Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

Construction of Leeuwin Lighthouse

Premier Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia made the decision to locate the Lighthouse at this point on Cape Leeuwin, and in 1895 construction began. 

The lighthouse itself is built of hand-carved tamala limestone which was quarried just a few kilometres away at Quarry Bay and transported to the lighthouse construction site by a temporary railway. The train was not powered, It was pulled by horses the 1.2km (as the crow flies) to the lighthouse site. (More about tamala limestone on wikipedia)

Amazingly, the lighthouse was constructed in only one year and was opened by Premier Forrest in 1896.

One of the TOP 3 Ocean Views in the World

Recently, National Geographic named the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse as one of the top 3 best ocean views in the world.

So just for the VIEW, it is definitely worth a visit!

The grounds of the Lighthouse are well tended, with sealed parts from the main buildings to the lighthouse. 

There are also beautiful wooden walking paths that stretch into the surrounding bushland which offer of amazing views of both oceans.  You can see them from the top of the lighthouse. And what a view. 

Breathtaking. And hard to compare to anywhere. There is just so much water stretching as far as you can see.

Incredible.

Cape Leeuwin
- 34.22° S, 115.08° E

Cape Leeuwin itself is where two great oceans off the Western Australian coast meet: the Indian Ocean and The Southern Ocean.

The wooden walking paths which traverse the rocky peninsula that surrounds the lighthouse are excellently done. The viewing platforms come complete with benches, enabling you to relax and enjoy the incredible sight of these oceans meeging!

Built-in binoculars let you gaze out across the ocean and you get the occasional glimpse of whales, dolphins, and seals from the lighthouse and the area surrounding the lighthouse.

The lighthouse itself, as you can see, is painted entirely white, and is quite a sight. Steeped in history, the lighthouse is worth a visit!

Traditional Maritime

The inside of the Lighthouse used to be painted the traditional Maritime colours of red and green, but the lower floors have been repainted to make it easier for visitors to navigate the steps.

This working lighthouse is the tallest in mainland Australia, and the third tallest in all of Australia if you include the outlying islands.

"World's Mariners"

Premier Forrest dedicated the Lighthouse, and the inscription reads "dedicated to the world's mariners".  And he was correct, there has not been a shipwreck since the lighthouse became operational.  A mariner's blessing! 

The Lighthouse welcome centre has lots of information on the lighthouse and surrounding area, and also has a cozy little cafe. 

Audio Guide

With the tour price, you also are given excellent audio guides which share lots of informative history about the lighthouse, the keepers, and the times that they lived. We highly recommend strolling through the grounds learning from this informative audio guide.