Happy birthday to the Cape Don Light on the Cobourg Peninsula which turns 100 today. It was built during what’s regarded as the "golden age of Australian lighthouses” and promised a safer passage to Darwin. But its construction was not without significant challenges. Work began in 1915 with materials shipped from Melbourne, but the closest spot they could find to drop them off was three miles from the site of the lighthouse, making the whole process more difficult. Then an earthquake hit the tower just a month before it was to begin operating, although luckily the damage was’t too severe. After all its setbacks, the Cape Don Light was officially lit on this day in 1917 and remains Australia's most northern lighthouse.
Published: 17 September 2017