Queenscliff Lighthouses

The first lighthouse at Queenscliff commenced operating around 1844. at Shortland’s Bluff as a leading mark for ships entering Port Phillip.  The original Shortland’s Bluff Lighthouse had a lantern platform 35 metres above sea level, the main light being produced by 8 oil burners.  Another burner projected a powerful beam towards the entry from the ocean.  The sandstone structure fretted in the salty atmosphere and extreme weather conditions and it soon became necessary to build a wooden structure around it for protection.

The upper lighthouse (Black Lighthouse) situated in the grounds of the Fort, was built in 1863 of solid bluestone from the Maribyrnong district.  This lighthouse (known as the High Light) still stands today and is the only black lighthouse in Australia.  The wooden tower it replaced was shifted to Point Lonsdale.

Soon after the completion of the High light, the building of another lighthouse commenced. This lighthouse was called the Low Light. The high light (black) and low light (white) are navigation lighthouses and when the lights are in transit (that is, in line), they form the main lead for ships entering Port Phillip.

High Light (Black)

Height above sea level         130 ft  -  approx 40 mtrs

Tower height                            81 ft  -  approx 25 mtrs

Low Light (White)

Height above sea level           94 ft   -  approx 29 mtrs.

Tower height                            73 ft   -  approx 22 mtrs

The Obelisk tower                   50 ft   -  approx 15 mtrs

Hume tower                             80 ft   -   approx 24 mtrs

The Point Lonsdale Lighthouse is a land fall Light. The concrete structure was built in 1902 replacing the wooden lighthouse which had been shifted from Queenscliff.  In 1950 the base was altered to provide for an observation and shipping  control operations room in the Lighthouse.  The concrete tower is 22 metres high; walls at the base are approximately 2 metres thick, and at the top about one metre thick.  The light is 37 metres above sea level.

The control room of the Lighthouse is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year by communications officers of Port of Melbourne Corporation.  They maintain a visual and radio watch as well as monitoring and advising shipping passing through the entrance to Port Phillip.  They also provide visual and radio back up for small craft.

The Queenscliffe Maritime Museum operates tours of the lighthouses

Images and some text on this page reproduced with the kind permission of the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum