Who named the 12 Apostles in Victoria?

The 12 Apostles, which should now be more aptly named the “Seven Apostles”, remains one of Victoria’s most astounding landmarks despite its shrunken number.

The series of seven, yes seven, limestone stacks leap out of the raging Bass Strait below, providing travelers with a remarkable view that we hope doesn’t continue to dwindle any time soon!

The local Indigenous population naturally discovered the 12 Apostles, but it was only ever named when English sailor George Bass (of Bass Strait fame) stumbled upon them and named them the “Sow and Piglets”, the sow being Mutton Bird Island and the Apostles her piglets.

A bizarre name for sure, and perhaps for this reason Tourism Victoria renamed it the “12 Apostles” to draw in crowds who may have thought they were venturing out to a farm to see a pig with her piglets.

Today, the 12 Apostles could easily be renamed again, but why change it? After all, there weren’t seven Apostles in Jesus’ day, so the tourism board might have to go to work on coming up with something more seven-centric.

Either way, it’s a pretty miraculous sight to behold, alongside these other Port Campbell National Park landmarks:

The Loch Ard Gorge

In recent years, the Loch Ard Gorge has crept its way up to join the Apostles as one of the national park’s most astounding landmarks. This incredible inlet boasts two towering cliff tops, which encompass the dreamy waters and beachfront below.

On a sunny day, you will find travellers from across the globe lazing around the beachfront and snapping Gram-worthy shots of themselves with the clifftops providing the perfect frame – it’s that awesome a place, really…

The London Arch

Another one of the national park’s landmarks to fall victim to the raging Bass Strait (it’s almost as if nature was getting its vengeance on Bass for naming the Apostles “The Sow and Piglets”), part of the arch happened to collapse into the sea when two tourists happened to be standing on (thankfully) the rock’s secure portion.

Once again, it’s still a great sight to see, as the rock’s main section still stands proudly out of the sea below. Well, at least it does for now…

The Grotto

This mesmerising open cave provides gorgeously framed views out to those wild waters beyond, providing a surreal sight that must be enjoyed after marveling upon the park’s main sites!

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.