South Channel Pile Light

South Channel Pile Light is a single-story octagonal lighthouse built on screw-driven piles with a timber frame and metal lantern housing. The structure sits directly in Port Phillip Bay and features a surrounding verandah that provided shelter for the keeper.

The Public Works Department designed and built this navigation aid between 1872 and 1874 to guide ships entering Melbourne through the South Channel. The lighthouse served this purpose for over 110 years before being decommissioned in 1985.

The lighthouse walls once held maritime murals painted by the keeper between 1905 and 1913, now displayed at the Melbourne Maritime Museum. These artworks show how isolation at sea inspired creative expression among those who tended the light.

The structure underwent restoration in 1998 and was relocated 3 km from Rye Beach, though the original timber piles remain at its initial site. Access may require boat transport or special arrangements due to its position on the water.

After 1925, the lighthouse ran on acetylene gas and transmitted light signals with a range of about 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) to guide vessels through the bay. This fuel choice was practical for remote locations without electrical power to keep the beam burning continuously.

Location: Victoria

Inception: 1874

GPS coordinates: -38.30500,144.75667

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:05