Cape Naturaliste - Near Dunsborough, Western Australia
![]() | Lighthouse category: coastal Position: 33° 32.0'S : 115° 2.0'E Status: active Date: 1904 Designer: C S Palmer Tower height: 65 feet Construction: round, limestone tower with lantern and gallery Colour scheme: white Focal plane height: 404 feet Characteristics: two white flashes 2.5 seconds apart, every 10 seconds Foghorn: characteristics of fog signal Google map view: google map link |
Cape Naturaliste is at the very south west corner of Australia with, the headland giving a good view to the north over the Indian Ocean. Although the image appears to show only the very tip of a larger tower, in fact the lighthouse is quite stumpy at 65 feet and most of it is visible in the photo. The fact that the focal plane height is 404 feet gives some idea of the height of the headland on which it stands. The tower is constructed of roughly dressed limestone blocks and, when constructed, was unpainted. The light is stil the original 1st order Chance Bros fresnel lens. The light floats in a mercury bath and was originally rotated by clockwork, but is now electrified. The site is publicly accessible, with parking near the lighthouse, and there are guided tours available daily. The day of my visit was somewhat dull, with fairly heavy overcast, but from memory, it is possible to walk all round the site so, finding a suitable angle for a photograph shouldn't be a major problem.
