On a cloudy spring morning, scenic Memorial Arch at the start of the Great Ocean Drive, Victoria, Australia. The arch was built in honour of the 3,000 returned soldiers who worked on the road and its creation during World War I.

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The Memorial Arch, the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. This iconic attraction is without a doubt the most photographed image along the Great Ocean Road, this made evident by the fact that you’ll find the gateway constantly bombarded by cars on either side of you with people hopping out to take photos, eager to share with friends and family that they’ve ticked off an item on their bucket list!
The arch was built in honour of the 3,000 returned soldiers who worked on the road and its creation during World War I. They started construction on the Great Ocean Road in 1919 and completed the 243 kilometres stretch of road in 1932. There is also a sculpture that was commissioned on the road’s 75th anniversary on the side of the arch. The sculpture is of two returned soldiers working on the Great Ocean Road. During the construction of the road, some soldiers lost their lives due to the gruelling task of building a road by hand. The road itself was built as a memorial for all those who lost their lives in the war. It is the longest war memorial in the world. The Great Ocean Road extends from the town of Torquay to Allenstown.
The Memorial Arch is a popular destination to stop at, as it is the start of the Great Ocean Road. Many will take the opportunity to stop at the designated carpark to take a photo with the arch and the statue, commemorating their adventure. The Memorial Arch is made out of wood, with the sides being made out of stone and cement for support. The first arch that was erected weighed in at 50 tonnes. The arch was put up in 1939, and was replaced a few more times over the decades, including a time when a truck ran into the side of the arch, and another new arch was created in 1983 when bush fires set it ablaze ruining the monument. In the 1970’s, the government had plans to take the Memorial Arch down, as they saw it as a hazard to drivers, but it was shot down as it was considered a lack of respect for the returned soldiers of World War I. But with all of the rebuilds and tear downs, the original sign still sits on the top of the arch, for all to see.
The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 240-kilometre (150 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I, the road is the world's largest war memorial. Winding through varying terrain along the coast and providing access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations, the road is an important tourist attraction in the region. In December 2020, legislation went into effect to legally protect the Great Ocean Road – called the “Great Ocean Road Environs Protection Act 2020”.
The Great Ocean Road starts at Torquay and travels westward to finish at Allansford near Warrnambool, the largest city along the road. The road is two lanes (one in each direction), and is covered by a speed limit changing between 50 kilometres per hour and 100 kilometres per hour.
The road is considered a tourist attraction in the area, in which much of the road hugs coastline affectionately known as the Surf Coast, between Torquay and Cape Otway, and the Shipwreck Coast further west of Cape Otway, providing visibility of Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean. The road traverses rainforests, as well as beaches and cliffs composed of limestone and sandstone, which is susceptible to erosion. The road travels via Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay, and Port Campbell, the latter being notable for its natural limestone and sandstone rock formations including Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto, London Arch (formerly London Bridge) and The Twelve Apostles. At the stretch of the Great Ocean Road nearer to Geelong, the road meanders along the coast, with tall, almost-vertical cliffs on the other side of it. Road signs put up along the road warn motorists of possible rockfalls, which have occurred before. R_35911

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Eastern View (show map)

Taken on: September 22, 2023

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Sets appears in: • spring • September more » • 2023 • canon R6 • canon RF24-240mm • historic, iconic • sculpture « less

Groups appears in: • Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM • Canon R6

Camera: Canon EOS R6, f/4.5, 1/250 sec, 24mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS R6
Lens:	RF24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	24mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-1 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 12.0.1 (Windows)
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