Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse is situated on South East Point, Wilsons Promontory
, Victoria
, Australia
. From its pont on the peninsula, it commands almost 360° views of Bass Strait. The Wilson's Promontory lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse on mainland Australia. The 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) walk from the nearest town, Tidal River
is well worth it to experience its spectacular location. Dormitory-style accommodation is available in the lighthouse.
The lighthouse
protects shipping travelling through Bass Strait. The Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse is the main part of the Wilsons Promontory Lightstation.
labour over a period of approximately 7 years starting in 1853 through to completion in 1859. The lighthouse stands 19 metres (62.3 ft) tall and along with the keepers' cottage is constructed from local granite
. From 1869 to 1878 the lighthouse keeper was Captain Thomas Musgrave
.
South East Point, Wilsons Promontory
South East Point lies on the southerly tip of Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, Australia. South East Point is located at . It commands sensational views of Bass Strait and is a major landmark for all ships travelling between the southern Australian ports and the Pacific Ocean. South East Point is the...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. From its pont on the peninsula, it commands almost 360° views of Bass Strait. The Wilson's Promontory lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse on mainland Australia. The 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) walk from the nearest town, Tidal River
Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory
Tidal River is a river in Wilsons Promontory National Park, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, Australia. It is also a permanent camping ground that takes its name from the river, which flows past the camping ground to the north, and provides it with all its fresh water.-The campsite:Tidal River is the...
is well worth it to experience its spectacular location. Dormitory-style accommodation is available in the lighthouse.
The lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
protects shipping travelling through Bass Strait. The Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse is the main part of the Wilsons Promontory Lightstation.
History
The Wilson's Promontory Lighthouse was constructed with the use of convictConvict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
labour over a period of approximately 7 years starting in 1853 through to completion in 1859. The lighthouse stands 19 metres (62.3 ft) tall and along with the keepers' cottage is constructed from local granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. From 1869 to 1878 the lighthouse keeper was Captain Thomas Musgrave
Thomas Musgrave (castaway)
Captain Thomas Musgrave FRGS was a British and Australian ship’s captain and lighthouse keeper who was wrecked with the brigantine Grafton in the subantarctic Auckland Islands, and castaway there for over 18 months....
.