Griffiths Island Lighthouse, Historic lighthouse on Griffiths Island, Port Fairy, Australia.
Griffiths Island Lighthouse is a white cylindrical tower marked by a red horizontal band that stands on a small island off Port Fairy on Victoria's southern coast. It rises from the island accessible via a causeway and offers coastal views from its surrounding grounds.
It was built in 1859 from local bluestone to guide ships into Port Fairy as the port grew as a trading center in the region. Before the lighthouse, a whaling station operated on the island under John Griffiths from the colonial period.
The site was originally known as Moleen by the local Gunditjmara people and holds connections to the whaling industry that once shaped this coastal region. Today the landscape reflects both Indigenous heritage and the colonial period when European settlers transformed the island's purpose.
Visitors reach it by walking across the causeway connecting the island to Port Fairy, with coastal views along the route and grounds to explore. The pathways can be uneven so sturdy footwear is helpful, and checking weather before visiting is wise.
The grounds contain flower gardens that originated from former keeper cottages, and these plants continue to bloom despite the buildings being demolished in the 1950s. The surviving vegetation tells a quiet story of how nature persists where people once lived.
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