Cape Schanck

Postcode: 3939

Cape Schanck is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula and separates the wild ocean waters of Bass Strait from the slightly calmer waters of Western Port.

The most recognisable symbol of Cape Schanck is the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1859 and was the second lighthouse built in Victoria. A prominent rock outcrop is Pulpit Rock and stands out at the very tip of the cape.

Cape Schanck is also home to the RACV Resort Cape Schanck. British-Australian artist Georgiana McCrae produced a lot of her paintings in Cape Schanck.

The location is reputed to have been named after Captain Schanck (Schank), an English Navy captain and contemporary of Matthew Flinders, who was also famous for designing the raised keel (or centreboard) used on naval vessels so as to allow navigation in shallow waters. One of the ships, the Lady Nelson, incorporating this design was used extensively in exploration of the southern coast of Australia from 1800.

The Lady Nelson carried the party which first saw the twin peaks of Mt Gambier and its nearby volcano named Mt Schanck, in honour of the keel designer. As it continued its voyage further east it passed a rocky headland which we now know as Cape Schanck.

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