Cape Don Lighthouse
Fl W 10s🇦🇺Northern Territory, AUOperational
Location & Light Range
About Cape Don Lighthouse
Constructed between 1915 and 1917, this lighthouse is located on the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory. It stands at a focal height of 50 meters and emits a white light with a single flash every 12 seconds, visible for 20 nautical miles. The station was manned by keepers until 1983, who also maintained meteorological records. The lighthouse complex includes the tower, three residences, and other service buildings. It is named after General Sir George Don.
Why it matters: This lighthouse marks the entrance to the Dundas Strait, an important route to Darwin and Melville Island.
Background
Cape Don Light is an active lighthouse located on Cape Don, at the tip of the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia, in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, marking the entrance to the Dundas Strait. It is Australia's northernmost traditional lighthouse. The station served on the important route to Darwin, between the peninsula and Melville Island. The tower was constructed in 1915–1917, during the "Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses" (1913–1920), and the tower was manned until 1983. During the entire period that the tower was manned it also maintained meteorological records which were well placed to assist in cyclone development tracking. The complex consists of the lighthouse, three residences and ancillary buildings.
Cape Don was named by Phillip Parker King in 1818, as a compliment to General Sir George Don, the Lieutenant-Governor of Gibraltar.Light & Optic
Characteristic Signature
Fl W 10s
- Flash Type
- Flashing
- Light Color
- White
- Flash Count
- 1 flash
- Interval
- 10s
- Raw Code
- Fl.W. period 12s
- Focal Height
- 50m
- Geographic Range
- 20NM
Location
- City
- Northern Territory
- Country
- 🇦🇺AU
- Latitude
- -11.3079°
- Longitude
- 131.7651°
Nearby Vessels
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1917
References & Identifiers
- Admiralty No.
- Q3314
- NGA No.
- 9548
- Wikipedia
- Read on Wikipedia →
- Wikidata
- Q5034749 →
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
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