Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse is situated on
South East Point, Wilsons Promontory,
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. From its point on the peninsula, it commands almost 360° views of
Bass Strait. The Wilson's Promontory lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse on mainland Australia, and is approximately from the nearest town,
Tidal River. Dormitory-style accommodation is available in the lighthouse.
Australia’s iconic lighthouses
Australian Geographic, 26 July 2010
The lighthouse protects shipping travelling through Bass Strait. The Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse is the main part of the Wilsons Promontory Lightstation.
History
The lighthouse was constructed with the use of convict labour over a period of approximately seven years starting in 1853 through to completion in 1859. The lighthouse stands tall and along with the keeper's cottage is constructed from local granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
. From 1869 to 1878 the lighthouse keeper was Captain Thomas Musgrave.
See also
* List of lighthouses in Australia
References
External links
Parks Victoria: Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse
*
Bass Strait
Wilsons Promontory
Lighthouses in Victoria (Australia)
Lighthouses completed in 1859
1859 establishments in Australia
Commonwealth Heritage List places in Victoria
Victorian Heritage Register
Shire of South Gippsland
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