Penguin Island Lighthouse

The Penguin Island Lighthouse epitomizes the romantic vision of the lighthouse keepers lives. Being alone on an island, only reachable in good weather, using ones own devices to survive and entertain themselves.

This light was extinguished and re-established at Cape Martin in 1960.

History

The Penguin Island Lighthouse was established on the island in 1878. It had a complement of two lighthouse keepers who were stationed on the island. The original light was third order Chance Bros. with a wick burner powered by mineral oil.

In 1909, the light was upgraded to an incandescent apparatus. In 1918 it was converted to acetylene gas and at that point was demanned.

In 1960, the light was re-established at nearby Cape Martin on the mainland. The Penguin Island apparatus was used in the new lighthouse.

Even though the lighthouse was within sight of the town the island could only be reached in extremely good weather due to the hazardous rocky nature of the island. A jetty was eventually built in 1880 in preference to a bridge via Cape Martin Island (then attached to the mainland). Supplies had to be ferried to the island by boat from the nearby town of Beachport.

This was also the only means of communication and when an emergency occurred a flag was raised to capture the attention of passing vessels. The lighthouse was eventually connected to Beachport by telephone.

Keepers

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to keeper@lighthouses.org.au.

Please include this lighthouse’s name, the keepers full name and what years they were keepers. Also include the same information for any other lights they were on.