Cape Jaffa lighthouse
Established in 1872 on Margaret Brock Reef, the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse was built to protect ships from the treacherous currents that had seen the demise of many ships in the area.
The original multi-wick oil burner was replaced by a pressurised kerosene burner in 1909. This lighting apparatus was turned off in 1973 and is believed to have been the last of its type to operate in Australia.
This type of lighthouse is known as „Wells Screw Pile“ and was selected for this location because the narrow wrought iron piles offered the most resistance to the heavy seas that break across the reef.
All the parts for this lighthouse were manufactured and pre-assembled, in England then dismantled and shipped to Australia
Extreme difficulties were encountered during its construction which took 3 years instead of the proposed 1 year.
Apparently when the site was first chosen the sea and weather was unusually calm. When it came time to construct the lighthouse sea were wild and the weather rough. Early construction was washed away and sometimes the contractors could not go out for days.