Gibson Steps, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia for Water H2O ThursdayHistory of Gibson Steps The Sandstone & Limestone of this entire coastline formed over 300 million years ago below a really deep ocean. Fish and plants that died sunk to the bottom of the ocean, along with sand from the rivers and other debris. The massive amount of pressure from the water above compacted what was at the bottom, turning it to sedimentary rock called Sandstone. Limestone is Sandstone that’s made up of 50% fossils or and makes up the majority of the huge cliffs that the Gibson Steps are carved into. These stairs have been used for hundreds of years, first by the local indigenous people, then by the early colonials in the 1800’s.
Where The Name Came From In the late 1800’s, Mr. Gibson was the owner of the land that sat at the top of the staircase. He lived nearby the staircase at the well-known Glenample Homestead. Mr. Gibson and his homestead became famous when the Loch Ard ship wrecked close by. He helped rescue the only two survivors, Tome and Eva, Eva recovered at Glenample Homestead over three months. Read more about Loch Ard Gorge and the shipwreck here. Mr. Gibson would use these steps regularly to access the beach. He commissioned workers from his farm to improve the staircase so that he could go fishing at the bottom and collect cargo. Other people from the area would also use these stairs to bring in cargo by ship until nearby areas become more established and built facilities that made it much easier to access and unload vessels. The name ‘Gibson Steps’ came from Mr. Gibson’s use and work done to the staircase, although him and his works were not the ones who built the famous steps down to the beach. Kirrae Whurrong Tribe Are The Ones Who Carved Gibson Steps The Kirrae Whurrong (Girai wurrung) people occupied this area for tens of thousands of years before European colonisation and carved the stairs now known as Gibson Steps. Before Mr. Gibson improved the staircase, it was more of a jagged track that lead from the cliff top to the beach. These steps were carved at least several hundreds of years ago, although some local Indigenous people claim that the staircase has been there for thousands of years.
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