1912

A large rock on Ben Buckler has been the subject of great debate and spectacle since it first appeared in 1912. It is widely believed that the Big Rock was washed up by the fiery waves caused by the cyclonic storm that raged NSW on Saturday 13 July 1912. On this occasion, winds of 125 km/hour and relentless heavy downpour unlashed furious waves that ravaged various parts of New South Wales.

On the other hand, although photographs of the area do not show the presence of the rock before the storm, there are some who maintain that the rock, which originally would have fallen down from the headland, was always there, if only camouflaged by smaller rocks.

A plaque affixed to the rock in 1933 acts as a memorial of that terrible storm that hit so heavily NSW. It reads:
“Municipality of Waverley. This rock weighing 235 tons was washed from the sea during a storm on 15 July 1912. January 1933. J. S. MacKinnon. Town Clerk.”

The Big Rock is now often referred to as Mermaid Rock because in 1960, sculptor Lyall Randolph famously erected two mermaids on top of it.

Images courtesy Waverley Library Local Studies Collection.