Eva and Tom : Moments before sunset . . .
This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) "2022 12 27 Di acer2" curated by BAKAWI, 2) "Paesaggi 20" by Stefano Bacci and 3) "Sunset/Sunrise 24(702" by DAN VARTANIAN.
This was taken on a fine summer's evening, moments before the sun disappeared from the horizon. The sea was relatively calm and only an occasional gentle breeze turned up to break the serenity. It was cloudless, hence the sky was a pure golden-orange.
Previously known as Island Archway, they are about 160 metres from Loch Ard Gorge. The arch collapsed in June 2009 and the two remaining rock pillars have since been officially named Tom and Eva after the two survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck.
Australian's European history has numerous stories of shipwrecks, and one of the worst tragedies was that of the Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island reefs in 1878, just off the Shipwreck Coast in Victoria, Australia.
The Loch Ard was an iron-hulled three masted clipper ship, whose name came from a lake just west of the village of Aberfoyle in Scotland. It was on a non-stop voyage from London to Melbourne with passengers that included members of the Carmichael family. Three months out from London, after days of fog and haze, Captain Gibb had trouble calculating his position for the critical pass into Bass Strait's western entrance (a 90 km passage between the coast and King Island). On the 1st June, 1878, the captain tried to take evasive action when he saw how close they were to the cliffs. This was to no avail when the ship struck the reefs of Mutton Bird Island, just off the coast. The mast and rigging smashed, some of it onto the deck and trapping some people, others were washed overboard, then the ship began to roll. It took only fifteen minutes for the Loch Ard to sink. Of the 54 passengers and crew, there were only two survivors, Tom Pearce, a member of the crew and 18 year old Eva Carmichael, who was travelling with her family. Tom, clinging to a overturned lifeboat, was washed into a deep gorge, that now bears the name the Loch Ard Gorge. Eva, who could not swim, managed to cling to some wreckage from the ship, which drifted through huge twin cliffs into a small bay of the gorge. She was very exhausted, and Tom saw her in the waves and despite being exhausted himself, swam out to rescue her, and after an hour long struggle managed to bring her safely back to land. Tom took Eva to a cave at the end of the gorge, then climbed the cliffs to get help, not seeing the steps that were already cut into the cliff face. He ran into a party from nearby Glenample Station who returned with him to rescue Eva. After their recovery they never saw each other again, as Eva returned to Ireland and later married. Tom eventually became a ship's captain. (Sourced from Internet)
( Explored : Dec 29, 2022 #166 )
Eva and Tom : Moments before sunset . . .
This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) "2022 12 27 Di acer2" curated by BAKAWI, 2) "Paesaggi 20" by Stefano Bacci and 3) "Sunset/Sunrise 24(702" by DAN VARTANIAN.
This was taken on a fine summer's evening, moments before the sun disappeared from the horizon. The sea was relatively calm and only an occasional gentle breeze turned up to break the serenity. It was cloudless, hence the sky was a pure golden-orange.
Previously known as Island Archway, they are about 160 metres from Loch Ard Gorge. The arch collapsed in June 2009 and the two remaining rock pillars have since been officially named Tom and Eva after the two survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck.
Australian's European history has numerous stories of shipwrecks, and one of the worst tragedies was that of the Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island reefs in 1878, just off the Shipwreck Coast in Victoria, Australia.
The Loch Ard was an iron-hulled three masted clipper ship, whose name came from a lake just west of the village of Aberfoyle in Scotland. It was on a non-stop voyage from London to Melbourne with passengers that included members of the Carmichael family. Three months out from London, after days of fog and haze, Captain Gibb had trouble calculating his position for the critical pass into Bass Strait's western entrance (a 90 km passage between the coast and King Island). On the 1st June, 1878, the captain tried to take evasive action when he saw how close they were to the cliffs. This was to no avail when the ship struck the reefs of Mutton Bird Island, just off the coast. The mast and rigging smashed, some of it onto the deck and trapping some people, others were washed overboard, then the ship began to roll. It took only fifteen minutes for the Loch Ard to sink. Of the 54 passengers and crew, there were only two survivors, Tom Pearce, a member of the crew and 18 year old Eva Carmichael, who was travelling with her family. Tom, clinging to a overturned lifeboat, was washed into a deep gorge, that now bears the name the Loch Ard Gorge. Eva, who could not swim, managed to cling to some wreckage from the ship, which drifted through huge twin cliffs into a small bay of the gorge. She was very exhausted, and Tom saw her in the waves and despite being exhausted himself, swam out to rescue her, and after an hour long struggle managed to bring her safely back to land. Tom took Eva to a cave at the end of the gorge, then climbed the cliffs to get help, not seeing the steps that were already cut into the cliff face. He ran into a party from nearby Glenample Station who returned with him to rescue Eva. After their recovery they never saw each other again, as Eva returned to Ireland and later married. Tom eventually became a ship's captain. (Sourced from Internet)
( Explored : Dec 29, 2022 #166 )