A directory of 129 coastal lights catalogued across seven states and territories — from the first tower built at South Head in 1818 to the automated stations that guide mariners today. History, heritage listings, photographs and visiting information for every one.
Australia's coastline is 35,877 kilometres long — the seventh longest in the world. For nearly two centuries, lighthouses have marked every dangerous headland, harbour entrance, reef and shoal along it. They were built by colonial administrations, refitted by federation-era engineers, automated in the 1980s and 90s, and many now stand as heritage monuments rather than working aids to navigation.
How many lighthouses are there in Australia? Around 350 lights have marked the Australian coast since the first was lit at South Head in 1818 — counting harbour lights, leading lights and channel markers alongside the major coastal towers. This directory catalogues 129 of the significant coastal lighthouses, with more added as records are digitised.
This site is an attempt to document every one — where it is, when it was built, who built it, whether it still operates, and what you'll find if you visit. Data comes from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Light List, the Australian Heritage Database, and contributing editors of Wikipedia. Photographs are drawn from Wikimedia Commons under their respective Creative Commons licences.
