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. […]

Be careful what you wish for, after travelling by myself for all but the last three weeks I was looking forward to flying solo again, but the truth is I’d got use to having company and it felt a bit strange to be traveling by myself again. After dropping Richard at Learmonth airport I set […]

Guilderton Lighthouse stands at Wreck Point near the mouth of the Moore River, representing the only major navigation light between Fremantle and the lighthouse on Escape Island off Jurien Bay and the last lighthouse to be built in Western Australia. While this is Western Australia’s newest lighthouse it has a long and tragic history. Before […]

Overseeing the dangerous reefs offshore from Geraldton Point Moore Lighthouse is Australia’s first all-steel tower built on the mainland, a distinctive red and white striped “barbers pole” that has guided ships into Champion Bay for nearly 150 years. At 34 m it was the fourth-tallest lighthouse in Australia and the tallest metal lighthouse in the […]

Although relatively small in stature the Cape Inscription lighthouse is located at a place with a very big history. Dating back to when modern Australia separated from Gondwana, almost before time began, and became our continents western extremity, to the 25th October, 1616 when Dirk Hartog became the first European to set foot on our […]

After dropping Marianne at the airport in Broome I headed 200km up the Dampier peninsula to visit the Cape Leveque lighthouse. To my surprise and disappointment when I got there I discovered that the two local indigenous communities had closed access to the lighthouse, notwithstanding that all indications were that it was open to the […]

Over the past 130 years there have been a number of lighthouses built to assist mariners navigate the treacherous waters surrounding the Ningaloo reef system and barren coast of the North West Cape. Each of the three lighthouses below has an interesting history and each has either been destroyed, damaged or decommissioned and replaced with […]

Vlamingh Head Lighthouse stands on the northwestern extremity of North West Cape, 17 kilometres north of Exmouth, overlooking Lighthouse Bay where the dramatic red cliffs of Cape Range meet the crystalline waters of the Indian Ocean. This remote lighthouse has guided vessels along one of the world’s most treacherous stretches of coastline for over a […]

Jarman Island Lighthouse stands on a small island at the mouth of Butcher’s Inlet in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, marking the entrance to the historic Port of Cossack. This distinctive cast iron tower, rising 50 feet above the rocky island, represents a pioneering chapter in Australian lighthouse construction and played a vital role […]