Cape Don Lighthouse

Cape Don is an active lighthouse situated on Cape Don, at the tip of the Coburg Peninsula in the Northern Territory, Australia and marks the entrance to the Dundas Strait. It is Australia's most northern traditional lighthouse and serves the important route to Darwin. The tower was constructed during the 'Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses 1913-1920' , was named as a compliment to General Sir George Don, Lt. Gov of Gibralta and was manned until 1983. It maintained meteorological records during that time which assised with cyclone tracking. The complex consists of the Lighthouse, three residences and ancillary buildings.

The N.T was transferred from the S.A. Government in 1911 and the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service was formed on 1 July 1915. Construction of the Cape Don Lighthouse was the largest project undertaken by the CLS and work on the tower began in May 1915. An iron structure was unsuitable for tropical conditions and local ironstone was not suitable for concrete so materials had to be shipped from Melbourne, Victoria. The closest localion for landing materials was 5 km East at Christies Bay and a jetty and tramway were constructed with trams drawn by horses. The climate and grade meant only two round trips per day could be made and as construction could only be carried out in the dry seaseon (April to November) the construction took 3 years, completing in July 1917. Though the Lantern was installed and was ready to be lit, an earthquake hit the tower in August 1917. The structure was not damaged but 12 kg of mercury were lost from the mercury-bearing pedestal and the Lighthouse was officially lit on the 15th September 1917.

The tower's original light source was a 55 mm vapourised kerosene incandescent mantle with an intensity of 150,000 cd and a visible range of 23 nm43 km(. The original lens was a Chance bros 3rd order, 5000 mm dioptric Fresnel Lens, the apparatus was a rotating pedestal floating in a mercury bath, operated by a clockwork mechanism with descending weights which only had to be rewound every 12 hours. In the Second World War a radar station was installed near the complex.

The tower was electrified in the early 1970's with power coming from diesel generators. The light source was converted to a 120 volt tungsten halogen lamp. In 1983 the light was automated and the station was demanned. The apparatus installed consists of 4 vertical panels, 300 mm rear surfaced parabolic reflectors. It is installed on a gearless pedestal, rotating 3 per minute showing a light flash every 10 sec. The light intensity is 260,000 and the light is visible for 22 nm (41 km). The light is solar powered and was the first of its kind in Australia. The cottages were handed over to the N.T Conservation Commission at that time. The path of the original tramway from the complex to Christies Bay is still visible and the narrow tramway is partially intact except towards the Bay. The jetty no longer exists.

In 2005 the original lens and rotating apparatus were discovered in storage and were donated to the Queensland Maritime Museum where they are on display in the centre of a special Lighthouse Display.

Structure: The tower is 28 m from ground to platform. The base is cylindrical with an octagonal base. On top of the platform is the original 3.25m Chance Lantern.