Cape Schanck

Cape Schanck is the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, within Mornington Peninsula National Park. Dominated by the 1859 Cape Schanck Lighthouse and dramatic basalt cliffs, it offers rugged ocean scenery where Bass Strait meets Western Port. The site features a timber boardwalk to Pebble Beach and Pulpit Rock, coastal walking tracks, and panoramic lookouts. It is notable for its maritime heritage, geological formations, and protected coastal environment.

Visitors can expect a rugged coastal headland with dramatic cliffs, ocean views, and the historic Cape Schanck Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. A timber boardwalk with steps descends from the lighthouse reserve to Pebble Beach and lookouts over Pulpit Rock and Bass Strait. The area includes maintained walking tracks, interpretive signs, picnic areas, and the lighthouse museum with guided tours. The landscape is exposed, windswept, and natural, with native vegetation and rocky shoreline.

Cape Schanck was named in 1800 by Lieutenant James Grant after Captain John Schank of the Royal Navy. The Cape Schanck Lighthouse was built in 1859 from limestone and is the second lighthouse constructed in Victoria, playing a key role in guiding ships through Bass Strait. The lighthouse, keeper's quarters and associated buildings are heritage listed and illustrate 19th-century maritime navigation history.

Cape Schanck lies on the traditional Country of the Bunurong / Boon Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation. The coastal landscape holds cultural significance for its natural resources and connection to Country. The lighthouse reserve reflects European maritime heritage and is a focal point for interpretation of coastal history and conservation within Mornington Peninsula National Park.