VI5CW

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse,

Kangaroo Island,

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

ITU zone - 59.

CQ zone - 30.

IOTA OC-139.

Grid- PF94bd

(Lat. 35°50.7' S, Long. 138°08.0' E).

International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend (ILLW) - AU-0095.

Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) - AUS-051.

World Lighthouse on the Air (WLOTA) - LH 0869.

Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals - K2112.

 

 

 

Between Friday the 17th August, 2012 and Monday 20th August, 2012, seven VK amateur radio operators will be operational from the Cape Willoughby lighthouse, Kangaroo Island, South Australia (IOTA OC-139).

Kangaroo Island is Australia's third largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is 112 kms SW of Adelaide and its closest point to the mainland is 13 kms off Cape Jervis. The island which covers an area of 4,405 km2, is 150 km long and between 900 m and 57 km wide.

The Cape Willoughby lighthouse was the first lighthouse to be erected in South Australia, having been built in 1852. It lights the Backstairs Passage between Kangaroo Island and the South Australian mainland. The lighthouse is 26 metres high and was constructed of granite and limestone, quarried from a cleft in the cliff at the base of the tower. The lighthouse is approximately 75 metres above sea level.

The year 2012 coincides with the 15th anniversary of the International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend (ILLW) and the 160th anniversary of the Cape Willoughby lighthouse.

There are no known active amateur radio operators who live permanently on Kangaroo Island. This is only the 2nd time in the 15 year history of the ILLW, that a lighthouse has been activated from Kangaroo Island (the last was in 1999).

For more information please look at our website

(Please sign our Guestbook on the website):-

 

http://simmopa.wix.com/capewilloughby

 

 

 

 

QSL Instructions:-

 

1. Direct via VK5PAS

(Overseas stations please include Self addressed envelope AND one curent IRC OR 2 USD).

(Stations within Australia please include Self addressed Stamped envelope).

2. VK5 Bureau

3. eQSL

4. Logbook of The World (LOTW).

 

 

 

 

 

Operators are:-

Paul, VK5PAS

Sasi, VK5SN

Mark, VK5VW

David, VK5KC

Hans, VK5YX

Lesley, VK5LOL

 

Above:- View of the Cape Willoughby lighthouse and cottages.

Above:- The Cape WIlloughby lighthouse.

Above:- View of the lighthouse & cottages at sunset.

Above:- The cottages constructed in c. 1927, as viewed from the lighthouse.

Above:- the quarry from where granite & limestone was taken (known as Devils Kitchen), and a view of the lantern room.

Above:- The Cape WIlloughby lantern at the National Trust museum, Kingscote.

Above: The lighthouse, c. 1905.

Above:- The Sturt Light topped with the original De Ville lantern.

Above:- View of the original lighthouse keeper cottages.

Above:- Lighthouse keeper George Angus & family, c. 1913.

Above:- The lighthouse, signal station & cottage, c. 1915

Above:- A view of the lighthouse with the Chance Bros apparatus which was fitted in 1923.

Above:- The lighthouse with the Chance Bros. lantern room from Tipara Reef, c. 1925.

Above:- the lighthouse, c. 1923.

Above:- the lighthouse & new cottages, c. 1928.

 

 

Courtesy of www.pleasetakemeto.com

Please click on the video below to watch a short (1 minute long) video on Kangaroo Island.

 

The following is taken from a letter written in 1853 by William Anderson Cawthorne, the son of WIlliam Cook Cawthorne, who was the first lighthouse keeper at Cape Willoughby. It was written following the son's trip to visit his father on Langaroo Island. The person referred to as 'Nat' in the story was Nat Thomas, the second keeper under W.C. Cawthorne.

Courtesy of Wren Lashmar.

"Friday 17th.

.....After a ride of about 3 hours, the bullock dray brought us to the residence of the head light keeper on Cape WIlloughby, midst a solitude profound, and about half a mile from the Lighthouse, whose grim aspect added little to the scenery in the way of beauty. About midnight went to the Lighthouse to see the machinery wound up, the lamps trimmed, etc, and was much pleased with all I saw.

Saturday 18th.

Strolled about, was duly cautioned about snakes, upwards of 120 of which were killed in the first year of the building of the Lighthouse. They were everywhere ! Three dogs were killed by them just before I arrived. These with the hawks, guanas, and blowflies are the pests of the place. As the latter, they exceed credibility. The guanas came boldly and seized a chicken, and when caught will not release their bite.

Sunday 19th.

......All around the Cape there are no sandy beaches, all round granite boulders. They are most tiresome to walk on. Found a great variety of sponges.

Monday 20th.

Inspected the Lighthouse from top to bottom. Everything very clean and orderly. It is a huge circular pillar, built of large blocks of granite, and the facings of the door and windows of fine yellow sand stone. There are five flights of stairs containing 100 steps.

The light room is all iron and plate glass, in the centre of which stands a revolving iron stem containing 15 lamps, with parabolic reflectors. The stem is moved around at different rates, when required, by clockwork machinery. Five lamps form a group, and produce a concentrated flash of great brilliancy. Outside the light room is an iron railing, and at the panes of glass, at night time, thousands of insects of all kinds flutter and congregate together. There could not be a better place for an entomologist.

The Lighthouse stands on the very pitch of the Cape, exposed to all the fury of the elements. Massive as it is, the rain has managed to penetrate on one side so as to cause the walls to drip with dampness. This must be seen to before it becomes a serious matter. A coat of stucco, I believe, is the only remedy. The tanks also have given way, so that in the event of a drought of water, the nearest pool would be eight miles. The present distance is about a mile and a half, over a huge hill. Water is scarce at Kangaroo Island.

Wednesday 22nd.

Dined on Cape Baron goose. Two of these creatures actually alighted near the head light keepers house and strove to get into the garden. He then went out, caught one by the leg, and shot the other. Very fine eating. Killed a snake at the hole where the water is obtained, he was eating small frogs.

Thursday 23rd.

Shot a fine eagle that had done sundry damage amongst the poultry. One of the keepers brought in a live guana and wallaby which he caught in the snares. Assisted in taking out some potatoes which grew very fine on Kangaroo Island, as well as all vegetables.

Friday 24th.

....As the poor keepers have no regular communication with town, they are frequently very hard up for want of provisions. Salt meat of course, is the staple article, varied with goat and pork when Nat can spare them. When I arrived, they were smoking hops for tobacco, and using roasted peas for coffee. Wallaby hunting and fishing require a great deal of time, more than they can spare and a bit of fresh mutton or beef would be a delicacy.

Saturday 25th.

Christmas day-all hands in their best in honour of the day. Fowls and green peas, plum pudding, the fatted calf that had been treasured up for many a day. Long conversations upon Christmas past and Christmas future. Visited, in the company of the head light keeper, the light at midnight."

 

Please find below, some interesting articles from years gone by about the Cape Willoughby lighthouse, and amateur radio on Kangaroo Island:

 

Above:- Article from The Register, Tuesday 6 January, 1852, about the opening of the lighthouse.

Above:- Article from The Register, Friday 3 July 1925 .

 

Above:- Article from the Barrier Miner, 22 January, 1930

Above:- Article from The Border Watch, Tuesday 9 June 1942

 

 

Some interesting Links:-

 

http://illw.net/

 

http://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/

 

http://www.lighthouse.net.au/lights/index.asp

 

http://dx-code.org/

 

http://www.alk.org.uk/

 

http://www.worldlighthouses.org/

 

http://dx-world.net/

 

http://www.hopecottagemuseum.com/

 

http://www.southaustralia.com/

 

http://www.lhdigest.com/

 

 

http://arlhs.com/

 

http://www.wlota.com/

 

 

BEST WISHES FROM KANGAROO ISLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

 

 

Lighthouse photographs, maps, & newspaper articles on this page appear courtesy of / and with the permission of:-

Lighthouses of Australia Inc, www.lighthouse.net.au

Tourism Kangaroo Island, ​www.tourkangarooisland.com

World Atlas Travel, www.worldatlas.com

Andrew BURCH, Panoramio, www.panoramio.com

Bill ROBINSON, Panoramio, www.panoramio.com

State Library of South Australia.

Trove, National Library of Australia, www.trove.nla.gov.au.

The South Australian Tourism Commission, www.southaustralia.com