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 …

© All images are copyright of their respective photographers and are not to be used without permission.

Title Address Description
Cape Leeuwin
Leeuwin Rd, Augusta WA 6290, AustraliaGo to Cape Leeuwin
Breaksea Island
Unnamed Road, Nanarup WA 6330, AustraliaGo to Breaksea Island
Cave Point
Unnamed Road, Torndirrup WA 6330, AustraliaGo to Cave Point
Eclipse Island
The Gap Rd, Torndirrup WA 6330, AustraliaGo to Eclipse Island
Cape Naturaliste
Bunker Bay Walk Trail, Naturaliste WA 6281, AustraliaGo to Cape Naturaliste
Casuarina Point
1 Bennett Way, Bunbury WA 6230, AustraliaGo to Casuarina Point
Arthur Head
15 Captains Ln, Fremantle WA 6160, AustraliaGo to Arthur Head
South Mole
1 Fleet St, Fremantle WA 6160, AustraliaGo to South Mole
North Mole
N Mole Dr, North Fremantle WA 6159, AustraliaNorth Mole
Woodman Point
597 Cockburn Rd, Munster WA 6166, AustraliaGo to Woodman Point
Wadjemup (Rottnest)
Wadjemup Rd, Rottnest Island WA 6161, AustraliaGo to Wadjemup (Rottnest)
Bathurst Point
Lancier St, Rottnest Island WA 6161, AustraliaGo to Bathurst Point
Guilderton
5 Tank Road, Guilderton WA 6041, AustraliaGo to Guilderton
Escape Island
Escape Island, Western Australia, AustraliaGo to Escape Island
Pelsaert Island
Houtman Abrolhos WA 6530, AustraliaGo to Pelsaert Island
Point Moore
481-485 Marine Terrace, West End WA 6530, AustraliaGo to Point Moore
Bluff Point
118A Kempton St, Bluff Point WA 6530, AustraliaGo to Bluff Point
Cape Inscription
Unnamed Road, Dirk Hartog Island WA 6537, AustraliaGo to Cape Inscription
Babbage Island
13 Annear Pl, Babbage Island WA 6701, AustraliaGo to Babbage Island
Point Quobba
Unnamed Road, Macleod WA 6701, AustraliaGo to Point Quobba
Point Cloates
Cardabia-Ningaloo Rd, Ningaloo WA 6701, AustraliaGo to Point Cloates
Vlaming Head
Yardie Creek Rd, North West Cape WA 6707, AustraliaGot to Vlaming Head
Jarman Island
Reader Head Rd, Cossack WA 6720, AustraliaGo to Jarman Island
Gantheaume Point
Lurujarri Walk, Minyirr WA 6725, AustraliaGo to Gantheaume Point
Cape Bossut
Cape Bossut, Lagrange WA 6725, AustraliaGo to Cape Bossut
Cape Leveque
Broome-Cape Leveque Rd, Dampier Peninsula WA 6725, AustraliaGo to Cape Leveque
Caffarelli Island
Caffarelli Island, Western Australia, AustraliaGo to Caffarelli Island
continued from above …

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 Exhibited20th July 1897
Second Tower11 October 1961
Architect
StatusDecommissioned
LocationLat: 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 Optic4th order
Automated28 February 1921
Demanned
Construction1st. Square wooden framework tower painted white
2nd. Steel framework tower
Height26.5 m
ElevationFocal plane: 101 ft. 6 inches above high water.
RangeW. 15 nm R. 9 nm
Character1st. 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
  NB: Information is historical data and is not for navigational purposes.

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