Breaksea Island Lighthouse, heritage listed building in Albany, Western Australia
Breaksea Island Lighthouse is a stone tower standing about 16 meters high on a small island off the coast of Western Australia near Albany. It contains a lens manufactured by Chance Brothers to guide ships safely through King George Sound.
An early cast iron tower was built in the late 1800s by prisoners and could be seen from miles away. In 1901 a new stone tower was constructed that proved more reliable and easier to maintain, and it remains active today.
The name refers to the treacherous waters where waves break against rocks that ships needed to avoid. Today the island serves as a protected nature reserve where seabirds nest and rare plants grow, blending maritime heritage with conservation.
The island is accessible only by boat or helicopter, and the tower itself is not open to the public. The area around the site offers quiet views of the water and opportunities to observe seabirds and historic stonework.
The island was long inhabited by lighthouse keepers who lived there with their families and manually operated the light. The site still shows traces of early settlement including old cast iron water tanks and telegraph poles.
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