Althorpe Island Lighthouse

Althorpe Island Lighthouse Station was one of a group of lighthouses that represented the inter-colonial agreement by the States in 1873, which sought the necessity of provisions for lighthouses.

Construction began in early 1877 and after a party of dignitaries from the Marine Board arrived on Althorpe Island during the morning on Friday, 14 February 1879, during which time they had inspected the jetty, the bridge to the ‘cutting’ the steep inclined tramway, three cottages and finally, the lighthouse itself.

The President of the Marine Board “emphatically declared it to be a model station”, with a £11,000 price tag, of which £1,500 was for water supply (the total cost was equivalent to one labourers wage for 91 years). Construction was not without incident, including the loss of the attendant cutter, ‘Young St George’, industrial disputation and the strange death of the foreman, killed by a falling rock while sleeping.

The lighthouse was designed by R P Hickson, Engineer-in-Chief for South Australian harbours and jetties. The lighthouse was constructed with a combination of limestone and hard sandstone, for hard wearing areas, quarried and cut on the island. The spiral staircase is made of solid blocks of sandstone, treads faced with Mintaro slate.

The three Keepers’ Cottages were constructed with rendered limestone rubble and hard sandstone for hard wearing areas. Water supply was from rain water held in tanks in the foundations of the tower.

From 14 February 1879, or for the next 112 years, lightkeepers and families maintained the 15 metre tower warning mariners from a height of 91 metres above sea level, casting a beam 24 nautical miles into Investigator Strait. With the newly established Althorpe Island Lightstation and Cape Borda (1858) to its south, the warning beams provided important nautical links at the western end of Investigator Strait.

Whilst travelling from the southeast, Cape Jaffa (1872) guided mariners along the treacherous coastline and `Sturt Light’ (Cape Willoughby) (1852), marked the narrow waters of `Backstairs Passage’. Troubridge Island Lighthouse Station (1856), indicated the Gulf of St Vincents entrance and further north, were the Port Adelaide lights, undoubtedly being a welcoming sight for the weary sea traveller.

Despite the nightly illumination of 16 rotating light beams during the 112 years, six ships foundered around the island, some of which are commemorated with graves.

The first shipwreck was in 1877 and the last in 1982, with the SS Pareora in 1919, sinking with the loss of 11 crew. Althorpe was powered by oil/wick; acetylene gas the vapourised kerosene/mantle until the light was converted to electric in 1963.

Solar conversion took place in 1991.