East Vernon Light

East Vernon Light is an active lighthouse in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the Clarence Strait on the southern coast of East Vernon Island. The lighthouse guards the northeastern approach to Darwin.[2]

East Vernon Light
Historical view of the original lighthouse
LocationClarence Strait
Northern Territory
Australia
Coordinates12°4′37.99″S 131°5′43.12″E
Tower
Constructed1910s (first)[1]
Foundationfour concrete piles and platform
Constructionmetal skeletal tower (first)
fiberglass tower (current)
Height36 feet (11 m)
Shapesquare pyramidal skeletal tower with balcony and lantern (first)
cylindrical tower and no lantern (current)
Markingsred
Light
First litn/a (current)
Focal height39 feet (12 m)
Rangewhite: 11 nmi (20 km; 13 mi)
red: 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi)
green: 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi)
CharacteristicFl WRG 5s.

History

The original lighthouse was constructed by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service during the "Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses", between 1913 and 1920.[1] It was a square skeletal tower with a lantern and a gallery, about 70 feet (21 m) high. The current red lighthouse was built on the same piles.[2]

The light characteristic shown is a flash every five seconds, with a different color depending on the direction: white on 250°-042° and -094°, red on -088° and green on -105°. The light is obscured elsewhere (Fl.W.R.G. 5s). The red and green lights are visible for 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) while the white light is visible for 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi).[3]

The site is accessible by boat and the tower is closed to the public. The light is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.[2]

See also

Notes
  1. According to Komesaroff 1977. Rowlett lists 1928 as the station establishment.
  2. Rowlett.
  3. List of Lights

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to East Vernon Light.
  • Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Northern Territory". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  • List of Lights, Pub. 111: The West Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. and Hawaii), Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Islands of the North and South Pacific Oceans (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 188.
  • Komesaroff, Michael B. (May 1977). "The Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses". The Victorian Historical Journal. 48 (2). reprinted in "The Golden Age of Australian Lighthouses". Lighthouses of Australia Inc Bulletin (5). September 2003. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  • "The Discovery and Exploration of Australia". australiaoncd.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2010.


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