11. THE LIGHTHOUSES

Lighthouses occupy a special place in the history of modern Australia. They stand as monuments to the transformation of the nation from a colonial outpost to a prosperous society. For millions of people, lighthouses were the first sign of civilization after a long sea voyage to a new home. For others, they are grim reminders of the sea’s dangers. Modern technology has made many lighthouses redundant, but the buildings still evoke a special passion. They remind us of a time when ships ruled the world.

Lights for navigation have existed for more than 3,000 years. Their purpose has been to show ships where they are and to guide them into safe harbours or to warn them of rocks and reefs that could destroy them. Although preventing loss of life has always been a consideration, it is the preservation of ships and cargoes that has been the real driving force behind lighthouse construction.

Lighthouses evolved from a fire on a hilltop to towers engineered to withstand any force the sea could deliver, with beams of light that could be seen for 50 km. They reached their zenith during the first half of the twentieth century but by the end of the same century their future had become uncertain. Today satellite navigation technology is taking the place of the lighthouse as the safe, economic and reliable way to navigate the oceans of the world.

The next challenge in lighthouse construction was to find a way to build towers in shallow waters on a sandy seabed. This was achieved with the development of pile lighthouses, made from either wood or iron with the piles being driven into the seabed. The first tower of this type was built in 1841 at the mouth of London’s Thames River. But it was the USA which became the largest user of this type of lighthouse.

Accurate marine charts are now available for literally the whole of the earth’s watery surface. These charts have also been computerized and in conjunction with GPS can display the exact position of a ship on the screen. When connected to the controls of the ship it even allows the ship to be sailed on automatic pilot over any predetermined course in any kind of weather. The future is here.