The evolution of lighthouses around Fremantle tells the story of Western Australia’s transformation from a struggling colony to a major port serving the riches of the golden west. From the earliest beacon fires on Arthur Head to the sophisticated cast-iron towers marking the harbour entrance, these lighthouses have protected countless vessels over nearly two centuries.

From the earliest days of European settlement Arthur Head commanded the entrance to the Swan River. Beacon fires were lit on the headland to guide ships, though these were often confused with other fires burning along the shore. The loss of the barque Amelia on Stragglers Rocks exposed the inadequacy of this system when the pilot mistook a fire on the mainland for the signal on Arthur Head.

The need for a permanent lighthouse was so urgent that it was funded mainly by public subscription, with some government assistance. Construction was completed by February 1850 using convict labour to create a rectangular stone building with a cylindrical tower protruding from one side. The structure housed living quarters for the keeper, and the locally made lantern by Mr Nairn featured three silvered parabolic reflectors producing a fixed white light 92 feet above high water. The light was finally exhibited from 1 June 1851, burning whale oil initially, later replaced by mustard oil.

By 1876 a more powerful light was needed, and construction began on a second lighthouse just ten yards north of the first. This tower, also built by convict labour, stood 22 metres high with a diameter of 6.7 metres and was equipped with a third-order Chance Brothers lens. First lit on 1 October 1879, the second lighthouse served until the transformation of Fremantle Harbour rendered it obsolete. William Efford served as the last lightkeeper from July 1881 to August 1902. The lantern was removed in 1902 and sent to Bunbury, while the tower itself was demolished in 1905 to make way for Arthur Head Battery, its stone reused to build the new harbour’s protective groyne.

As Fremantle Harbour opened in 1897, the inadequacy of the Arthur Head light became apparent. Increasing coastal development made it difficult for ships to distinguish the lighthouse from other lights, with one ship captain nearly mistaking a bright light at the Osborne Hotel in Claremont for the Arthur Head beacon. Steamship companies, particularly P&O, lobbied for a proper leading light after their captains inspected the new harbour.

Construction of a new lighthouse at Woodman Point commenced in October 1901 under contractor W.C. Rose at a cost of £2,383, with the 9.8-metre limestone tower built on a hill approximately one kilometre inland—unusually far from the coast for a lighthouse. The tower was designed by William Tregarthen Douglass, who also designed the Wadjemup Lighthouse on Rottnest Island. The lighthouse was equipped with a first-order Chance Brothers lens and lantern with a kerosene vapour lamp, featuring an innovative occulting pattern that hid the light for three seconds every thirty seconds.

The lighthouse featured three sectors: green to the east, a bright white central sector, and red to the west, with the bright sector visible for 17 nautical miles. Minister for Public Works Hector Cornthwaite Rason officially opened the lighthouse on 23 August 1902, with William Efford transferred from Arthur Head to become its first keeper. New condensing prisms were fitted in 1908, and during World War II the lighthouse served as an army communications base and observation post. The lighthouse was electrified and demanned in 1955, with its range extending to approximately 34.5 nautical miles in clear weather.

The North and South Mole lighthouses were built as part of C.Y. O’Connor’s Fremantle harbour works, which began in 1893. Two identical cast-iron prefabricated lighthouse towers and all associated equipment were ordered from Chance Brothers in Birmingham, England, with one lighthouse designed for the end of each mole.

The South Mole lighthouse was lit first, on 20 July 1903, with a white occulting light using a fourth-order optic. However, problems were immediately noted—the white occulting light was too powerful and caused confusion with the Woodman Point light, as both were visible beyond Rottnest. The solution was to install a fixed green light on South Mole instead. Historical accounts initially suggested the second lighthouse was diverted to Gantheaume Point in Broome, but the lighthouse erected on North Mole is identical to South Mole, suggesting it was finally erected in its originally intended location.

North Mole, being longer, took more time for the rocks to settle, so a temporary wooden pyramidal structure with a light remained in use until 1906. When lit in May 1906, North Mole exhibited a fixed red light, initially oil-powered with plans for immediate electrification. Both towers stand approximately 18 metres high with sectional cast-iron construction on concrete bases. The towers were originally painted French grey with white lanterns, though they have been repainted in various schemes over the decades.

In 1942, when Fremantle Harbour became the largest submarine base in the southern hemisphere, the lanterns were removed from both mole lighthouses to accommodate observation posts and anti-submarine guns, with temporary lights placed on wooden structures. The South Mole lantern was reinstated in November 1946, with North Mole following later. Today, both lighthouses continue their vital role, with South Mole marking the starboard entrance and North Mole marking the port side with quick-flash sequences.

In a unique chapter of Western Australian lighthouse history, the North Breakwater Lighthouse at Hillary’s Boat Harbour represents an innovative recycling of maritime heritage. The 20-metre tower with its distinctive double-helix staircase design was originally erected on Bedout Island, a 31-hectare sandy bank off the Pilbara coast. When the original tower was demolished in 1980 and replaced with a modern stainless steel lattice structure, the lantern house was carefully preserved. In 1986, as Hillarys Marina neared completion ahead of the 1987 America’s Cup Challenge Series, the refurbished lantern was installed at its new home on the north breakwater. The lighthouse, fitted with a new lens, now serves as both a functional navigation aid and a striking landmark for the marina, which was named after WWI Gallipoli veteran Bertram John Hillary. Its unique helix design allows visitors two sets of stairs to access the viewing platform, making it a popular attraction at one of Perth’s premier recreational destinations.

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Technical Details

Arthur Head Lighthouse (First)

First Exhibited: 1 June 1851
Decommissioned: c.1879
Construction: 1849-1850 (convict labour)
Tower Type: Stone, rectangular building with cylindrical tower
Light Source: Three oil lamps with silvered parabolic reflectors
Characteristic: Fixed white
Focal Plane: 92 feet above high water
First Keeper: Unknown (June 1851–Sept 1852)

Arthur Head Lighthouse (Second)

First Exhibited: 1 October 1879
Decommissioned: August 1902
Construction: 1876-1879 (convict labour)
Tower Height: 22 metres
Tower Diameter: 6.7 metres
Construction Material: Stone
Lens: Chance Brothers third-order
Light Source: Kerosene
Last Keeper: William Efford (July 1881–Aug 1902)

Woodman Point Lighthouse

First Exhibited: 23 August 1902
Status: Active (Demanned 19 July 1955)
Construction: 1901-1902
Designer: William Tregarthen Douglass
Tower Height: 9.8 metres
Construction Material: Locally quarried limestone
Lens: Chance Brothers first-order dioptric
Original Light Source: Kerosene vapour lamp
Original Characteristic: Occulting—3 seconds eclipse every 30 seconds
Sectors: Green (east), white (centre), red (west)
Original Range: 17 nautical miles (white sector)
Current Range: 34.5 nautical miles
Electrification: 1955
First Keeper: William Efford (Aug 1902–1906)
Current Operator: Fremantle Port Authority

South Mole Lighthouse

First Exhibited: 20 July 1903
Status: Active (Automated)
Designer: C.Y. O’Connor
Construction Material: Cast iron, prefabricated sections
Manufacturer: Chance Brothers, Birmingham, England
Tower Height: Approximately 18 metres
Original Lens: Fourth-order dioptric
Original Characteristic: White occulting (changed to fixed green)
Current Characteristic: Quick flashing green
Original Range: 17 kilometres
Current Function: Marks starboard side of harbour entrance
Current Operator: Fremantle Port Authority

North Mole Lighthouse

First Exhibited: May 1906
Status: Active (Automated)
Designer: C.Y. O’Connor
Construction Material: Cast iron, prefabricated sections (identical to South Mole)
Manufacturer: Chance Brothers, Birmingham, England
Tower Height: Approximately 18 metres
Original Light Source: Oil (planned for electrification)
Original Characteristic: Fixed red
Current Characteristic: Very quick flashing red (changed 2018)
Original Range: 17 kilometres
Current Function: Marks port side of harbour entrance
Current Operator: Fremantle Port Authority

Hillary’s Marina Lighthouse (North Breakwater)

First Exhibited: 1986 (originally on Bedout Island until 1980)
Status: Active
Original Location: Bedout Island, Pilbara coast
Relocated: 1986
Tower Height: 20 metres
Construction Material: Original lantern house from Bedout Island
Tower Design: Double-helix staircase
Light Source: Refurbished with new lens (1986)
Function: Navigation aid and marina landmark
Location: North breakwater, Hillarys Boat Harbour (18km north of Perth)
Current Operator: Department of Transport WA