Cape Jaffa Lighthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cape Jaffa Lighthouse (museum) |
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Cape Jaffa Lighthouse
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Kingson SE South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 36°50′09″S 139°50′47″E / 36.835941°S 139.846272°E |
| Construction started | 1976 |
| Completed | 1976 |
The Cape Jaffa Lighthouse is a special old lighthouse that used to stand far out in the ocean near Cape Jaffa in South Australia. It helped guide ships safely past dangerous reefs. Today, you can visit its tall tower in the town of Kingston SE, where it's a museum. The platform it once stood on is still out in the sea, home to many birds.
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History of the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse
Building the Ocean Lighthouse
The Cape Jaffa Lighthouse was designed by an engineer named George Wells. Its parts were made in England and then shipped all the way to Australia. It took three years to build this amazing structure. The lighthouse officially opened on January 6, 1872.
It was first built about 8 kilometers (5 miles) out to sea. It stood on the Margaret Brock Reef, a very rocky and dangerous area. A terrible shipwreck, the SS Admella, happened there in 1859. This accident showed everyone how much a lighthouse was needed to keep ships safe.
How the Lighthouse Was Built
This lighthouse was a special kind called a "screw pile" lighthouse. This means its base was screwed deep into the ocean floor and rocks. It stood 41 meters (135 feet) tall. The design was perfect for the local ocean conditions.
The lighthouse had eight rooms inside. These rooms were big enough for two lighthouse keepers and their families to live comfortably. They could store enough food and supplies to last for several weeks. The light itself was very powerful. It could be seen by ships up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) away!
Changes and Moving the Lighthouse
In the early 1970s, the government added an automatic light to the lighthouse. This meant keepers no longer needed to live there. After almost 101 years of service, the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse was turned off in 1973. A new lighthouse in Robe took over its job.
The lighthouse was recognized as an important historical site. It was listed on the South Australian Heritage Register in 1980. The original platform where the lighthouse stood is still out in the ocean today. It has become a home for a large group of Australasian gannets, which are a type of seabird.
Life as a Lighthouse Keeper
When the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse first opened, three keepers worked there. One more keeper stayed on shore. The keepers would switch places, spending one month on shore and then three months living in the lighthouse. The shore keeper looked after the cottages and managed the radio.
One famous keeper was Charles Henry West. He worked at Cape Jaffa Lighthouse from 1893 to 1919. He also served at other lighthouses like Troubridge Island Lighthouse. Keepers like Charles played a very important role in keeping ships safe along the coast.
Visiting the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse Museum
The tall tower of the lighthouse was moved to Kingston SE in 1976. It was turned into a museum so people could learn about its history. You can visit the museum during the South Australian school holidays.
Inside the museum, you can see how lighthouse keepers and their families lived. There's even a special quilt on one of the beds. It's called a log cabin quilt and is listed on the National Quilt Register. In 2016, a new display opened. It tells the sad story of the 1852 shipwreck of the Margaret Brock. This interactive display helps visitors understand the dangers ships faced and why lighthouses were so important.
See also
