Lighthouse drawings

Montague Island lighthouse and keeper’s quarters, 1878 (NAA: A9568, 1/11/1)

The National Archives holds many drawings and plans of lighthouses from across Australia. Although most of these records were created during the colonial period up to 1901, some are as recent as 1968.

The records were transferred to the Commonwealth when it took control of coastal lighthouses from state and territory governments on 1 July 1915.

In 2002 the Archives launched its touring exhibition Beacons by the Sea, which explored the role of lighthouses, from guiding ships to their part in the unification of Australia under Federation.

Among the exhibits were records from series A9568, including plans of the lights, store rooms, watch houses and light keepers' residences. 

Our online shop has two posters of lighthouse drawings for sale – Green Cape lighthouse and Montague Island lighthouse and keeper's quarters.

New South Wales

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Proposed position light for Clarence River Head lighthouse	1878	A9568, 1/4/1
	Light and keeper's quarters, and quarters for boat crews and landing waiters	1860	A9568, 1/5/1
	Green Cape lighthouse	1880	A9568, 1/6/1
	Existing lighthouse and sketches for the engine room at Kiama	1915	A9568, 1/8/2
	Macquarie lighthouse	1879	A9568, 1/10/3
	Quarters for the engineer and assistant at Macquarie lighthouse	1883	A9568, 1/10/12
	Montague Island lighthouse and quarters	1878	A9568, 1/11/1
	Proposed lighthouse at Nobby's	1857	A9568, 1/12/2
	Nobby's light in Newcastle	1911	A9568, 1/12/2
	Designs for leading towers on Sheperds Hill, never built	1857	A9568, 1/12/5
	Position light and keeper's quarters of Richmond River Head lighthouse	1878	A9568, 1/15/1
	Seal Rock Point lighthouse	1874	A9568, 1/16/4
	Seal Rock lighthouse	1874	A9568, 1/16/5
	Proposed lighthouse for Smoky Cape	1888	A9568, 1/17/2
	Seal Rocks lighthouse showing lighting conductor as it was when struck by lightning	1900	A9568, 1/16/8
	South Solitary Island lighthouse	1878	A9568, 1/18/1
	Ulladulla lighthouse	1915	A9568, 1/19/1

Northern Territory

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Proposed sites for lighthouses at Point Emery and Point Charles	1889	A9568, 2/1/1
	Angles covered by light from Point Charles lighthouse	1895	A9568, 2/1/2
	Lighthouse store in Darwin	1915	A9568, 2/1/4

Queensland

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Cape Bowling Green lighthouse	1919	A9568, 3/1/1
	Cape Bowling Green lighthouse – preliminary sketch for conversion to automated	1918	A9568, 3/1/2
	Cape Moreton lighthouse	1854	A9568, 3/6/1
	North Reef lighthouse	1876	A9568, 3/7/1
	Rocky Islet lighthouse – conversion to automated	1920	A9568, 3/9/1
	Sandy Cape lighthouse	1865	A9568, 3/10/2

South Australia

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Port Adelaide lighthouse – never built, 1865	1865	A9568, 4/1/1
	Port Adelaide lighthouse	1865	A9568, 4/1/2
	Lighthouse at the outer bar in Port Adelaide – never built	1866	A9568, 4/1/3
	Keeper's quarters at Port Adelaide lighthouse	1869	A9568, 4/1/6
	Cape Banks lighthouse	1882	A9568, 4/5/1
	Tipara Reef lighthouse	1875	A9568, 4/11/1
	Cape Northumberland lighthouse and keeper's cottage	1856	A9568, 4/12/1
	Proposed new lighthouse for Cape Northumberland	1881	A9568, 4/12/3
	Cape Northumberland lighthouse	c1881 – 1905	A9568, 4/12/7
	Troubridge Shoal lighthouse keeper's cottages	1867	A9568, 4/14/5

Tasmania

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	King Island lighthouse lantern and cast iron for tower.	1876	A9568, 5/1/5
	Eddystone Point lighthouse	1886	A9568, 5/2/2
	Cape Wickham lighthouse lantern	1861	A9568, 5/4/1
	Cape Wickham lighthouse – conversion to automated	1918	A9568, 5/4/3
	Design for a lighthouse on Low Head at the entrance to Tamar river.	1863	A9568, 5/5/1
	Lighthouse at Low Head at the entrance to Tamar river – section and elevation.	1888	A9568, 5/5/2
	Maatstuyker Island lighthouse and proposed wharf.	1891	A9568, 5/6/1
	Mersey Bluff lighthouse	c1889	A9568, 5/7/1
	Bruni Island lighthouse showing alterations and repairs.	1907	A9568, 5/8/2
	Swan Island lighthouse master's quarters showing additions and alterations	1907	A9568, 5/9/1
	Iron Head, South Bruny, Deal Island, Swan Island and Goose Island lighthouses	1848	A9568, 5/10/1

Victoria

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Cliffy Island lighthouse	1884	A9568, 6/1/1
	Cape Everard lighthouse tower	1888	A9568, 6/2/1
	Gabo Island lighthouse	1853	A9568, 6/4/6
	Gabo Island lighthouse	1854	A9568, 6/4/10
	New Gabo Island lighthouse	1860	A9568, 6/4/12
	Cape Otway lighthouse	1846	A9568, 6/6/1
	Cape Otway lighthouse	1846	A9568, 6/6/2
	Wilson's Promontory lighthouse	1857	A9568, 6/9/1
	New quarters for the assistant keeper of Wilson's Promontory lighthouse	1923	A9568, 6/9/3

Western Australia

Lighthouse plans and drawings

	Series title	Date range	Series number
	Black Peak lighthouse	1912	A9568, 7/2/2
	Black Peak lighthouse	1912	A9568, 7/2/2
	Cape Inscription lighthouse keeper's quarters	1915	A9568, 7/8/1
	Jarman Island lighthouse – interior of lantern	1915	A9568, 7/9/4
	Leeuwin lighthouse – section of service room and plan of lantern	1915	A9568, 7/10/1
	Cape Leveque lighthouse – stand for lantern glass and details of ventilating tube	1915	A9568, 7/11/8
	Cape Leveque lighthouse lantern – vertical section of lantern	1915	A9568, 7/11/12
	Cape Naturaliste lighthouse – plan of inside and outside galleries for lantern showing erection works	1915	A9568, 7/13/2
	Oil store for Bathurst Point lighthouse on Rottnest Island	1915	A9568, 7/14/3
	Details of Vlaming Head lighthouse	1915	A9568, 7/15/1
	Vlaming Head lighthouse keeper's quarters	1915	A9568, 7/15/4