Cape Otway Lighthouse
Location & Light Range
About Cape Otway Lighthouse
The Cape Otway lighthouse, built in 1848 from stone, stands 20 meters tall and emits three white flashes every 18 seconds. Its focal height reaches 73 meters, providing a geographic range of 21.8 nautical miles. This cylindrical, white-painted sandstone tower is the second oldest lighthouse on the Australian mainland. The station includes a keeper's house dating to 1857, an assistant keeper's house from 1858, and a telegraph station built in 1859. Following an earthquake in October 2023, the lighthouse closed for decontamination and safety testing, reopening in January 2025.
Why it matters: This lighthouse marks the western entrance to Bass Strait, a key shipping route historically known as the 'Eye of the Needle,' warning mariners of the narrow passage between Cape Otway and King Island.
Light & Optic
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- White/Red
- Flash Count
- 3 flashes
- Interval
- 18s
- Raw Code
- Fl(3) W 18s
- Focal Height
- 73m
- Geographic Range
- 21.8NM
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1848
Significant events: 150th anniversary celebrated August 1998, closed for decontamination and safety testing after October 2023 earthquake, reopened January 2025
Visiting
- Open to public
- Yes
Nearby Vessels
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 20m
- Tower Shape
- cylindrical
- Tower Color
- white
- Material
- stone
Structure: round sandstone tower, painted white
Location
- City
- Shire of Colac Otway
- Country
- 🇦🇺Australia
- Region
- Victoria
- Sea Region
- Cape Otway, about 20 km southwest of Apollo Bay, marking the western entrance to Bass Strait, known as the Eye of the Needle
- Latitude
- -38.8566°
- Longitude
- 143.5117°
References & Identifiers
- Nearest Port
- Geelong(62.9 km)
- Admiralty No.
- K2172
- NGA No.
- 8012
- ARLHS No.
- AUS-043
اعثر على منارة Cape Otway على الخريطة البحرية المباشرة
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