Cape Otway Lighthouse -- in southern Victoria, Australia, about 50 miles southwest of Melbourne -- is nicknamed the “Beacon of Hope.” 

For thousands of immigrants in the 1800s, Cape Otway was the first sight of land after leaving Europe, Asia, and North America. It’s the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Australian mainland and it’s also considered the most significant.

19th century illustration of Cape Otway

Alex Parry at Cape Otway

Built in 1848, the lighthouse stands on a high cliff at the western entrance to Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania. Frequent shipwrecks in the area with hundreds of lives lost led to the establishment of the lighthouse.

In 1891, the original system of 21 whale oil lamps and parabolic reflectors was replaced by a first-order Fresnel lens manufactured by Chance Brothers in England.

Today, overnight accommodations are available in the head keeper’s cottage. Alex Parry is the operations coordinator for Cape Otway Light Station.

Sarah MacHugh

Sarah MacHugh co-hosts this episode.