Cape Hotham Light

Cape Hotham Light

Cape Hotham, 1928
Location	Clarence Strait Northern Territory Australia
Coordinates	12°2′47″S 131°17′22.22″E
Tower
Constructed	1910s
Foundation	concrete
Construction	metal skeletal tower
Automated	1928
Height	54 feet (16 m)
Shape	square pyramidal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower and lantern
Operator	Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Light
First lit	9 November 1928
Focal height	56 feet (17 m)
Lens	Chance 400 mm fixed catadioptric
Range	white: 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi) red: 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi)
Characteristic	Fl (3) WR 15s.

Plans for the optical apparatus installed in Cape Hotham Light, 1926

Cape Hotham Light is an active lighthouse in the Northern Territory of Australia located on Cape Hotham on the coastline of the Van Diemen Gulf about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of the territory capital of Darwin, The lighthouse marks the entrance to Clarence Strait, the eastern approach to Darwin.

The lighthouse was constructed by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service during the "Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses", between 1913 and 1920.

The light characteristic shown is three flashes, one every two seconds, repeating every 15 seconds (Fl.(3)W.R. 15s). The colour is red on 025°-070° and white elsewhere. The red light is visible for 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) while the white light is visible for 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi).

The site is accessible by boat from Darwin, but the tower is closed to the public. The light is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Cape Hotham

Cape Hotham was named by John Clements Wickham on 26 July 1839, honoring Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham. It is listed in the Register of the National Estate as the "Cape Hotham Forest Reserve", listing "representative ecosystems of the Top End, including monsoon rainforest containing kentia palm (Gronophyllum ramsayi)".

See also

• List of lighthouses in Australia

References

• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Northern Territory". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
• Searle, Garry. "List of Lighthouses - Northern Territory". Lighthouses of Australia. SeaSide Lights.
• List of Lights, Pub. 111: The West Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. and Hawaii), Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Islands of the North and South Pacific Oceans (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 188.
• Komesaroff, Michael B. (May 1977). "The Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses". The Victorian Historical Journal. 48 (2). reprinted in "The Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses". Lighthouses of Australia Inc Bulletin (5). September 2003. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
• "Sydney Heritage Fleet – List of Museums". shf.org.au. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
• "The Discovery and Exploration of Australia". australiaoncd.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
• "Cape Hotham Forest Reserve (listing RNE11)". Australia Heritage Places Inventory. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

External links

• "List of Lighthouses of Northern Territory". Lighthouses of Australia. Lighthouses of Australia Inc.
• Media related to Cape Hotham Light at Wikimedia Commons