Lighthouses of Australia Inc

Operation

The Cape Borda Lighthouse and Cannon
Photograph: Chris Klep

History

The lighthouse was built in 1858, and is the third oldest remaining in South Australia. It is also the only square stone lighthouse in South Australia.

It was built to guide sailing ships arriving in to South Australia off the Roaring Forty trade-winds and into the Investigator Straits and on to Adelaide.

In the early days supplies had to landed by boat and hauled up long steel railway at nearby Harvey's Return.

The small cannon was put in place to be fired during fog to signal ships of danger before the introduction of radio. It was also believed that due to the Russian scare the placement of the cannon was symbolic of a small military presence, and therefore seen as a deterrence to invasion from possible enemy ships! Indeed one of the reasons for building the lightstation in that position was to be a lookout for Russian ships.

In late 1999, NPWSA restored the cannon and test-fired it at Midnight 2000 as part of a global exercise of time-signals at maritime locations around the world. The cannon was found to be Y2K compliant and has since fired every day at the traditional hour of 1pm

It is only one three lighthouses in Australia to retain a Deville lantern room.

The light was converted to automatic operation in 1989.

The Cape Borda Lightstation
Photograph: Winsome Bonham

Keepers

Visiting the small cemetery, at Harvey's Return, where there are 16 headstones, is a solemn reminder of the hardship endured by early lighthouse keepers and their families. One keeper died a slow agonising death after having his eye pierced in a fall. Children died of diseases with no access to medical treatment. One child was found at the bottom of a steep cliff, killed in the fall. Other children simply disappeared in this rugged scrubby terrain.

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to keeper@lighthouse.net.au.

Please include this lighthouse's name, the keepers full name and what years they were keepers. Also include the same information for any other lights they were on.

The Cape Borda Lighthouse at Dusk
Photograph: Brian Lord

Access

The Surrounding Area

• The Cape Willoughby Lighthouse is on the eastern cape of the island.
• The Althorpe Island Lighthouse to the North
• The Cape du Couedic Lighthouse is on the south western side of the island.
• Attractions on Kangaroo Island by SeaLink

• Rob's Photo Gallery - Some photographs of Kangaroo Island

• Touring Guide: Kangaroo Island by South Australian Tourist Commission

• Touring At Your Own Leasure - Kangaroo Island

The Road to the Cape Borda Lighthouse
Photograph: Peter Coombs

Letters

Other Cape Borda Sites

The Cape Borda Lighthouse In Operation
Photograph: Peter Coombs