Woodman Light
Encyclopedia
Woodman Light, also known as Woodman Point Lighthouse, Gage Roads Lighthouse and Coogee Lighthouse, is a lighthouse
in Western Australia
. Located on Woodman Point in the City of Cockburn, it has been in continuous operation since 1902. It is 32 feet (9.8 m) high, and constructed of locally quarried limestone. It is located on the highest point of land in the area, which is unusually far inland for a lighthouse. On the same block of land are two Federation Bungalow style keepers' cottage, also built of limestone.
The lighthouse is operated and maintained by the Fremantle Port Authority for the benefit of coastal shipping approaching Fremantle Harbour
from the south west. It is not usually open to the public. The keepers' cottages have not been used as such since the light was electrified in 1955; currently they are used as private residences.
Originally known as Gage Roads Lighthouse, it was the first lighthouse built in the Cockburn area. It provided a light for coastal shipping for the Port of Fremantle, which commonly anchored offshore in Gage Roads
. Previously such shipping had relied on the light on Arthur Head, but this was considered too small.
Construction of the Gage Roads Lighthouse commenced in October 1901. It was built by contractor W. C. Rose under a Public Works Department tender of £2,383. It had a kerosene
vapour light supplied by Messrs Chance Bros & Co.
, Smethwick
, England
, and a timing pattern that hid the light for three seconds every 30 seconds. It had red, green and white sectors; the red and green were apparently installed incorrectly, and Woodman Light is to this day the only lighthouse in Australia with the red and green sectors reversed. It had a range of 17 nautical miles (31.5 km).
It was officially opened on 23 August 1902. An opening ceremony was held two days later, attended by a number of politicians and businessmen including the Minister for Public Works, Cornthwaite Rason
; the Colonial Treasurer James Gardiner
; the Colonial Secretary
, Walter Kingsmill
; and the Mayor of Fremantle, Lawrence Alexander. The first lighthouse keepers were a Mr Hutchinson and his assistant, Arthur Dray.
New condensing prisms were fitted in 1908. During World War II
it was used by the army as a communications base and observations post, and was therefore placed under guard. In 1944 the clockwork mechanism controlling the occulting of the light was replaced, as the original was considered on the verge of failure. In 1955 the lighthouse was electrified, at a cost of £1300. The new electrified light had a range of about 34.5 nautical miles (63.9 km) in clear weather. On 19 July of that year, the lighthouse was de-manned. The last lighthouse keepers were a Mr McBride and Les Liversea.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Located on Woodman Point in the City of Cockburn, it has been in continuous operation since 1902. It is 32 feet (9.8 m) high, and constructed of locally quarried limestone. It is located on the highest point of land in the area, which is unusually far inland for a lighthouse. On the same block of land are two Federation Bungalow style keepers' cottage, also built of limestone.
The lighthouse is operated and maintained by the Fremantle Port Authority for the benefit of coastal shipping approaching Fremantle Harbour
Fremantle Harbour
Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and naval visits, and operates 24 hours a day.The harbour is also...
from the south west. It is not usually open to the public. The keepers' cottages have not been used as such since the light was electrified in 1955; currently they are used as private residences.
History
Gage Roads
Gage Roads, is the sea channel in the Indian Ocean offshore from Perth, Western Australia. It was the location of the America's Cup defence in 1986/7, and serves as a shipping lane and anchorage for most sea traffic heading towards the seaport of Fremantle....
. Previously such shipping had relied on the light on Arthur Head, but this was considered too small.
Construction of the Gage Roads Lighthouse commenced in October 1901. It was built by contractor W. C. Rose under a Public Works Department tender of £2,383. It had a kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
vapour light supplied by Messrs Chance Bros & Co.
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands , in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology....
, Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and a timing pattern that hid the light for three seconds every 30 seconds. It had red, green and white sectors; the red and green were apparently installed incorrectly, and Woodman Light is to this day the only lighthouse in Australia with the red and green sectors reversed. It had a range of 17 nautical miles (31.5 km).
It was officially opened on 23 August 1902. An opening ceremony was held two days later, attended by a number of politicians and businessmen including the Minister for Public Works, Cornthwaite Rason
Cornthwaite Rason
Sir Cornthwaite Hector William James Rason , better known as Hector Rason, was the seventh Premier of Western Australia....
; the Colonial Treasurer James Gardiner
James Gardiner (Australian politician)
The Hon. James Gardiner was treasurer of Western Australia from July 1902 to April 1904, and June 1917 to April 1919.-Early life:...
; the Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary of Western Australia
The Colonial Secretary of Western Australia was one of the most important and powerful public offices in Western Australia, in the time when Western Australia was a British colony. The Colonial Secretary was the representative of the British Colonial Office in Western Australia, and was usually...
, Walter Kingsmill
Walter Kingsmill
Sir Walter Kingsmill was an Australian politician.Born in Glenelg, South Australia, he was educated at St Peter's College in Adelaide and at the University of Adelaide before becoming a geologist. Moving to Western Australia in 1888, he became a mine manager...
; and the Mayor of Fremantle, Lawrence Alexander. The first lighthouse keepers were a Mr Hutchinson and his assistant, Arthur Dray.
New condensing prisms were fitted in 1908. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used by the army as a communications base and observations post, and was therefore placed under guard. In 1944 the clockwork mechanism controlling the occulting of the light was replaced, as the original was considered on the verge of failure. In 1955 the lighthouse was electrified, at a cost of £1300. The new electrified light had a range of about 34.5 nautical miles (63.9 km) in clear weather. On 19 July of that year, the lighthouse was de-manned. The last lighthouse keepers were a Mr McBride and Les Liversea.