Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Iron Pot Lighthouse
The Iron Pot Lighthouse (also known as the Derwent Lighthouse) is a lighthouse located on Iron Pot island in Storm Bay, at the mouth of the River Derwent in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Constructed in 1832 with convict labour, Iron Pot Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Tasmania and the oldest original tower in Australia.
It was the first lighthouse in Australia to utilise locally manufactured optics, and became the first Australian lighthouse to use solar power in 1977. The 11-metre (36 ft) tall tower has a range of 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi).
Location
Iron Pot Lighthouse is located in Tasmania at approximately -43.05872222°, 147.41719444°. 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 Iron Pot 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.