Lighthouse records in Tasmania

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The first lighthouse in Tasmania was erected on Iron Pot Islet at the mouth of the Derwent River in 1832 to guide ships to the port of Hobart. Construction of lights around the Tasmanian coast and nearby islands to mark hazards and assist navigation continued through the rest of the nineteenth century. The administration of coastal lighthouses became a Commonwealth responsibility with Federation in 1901, but the transfer of control did not occur until 1915 when the Lighthouses Act 1911 came into effect.

Records held

The Hobart Office holds records relating to the operation of manned Tasmanian lighthouses dating from the 1850s to the 1960s. These include records of individual lighthouses, such as logbooks, weather reports and visitors’ books, as well as more general records, including correspondence files of lighthouse and coastal navigation administration in Tasmania. Details of major record holdings are listed below. A more complete list of holdings is available from the Hobart Office.

General records relating to Tasmanian lighthouses
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Drawings of Commonwealth buildings – Tasmania 1903–32 P1715
Correspondence files of Tasmanian lighthouse administration 1922–61 P1129
Correspondence files of Tasmanian lighthouse administration 1916–62 P1130
Files and papers relating to particular Tasmanian lighthouses 1919–62 P1131

Examples of record holdings of individual Tasmanian lighthouses
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Cape Bruny – Lightstation log books 1882–1996 P783
Cape Bruny – Visitors books 1957–96 P1191
Cape Bruny – monthly record of fog 1919–62 P1117
Cape Bruny – monthly returns of weather 1918–62 P1119
Cape Bruny – journal of weather reports 1886–1917 P1190
Cape Bruny – meteorological observations 1875–86 P1192
Cape Sorell – Lightstation log books 1917–71 P782
Cape Sorell – Visitors books 1918–71 P775
Cape Sorell – monthly record of fog 1921–62 P1151
Cape Sorell – monthly returns of weather 1919–62 P1152
Cape Wickham – Lightstation journals 1861–1918 P2426
Currie Harbour – monthly record of fog 1919–41 P1145
Currie Harbour – lightstation journals and monthly returns 1880–1988 P1147
Deal Island – Lightstation log books 1920–92 P1113
Deal Island – monthly returns of weather 1919–62 P1171
Deal Island – monthly record of fog 1920–62 P1173
Eddystone Point – Lightstation log book 1889–1993 P784
Eddystone Point – Visitors books 1932–93 P777
Eddystone Point – monthly returns of weather 1919–62 P1140
Eddystone Point – monthly record of fog 1920–62 P1141
Goose Island – journal of weather reports 1915–17 P1166
Goose Island – monthly returns of weather 1926–30 P1167
Low Head – Lightstation log books 1937–94 P786
Low Head – stores book for the lighthouse 1896–1926 P1155
Low Head – monthly returns of weather 1919–62 P1158
Low Head – monthly record of fog 1920–62 P1160
Maatsuyker Island – Lightstation log books 1893–1999 P781
Maatsuyker Island – monthly record of fog 1919–62 P1124
Maatsuyker Island – monthly returns of weather 1919–62 P1125
Maatsuyker Island – Weather reports 1935–38 P1194
Swan Island – Lightstation log books 1867–1986 P778
Swan Island – Visitors books 1919–86 P1588
Swan Island – monthly record of fog 1921–62 P1135
Swan Island – monthly returns of weather 1919–62 P1136
Tasman Island – Lightstation log books 1906–76 P779
Tasman Island – monthly returns of weather 1931–62 P1163
Tasman Island – monthly record of fog 1928–58 P1164
Tasman Island – Weather reports 1935–38 P1194

Further information

Tasmanian lighthouses

Records for lighthouses located at Cape Forestier, Circular Head, Iron Pot Islet (Derwent Light), Emu Bay, Hunter Island, Mersey Bluff, Table Cape and Three Hummock Island, are held by other offices of the National Archives. Keyword searches on RecordSearch using the name of the lighthouse will identify records of interest.

Other lighthouses in Australia

Records held by the Archives Office of Tasmania

Many relevant records for the period before Federation are held by the Archives Office of Tasmania, part of the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office.