0wereCape Inscription Lighthouse

The lighthouse is the second built of six new lights (Bedout was the first) of lights built by the Government of Western Australia in the period 1908 to 1915 along the Western Australian coast to fill in navigation black spots identified by shipping companies using the route to Singapore. In conjunction with the Cape St Cricq light on Dorre Island, the Cape Inscription lighthouse marks the entrance into Naturaliste Channel and Shark Bay. Built at the northern end of the island, the lighthouse is a 15 metre high concrete tower with keepers quarters, storehouse, stables and an oil store. Work started in October 1908. It was lit on 1 March 1910. The original character was occulting – light 5 sec, dark 2.5 sec achieved by a clockwork driven revolving screen.

Cape Inscription lighthouse had two keepers.

Supplies were landed at a 71 metre jetty connected to the lightstation by a 600mm guage tramway. The lighthouse stands 110 metres from where Dirk Hartog landed on the island in 1616 and a plaque now marks the spot. The Wilkins & Co lantern and the 3rd order Barbier, Benard & Turenne lens were reused from the first lighthouse on Breaksea Island.

On 15 May 1917 the occulting light of 40,000 cp was converted to automatic acetylene operation and demanned after only seven years. The light character was converted to group flashing (3) 15 sec. The character and operation of the light remained unchanged until conversion to solar power on 12 December 1985. The small 12 volt filament lamps used as part of conversion to solar power led to obscuration of the light caused by the lantern’s astragals, compounded by the design of the Barbier, Benard & Turenne lens. Various options were considered but thankfully the heritage value of the light saw the 1858 lantern retained and the BBT lens replaced with the current 400mm catadioptric drum lens manufactured by the Swedish company AGA in 1960.

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Keepers

William Edward Chessher, lightkeeper, 1 March 1910 – July 1917

John Dean Swift, assistant lightkeeper, 5 March 1910 – May 1911

Thomas George McCheane, assistant lightkeeper, 21 June 1911 – 1912, first posting in service, resigned

George Mainland, assistant lightkeeper, 1 Sept 1912 – 15 Feb 1915

Patrick Thomas George Baird, assistant lightkeeper, 15 Feb 1915 – early 1916. He was killed in action at Fleurs, France, on 3 November 1916, aged 21. Son of Patrick David Baird, keeper at Rottnest and Cape Naturalist. First posting in service