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Lighthouses of South Australia |
| State Indexes > SA > Point Lowly Lighthouse |
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The Point Lowly Lighthouse The Lowly Point Lighthouse stands out on a point jutting into the northern end of the Spencer Gulf. This light was re-activated in 1995 by the Whyalla City Council. |
| LOCATION: | Latitude 32° 50' S; Longitude 137° 48' E (Map) |
| OPERATOR: | Whyalla City Council |
| CHARACTER: | Group Flash 8 Every 40 Seconds |
| LIGHT SOURCE: | 120v 1000w Tungsten Halogen Lamp |
| POWER SOURCE: | Mains Electricity, Standby Generator |
| INTENSITY: | 1,000,000 cd |
| ELEVATION: | |
| RANGE: | 26 Nautical Miles |
| HEIGHT: | 22.8 metres |
 The Point Lowly Lighthouse Photograph: Whyalla Tourist Centre |
History
The lighthouse was built in 1883 after the conditions were found to be unsatisfactory for the continued use of a lightship at that location. It is the oldest building in the Whyalla area and was used to assist ships going to Augusta and Port Pirie. The original structure was 15 metres in height and was made from local sandstone. Its optical apparatus had an eight side catadioptric lens that revolved once every 80 seconds and gave a 2 second flash every 10 seconds. The light source was a wick burner fuelled by mineral oil. Supplies were landed by boat from Port Pirie on the opposite side of the Gulf. After a number of incidents the height of the light was raised by 7.6 metres to its current level in 1909. At this time a kerosene vaporising light unit was installed. The light was demanned in 1973 after the installation of a Stone Chance Power Beam Beacon on the balcony, which was powered by batteries. In 1979, the light was connected to mains electricity and the lens and lamp were upgraded in this process. The light was turn off in 1993 by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as it believed it was no longer necessary. |
The Point Lowly Lighthouse
Photograph: Whyalla Tourist Centre
After much negotiation the lighthouse was purchased by the Whyalla City Council in 1995 with assistance from the SA State Government. Once under their control the light was re-activated.
The lighthouse reserve is accessible to the public. The road is a sealed bitumen road from Whyalla to the lighthouse at Port Bonython. The trip takes about 20 minutes.
The Point Lowly Lighthouse, Whyalla
Aerial view of the Point Lowly
Lighthouse
Photograph: Winsome Bonham
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last updated: Page created: |
17/02/99 28/02/98 |
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