Established in 1852, the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, originally known as the Sturt Light after Captain Charles Sturt, is the oldest in South Australia. It is set on the eastern extremity of Kangaroo Island.
The light provides assistance to shipping through the Backstairs Passage - the 11 km wide strip of water between Kangaroo Island and the mainland of South Australia.
It is constructed from granite and limestone quarried from a cleft in the cliff at the base of the tower.
The original keepers settlement was in a valley, ½ km from the light. Here a spring provided fresh water and it was close to the beach where supplies where landed. Due to deterioration and the hardship of reaching the lighthouse in bad weather in 1927 new keepers quarter were built at the lighthouse.
The original apparatus was a Deville lantern comprising of a revolving parabolic reflectors powered by a clock work mechanism. The illumination was provided by multiple wick burners.
In 1912 the wick burners were replaced by incandescent vapourised kerosene burners.
The whole lantern apparatus was replaced in 1923 by a large Chance Bros. dioptric revolving lens which floated in a bath of mercury on a pedestal. This lantern had previously been in use at the Tipara Reef Lighthouse. Illumination was provided by a pressurised kerosene mantle burner.
The light was converted to electricity in 1959 when two diesel 110 Volt DC generators were installed.
In 1974 major alterations were made to the lighthouse. Up till then the intention had been to replace the lighthouse, the thinking at the time being that this was not an important light and not worthy of the cost of preservation because it was not aesthetically appealing.
The original elegant timber stair was removed, due to rotting, and replaced by steel stairs with three landings.
The lantern room and apparatus were removed and replace by an aluminium and fibreglass lantern room and an apparatus comprising of banks of sealed beam lamps. 240 Volt main electricity was connected, with a diesel standby generator.
Information sourced from (
visit link) 18/2/2013