Cape Schanck Lighthouse, Heritage lighthouse in Cape Schanck, Australia.
Cape Schanck Lighthouse is a stone tower on a rocky coastline south of Melbourne with a white exterior and red top. The structure stands about 21 meters tall and can be spotted from far out in Bass Strait.
Built in 1859, it was Victoria's second coastal lighthouse at a location with a history of shipwrecks. It helped guide vessels safely through waters that had caused many maritime accidents.
The museum in former keeper quarters displays ship logs and navigation instruments that reveal how sailors relied on this light. You can sense how central this beacon was to maritime life along the coast.
You can climb the tower stairs to reach an observation deck with views across the sea. The site is generally open year-round, though it is worth checking conditions before visiting as weather can affect access.
The tower projects different colored light signals depending on direction to guide ships into separate coastal zones. These colored beams were a key recognition system for sailors navigating these waters at night.
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