Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Cape Schanck Lighthouse
The Cape Schanck Lighthouse was built in 1859 as the second coastal lighthouse in the Australian state of Victoria. It is located on Cape Schanck, at the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula. The 21 metres (69 ft) tall tower was built from limestone. The light's focal plane is situated 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level, the light characteristic is the Morse code letter "N", a long signal of 10.8 seconds followed by a flash.
Depending on the bearing of the light, the colours are either white (south to west sector) or red (east sector). Due to its powerful lantern of one million candela and a first order Fresnel lens, which was installed in 1915, the light has a range of 26 nmi (48 km). The lighthouse was not only one of the first such buildings in Victoria, it was moreover Australia's first lighthouse tower with stone stairs.
During the 1970s and 1980s the facility was restored and has since become an attraction for tourists. Today there is a museum in the old assistants' quarters. Accommodation is available in the old residences of the lighthouse keeper.
Visiting Cape Schanck Lighthouse
- Location: 38.4927°S, 144.8865°E — view on Google Maps
- Nearest town: Sorrento, Victoria (21 km north-west) — see accommodation in Sorrento
- Access: Conditions vary by site. Some lighthouses sit on public headlands with car parks and interpretive signage; others are on islands or in active marine reserves requiring a boat or permit. Check with the relevant state parks service or heritage body for current access, opening times and fees before visiting.
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Further reading
Read more on Wikipedia → — used under CC BY-SA 4.0. This article includes contributions from the Wikipedia community.