Cape Bruny Lighthouse, Historical lighthouse in South Bruny Island, Australia.
Cape Bruny Lighthouse is a tall, tapering cylindrical tower built of locally quarried dolerite and painted white, with a weathered surface showing patches of peeling paint. Three small rectangular windows with dark frames are set vertically down the upper half, and a dark arched doorway opens at the base. A metal-railed gallery surrounds the glass-panelled lantern room with its domed roof.
The tower was built in 1836 using convict labor, with stone quarried on the island itself, making it one of the oldest surviving structures in Australia. It guided ships for over 160 years before being decommissioned in 1996.
The lighthouse is named after the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, which separates Bruny Island from mainland Tasmania and honours the French navigator Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. The tower's original Wilkins lantern burned one pint of sperm whale oil per hour; in 1903 it was replaced by a Chance Brothers lantern, which remains in the tower today.
Climbing the tower requires some physical effort, and places must be booked in advance as only a small number of visitors are admitted each day. The weather at this southern tip can change fast, so bring a warm layer even in summer.
The original Wilkins lantern and the 1903 Chance Brothers lantern, along with the cast-iron staircase fitted that year, remain inside the tower. The light was converted to electricity only in 1959, and the station was decommissioned on 6 August 1996 after 158 years of continuous staffing.
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