Cape 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 constructed with work starting in October 1908. First lit on the 1st of 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 with supplies 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 Wilkens & Co lantern and the 3rd order  Barbier, Bernard & Turcune lens were reused from Breaksea Island.

On the 15th of May 1917 the occulting light of 40,00 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 the 12th of December 1985. The small 12 volt filament lamps used as part of conversion of the light to solar power led to obscuration of light caused by lantern astrigals compounded by the the  Barbier, Bernard & Turcune lens design. 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 AGA 400mm catadioptric drum lens manufactured by the Swedish company AGA in 1960.

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Keepers

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

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

Thomas George McCheane, assistant lightkeeper, 21st 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.