The Roman Rock Lighthouse has an interesting history. It is located in False Bay in South Africa, near the entrance to Simon’s Town where the South African Navy is located. One of the things that make this lighthouse so interesting is that it was constructed on a single rock in the ocean, which was of course a challenge for those responsible for erecting it. The rock is submerged during high tide, and the bay is known for severe weather, a combination that caused the construction to take four years. It also caused the lighthouse to be quite isolated and the location somewhat boring for the lighthouse-tender!
During the early part of the 1800’s, several ships had been stranded or damaged in False Bay due to the lack of a lighthouse. Seamen continued to rally and write to government officials in a cry to build one. The need for a lighthouse had become a pet project of Joseph Nourse, the Commodore of the Royal Navy, who insisted this important and very busy harbour required a lighthouse to provide safety, especially to the ships who sailed the area at night or in storms. The search for a suitable location for the lighthouse was conducted between 1823 and 1853, and included Miller’s Point, Noah’s Ark, a second site near Noah’s Ark where rock projected in to the bay (called “Pebbles”), and Roman Rock.
But the lighthouse would not come until later. In 1844, Lord Stanley advised the Governor, Lt-General Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB, of the difficulties the shipping trade and military were incurring in False Bay, as well as the difficult logistics of erecting a lighthouse in this remote area of the world, and ordered the construction of a ship with apparatus for a floating light (as an alternative to a lighthouse). The result was a device prepared in collaboration with Trinity House that included four Argand lamps and small parabolic reflectors that revolved once every four minutes, which was installed on South Africa’s first (and only) lightship, the ship HMS Thunderbolt. The HMS Thunderbolt has a short carrier, however. Commissioned on January 10, 1845, its condition deteriorated in the harsh ocean environment by 1851 and needed maintenance, but it had been recognized that the lightship had not been the ideal answer for the bay. Since the light was mounted on the ship, it was only 37 feet above sea-level and in good weather could be seen for 10 miles at most. Despite painting the ship red, and raising a red flag to make it more visible, it simply was not visible enough, especially considering that when waves were bad, or in fog or during the night, the signal could be obscured, when it was most urgently needed. Therefore, instead of investing in costly maintence for HMS Thunderbolt, the Lord’s Commissioners agreed to the construction of a lighthouse.
After deliberation on the location for the lighthouse, Roman Rock was the ultimate choice, despite the obvious challenges of the unique location and additional expense involved. A prefabricated cast iron tower was shipped from England in 1857, but weather conditions and the isolated location slowed progress and it was not completed until 1861. The base of the lighthouse was designed to have a solid foundation provided by three metres of concrete fill. After the first two metres of fill were in place, cracks in the concrete were discovered, so the plans were updated to include placing wrough-iron hoops around the concrete to strengthen it against the movement of the ocean. The 48 foot tall tower of cast-iron segments, which bolted together in a cone shape, were erected over the concrete base. The lantern and associated machinery were in place on September 16, 1861 when the lighthouse was officially commissioned for service.
The military was prepared to turn the lighthouse over to the colonial government, but they were hesitant to receive it, as they did not quite trust the stability of the location nor the lighthouse and were hesitant to have employees man it. Finally a colonial railway engineer by the name of Mr. Bourne inspected it, and consulted with a civil engineer, Mr. Mair, whom he respected, and they recommended an upgraded foundation of granite rocks and Portland cement and and higher barrier wall. This work was completed and the colonial government accepted the lighthouse on February 28, 1867
Color Scheme:
The colors on the lighthouse have changed over the years.
From 1861 to about 1888, the top of the tower was white and the lower half black.
1888 thru 1902, the lighthouse sported a striped red & white colour scheme
On November, 15 1929 the lighthouse was painted classic white with a red lantern and dome.
Working apparatus:
The original gear was replaced in 1919 with an automatic acetylene gas apparatus that created a white flash every six seconds. This upgrade removed the need to staff the lighthouse.
In 1992 the light was equipped with electricity, supplied via a cable that was run across the sea floor. This occurred when an experiment to supply the light via solar energy failed.
Interestingly, the lighthouse was equipped with a pad during the 1992 renovation, as this was determined to be the most economical solution.
SOURCES:
www.lighthouses.co.za/lighthouses/Tower.asp?TN=Roman%20Rock
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visit link)
www.historicalmedia.co.za/?p=766
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visit link)
www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/westerncape/see-the-roman-rock-lighthouse/
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visit link)
www.simonstown.org/roman%20rock%20lighthouse.html
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visit link)