Unfortunately Cape Liptrap Lighthouse seems to be one of those places where the journey is better than the destination. This is probably partly due to the fact that after Wilsons Promontory anywhere else would seem a bit second best. The drive from The Prom passes through fairly boring farmland which seems to be dominated by wind turbines and coastal lakes with the most notable feature being that the sun sets over the water, confirming the fact I’ve turned the corner and am now heading west.

This boredom instantly changed when I turned off the main road and hit dirt which remarkably seems to pass through an escaped and overgrown bonsai forest. Sadly this was only temporary respite because after emerging from this enchanted forest you arrive at a particularly desolate headland on which is perched a very uninspiring lighthouse.

The establishment of a lighthouse at Cape Liptrap came considerably later than many of Australia’s colonial-era lighthouse projects. By the early 20th century, maritime traffic along Victoria’s coast had increased substantially, with fishing fleets and coastal shipping regularly navigating these waters. Following several near-disasters in fog and storms around the cape, maritime authorities finally approved construction of a lighthouse in 1913.

Unlike the grand stone towers of earlier lighthouse construction, Cape Liptrap represents the more utilitarian approach of early 20th-century lighthouse design. Standing at a modest 8m, high the lantern room features a simple cylindrical design constructed from prefabricated materials that were assembled on site. This construction method reflected both changing technologies and tighter government budgets compared to the Victorian-era golden age of lighthouse building.

The lighthouse’s design maximises functionality while minimizing maintenance requirements. Its straight sided tower lacks the elegant tapering seen in older lighthouses but provides efficient interior space and exemplifies the more contemporary imperative of function being more important than form.

When first commissioned in 1913, the lighthouse was equipped with a modern (for its time) acetylene-powered light with automatic sun valve technology. This innovative system automatically activated the light when ambient light levels fell below a certain threshold, eliminating the need for resident keepers and making Cape Liptrap one of Victoria’s first fully automated lighthouses from its inception.

The original illumination apparatus featured a third-order dioptric lens capable of projecting a beam visible for approximately 18 nautical miles in clear conditions. The light’s characteristic pattern, two flashes every ten seconds, provided mariners with a distinctive signal that could be identified on navigational charts, helping vessels confirm their position even in poor visibility.

Unlike older lighthouses that supported entire keeper communities, Cape Liptraps automated system meant the site never hosted resident keepers. While lacking the dramatic isolation stories of keeper staffed lighthouses, Cape Liptrap has nonetheless faced it’s share of weather related challenges.

The waters surrounding Cape Liptrap have claimed a number of vessels over the decades, though fewer than might have occurred without the lighthouse’s guidance. Local maritime records document instances of fishing vessels and small craft being driven onto the rocky shores during sudden squalls, a particular danger in an area known for its rapidly changing weather conditions.

Today, the Cape Liptrap lighthouse stands as a testament to how far backward the evolution of Australia’s lighthouses has gone since the colonial era when style was considered as important as practical design. It seems ironic that these grand old ladies have stood the test of time much better than their more contemporary offspring which are already showing their age, and lack the enduring charm and elegance of their older grandparents.