Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Goose Island Lighthouse
The Goose Island Lighthouse is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and has been unstaffed since 1931. It was originally constructed in 1846 with the use of convict labour.
On 31 March 1857 the station was raided by pirates. From 1985 to 1990 a wind generator was used as a power source for the light, today the electricity is generated by solar panels. The tower was built as a 30-metre (98 ft)-tall rubblestone construction employing a Fresnel lens, which today is on display in Hobart at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania. The focal plane of the light source is located 36 m above sea level, the light's characteristic is a double flash every ten seconds.
Goose Island contains historic relics from the time when the lighthouse was staffed, such as the remains of a wooden tramway used to supply the lighthouse, as well as the graves of light keepers, or members of their families, who died by drowning.
Location
Goose Island Lighthouse is located in Tasmania at approximately -40.31166667°, 147.80138889°. A map pin at these coordinates will take you to the approximate lighthouse site — note that some historic lights are on active marine reserves, islands or private land, and visiting may require a boat or permit.
Visiting Goose Island Lighthouse
Access to Australian lighthouses varies widely. Some are on publicly accessible headlands with car parks and interpretive signage; others are on remote islands that require chartered boats. Most operational lights managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) are not open to the public interior, but the grounds and keepers' cottages at heritage-listed stations are often open during daylight hours.
If you're planning a visit, check with the relevant state parks service or heritage body for current conditions, access restrictions and opening times. Many of Australia's finest lighthouses are within national parks, and fees may apply.
Further reading
Read more on Wikipedia → — used under CC BY-SA 4.0. This article includes contributions from the Wikipedia community.