compressed over 10 to 20 million years into limestone. When sea levels dropped, wave action carved caves into the cliffs. The caves became arches, and when those arches collapsed, isolated stacks remained.
Why are they called the 12 Apostles if there aren’t 12?
The name was adopted in the 1890s to attract tourists. It was never a precise count. The stacks were never confirmed to have numbered 12.
What was the original name of the 12 Apostles?
George Bass mapped them as “Sow and Pigs” in 1798. A photograph from 1891 called them the “Pinnacles.” The name “12 Apostles” came later that decade.
When is the best time to visit the 12 Apostles?
Sunrise or sunset. The light on the limestone at those times is the reason photographers make the trip, and the viewpoints are considerably less crowded early in the morning.
How far are the 12 Apostles from Melbourne?
275km west of Melbourne, roughly a four-hour drive.
Are the 12 Apostles still eroding?
Yes. The base erodes at approximately 2cm per year. More collapses will happen over time, it’s a matter of when, not if.