Swan Island Lighthouse

 lighthouse  Add category

Swan Island Lighthouse is a large, 27-metre tall round masonry lighthouse located on Swan Island in Tasmania, Australia. Built in 1845 with convict labour, the lighthouse was the first in Bass Strait to be completed and it is now the oldest tower under Federal control. It is unique compared to other lighthouses in Tasmania, in that it's staircase is built around the central support column rather than against the interior lighthouse wall, and it is believed to be the only lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere that has a lantern revolving anti-clockwise.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority currently own the light, an out building and the plot of land it stands on, whilst a couple privately own the remaining area. The lighthouse is solar-powered with a 500watt Tungsten Halogen flashing light, having been powered by a single oil wick lamp from 1845 to 1923, where it was replaced by an incandescent kerosene mantle. In 1938, the light was converted to electricity supplied by twin diesel generators; and from 1986 to 1990 wind generation was experimented with, until the light was finally converted to solar operation.