Woodman Point Lighthouse facts for kids
| Markings / pattern | half white (seawards) and unpainted (landwards), white lantern room |
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The Woodman Point Lighthouse, also known as the Coogee Lighthouse, is a special lighthouse in Western Australia. It stands tall on Woodman Point and has been helping ships navigate safely since August 1902. This lighthouse is about 9.75 meters (32 feet) high. It was built using strong limestone found right in the local area.
What makes it unique is its location. It's built on the highest point of land nearby, which is a bit further inland than most lighthouses. Next to it are two charming Federation Bungalow style cottages. These were once home to the lighthouse keepers and are also made from limestone.
Today, Fremantle Ports manages and cares for the lighthouse. It guides ships heading towards Fremantle Harbour. The light has three different colored sections: green to the east, a bright white light in the middle, and red to the west. Most lighthouses in Western Australia became the responsibility of the Australian Government in 1915. However, the Woodman Point Lighthouse stayed under state control because it wasn't considered a 'coastal light'.
You can't visit the lighthouse inside, as it's not open to the public. The old keepers' cottages haven't housed keepers since 1955 when the light became electric. Now, people live in them as private homes.
Contents
Woodman Point Lighthouse: Guiding Ships Safely
A Look Back: The Lighthouse's Story
Why Was a New Lighthouse Needed?
Before the Woodman Point Lighthouse, ships used lights from Rottnest Island and Arthur Head to find their way to Fremantle Harbour. The Arthur Head light was a steady white light. As more buildings appeared along the coast, it became hard for ship captains to tell the lighthouse apart from other bright lights. Imagine a ship almost crashing because the captain thought a hotel light was the lighthouse! This actually nearly happened with a ship called the Stuttgart.
Ship captains of important mail steamers asked the government for a better guiding light. They needed a clear signal to lead them safely into the harbor.
Building the Lighthouse
Work on this new guiding light, first called the Gage Roads leading light, began in October 1901. A builder named W. C. Rose constructed the tower and the keepers' cottages. This project cost £2,383, which was a lot of money back then!
The lighthouse originally used a kerosene vapor lamp. It had a special lens and lantern made by Chance Brothers in Smethwick, England. This light had a unique pattern: it would disappear for three seconds every 30 seconds. This "occulting" pattern helped sailors identify it.
There's a fun story that the red and green light sections were put in the wrong way around. But old drawings from the Public Works Department show they were installed exactly as planned! The bright white part of the light could be seen from about 31 kilometers (17 nautical miles) away.
Official Opening and First Keepers
The Woodman Point Lighthouse officially opened on August 23, 1902. Important people, including the Minister for Public Works, Hector Rason, attended the ceremony. Other leaders like the Colonial Treasurer James Gardiner, the Colonial Secretary Walter Kingsmill, and the Mayor of Fremantle, Lawrence Alexander, were also there.
The very first person to look after the light was William Efford. He moved from the Arthur Head lighthouse, which was turned off when Woodman Point started working. John Lyons was the first assistant keeper, coming from Jarman Island.
Important Changes Over Time
Over the years, the lighthouse received updates. In 1908, new special lenses called condensing prisms were added. During World War II, the army used the lighthouse as a communication and observation spot. It even had guards protecting it!
In 1944, the old clockwork system that made the light flash was replaced because it was getting old. In the mid-1950s, another green light section was added to the south-west. Then, in 1955, the lighthouse became electric! This upgrade cost £1,300. The new electric light could be seen from about 64 kilometers (34.5 nautical miles) away on a clear day.
On July 19, 1955, the lighthouse no longer needed people to operate it. It became fully automated. Laurence McBride was the last main lightkeeper, and Albert Livesey was the last assistant keeper.
