Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

On the most Southern Westerly tip of Australia, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, stands Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse as a solitary sentinel.

It was totally manually operated until 1982 by a clockwork mechanism and  kero burner, one of the last in the world.

History

Completed in1896 and first lit on the 10th of December the tower and cottages are built of local limestone. The Cape Leeuwin Light was first mooted in 1881, but took 15 years to eventuate. Prolonged discussions were held to determine the best site for the lighthouse. Until the Kalgoorlie-Coolgardie gold rushes Western Australia was the poorest of the Australian States and with no assistance from the Eastern States it was unable to proceed with a project of this size. Further delays occurred while excavating the foundations of the light tower due to the depth required. The original 1895 plan included two lights. The present 39m white light tower and in front of it, a low red light tower. Although the foundations for this low tower were completed, the structure was never built because it was considered that a second light would cause confusion and draw ships closer to the Cape. The original 1st order bi-valve (two panel) lens remains in use today with the optic revolving on a mercury bath. Cape Leeuwin was the first lighthouse in Australia and one of the first in the world to use a Chance Bros mercury pedestal. This enabled the lens at Cape Leeuwin to revolve every 10 seconds, a massive improvement in the roller bearing pedestals in use at that time. The original light source was a six wick kerosene lamp producing a light intensity of 250,000 candelas, visible for 40km. In 1925, the light was upgraded to vapourised kerosene giving a light intensity of 780,000 candelas. The light was manually operated using vaporised keroscene until 1982 when it was converted to electricity replacing the clockwork mechanism and kero burner. The new 1,000 watt halogen lamp increased the light output to 1,000,000 candelas. This light was automated in September 1992.

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Almost as famous as the lighthouse is the waterwheel and wooden flume constructed nearby to bring fresh spring water to the lighthouse. It has been calcified by the minerals and salts reminiscent of a limestone area known for its huge caves.

In 1955 an NDB radio beacon was installed as part of a network of Non directional radio beacons used at that time to assist vessels with navigation.

The lighthouse was converted to a Sealite LED array in 2018.

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.