Competitors in the upcoming Sydney to Hobart yacht race will be sailing past an important part of Australia’s nautical – and solar – history.
When the competitors reach Tasmania, they’ll come within sight of the Iron Pot Lighthouse in Storm Bay, south of Hobart. The lighthouse is just 11.2 nautical miles to the race finish line at Castray Esplanade.
Iron Pot was built in 1833 to replace a temporary structure erected the year before. It was the first lighthouse in Tasmania, and only the second in Australia.
Its light was originally fueled by whale oil and would consume approximately 440 gallons of oil annually.
In 1904, the fuel and light were changed to a petroleum burner based arrangement. It was the first light in Australia to use vapourised kerosene as illuminant.
While isolated, life was anything but dull at times for the lighthouse keepers of the day and their families.
“In September 1895 The Mercury newspaper reported that a fierce storm hit the Iron Pot. The storm caused significant damage including washing away five of the islands water tanks, and a 90 feet x 3 ½ foot sandstone wall which protected the lighthouse,” according to the Heritage Tasmania web site.
“The seas reportedly flooded the keepers’ houses and moved two of them three feet from their foundations. Huge boulders were thrown by the sea onto the island, and a large wooden store shed was completely washed away. Windows were smashed and water poured over the balcony of the lighthouse.”
Other reports state kelp was found on the uppermost rails of the lighthouse, which was over 20 metres above sea level. No lives were lost and the lighthouse keepers managed to kept the light going throughout the ordeal.
In 1920, the fixed white light was converted to revolving white light by inserting a revolving cylinder and the fuel used was changed to acetylene gas. The lighthouse was also automated, so the residences and associated buildings were dismantled – only the the lighthouse, a derrick crane and a sandstone wall still stand.
Iron Pot would go on to burn acetylene gas until 1977; when after its servicing was taken over by Tasmania’s Marine Board it was converted to a battery operated light powered by solar panels. It’s not clear if this was the first use of solar power in lighthouses in Australia, but it was certainly among the first instances. Specifications for the system were not able to be located at the time of publishing.
Lighthouse trivia – The last officially manually operated lighthouse in Australia was Maatsuyker Island in Tasmania, Australia’s most southerly light. It was replaced with a solar powered light in 1995.
Sources
Lighthouses of Australian Inc.
Heritage Tasmania
ABC Hobart
My Sailing
