Lighthouses

Introduction

Explore archival records on Tasmanian lighthouses. Records cover Tasmanian lighthouses from the 1832 station at Iron Pot in the Derwent Estuary up to 1915, when responsibility for lighthouses was transferred to the Commonwealth Government.

What is online?

• Logbook returns sent in from lighthouse keepers – returns for Cape Wickham lighthouse (AB760)
• 1876-1925 Record of men employed in the Lighthouse Service as Keepers and Assistant Keepers (AE476)
• 1899-1915 Record of men employed in the Lighthouse Service (other than Lighthouse Keepers) (AE477)
• 1879-1881 Lighthouse returns of men employed (MB2/20/1/1-3)
• Search for images of Tasmanian lighthouses using our catalogue
• Check out our images of Tasmanian lighthouses on Flickr
• Digitised resources in the library catalogue on Tasmanian lighthouses

What else is there?

These are the more significant records relating to Lighthouses.

Archival records of Tasmanian lighthouses are not available online but can be requested in person. Please use the unique series identifier (e.g. AB830) when requesting these records.

General records

• 1850-1904 General correspondence about lighthouses kept separately from the correspondence and returns sent in from lighthouse keepers (MB2/6)
• 1858-1997 Minutes of meetings of the Marine Board (AB830)
• 1860-1941 Tenders, contracts, plans and associated papers relating to repairs and additions to wharves, lighthouses and buildings with gaps (MB2/103)
• 1884-1899, 1911 Letterbooks on lighthouse matters (MB2/23)
• 1899-1948 Correspondence and associated papers relating to lighthouses and leading lights including transfer of lighthouses to the Commonwealth (PWD41)
• 1913-1934 Correspondence about the transfer of the lighthouse service from the State to the Commonwealth (AB821)

Logbooks, reports and returns from lighthouses

1846-1934 Correspondence with and returns and reports from lighthouse keepers (MB2/5)

These include:

• Bruny Island
• Cape Wickham (King Island)
• Derwent (Iron Pot)
• Emu Bay
• Goose Island
• Kents Group
• Low Head
• Maatsuyker Island
• Macquarie Heads
• Mersey Bluff
• Swan Island
• Table Cape
• Tasman

1852-1886 Logbook returns sent in from lighthouse keepers 1852-1886 (AB760)

Includes:

• Bruny Island
• Cape Bruny
• Currie harbour (King Island)
• Deal Island (Kent Group)
• Derwent (Iron Pot)
• Emu Bay
• Goose Island
• Kents Group
• Low Head
• Oak Point
• Swan Island

Logbook kept at Macquarie Inner Lighthouse 1894-1908, 1910-1912 (MB3/28)

Journal of Henry W Kendrick, Lighthouse keeper, Table Cape Jun – Oct 1895 (NS1470)

Employment records

1858-1902 Record of men employed in the Lighthouse Service arranged by Station (AE478)

Other photos and plans of lighthouses not digitised

• Search the Tasmanian Archives for photographs of lighthouses
• All images of lighthouses in library catalogue

Public Works Department records

• Bruny Lighthouse (PWD266/1196 & PWD266/1197)
• Cape Sorell (PWD266/2434)
• Eddystone Point (PWD266/2450)
• For other lighthouse plans, see the Plan Card Index in the Hobart Reading Room.
• Lighthouse Keeper – a film about the life of the lighthouse keeper and his family on Maatsuyker Island in about 1950 (AC672/1/111)

Notes

• The first lighthouse in Tasmania was erected on Iron Pot Island at the mouth of the Derwent River, in 1832.
• In 1825 a special Pilotage and Harbour Dues Committee recommended the erection of a lighthouse on the “Pot” – the expense to be defrayed by a small tax on traders.
• From 1824 to 1858 the Port Officer had responsibility for the lighthouses. See the records of the Colonial Secretary’s Office under the headings of Lighthouses, Port Officer and the names of the individual lights.
• In 1858 the Hobart Marine Board was constituted by an Act of Parliament. The Act vested the control, management and maintenance of the lighthouses to the Board.
• The Commonwealth Government took over responsibility for administration of lighthouses in 1915. The National Archives holds many records relating to lighthouses.

Related

The records listed are the most significant related to lighthouses. Search the archives for more.