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MV Cape Don/Moreton/Pillar

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Australia
Broome, WA
MV Cape Don/Moreton/Pillar

Three sister ships built in the early 60's by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service to serve the active maritime navaids around Australia.

MV Cape Don, WA & NT
MV Cape Moreton, QLD & NSW
MV Cape Pillar, VIC, TAS & SA

07/06/2026

Dent Island Lightstation
The Whitsundays, North Queensland

Constructed - 1879
Upgraded - 1927 (HP kerosene)
Upgraded - 1981 (solar)
Automated - 1987

"Here's a couple of old photos of my grand father Robert Carter, on the Dent Island Lighthouse, taken around 1948.

He lived there with my grandmother, Florence Carter and their eldest daughter, my Aunty Karen who was just 1 year old at the time.

Whilst they lived at this lighthouse my father was conceived and my Nan only left the lighthouse to go back to Brisbane when my dad was due to be born...

My father was David Robert Carter and he was conceived on the island and although he has now passed away he always had an affinity with the ocean and during his lifetime he returned to that lighthouse on many occasions.

The ocean is also in my blood with my grandfather on my dads side as a lighthouse keeper and my grandfather on my mums side a WW2 navy sailor who served in the battle of the Pacific!

I grew up with many story's of adventures and mateship on the high seas.

From a young age I had the desire to become a sailor.

After I left school I joined the Australian Navy and served many years at sea including active war service during the Iraq war onboard the Guided Missile Frigate HMAS Darwin.

When the ocean is in your blood it calls to you always and the further you venture away from it the louder it calls, forcing you to return.

When the ocean shows you all its fury the fear is real! But it also gives you an amazing feeling of freedom"

Cheers
Luke

Photos© Unknown (c1948)
Carter Family Collection
Past Keepers Photos

Words by Luke Carter (2021)
Grandson of Robert Carter
Past Keeper, Queensland

03/06/2026

Gabo Island Lighthouse
Gabo Island, Victoria

Constructed - 1862
Automated - 1993

It was one of the most popular lightstations on the Australian coast. And with everybody... keepers, ships crews, lighthouse mechanics, everyone.

Sadly though, by 1987 the writing was on the wall and the end was coming.
Rapidly!

The automation of most of the lights in Australia was well underway by the mid 80s.

The quote below is from the then master of the MV Cape Don, lighthouse tender:

"One of our main tasks was the conversion of gas powered lights to electric and all the lights converted to solar power.

Helipads were also built at each light to facilitate servicing and the manned lighthouses were steadily being de-manned and also converted to solar power where shore power was unavailable.

So we were steadily building ourselves out of a job" — Captain Richard Ireland

And the rest is history...

Photo courtesy of Nandor Barabas

Photo© Unknown (1987)
Past Keepers Photos

Quote taken from:
Company of Master Mariners of Australia - Annual Magazine
©2013 Edition

31/05/2026

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse
Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Constructed - 1852
Automated - 1974

Lighthouse Music 🎶

"That's Where You Want To Be"

From the debut album
"In The Lighter Dark"
By artist Steve Lennox

All of the songs on the album are based on stories from the lighthouse keeping life of various members of Steve's family.

In particular, Steve's uncle... Philip Dent, who was one of South Australia’s longest serving lighthouse keepers.

He dedicated 32+ years to guarding the state's rugged and remote coastlines.

Between 1956 & 1989, Phil with his wife Rena and their two kids, Ron & Linda were lightkeepers at several of South Australia’s most iconic lightstations, including:

-Cape du Couedic
-Cape Willoughby
-Cape Jaffa
-Point Lowly

The Dent family eventually returned and settled at Cape Willoughby, on Kangaroo Island where he was head keeper for more than two decades, until his retirement.

Thanks to Ronnie Dent for the information.

Music© Steve Lennox (2021)
Nephew of Phil Dent, Past Keeper
https://www.stevelennox.com/

Animation/Video© Tim Bennett
https://m.facebook.com/timbassix

30/05/2026

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse
Kingston SE, South Australia

Constructed - 1872
Automated - 1972
Deactivated - 1973
Relocated - 1975 (Kingston SE)
Renovated - 2025

Lighthouse Art

Ink on paper
With watercolour

Liz Chaderton is a professional artist based in Berkshire (UK).

She enjoys exploring all water-based media and shares her discoveries through workshops and writing.

Artist© Liz Chaderton (2023)

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse
Cape Jaffa Lighthouse Kingston SE
Kingston SE National Trust Museum

28/05/2026

Fitzroy Island Lighthouse
The Great Barrier Reef
Far North Queensland

SS Cape Leeuwin
Lighthouse Tender
1924 to 1963

"In 1954, I travelled with my family on the Cape Leeuwin to my dad's new posting on Fitzroy Island.

It would seem from the pics that the wartime lighthouse had been recommissioned (or perhaps just overhauled) in 1954 as the pics shows new equipment such as the US wartime jeep and new rowboat on the deck of the Cape Leeuwin.

These onboard pics show the cargo and some of the crew as well as a later image taken from the lighthouse keepers cottage.

The original lighthouse built on the main Island provided an important navigational service for wartime shipping and to supplement the carbide light on Little Fitzroy Island.

During wartime, all unmanned lights in the Great Barrier Reef had been turned off to thwart Japanese raiders and the manned ones such as this one were only turned on for identified ships as they passed by.

This lighthouse was unique, not just in Australia but perhaps the world, in that the light characteristic seen was dependant on the direction, corresponding to different morse code signals. Two synchronised, rotating bullseye lens panels were used to achieve this result.

If anyone has more information from that time it would be appreciated" — Mike Bailey, son of Doug Bailey, past lighthouse keeper

Photos© Unknown (1954)
Bailey Family Collection
Past Keepers, Queensland

Historical vessel logs from the SS Cape Leeuwin are held and maintained by the Queensland Maritime Museum

Repost from June 2022 ♻
Lighthouses of Australia Inc

24/05/2026

Low Head Lightstation
Tamar River, Tasmania

Constructed - 1833 (original)
Constructed - 1888 (current)
Automated - 1995

Lighthouse Kids... Unknown?

Does anyone know which family?

This light and pilot station have been guiding mariners into the Tamar River for almost two centuries.

The River Tamar is 70 kilometers in length and reaches to the inland city of Launceston, Tasmania's second largest city.

Photo© Unknown (c1900)
Past Keepers Photos

Maritime Museum Tasmania
Libraries Tasmania

21/05/2026

Cliffy Island Lightstation
Bass Strait, Victoria

Constructed - 1884
Upgraded - 1904 (flashing)
Automated - 1971
Upgraded - 1989 (solar)

Memories of Cliffy...

"Notice the high walls

The wind was very fierce, most of the time sea sprays up over the island in very rough weather... Even weeds get blown out of the ground.

It's a breeding ground for mutton birds and has a lot of very small lizards.

I did not see any other living creatures there but was told they sometimes had seals and red robins.

I was on Cliffy Island as a three year old in 1960.

Dad was an Assistant Lighthouse Keeper and mum and I spent some time on there with him.

Mum would have been about 24 and wouldn't stay for too long before she would take me back to the mainland.

At first we left from Port Melbourne but future trips were from Port Albert.

I turned four just after our last trip home to Melbourne. Many memories even though I was very young" — Lynzo Lyn (Barratt)

17/05/2026

Off the Coast of Australia
And Somewhere in Vanuatu

MV Cape Pillar
Lighthouse Tender
Survey Vessel
1964 to 1989

"Hi All, found these photos while going through some old stuff and thought it might bring back some memories.

My dad, Ken (Bunda) Weise.

And no idea who the others are? Only that it was onboard the Cape Pillar.

Dad was an oiler in the engine room that's all I know... he started out on his first trip from Port Melbourne to Gabo Island as a peggy, he was apparently the oldest peggy on the coast!

The hat dad is wearing is a UK police hat (bobby hat) from that time. He apparently pinched it but I never heard the full story... I bet rum was involved!"

Photos are courtesy of Ken's daughter, Sandi Bruerton

Photos© Unknown (70s & 80s)
The Weise Family Collection
Past Crewmember, MV Cape Pillar

15/05/2026

Althorpe Island Lightstation
Investigator Strait, South Australia

Constructed - 1877 to 1879
Automated - 1991

Fun and games at the Althorpe Island lighthouse.

From 1879, lighthouse keepers and their families maintained this station until it was de-manned in 1991.

This automated lighthouse is still in service today albeit without its original Chance Brothers Fresnel lens.

The original lens is on display at the Cape Willoughby lightstation on Kangaroo Island.

For more beautiful images of Australian lighthouses, check out the online exhibition:

'Beacons by the Sea' https://bit.ly/2EicFMQ

Photo© Unknown (1963)
Past Keepers Photos
National Archives of Australia

NAA: A1200, L43660

12/05/2026

Off The Coast
Western Australia
Northern Territory

SS Cape Otway
Lighthouse Tender
1931 to 1963

Homeport - Fremantle WA

"Does anyone remember Don Miguel? He worked on the old lighthouse ship and all the WA lighthouses back in the 1950s.

Don worked on the SS Cape Otway... which was replaced by MV Cape Don around 1963.

I wish I had known about this page when Don was alive... he had an amazing memory right up until he passed in 2018.

He started working at the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service in 1953 but I'm not sure how long for.

Mum is now 91 and can still tell a few stories...

If you can read his handwriting there's a bit of what he got up to in his diary, below" — Donna Haich

Photos and information courtesy of Donna Haich, daughter.

Photos© Don Miguel
Don Miguel Collection
Past Crew Member, SS Cape Otway

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Broome, WA
6725

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