Positioned at the entrance to Banks Strait, Swan Island Lighthouse stands as Tasmania’s oldest continuously operating lighthouse. Even though it’s only 5 km off the coast, this is a very sparsely populated region and the nearest settlement of any consequence is Bridport, which is over 50km away and only accessible by boat.

Many shipwrecks occurred around the island, the first being the brig ‘Brenda’ in 1832.

Built in 1845, the light from the tower was the first to be established in Bass Strait, being completed before that of Goose Island which had been started earlier. It is now the oldest tower under Federal control. Cape Bruny, though built seven years earlier, has been decommissioned.

The lighthouse is a round masonry tower built with convict labour. Originally painted white with a red lantern room, it is now completely white. Designed by Colonial Architect James Blackburn, and built using convict labour, the lighthouse is a remarkable example of early Victorian engineering. The circular brick tower rises 16 meters high, with its focal plane positioned 22 meters above sea level, allowing the light to be visible for approximately 18 nautical miles. Its construction was a significant achievement, with locally produced bricks transported to the isolated island under challenging conditions.

Throughout its operational history, the lighthouse underwent numerous technological transformations. The lighthouse was converted to automatic operation in 1985 and to solar power in 1986, marking its evolution from a manually operated station to a fully autonomous unmanned outpost.

Early living conditions were harsh with buildings being sandblasted by the prevailing winds. Fresh water was scarce and barely fit for drinking. There was also inadequate housing for the convict watchmen who often sheltered in the base of the tower.

Discipline was difficult as the men resented the solitary life and the Headkeeper had no authority to turn to reprimand the men. At one stage the convicts even hatched an escape plot. Another time they raided a wreck and plundered its provisions. Eventually it was agreed that employing convicts as assistants was unsatisfactory and allowances were raised to attract free men to the positions.

With the construction of a new Georgian-style 4-roomed superintendents’ cottage in 1850, the assistants who had previously been sheltering in the base of the tower were able to shift into the original 1845 house which was also used for stores. The new 1850 house became known as Eliza’s Cottage.

Charles Chaulk Baudinet was the longest serving keeper on Swan Island. He took over as Superintendent in March 1867 and retired 25 years later in 1891. Charles’ wife, Eliza, died of dropsy mortification and is buried in the only marked grave on the island. However, two children who drowned on the island are buried on either side of the grave, their wooden crosses having long since disappeared. It is also believed that there are several unmarked graves of Aboriginals forcibly resettled on the island from the Tasmanian mainland. Andy Gregory, the last keeper, left in 1986.

Due to its isolation, lack of communications and other dangers, there were a number of other avoidable medical emergencies and deaths on the island relating to keepers and their families, including these two tragedies.

The island was infamous for its huge population of deadly tiger snakes. The island was named after the swans that once inhabited it, but the snakes may have been responsible for their eventual disappearance. In the days before they were protected, one keeper reported killing 1,000 snakes in a twelve-month period. Mutton birds nested on the island, but it was impossible for keepers and their families to harvest the chicks due to tiger snakes living in virtually every burrow.

Inevitably the interface between snakes and humans led to tragedy, compounded by the island’s remoteness. In November 1933, Roy Patterson, 15-year-old son of the assistant lighthouse keeper, was accidentally killed when he and his close friend Lawrence Williams (the Head Keeper’s son) were out shooting snakes. At the time the only means of communication was by flagging a passing ship, or by using a heliograph to form morse code symbols via controlled flashes of the sun. It was a heliograph message that alerted the steamer Kowhai, which transported the boy’s body to Bridport. The inquest had to be held on the island, as the light could not be left unattended.

Two years later there was another awful situation when the next head keeper, Arthur Hickman, fell seriously ill just before Christmas. It was not until December 28 that distress signals were noticed by the steamer Lutana. Hickman and his wife Flo had to be taken down to the jetty on a bullock-drawn sled before being transferred to the Lutana in a dinghy.

Other unusual features of this lighthouse include the spiral staircase that is anchored to the central column rather than the walls of the tower as is the case in most other lighthouses, and the fact that it revolves in an anti-clockwise direction, only one other lighthouse Australia does this and I haven’t been able to find out the reason for this anomaly.

During World War II, the station served as an important coastal observation post, adding to its historical significance.

Today, Swan Island is privately owned but the lighthouse is maintained by AMSA.

Technical Details:

First Exhibited: 1st November, 1845

Architect: James Blackburn

Status: Active

Location: Lat: 40° 43.6713′ S Long: 148° 07.5403′ E

Original Optic: Rotating 920mm catadioptric with 8 dioptric bullseye panels, with fixed upper and lower mirrors.

Current Optic: Tideland Nova-250

Automated: 16th November 1985

Demanned: 31st October 1986

Construction: Circular rubble stone tower painted white

Height: 16 m

Elevation: 27 m

Range: Nominal: 15 nm Geographical: 15 nm

Character Flashing: Fl. W. 7.5 secs

Intensity: 13,316 cd

Light Source: High intensity LED’s

Power Source: Solar (Wind to solar power conversion March 1990)

Operator: AMSA, the island has been privately owned since 1986