Babbage Island Lighthouse
A wooden tower 60 feet high on a site 42 feet above sea level, held a fourth order dioptric light visible at 15 miles in good conditions. It was developed by the Northwest Branch of the Public Works Department with the lantern house and light supplied by the firm of W.T. Douglas. It was converted from paraffin (kerosene) oil to acetylene illumination in 1909, and it carried in 1913, two red sector lights flashing every 3 seconds, one visible on a bearing 015-041o which led west of Blowfish Bank, and a second visible one a bearing 345-031o which led west of Elbow Shoal. This light tower was described in 1922 and in 1948 as a white square (wooden) framework tower 18m high, supported a sectored flashing light at an elevation of 31m. This was replaced by a new light on a steel framework tower in the early 1960s, which was present and working in 1994. The original light is now on exhibition in the grounds of the Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage museum.
The original 1896 wooden tower was damaged by fire and was replaced by the present steel skeletal tower in 1962. The lantern in now on display on the grounds near the tower.
Sometime between 2015 and 2020 the new metal tower was removed. A very short section and the stub of the lantern room remain.
Sources
- http://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/sites/default/files/no._100_lighthouses_on_wa_coast_0.pdf
- http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/8e4dcf6d-7a99-4556-9e6a-cd17602a400d
continued below …
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Title | Address | Description |
---|---|---|
Cape Leeuwin | Leeuwin Rd, Augusta WA 6290, Australia | Go to Cape Leeuwin |
Breaksea Island | Unnamed Road, Nanarup WA 6330, Australia | Go to Breaksea Island |
Cave Point | Unnamed Road, Torndirrup WA 6330, Australia | Go to Cave Point |
Eclipse Island | The Gap Rd, Torndirrup WA 6330, Australia | Go to Eclipse Island |
Cape Naturaliste | Bunker Bay Walk Trail, Naturaliste WA 6281, Australia | Go to Cape Naturaliste |
Casuarina Point | 1 Bennett Way, Bunbury WA 6230, Australia | Go to Casuarina Point |
Arthur Head | 15 Captains Ln, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia | Go to Arthur Head |
South Mole | 1 Fleet St, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia | Go to South Mole |
North Mole | N Mole Dr, North Fremantle WA 6159, Australia | North Mole |
Woodman Point | 597 Cockburn Rd, Munster WA 6166, Australia | Go to Woodman Point |
Wadjemup (Rottnest) | Wadjemup Rd, Rottnest Island WA 6161, Australia | Go to Wadjemup (Rottnest) |
Bathurst Point | Lancier St, Rottnest Island WA 6161, Australia | Go to Bathurst Point |
Guilderton | 5 Tank Road, Guilderton WA 6041, Australia | Go to Guilderton |
Escape Island | Escape Island, Western Australia, Australia | Go to Escape Island |
Pelsaert Island | Houtman Abrolhos WA 6530, Australia | Go to Pelsaert Island |
Point Moore | 481-485 Marine Terrace, West End WA 6530, Australia | Go to Point Moore |
Bluff Point | 118A Kempton St, Bluff Point WA 6530, Australia | Go to Bluff Point |
Cape Inscription | Unnamed Road, Dirk Hartog Island WA 6537, Australia | Go to Cape Inscription |
Babbage Island | 13 Annear Pl, Babbage Island WA 6701, Australia | Go to Babbage Island |
Point Quobba | Unnamed Road, Macleod WA 6701, Australia | Go to Point Quobba |
Point Cloates | Cardabia-Ningaloo Rd, Ningaloo WA 6701, Australia | Go to Point Cloates |
Vlaming Head | Yardie Creek Rd, North West Cape WA 6707, Australia | Got to Vlaming Head |
Jarman Island | Reader Head Rd, Cossack WA 6720, Australia | Go to Jarman Island |
Gantheaume Point | Lurujarri Walk, Minyirr WA 6725, Australia | Go to Gantheaume Point |
Cape Bossut | Cape Bossut, Lagrange WA 6725, Australia | Go to Cape Bossut |
Cape Leveque | Broome-Cape Leveque Rd, Dampier Peninsula WA 6725, Australia | Go to Cape Leveque |
Caffarelli Island | Caffarelli Island, Western Australia, Australia | Go to Caffarelli Island |
More history.
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.
Technical Details
First Exhibited | 20th July 1897 |
Second Tower | 11 October 1961 |
Architect | |
Status | Decommissioned |
Location | Lat: 24 deg. 52 min. 21 sec. S. Long: 113 deg. 38 min. 08 sec. E. On the summit on the Western side of Babbage Island at the entrance to the Gascoyne River. |
Original Optic | 4th order |
Automated | 28 February 1921 |
Demanned | |
Construction | 1st. Square wooden framework tower painted white 2nd. Steel framework tower |
Height | 26.5 m |
Elevation | Focal plane: 101 ft. 6 inches above high water. |
Range | W. 15 nm R. 9 nm |
Character | 1st. Occ. W.R. lt. 15 s ec. 5 s Changed to AGA Acetylene February 1921 Fl. every 3 seconds |
Intensity | |
Light Source | |
Power Source | |
Operator | |
Custodian | |
Notes |
Access
The tower is not open to the public.
Tours
Tours of the lighthouse grounds are available.
Accommodation
No lighthouse accommodation is available
Museum
Lighthouse Keepers Cottage Museum
Links
Babbage Island lighthouse in Carnarvon – ABC 20 October 2015
One Mile Jetty – Carnarvon