Loch Ard Gorge

Loch Ard Gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. Of the fifty-four passengers and crew, only two survived: Tom Pearce, a ship's apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwoman emigrating with her family. According to memorials at the site, Pearce was washed ashore, and rescued Carmichael from the water after hearing her cries for help.The arch of the nearby Island Archway collapsed in June 2009. The feature now appears as two unconnected rock pillars. They have since been officially named Tom and Eva after the two teenage survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck. (Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia)