Tasman Island Lighthouse, Maritime lighthouse on Tasman Island, Tasmania, Australia.
Tasman Island Lighthouse is a cylindrical white tower standing on a rocky promontory off Tasmania's southeastern coast. The structure rises from steep cliffs and overlooks the turbulent waters below that have challenged ships for centuries.
The lighthouse was built in 1906 using cast iron segments manufactured in England to guide vessels through the dangerous waters off southeastern Tasmania. It served keepers for decades until automation arrived in 1976.
The structure represents Tasmania's maritime heritage, with former keepers' quarters and the original Fresnel lens now displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Access is by helicopter only: the lighthouse and island open to the public annually or biennially through tours run by the Rotary Club of the Tasman Peninsula. A helicopter also supplies the island and maintains the light. There is no internet, telephone, television or shop on the island; the only buildings are a house, the lighthouse and a weather station.
The lighthouse's original first-order Fresnel lens by Chance Brothers is displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, while the original lantern is on loan to the Friends of Tasman Island and kept in storage in Hobart. The cast-iron tower was prefabricated in England and hauled piece by piece up 250-metre cliffs before assembly.
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