Cape Pembroke Falkland Islands

Cape Pembroke is the most easterly point on the Falkland Islands and lies 7 miles east of Stanley.

In the 1840s a wooden post painted red and white was erected however this was soon superseded in 1854 by a cast iron lighthouse pre-fabricated in London by William Wilkins of London and shipped out to site. This lighthouse was 60 feet high and was painted in red and white bands. The light was produced by 18 lamps burning rapeseed oil and was lit for the first time in December 1855. The lighthouse came under the jurisdiction of Trinity House in London.

In 1889 it was repainted white as the string sunlight had caused the red bands to fade.

An inspection of the lighthouse in 1904 found that the structure was unsafe and a decision to rebuild the lighthouse on new foundations was made in 1905.

Work began in 1906 with a Trinity House Supervisor, four contractors from Britain and a team of local men. The re-erected tower was positioned about 200 yards west of the original site and a lightship was used off shore whilst the work was being completed.

The new lighthouse was fitted with a 3rd order revolving dioptric made by Chance Brothers of Smethwick near Birmingham and was illuminated in June 1907. Mounted on a clockwork revolving stand it now showed a flashing light as opposed to the original fixed light and was visible up to 16 miles. The tower was painted black with a broad white band.

An inspection of the fabric of the lighthouse and accomodation was made on 29th April 1959 to 6th May 1959, by James E Lewis, the assistant civil engineer from Trinitiy House. This was the first condition servey since 1905. A second report is also available online from the Falklands Government Archives datged November 1983 after the conflict, with a remark that there is a bullet hole in one of the glazing panels. The lighthouse was decommissioned after the Argentine invasion in 1982 and a ground mounted solar powered electric unit now serves as the navigational aid at Cape Pembroke.