Cape Hotham Light
Cape Hotham Light is an active lighthouse in the Northern Territory of Australia located on Cape Hotham on the coastline of the Van Diemen Gulf about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of the territory capital of Darwin, The lighthouse marks the entrance to Clarence Strait, the eastern approach to Darwin.[2]
Cape Hotham, 1928 | |
Northern Territory | |
Location | Clarence Strait Northern Territory Australia |
---|---|
Coordinates | 12°2′47″S 131°17′22.22″E |
Year first constructed | 1910s[1] |
Year first lit | 9 November 1928 |
Automated | 1928 |
Foundation | concrete |
Construction | metal skeletal tower |
Tower shape | square pyramidal tower with balcony and lantern |
Markings / pattern | white tower and lantern |
Tower height | 54 feet (16 m) |
Focal height | 56 feet (17 m) |
Current lens | Chance 400 mm fixed catadioptric |
Range | white: 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi) red: 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi) |
Characteristic | Fl (3) WR 15s. |
Admiralty number | K3315 |
NGA number | 111-9544 |
ARLHS number | AUS-245 |
Managing agent | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
The lighthouse was constructed by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service during the "Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses", between 1913 and 1920.[1]
The light characteristic shown is three flashes, one every two seconds, repeating every 15 seconds (Fl.(3)W.R. 15s). The color is red on 025°-070° and white elsewhere. The red light is visible for 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) while the white light is visible for 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi).[3]
The site is accessible by boat from Darwin,[4] but the tower is closed to the public. The light is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.[2]
Cape Hotham
Cape Hotham was named by John Clements Wickham on 26 July 1839, honoring Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham.[5] It is listed in the Register of the National Estate as the "Cape Hotham Forest Reserve", listing "representative ecosystems of the Top End, including monsoon rainforest containing kentia palm (Gronophyllum ramsayi)".[6]
Notes
- According to Komesaroff 1977. Rowlett and Searle lists 1928.
- Rowlett.
- List of Lights
- Sydney Heritage Fleet.
- Discovery, under "Draytons Ree".
- RNE11.
References
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Northern Territory". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
- Searle, Garry. "List of Lighthouses - Northern Territory". Lighthouses of Australia. SeaSide Lights.
- List of Lights, Pub. 111: The West Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. and Hawaii), Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Islands of the North and South Pacific Oceans (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 188.
- Komesaroff, Michael B. (May 1977). "The Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses". The Victorian Historical Journal. 48 (2).CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) reprinted in "The Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses". Lighthouses of Australia Inc Bulletin (5). September 2003. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
- "Sydney Heritage Fleet – List of Museums". shf.org.au. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
- "The Discovery and Exploration of Australia". australiaoncd.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- "Cape Hotham Forest Reserve (listing RNE11)". Australia Heritage Places Inventory. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
External links
- "List of Lighthouses of Northern Territory". Lighthouses of Australia. Lighthouses of Australia Inc.
Media related to Cape Hotham Light at Wikimedia Commons