This is a list of lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia.
Australia has a coastline of , with over 350 lighthouses and navigational aids around the Australian coastline,
and a single inland lighthouse, the Point Malcolm lighthouse.
[
The first lighthouse was ]Macquarie Lighthouse
The Macquarie Lighthouse, also known as South Head Upper Light, is the first, and is the longest serving, lighthouse site in Australia. It is located on Dunbar Head, on Old South Head Road, Vaucluse in the Municipality of Woollahra local gover ...
, which was lit in 1793 as a tripod mounted wood and coal fired beacon.[ The last staffed lighthouse was Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse, off the south coast of Tasmania, which was automated in 1996.][
]
Listing
The lighthouses and lightvessels of Australia are listed in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of natio ...
''List of Lights'' publication 111. They are listed by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is the UK's agency for providing hydrographic and marine geospatial data to mariners and maritime organisations across the world. The UKHO is a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and is ...
on volume K of the ''Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals''. The ''ARLHS
Founded in 2000 by Jim Weidner, K2JXW, the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) is devoted to maritime communications, amateur radio, lighthouses, and lightships. Its members travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amat ...
World List of Lights'' lists them with the prefix "AUS".
On ''The Lighthouse Directory'', the lighthouses of Australia are listed according to their location:
* Coral Sea Islands Territory
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secr ...
* New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, including Cape St George Lighthouse which is in Jervis Bay Territory
The Jervis Bay Territory (; JBT) is an internal territory of Australia. It was established in 1915 from part of New South Wales (NSW), in order to give the landlocked Australian Capital Territory (ACT) access to the sea.
It was administered ...
.
* Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
* Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
's East Coast, from Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
southwards
* Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf Co ...
* South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
* Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
* Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
* Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...
Another listing is held by ''Lighthouses of Australia Inc.'', which lists lighthouses by state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
* Western Australia
* Northern Territory
* South Australia
* Queensland
* New South Wales
* Victoria
* Tasmania
Another list exists at ''Australian Lighthouses'', a website which includes both an A-Z list and a list by state.
A list also exists at ''SeaSide Lights'', which lists lighthouses by state:
* Western Australia
* Northern Territory
* South Australia
* Queensland
* New South Wales
* Victoria
* Tasmania
In order to be listed below, an active lighthouse has to appear at least in one of ''The Lighthouse Directory'', ''Lighthouses of Australia Inc.'' or ''SeaSide Lights''. Other lists mentioned above include many lights which are hard to describe as "lighthouses". Historical lighthouses were sometimes included when they are mentioned in other reliable sources.
Management
Most of the lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia are managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), though the AMSA usually only manages the lighting equipment, with local authorities managing the lighthouses and parklands. In New South Wales the lighthouses and parklands are mostly managed by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water
The New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), a former division of the Government of New South Wales between April 2011 and July 2019, was responsible for the care and protection of the environment and heritage, which includes ...
or the New South Wales Department of Lands.[ In the Northern Territory some of the lighthouses are managed by the Darwin Port Corporation.][ In South Australia some of the stations are managed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.][ In Tasmania, many lighthouses are managed by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.][ In Victoria, harbour aids are maintained by the ]Port of Melbourne Corporation
The Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) is a statutory body established by the Victorian Government to develop and manage the Port of Melbourne, Australia's busiest container port. The Corporation commenced operations on 1 July 2003, when it t ...
in the Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
area and by the Victorian Regional Channels Authority elsewhere, while parklands are mostly managed by Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria is a government agency of the state of Victoria, Australia.
Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The ''Parks Victoria A ...
.[ In Western Australia some of the stations are managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation.
]
Lighthouses by state or territory
Jervis Bay Territory
New South Wales
There are several lighthouse siblings in the vicinity – lighthouses that were designed by the same architect around the same time, which are very similar by design. These include:
* Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse
Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, is a historic lighthouse situated on the southern breakwater of the heritage-listed Wollongong Harbour, in Wollongong, New South Wales in Australia. Wollongong is th ...
and Warden Head Light
Warden Head Light, also known as Ulladulla Lighthouse, is an active lighthouse on Warden Head, a headland south of Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia, guarding the entrance to the Port of Ulladulla. It is one of only two wrought iron light ...
, built 1872–1873, initiated by Edward Orpen Moriarty MA MInstCE
* Crowdy Head Light
Crowdy Head Light is an active lighthouse located at Crowdy Head, a headland between Forster and Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It is registered with the Register of the National Estate.
History
The first station in the area ...
, Fingal Head Light, Clarence River Light
Clarence River Light, also known as Yamba Light or Clarence Head Light, is an active lighthouse located on Pilot Hill, a hill in Wooli Park, Yamba, New South Wales, Australia, south of the entrance of Clarence River. The current lighthouse w ...
(the original, now demolished), Tacking Point Lighthouse and Richmond River Light
Richmond River Light, also known as Ballina Head Light and Ballina Light, is an active lighthouse located at Ballina Head, a headland in Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. The headland is at the northern side of the entrance to the Richmond ...
, designed by James Barnet in 1878
* Point Perpendicular Light (1899), Cape Byron Light
Cape Byron Light, also called Cape Byron Lightstation, is an active heritage-listed lighthouse and now interpretative centre, interpretative space, maritime museum, administration office, retail building, accommodation, tourist attraction and ...
(1901) and Norah Head Light
Norah Head Light is an active lighthouse located at Norah Head, a headland on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia, close to Toukley. It is the last lighthouse of the James Barnet style to be built, and the last staffed lighthouse ...
(1903), designed by Charles Assinder Harding
* Bradleys Head Light (1905) and Robertson Point Light (1910)
* The "Disney Castles", Grotto Point Light, Parriwi Head Light, Vaucluse Bay Range Front Light and Vaucluse Bay Range Rear Light, built 1910–1911 by Maurice Festu
* The "Wedding Cakes", Eastern Channel Pile Light and Western Channel Pile Light built in 1924
Northern Territory
Most of the lighthouses in the Northern Territory were constructed by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service during the "Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses", between 1913 and 1920. These include Cape Don Light
Cape Don Light is an active lighthouse located on Cape Don, at the tip of the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia, in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, marking the entrance to the Dundas Strait. It is Australia's northernmost tr ...
, East Vernon Light, Emery Point Light, Cape Hotham Light and Cape Fourcroy.
Of these five, three can be considered "siblings", Cape Hotham Light, Emery Point Light and Cape Fourcroy Light. They are almost identical white square skeletal towers, and they also share a similar light characteristic
A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists with the cha ...
, three flashes every 15 second (Fl.(3) 15s).
Queensland
Most lighthouses in Queensland were constructed in well established groups:
* Two lighthouses constructed using bolted prefabricated
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term ...
segments of cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuri ...
: Sandy Cape Light
Sandy Cape Light is a heritage-listed active lighthouse located on Sandy Cape, the most northern point on K'gari (Fraser Island), K'gari, Queensland, Australia. It stands about southwest of the northeastern tip of the island. It is the tallest ...
and Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light is an active lighthouse located on the southeast tip of Bustard Head, a headland, about northwest of Seventeen Seventy, in the Australian state of Queensland, within the Eurimbula National Park and locality of Eurimbula. ...
.
* Eight lighthouses made of hardwood frame clad with corrugated iron
Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a ...
: Little Sea Hill Light
Sea Hill Lighthouse, also known as Sea Hill Point Light or Little Sea Hill Light, is a lighthouse on the northwest point of Curtis Island, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. Its purpose was to mark the east side of the entrance to Keppel ...
, Grassy Hill Light, Goods Island Light, Bay Rock Light
Bay Rock Light is an inactive lighthouse which used to be located on Bay Rock, a rocky islet northwest of Magnetic Island, about north of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. First lit in 1886, it was automated in 1920 and deactivated in the 1 ...
, Old Caloundra Light, North Point Hummock Light
North Point Light, also known as North Point Hummock Light, was located on North Point, the most northern point on Moreton Island.
North Point Light was constructed in the early 1860s, carrying a large kerosene burner with a reflector.
In 1899 ...
(demolished), Gatcombe Head Light (demolished) and Bulwer Island Light
Bulwer Island Light, also known as Bulwer Island Range Rear Light, is an inactive lighthouse that was on Bulwer Island, in the suburb of Pinkenba, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In 1983, it was moved to the Queensland Maritime Museum ...
.
* Seven concrete towers erected between 1964 and 1979: Cape Capricorn Light
Cape Capricorn Light is an active heritage-listed lighthouse located on Cape Capricorn, a coastal headland on the northeast point of Curtis Island, in Gladstone Region, Central Queensland, Australia. The lighthouse, constructed in 1964, is t ...
, New Caloundra Light, Point Danger Light, New Burnett Heads Light
The New Burnett Heads Light, also known as South Head Light, is an active lighthouse standing on the south side of the Burnett River entrance, in Burnett Heads, Queensland, Australia. In 1971 it replaced the Old Burnett Heads Light, which was re ...
, Fitzroy Island Light, Point Cartwright Light
Point Cartwright Light is an active lighthouse located on Point Cartwright, a point near the mouth of the Mooloolah River, in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia. It marks the entrance to the North West Channel, a deep water channel into Moreto ...
and Archer Point Light
Archer Point Light is an active lighthouse on Archer Point, a conical, grassy headland about southeast of Cooktown, Queensland, Australia. Originally an 1883 timber frame lighthouse covered with galvanised iron, it was replaced in 1975 wit ...
.
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
See also
*List of lighthouses in the Coral Sea Islands
This is a list of lighthouses in Coral Sea Islands.
Lighthouses
See also
*List of lighthouses in Australia
References
{{Oceania topic, List of lighthouses in
Lighthouses in Coral Sea Islands
Lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower, ...
*Lists of lighthouses
This article contains links to lists of lighthouses around the world. According to ''Lighthouse Directory'', there are more than 18,600 lighthouses worldwide.
Africa
*''Note: Click on the country or place name of your choice in the table belo ...
References
External links
Lighthouses Australia Inc.
a non-profit organisation which aims to create a higher profile for Australian lighthouses.
Australian and Oceania Lighthouses
A private web site by Kevin Mulcahy containing lists of Oceania Lighthouses with data taken from The British Admiralty vol K List of Lighthouses and Foghorns.
*
{{Oceania topic, List of lighthouses in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
Lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
Lighthouses
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
Lists of tourist attractions in Australia