Lighthouses of Australia: South Western Australia

The independent Commonwealth of Australia occupies the entire Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. British exploration and settling of the continent began late in the 1700s, with the first colony established in the Sydney area in 1788. By the 1850s there were six British colonies, including New South Wales and Queensland in the east, Victoria and South Australia in the south, Western Australia in the west, and Tasmania off the south coast. The Commonwealth was formed on New Years Day 1901 as a federation of the six colonies. Australia is both the smallest continent and the sixth-largest country in the world, with a population of about 26 million.

The state of Western Australia includes all of the continent west of longitude 129° East. It is by far the largest state in the Australian union, including roughly one third of the country and about the same fraction of the coastline. The coast sweeps in a great semicircle, facing south on the Southern Ocean, west and northwest on the Indian Ocean, and north on the Timor Sea. A large part of the coastline is wild and thinly populated and there are some very large gaps between lighthouses.

Because of the large area of the state two pages are required in the Directory. This page includes lighthouses of the southern half of the coast: the seven economic development regions from the South Australian border through the Mid West Region, including the well populated southwestern corner of the state. A second page covers North Western Australia.

The coastal Western Australia lighthouses are managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), but after automation a number of the light station properties were transferred to the control of the Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Service. Harbor lights are generally maintained by the local port authority.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume Q of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 111.

General Sources
Western Australia Lighthouses
The section of the Lighthouses of Australia site devoted to Western Australia lights.
AMSA Heritage Lighthouses
An interactive map links to information and photos for the major AMSA lighthouses.
Seaside Lights - Western Australia
Photos and notes by Garry Searle.
Lighthouses and Lightvessels in Australia - Western Australia
Index to Wikipedia articles; many include photos.
World of Lighthouses - Western Australia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Australia
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Many of the photos for Western Australia were contributed by Erich Hartmann or Jim Smith.
Leuchttürme Australiens, Neuseelands und Ozeaniens auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
GPSNauticalCharts
Navigational chart information for Western Australia.
Navionics Charts
Navigational chart for Western Australia.


Cape Naturaliste Light, Dunsborough, February 2022
Google Maps photo by Andrew Dann

Goldfields-Esperance Region Lighthouses

Shire of Esperance Lighthouses
Esperance is a town of about 12,000 residents. Its modern port exports grain and iron ore.

*
[Esperance Range Rear]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); continuous blue light. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) steel post carrying an orange triangular daymark, point down. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The front light is on a similar, shorter post. Located on Harbour Road near the waterfront of Esperance. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1811.1; NGA 8816.
[Cull Island (Gull Island) (2)]
1984. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 3 m (10 ft) white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the summit of Cull Island about 5 km (3 mi) south of the Esperance waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1809; NGA 8824.
Figure of Eight Island (2)
1984 (station established 1965). Active; focal plane 113 m (371 ft); white flash every 5 s. 4 m (13 ft) white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. The original light had a lantern room; it was removed when the light was converted from acetylene to solar power. This is the landfall light for Esperance. Figure of Eight Island is at the western end of the Recherche Archipelago, a scattering of more than 100 islands off the Great Southern Coast. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (sensitive ecological area). Admiralty Q1808; NGA 8828.

Shire of Ravensthorpe (Hopetoun Area) Lighthouses
* Mary Ann Haven
Date unknown (1990s?). Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); white flash every 2 s; also a continuous leading light, white red or green depending on direction, shown in a narrow sector to the south southeast. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Next to the modern light is a historic daybeacon, a quadrupod skeletal tower carrying a diamond shaped slatted daymark. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Praful Shah has a closeup photo of the daybeacon. Located on Beacon Drive on a hill overlooking Mary Ann Harbour, the harbor of Hopetoun, about 160 km (100 mi) west of Esperance. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1806.5; NGA 8828.5.
* [Hopetoun Breakwater (2)]
1992 (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); green flash every 3 s. 4 m (13 ft) mast painted green. Hua Gao has a photo, Ayu Nina Sari has a distant photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The original light was on a 7.5 m (25 ft) skeletal tower. Located on the pier at Hopetoun. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1807; NGA 8829.

Great Southern Region Lighthouses

City of Albany Lighthouses
The oldest European settlement in Western Australia, Albany was founded in December 1826. A small city of 35,000 residents today, it is a center of tourism and industry for the region and has a large naturally sheltered harbor.

Breaksea Island (2)
1901 (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 119 m (390 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 15.5 m (51 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 1-story stone keeper's house. Tower unpainted gray stone; lantern painted white. The station includes two more keeper's houses (1902 and 1908), in ruins until restored in 2010. An AMSA photo is at right, Trabas has Smith's closeup photo, another good photo and a 2016 closeup are available, Wikimedia has a distant view by Jerrye and Roy Klotz, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This is the landfall light for Albany. The first lighthouse was a cast iron tower rising through the center of an octagonal stone keeper's cottage. That tower is gone, but ruins of the cottage stand next to the present lighthouse. In October 2009 federal officials announced a grant of $1.3 million for restoration of the light station and its development for tourism. By the end of 2011 the lighthouse and its keeper's houses had been restored to their historic appearance but it appeared that $350,000 to $500,000 more would be needed to refit the buildings for tourists. In 2014 the Dept. of Parks and Wildlife licensed Sky Hook Helicopters to begin guided helicopter tours to the island and light station; an account of one of these tours is available. However, tours were suspended in December 2017 and it's not clear whether they will be resumed. AMSA restored the exterior of the lighthouse in 2020. Breaksea Island, 12 km (7 mi) east of Albany, is a protected nature reserve. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed (nature reserve) except for guided tours available during the warmer months. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Environment and Conservation (Breaksea Island Reserve). . ARLHS AUS-012; Admiralty Q1800; NGA 8832.
* [King Point (1)]
1858. Inactive since 1911. Ruined 1-story stone keeper's house. Adrian Chester has a photo, Joel Davis has a 2018 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The Albany City Council appropriated $20,000 to stabilize the ruins in 2001. The original light was on a wood tower rising from the keeper's house. The light was moved to a 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower in front of the house in 1912 and then sometime in the 1980s to a 9 m (30 ft) white post about 75 m (250 ft) uphill (focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 3 s). Anne Alexandra has a photo of the active light and Trabas has Smith's photo. Located off Marine Drive on the north side of the narrow entrance to Princess Royal Harbour, the inner harbor of Albany, from King George Sound. Accessible by a short walk from a nearby road. Site open. Owner/site manager: City of Albany. ARLHS AUS-279. Active light: Admiralty Q1802; NGA 8840.

Breaksea Island Light, Albany, 2020
AMSA photo
Princess Royal Harbour Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); continuous blue light. Approx. 17 m (56 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying a daymark colored red with a white vertical stripe. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This range guides vessels through the narrow entrance to Princess Royal Harbour. The front light is on a similar tower offshore. Located off Frenchman Bay Road in Torndirrup. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1802.51; NGA 8848.
* Cave Point
1976. Inactive since 1994. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white, attached to a 1-story circular concrete service building. Michael Dolphin's 2016 drone view is seen at right, Lightphotos.net has a closeup photo, Nathan Little has a 2022 photo, Barbara Saunders-Jones has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. The lantern was replaced in 1996 by a Cospas-Sarsat satellite-aided search and rescue ground receiver, one of two in Australia. The lighthouse is a sibling of Cape Tourville Light, Tasmania. It served as replacement for the Eclipse Island Lighthouse (next entry) and was deactivated because the island obscured its light in a crucial sector. Located on the point in Torndirrup National Park about 15 km (9 mi) south of Albany. The lighthouse should be accessible by a short hike from the natural bridge (one of the best known features of the park) at the end of The Gap Road; however, there is a notable shortage of closeup photos. Site open, tower closed. Parking is available about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) north of the lighthouse and at the natural bridge about 1.6 km (1 mi) to the west. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Parks and Wildlife (Torndirrup National Park). . ARLHS AUS-055; ex-Admiralty Q1799.
Eclipse Island
1926. Reactivated (inactive 1976-1994); focal plane 117 m (384 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 14 m (46 ft) unpainted round cylindrical concrete block tower with gallery; lantern removed in 1976. The light is shown from a short mast centered on the top of the capped tower. The original 1st order Fresnel lens has been on display since 1989 in a special building (the Eclipse Building) at the Museum of the Great Southern in Albany. AMSA has a closeup photo, a 2021 photo is available, Peter Robo has a 2018 drone view and Google has a satellite view. Eclipse Island is a barren island about 7 km (4 mi) south of Cave Point. Landing on the island is difficult, and a crane was used to lift supplies up a 15 m (50 ft) cliff. After a fatal crane accident in 1976 the lighthouse was deactivated and the lantern removed. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat; visible from shore at the end of The Gap Road or Eclipse Island Road. Site and tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Parks and Wildlife (Eclipse Island Reserve). ARLHS AUS-068; Admiralty Q1798; NGA 8860.

Cave Point Light, Torndirrup National Park, May 2016
Google Maps photo
by Michael Dolphin

South West Region Lighthouses

Shire of Manjimup Lighthouse
* Point d'Entrecasteaux (2)
1989 (station established 1960). Active; focal plane 111 m (364 ft); four white flashes every 30 s. 4 m (13 ft) mast atop a square white concrete tower. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a square brick tower with lantern. The light stands above a popular lookout famous for The Window, an opening in the rocks revealing the surf below. Located on a prominent cape about 95 km (60 mi) southeast of Cape Leeuwin. Accessible by road; parking provided. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Dept. of Parks and Wildlife ((D'Entrecasteaux National Park). Admiralty Q1795; NGA 8868.

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River Lighthouses
**** Cape Leeuwin
1896 (William Douglass). Active; focal plane 56 m (185 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 39 m (128 ft) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery, on a square base attached to a 1-story storeroom; 2nd order Chance Brothers Fresnel lens in use. Formerly unpainted, the tower was painted white in 2003 or 2004; the lantern is also painted white. Three 1-story stone keeper's houses. Also preserved is a wooden water wheel that formerly supplied fresh water to the station. A 2022 photo is at right, Amanda Slater's has aa great 2009 photo, AMSA has a photo, Brian King has a 2021 photo, Ian Sanderson has a fine distant view, Wikipedia has an article with several photos, Wikimedia has additional photos, Trabas has Ian Dawson's photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Alexander Arusievicz has a lovely 2016 street view, and Google has a satellite view. This historic building is one of Australia's best known lighthouses. It stands at the southwestern corner of the nation, at the end of a narrow peninsula with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean to the north and the Southern Ocean to the south. An Interpretive Centre is housed in one of the keeper's houses and there is a café in one of the others. AMSA carried out a complete restoration of the lighthouse in 2021-22 and it reopened for tours in December 2022. Located at the end of Leeuwin Road southwest of Augusta. Parking provided. Site open (entry fee); tower open to guided tours daily (reservations required). Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Parks and Wildlife (Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse ). ARLHS AUS-035; Admiralty Q1794; NGA 8872.
* Foul Bay
1967. Active; focal plane 92 m (303 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 6 m (20 ft) square cylindrical concrete block tower with lantern. The tower is unpainted white concrete; lantern painted white. This light replaced the 1938 lighthouse on nearby Hamelin Island. Trabas has Ian Dawson's photo, Bruce Bundt has a photo, Zeglar Fergus has a 2022 closeup, Wikipedia has a distant view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. This light replaced the Hamelin Island Light (next entry). Located on Cosy Corner Road, on a headland near Hamelin Bay, about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of Cape Leeuwin. John Ibbotson describes the road as a "rough, sandy track," so 4WD is required. Site status unknown. Operator: AMSA. Dept. of Parks and Wildlife (Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. ARLHS AUS-211; Admiralty Q1792; NGA 8876.
Hamelin Island
1938. Inactive since 1967. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower. Lantern removed. The lighthouse can be seen in a distant view from the mainland, Chris Ring has another view from the mainland, and Google has a satellite view. We don't know the function of the skeletal tower seen next to the lighthouse. In 1967 the active light was moved about 4 km (2.5 mi) south southwest to Foul Bay (previous entry). Hamelin Island is an islet about 300 m (330 yd) in diameter and 800 m (1/2 mi) off the coast. Accessible only by boat, although there's a view from the end of Hamelin Bay Road. Site status unknown. Site manager: Dept. of Parks and Wildlife (Hamelin Island Reserve).

Cape Leeuwin Light, Augusta, May 2022
Instagram photo
by Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

City of Busselton Lighthouses
**** Cape Naturaliste
1904 (C.S.R. Palmer). Active; focal plane 123 m (404 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 10 s. 20 m (65 ft) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; original 1st order Chance Brothers Fresnel lens. Three 1-story stone keeper's houses, one housing a custodian and another open as a museum. Andrew Dann's photo is at the top of this page, G. Crouch has a good photo, Trabas has Smith's closeup photo, AMSA has a photo, Wikimedia has photos, a closeup drone view is available, Deepak Shakya has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. Items on display at the museum include the original 2nd order Chance Brothers Fresnel lens from the Jarman Island Light (see the North Western Australia page) and the original Great Sandy Island beacon, both from the Pilbara Coast far to the north. In April 2004 the 100th anniversary of the lighthouse was celebrated. A $1 million renovation in 2016-17 restored the keeper's house and added amentities including an observation platform and a café. Located at the end of the cape road north of Dunsborough, adjacent to Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Parking provided. Site open; tower open to guided tours daily (reservations required). Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Cape Naturaliste Tourism Association (Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse ). ARLHS AUS-040; Admiralty Q1790; NGA 8880.
* [Busselton Jetty]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 3 s. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) white post. Mick Carruthers has a street view and Google has a satellite view. 1841 m (6040 ft) long, the Busselton Jetty is said to be the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. A railroad brings visitors out on the jetty for the view and to visit the Underwater Observatory near the end. Site open daily. Operator/site manager: City of Busselton. Admiralty Q1788; NGA 8884.

City of Bunbury Lighthouses
* Casuarina Point (Marlston Hill, Bunbury) (4)
1970 (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 43 m (142 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2.4 s, every 15 s. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted in a black and white checkerboard pattern; base is black. The height was increased by 10 m (33 ft) in 1971 by adding a new section above the base. A 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has a photo, a fine March 2007 photo shows the tower freshly painted, Wikimedia has a photo by Rob Jules, Kevin Lin has a photo, and Google has a 2023 street view and a satellite view. The first Bunbury lighthouse, a 3 m (10 ft) wood tower, was built on Marlston Hill about 365 m (400 yd) east northeast of the present site. It was replaced in 1901 by a temporary skeletal tower, and then in 1903 by a 9 m (30 ft) cast iron tower seen in Huelse's historic postcard view. In 1959 the cast iron tower was raised in height by 6 m (20 ft) by replacing the lantern with a cylindrical extension and a new lantern. The 1959 lantern and the added section were incorporated into the present light when it was built in 1970. The rest of the 1903 lighthouse was demolished, and there is now a modern lookout tower atop the hill. In 2004 a proposal to install a cell phone tower atop the lighthouse drew protests from residents and the city council and the tower was not installed. Located on Marlston Drive at Bennett Way on the ocean side of Bunbury. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Bunbury Port Authority. . ARLHS AUS-054; Admiralty Q1782; NGA 8888.
[McKenna Point (Bunbury Breakwater) (2)]
Date unknown (station established 1971). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); flash every 3 s, white or red depending on direction. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) white post. Trabas has Smith's photo, a view from the sea (second photo on the page) is available, and Google has a satellite view. NGA describes the original light: a "black metal tower, white bands, lantern." Located at the end of the Bunbury breakwater. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: Bunbury Port Authority. ARLHS AUS-210; Admiralty Q1784; NGA 8892.
Power Station Leading Light
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction, visible only on or close to the line of approach. 18 m (56 ft) round cylindrical white tower carrying an orange triangular daymark; also panels on the front of the tower are colored with orange and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a satellite view. This is a leading light for Bunbury Harbour; the front light, on a much shorter tower, also remains in service. Located on the east side of the entrance to the inner harbor. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1785.1; NGA 8908.


Casuarina Point Light, Bunbury, September 2023
Instagram photo by amymoana

Peel Region Lighthouses

City of Mandurah Lighthouse
* Halls Head (Robert Point)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); white flash every 2 s. Round cylindrical water tower, height unknown. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on a hilltop above Leighton Road and Janis Street in Halls Head. Site status unknown, but there are good views from nearby. Admiralty Q1781.6; NGA 8926.

Perth Metropolitan Region Lighthouses

Perth is the capital of Western Australia and the fourth largest Australian city. The Perth Metropolitan Region is roughly 80 km (50 mi) long along the coast and 50 km (30 mi) wide; it includes 30 local government areas and has a population of over two million, 80% of all Western Australians. Downtown Perth is on the Swan River about 16 km (10 mi) from the sea. Fremantle, at the mouth of the Swan River, is Perth's principal seaport.

City of Rockingham (Garden Island) Lighthouse
Cockburn Sound is sheltered behind Garden Island, the site of Australia's main naval base on the Indian Ocean.

Garden Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 4 m (13 ft) post centered on a 1-story white concrete equipment shelter. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on heights on the west side of the island. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1780.9; NGA 8939.

Town of Kwinana Lighthouses
Kwinana Bulk Terminal North Jetty Head
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); continuous green light. 26 m (85 ft) round steel column. Dan McAullay has a photo, Susan Backshell has a view from the sea, the light is at the right in Google's street view, and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of a pier off the end of Riseley Road in Kwinana. Site and tower closed, but the light can be seen from shore. Admiralty Q1777.4; NGA 8988.
Stirling Channel Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); continuous blue light. 28 m (92 ft) round steel column. A 2020 view from the beach is available, the light is at the left edge of Dan McAullay's photo and at the left in Google's street view. Google also has a satellite view. The range guides vessels approaching the industrial piers on the east side of Cockburn Sound. Located on the same jetty as the previous light off the end of Riseley Road in Kwinana. Site and tower closed, but the light can be seen from shore. Admiralty Q1777; NGA 8976.
[Stirling Channel Range Rear]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); continuous blue light. 32 m (105 ft) steel mast. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located in an industrial area off Riseley Road. Site and tower closed, but the light can be seen from nearby. Admiralty Q1777.05; NGA 8980.

City of Cockburn Lighthouses
Success and Parmelia Banks Channel Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); continuous red light; continuous green and white passing lights are shown from lower locations on the tower. 21 m (69 ft) round steel tower with gallery, painted white with one orange horizontal band. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The range guides vessels into Cockburn Sound. Located about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of the northern tip of Garden Island and a similar distance west southwest of Woodman Point on the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1771.1; NGA 9012.
Success and Parmelia Banks Channel Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous red or green light, depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) round steel tower with gallery, painted white with one orange horizontal band. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located off Woodman Point about 800 m (1/2 mi) north of the rear light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1771; NGA 9008.
* [Woodman Point Obelisk]
1874. Daybeacon, never lit. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square pyramidal solid rubblestone tower, unpainted. Ché Lydia Xyang has a closeup photo, Derek Graham has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The tower was built as part of a detailed survey of Cockburn Sound. It served an important role as a daybeacon until the construction of the Woodman Point Lighthouse (next entry). Woodman Point is a sharp promontory projecting into Cockburn Sound about 8 km (5 mi) south of Fremantle. Located on a ridge about 1200 m (3/4 mi) south of the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed.
* Woodman Point (Gage Roads)
1902 (C.Y. O'Connor). Active; focal plane 37 m (123 ft); green, red, or white light depending on direction, white indicating the safe channel, 20 s on, 10 s off. 13 m (42 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Seaward side of the tower painted white, land side unpainted; lantern painted white. Two 1-story keeper's houses face Cockburn Road. Behram Cooper has the 2021 photo at right and a closeup street view, Wikipedia's article has Andrew Gregory's photo, Joel Candy has a 2020 photo, a 2009 photo is available, Trabas has Rainer Arndt's distant view, and Google has a distant street view and a satellite view. This is an approach light for Fremantle. It is a historic but rather poorly known lighthouse. It has one curious feature: the original contractor installed the red and green sectors incorrectly, with the green sector to the south of the channel and the red sector to the north instead of the other way around. This error has been corrected in recent years. The lighthouse is located atop a hill at the base of Woodman Point, on the east (landward) side of Cockburn Road (highway 12). Site and tower closed (the entrance is gated), but the lighthouse can be viewed from the keeper's houses. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. . ARLHS AUS-174; Admiralty Q1774; NGA 9004.

Woodman Point Light, Cockburn, April 2021
Google Maps photo by Behram Cooper

Rottnest Island Lighthouses
Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) is a limestone island 11 km (6.8 mi) long and up to 4.5 km (2.8 mi) wide, located 18 km (11 mi) off the coast near Fremantle. Its name, coined by the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh in 1696, means "rat's nest," but the "rats" are actually quokkas, small marsupials of the kangaroo family. The island has been a protected reserve since 1917. The island is managed for conservation and recreation by the Rottnest Island Authority; it is a popular resort for the Perth area, with various accommodations available. The island is accessible by passenger ferry from Perth, Fremantle, North Fremantle, or Hillarys; the authority charges an entry fee to support its activities.

****
Rottnest Island (Wadjemup Hill) (2)
1896 (station established 1851) (William Douglass). Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 38 m (125 ft) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. A 2023 photo is at right, Wikipedia's article has a good photo, AMSA has a closeup photo, Craig Sefton has a photo, another good photo is available, Trabas has Hartmann's photo, Searle has a historic photo, Sean Kelleher has a 2018 photo, Pawel Zawadzki has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This is Western Australia's oldest light station; the first lighthouse was a 20 m (66 ft) stone tower (Australia's first stone lighthouse) built by Aboriginal convicts imprisoned on the island. The current lighthouse, a sibling of Cape Leeuwin Light, was the first Australian lighthouse to be equipped with a rotating lens. In 2005 cellphone transmitters attached to the lighthouse were removed and on 5 November 2005 ceremonies were held opening the lighthouse to the public. Located at the highest point of the island, near the western end. The light station is accessible by bus tour, bicycle, or hiking. Site open, tower open for tours daily. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Rottnest Island Authority. . ARLHS AUS-146; Admiralty Q1760; NGA 9024.
*** Bathurst Point (Kingston Reefs Range Rear)
1900. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); four white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) round limestone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Two keeper's houses are available for overnight rental. Jason Nolan has an excellent closeup photo, Searle has a photo and several historic images, Wikipedia has an article with a closeup photo, Trabas has Hartmann's photo, Holger Lenz has a nice photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse originally served as the rear light of a range guiding ships departing Fremantle past the reefs east of Rottnest Island but this range has been discontinued. Located on the northeast point of the island. Site open, guided tours of the boathouse and pilot quarters are available; tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Rottnest Island Authority. . ARLHS AUS-006; Admiralty Q1761.1; NGA 9036.1.

Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) Light, March 2023
Google Maps photo by Sachintha

City of Fremantle Lighthouses
Fremantle, located at the mouth of the Swan River, is the seaport of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The town, 19 km (12 mi) southwest of the capital city, has a population of about 30,000.
* Fremantle South Mole
1903 (C.Y. O'Connor). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green light occulting every 2 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted green with white trim; lantern painted white. Keeper's house demolished. Hubert Wagner's photo is at right, Michael Graffin has a 2008 photo, Trabas has Hartmann's closeup photo, Hubert Wagner has a 2021 photo, Jeremy Davis has another good photo, Wikimedia has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Google has a street view, and Bing has a satellite view. Several other small buildings and structures around the lighthouse are the remains of World War II fortifications. Designed in Australia but prefabricated in England, the lighthouse was refurbished and repainted in a lighter green color for its 100th anniversary in 2003. Located at the end of the south breakwater at the entrance to the Swan River, Fremantle's harbor. The pier is open to autos as well as walkers, bicycles, and motorcycles. Site open, tower closed. Good view from Rottnest Island ferries. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. . ARLHS AUS-151; Admiralty Q1765; NGA 9064.
* Fremantle North Mole
1906 (C.Y. O'Connor). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red light occulting every 2 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with white trim; lantern painted white. Keeper's house demolished. Trabas has Hartmann's closeup photo, Wikipedia has an article with a good photo, Amir Hamzah has a 2018 photo, Google has a street view, and Bing has a satellite view. A twin of the South Mole Light, designed in Australia but prefabricated in England. Located at the end of the north breakwater at the entrance to the Swan River, Fremantle's harbor. The pier is open to autos as well as walkers, bicycles, and motorcycles. Site open, tower closed. Good view from Rottnest Island ferries. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. . ARLHS AUS-120; Admiralty Q1764; NGA 9076.
* [Fremantle Inner Harbor Entrance Range Front]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); continuous blue light. Approx. 21 m (69 ft) steel mast carrying a rectangular orange daymark panel. Trabas has Hartmann's photo, Olivier Wavre has a street view and Google has a satellite view. Located on the Fremantle waterfront across Peter Hughes Drive from the Fremantle Ports headquarters. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1767.6; NGA 9063.
* [Fremantle Inner Harbor Entrance Range Rear]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); continuous blue light. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) steel mast carrying a rectangular orange daymark panel. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located 180 m (590 ft) east of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1767.61; NGA 9063.1.

Fremantle South Mole Light, August 2021
Google Maps photo by Hubert Wagner

Town of Mosman Park Lighthouses
* Buckland Hill
1970s. Active; focal plane 66 m (216 ft); directional light, showing green, white, or red depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical tower topped by a square structure and a mast. Ché Lydia Xyang has a fine closeup photo, Google has a street view, and Bing has a satellite view. This unusual light tower guides ships on their final approach to the Fremantle harbor entrance. It stands beside a covered water reservoir in the Buckland Hill Reserve. Located on a hill in Mosman Park north of the Fremantle harbor. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. ARLHS AUS-014; Admiralty Q1762.8; NGA 9044.
* [Buckland Hill Obelisk]
1875. Daybeacon, never lit officially but now floodlit at night. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal solid rubblestone tower, unpainted. A 2018 photo and a more distant view are available and Google has a street view, and Bing has a satellite view. Like the Woodman Point Obelisk (see above), the tower was built as part of a detailed survey of Cockburn Sound and served an important role as a daybeacon. When the water reservoir was rebuilt in 1983-84 the obelisk was restored and relocated a few meters to the southwest. Located a short distance north of the Buckland Hill lighthouse. Site open.
* Inner Harbour (North Fremantle) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous red light. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical white structure, probably a water tower. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The range guides vessels in the Inner Harbour inside the entrance to the Swan River. The front light is on a very tall mast 3.35 km (2.08 mi) southwest. Located at 164 Wellington Street adjacent to the Mosman Park Golf Club. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1768.561; NGA 9090.61.

City of Joondalup Lighthouses
** Hillarys Boat Harbour
1986. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 20 m (65 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with lantern and enclosed upper portion, painted white. A circular observation platform surrounds the tower about 5 m (16 ft) off the ground. Martin Richardson's photo is at right, David Mallett has a 2013 photo, Simon Shaw has a 2018 closeup photo, a 2021 photo is available, Aman Prashar also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. The lantern for this lighthouse was transferred from the Bedout Island Light, which had been replaced. The lighthouse was being restored in 2017, as seen in a photo by Marcel Kolbus. Located at the end of the north breakwater at Hillarys Boat Harbor in Wanneroo, about 20 km (13 mi) north of Fremantle. Site and observation platform open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Fremantle Ports. . ARLHS AUS-277; Admiralty Q1758.3; NGA 9102.7.
* Ocean Reef Boat Harbour South Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 12 m (39 ft) round column carrying rectangular daymarks. Lighthouse colored white with a red band facing the sea. Steve Mark has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Google also has a street view and a satellite view of the common rear light on a tall mast 340 m (0.21 mi) northeast. Located at the south end of Ocean Reef harbor, about 7 km (4.5 mi) north of Hillarys harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1757.81; NGA 9103.2.
* Ocean Reef Boat Harbour North Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); quick-flashing white light. 12 m (39 ft) round column carrying rectangular daymarks. Lighthouse colored white with a red band facing the sea. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the north end of Ocean Reef harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1757.79; NGA 9103.1.

City of Wanneroo Lighthouses
Wreck Point (Two Rocks) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); continuous blue light. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical white tower carrying a large lantern structure. Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located on a dune on the north side of Two Rocks, a suburb at the northern edge of the Perth metropolitan area. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1757.6; NGA 9104.
Wreck Point (Two Rocks) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical white tower carrying a large lantern structure. No photo available but Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. Located in the bush 1120 m (0.7 mi) northeast of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1757.61; NGA 9108.

Hillarys Boat Harbour Light, Joondalup, April 2023
Google Maps photo by Martin Richardson

Wheatbelt Region Lighthouses

Shire of Gingin Lighthouse
* Guilderton (Moore River)
1983. Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 30 m (98 ft) tapered round brick tower with lantern and brick gallery. Tower is unpainted red brick, lantern painted white. A photo is at right, Searle has a photo, Alex Graham has a closeup photo, Chris Williams also has a photo, Jens Klump has a 2017 photo, Paean Ng has a night time street view showing the lighthouse in action, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. This lighthouse is a twin of the 1980 Troubridge Hill Light in South Australia. Designed for automated operation, the tower has no windows. Guilderton, a relatively new town at the mouth of the Moore River, is a popular vacation resort. Located off Forrester Road on the north side of Guilderton, 94 km (58 mi) north of Perth. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. . ARLHS AUS-088; Admiralty Q1757.5; NGA 9112.

Shire of Dandaragan Lighthouse
Escape Island (Jurien Bay) (2)
1980 (station established 1930). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery. Google has a satellite view. Located at the center of a low island about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Jurien Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-072; Admiralty Q1756; NGA 9140.

Mid West Region Lighthouses

Shire of Coorow Lighthouse
* Green Head Outer Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical white steel tower carrying a large rectangular daymark. A 2021 photo is available and Google has a fuzzy street view and an indistinct satellite view. The front light is on a similar, shorter tower. Located atop a headland at Green Head. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1755.5; NGA 9150.1.

Guilderton Light, Guilderton, December 2021
Instagram photo by Lorelei A

Shire of Irwin (Port Denison Area) Lighthouses
[Freshwater Point]
1981. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) steel post with gallery, painted white. Chanakira Ruduvo has a photo, Charlie Jay has an aerial view, Google has a distant street view, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a headland about 40 km (25 mi) south of Port Denison. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1754.9; NGA 9157.
* Port Denison Obelisk (Harbour Range Rear)
1869. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); continuous blue neon light. Approx. 12 m (40 ft) square pyramidal stone obelisk on a square 1-story base; the light is mounted on the north face of the tower. Obelisk painted white, base red. Eric Titcombe's photo is at right, Steve Mark has a 2015 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is one of the best preserved of the many stone obelisks built in Australia during the mid 1800s as unlighted navigational aids. Originally it was one of two obelisks that formed a range, and in recent years it has resumed that function as a minor range for vessels after they enter the harbor (the light, mounted on the side of the obelisk, is seen in Carl Nelson's closeup street view). It serves primarily as an observation point and as a memorial to fishermen from Port Denison lost at sea. The front light of the range is on a short post. Located on Port Leander Drive and Harbour View, at the southwestern corner of the harbor of Port Denison and about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Dongara. Site open; parking provided. Site manager: unknown. . Admiralty Q1754.51; NGA 9156.3.
* Port Denison Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white light occulting once every 3.5 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical white steel tower carrying a large red rectangular daymark. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of Ridley Street in Port Denison. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1754; NGA 9152.
* Port Denison Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 2 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical white steel tower carrying a large red rectangular daymark. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located off Blenheim Road near the Dongara Public Hospital. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1754.1; NGA 9156.
Port Denison Obelisk
Port Denison Obelisk, September 2005
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Eric Titcombe

City of Greater Geraldton Lighthouses
Pelsaert Island
1974. Active; focal plane 21 m (70 ft); white flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical stainless steel tower with gallery but no lantern. Winsome Bonham has a 2001 aerial view and Bing has a satellite view. Located near the southern tip of Pelsaert Island, which is at the south end of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, a string of 122 small islands and reefs in the Indian Ocean about 60 km (40 mi) west of Geraldton. Accessible only by boat. Site open but very difficult to reach, tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Dept. of Parks and Wildlife (Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park). ARLHS AUS-126; Admiralty Q1753.6; NGA 9160.
* Point Moore (Geraldton)
1876. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 10 s. 35 m (115 ft) round steel tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands; VRB-25 lens. The original 2nd order Chance Brothers Fresnel lens, removed in 2009, was placed on display in 2013 at the Western Australia Museum Geraldton. The tower was prefabricated in England by Chance Brothers. 1-story keeper's house. A 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has Smith's closeup photo, Lorraine Phelan has a good photo, AMSA has a photo, Aliaksei Sviryda has a 2018 photo, Marcello Micheli has a drone view, and Google has a closeup street view and a good satellite view. The lighthouse was relocated about 5 km (3 mi) in 1878 after the original site was found to be unsuitable. The red and white daymark pattern was added in 1969. The lighthouse was repainted and refurbished in 2007. In 2017 the city of Geraldton began planning to restore and upgrade the lighthouse as a tourist attraction; about $1 million was earmarked for this project, which was carried out in 2018-19. Located at the end of a narrow peninsula jutting into the Indian Ocean on the south side of Geraldton. Site and tower generally closed (fenced) but the lighthouse can be viewed from the street. In recent years the lighthouse has been opened for the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (third weekend in August). Operator/site manager: Mid West Ports Authority (?). . ARLHS AUS-111; Admiralty Q1740; NGA 9164.
** Bluff Point Range Rear (1)
1876. Inactive since 1952. 7.5 m (25 ft) square cylindrical limestone tower rising at one corner of a 1-story limestone keeper's cottage. The lantern was removed and replaced with a pyramidal roof. Building painted white. Google has a good street view and a satellite view. The range was abandoned after the front lighthouse was destroyed by fire in April 1956. Since 1971 the keeper's house has served as the headquarters of the Geraldton Historical Society, which maintains a small museum in the building. The building was restored in 1985-86. Lighthouses of Australia's page has a historic photo of the lost front light, an octagonal tower with lantern and gallery. Located on Chapman Road south of Elphick Avenue in Bluff Point, on the north side of Geraldton. Site open, museum open Monday through Friday. Owner: City of Greater Geraldton. Site manager: Geraldton Historical Society . ARLHS AUS-009.

Point Moore Light, Geraldton, July 2023
Instagram photo
by Narelle & Ed
* Bluff Point Common Range Rear (3?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction and only visible on or near the range lines; also a continuous blue light. 15 m (49 ft) steel mast carrying a box-like lantern structure and slatted daymark panels. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The front lights are on shorter towers offshore. Located just off the beach on Kempton Street north of Geraldton Harbour. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1742.1; NGA 9169.
Shoal Point
1958. Active; focal plane 118 m (386 ft); white flash every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) square brick tower with lantern, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on heights about 4.5 km (2.75 mi) from the coast, about 30 km (19 mi) south of Kalbarri. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-216; Admiralty Q1739; NGA 9204.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: North Western Australia | East: South Australia

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Posted June 15, 2004; checked and revised March 11, 2024. Lighthouses: 40. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.