Lighthouse Builders, The

The Cape Wickham Lighthouse on King Island is an icon of Australia’s maritime history. It represents an important period in Australia’s development as a nation.

The Lighthouse is 48 metres high and the tallest in Australia. It was built in fourteen months in 1860–1861 from granite quarried not far from the site.

It was an incredible achievement of construction on an island in Bass Strait that was still virtually uninhabited, with no port for landing cargo.

It was the first time that the colonial governments of Van Diemen’s Land, Victoria and New South Wales worked together on a project of national importance, forty years before federation.

This is the story of the lighthouse builders who, through their sheer skill and determination, built a magnificent and crucial beacon for navigators.

The Cape Wickham Lighthouse still operates today and stands as a reminder of the great pioneering spirit of the early settlers.