Maritime history – Great Ocean Road

The south-west coastline of Victoria between Moonlight Head and Port Fairy is a treacherous section of coast that has claimed more than 180 ships and earnt it the name Shipwreck Coast. 

Shipwreck Discovery Trail
Follow the Shipwreck Discovery Trail and visit the many shipwreck sites along the coast. Highway signs and plaques at the locations tell the tales of dozens of wrecks and identify their resting places. Highlights are Loch Ard Gorge, where you can discover the history of the Loch Ard, wrecked in 1878 and Wreck Beach. The name Wreck Beach is derived from the still visible anchors of two ships wrecked along the beach, the Marie Gabrielle in 1880 and the Fiji in 1891. Pick up a map of the trail from local Visitor Information Centres or the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village
Much of the region’s maritime history is recounted in detail at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. Built around the original heritage-listed Lady Bay Lighthouse, the village houses an extensive collection of shipwreck artefacts, including the famous Loch Ard Peacock.

Lighthouses
The number of disastrous shipwrecks along the coast resulted in the construction of a lighthouse in 1848 on the point of Cape Otway. It guided ships bound for Port Phillip through the narrow entrance to Bass Strait. Today you can tour the lighthouse and climb to the top for breathtaking views. Other lighthouses open to the public include Lady Bay Warrnambool at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, Point Lonsdale Lighthouse on the Bellarine Peninsula and Cape Nelson Lightstation near Portland.