Lighthouses of Australia: Northern Territory

The independent Commonwealth of Australia occupies the entire Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. British exploration and settling of the continent began late in the 1700s, with the first colony established in the Sydney area in 1788. By the 1850s there were six British colonies, including New South Wales and Queensland in the east, Victoria and South Australia in the south, Western Australia in the west, and Tasmania off the south coast. The Commonwealth was formed on New Years Day 1901 as a federation of the six colonies. Australia is both the smallest continent and the sixth-largest country in the world, with a population of about 26 million.

Australia's Northern Territory occupies the north central part of the country with a tropical coastline facing the Timor Sea to the northwest, the Arafura Sea to the north, and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the east. Except for the port and naval base of Darwin the coast is thinly populated and difficult to reach.

The territory has five more or less traditional lighthouses, all associated with the approaches to Darwin. Unfortunately, all the lighthouses are either closed to the public or difficult to reach, so they are not very well known.

The lighthouses are managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) or by the Darwin Port Corporation.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume Q of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 111.

General Sources
Lighthouses of Northern Territory
The section of the Lighthouses of Australia site devoted to Northern Territory lights.
AMSA Heritage Lighthouses
An interactive map links to information and photos for the major AMSA lighthouses.
Lighthouses and Lightvessels in Australia - Northern Territory
Index to Wikipedia articles; many include photos.
World of Lighthouses - Northern Territory
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Australia
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Photos for the Darwin area are by Jim Smith.
Leuchttürme Australiens und Ozeaniens auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
GPSNauticalCharts
Navigation chart for northern Australia.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for northern Australia.

Point Charles Light
Point Charles Light, Darwin, November 2010
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Djambalawa

Tiwi Islands Shire Lighthouse
Cape Fourcroy
1945. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2 s, every 15 s. 15 m (49 st) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery; entire structure painted white. Lighthouses of Australia's page has Winsome Bonham's aerial photo, a 1980 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. There is also an aerial photo taken by the crew sent to service the lighthouse in June 2019. Located at the southwestern point of Bathurst Island, marking the entrance to Beagle Gulf and the beginning of the approach to Darwin from the Timor Sea. The island is an aboriginal reserve and visitors need a permit from the Tiwi Islands Land Council. Tours are available from Darwin. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-244; Admiralty Q3318; NGA 9520.

Darwin Area Lighthouses
Fish Reef
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white or red light depending on direction, 2 s on, 8 s off. 10 m (33 ft) robust concrete post supporting a round platform. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the entrance to the Beagle Gulf, the sea between Bathurst Island and the mainland, about 40 km (25 mi) west of Darwin. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3330; NGA 9535.9.
* Point Charles
1893. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); white flash every 5 s. 32 m (105 ft) hexagonal pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with central cylinder, lantern, and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Wikipedia has a fine article including the photo seen above, Wikimedia has additional photos, Shane Bartie has a 2015 photo, Allan Laurence has an aerial photo, Huelse has posted a historic postcard image of the light station, and Google has a satellite view. The oldest lighthouse in Northern Territory, Point Charles Light was prefabricated in England by Chance Brothers. In the late 1990s, the surrounding land, formerly a Radio Australia facility, was leased to Christian Voice Broadcasting. CVB fenced the property in 2003, shutting off public access to the lighthouse. However, the lease expired in June 2010 and it is reported that access has been restored. A 2014 Google street view shows the entrance to Point Charles Lighthouse Road is not gated. Located on a headland of the Cox Peninsula about 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Port Darwin. The driving distance is much longer and some local guidance is advised. Site believed to be open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. . ARLHS AUS-056; Admiralty Q3321; NGA 9524.
Emery Point (2)
1915 (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 18 m (60 ft); three flashes every 15 s, white or red depending on direction. 9.5 m (31 ft) square steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery; entire structure painted white. A photo is at right, Lighthouses of Australia has two photos, Trabas has Smith's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Wikimedia has historic photos including a photo of the first lighthouse. An LED lamp was installed in 2014. Located in the Larrakeyah Barracks, a historic military post at the entrance to the inner harbor of Darwin. Site and tower closed (Larrakeyah Barracks is now the headquarters of Australia's Northern Command). Operator: Darwin Port Corporation (?). Site manager: Larrakeyah Barracks. ARLHS AUS-071; Admiralty Q3324; NGA 9528.
Emery Point Light
Emery Point Light, Darwin, July 2007
Flickr photo copyright suey_j; used by permission
Northwest Vernon Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) white fiberglass tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. The three Vernon Islands are obstructions in the Clarance Strait, between the mainland and Melville Island. The strait connects the Beagle Gulf on the west to the Van Dieman Gulf on the east. Located off the west end of Vernon Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3317.5; NGA 9538.
Southwest Vernon Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 6 m (20 ft) white fiberglass tower. Trabas has Smith's photo, Anna Strumillo has a view from the sea (misidentified as Northwest Vernon Island), and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on the northern tip of Southwest Vernon Island, about 10 km (6 mi) west southwest of the East Vernon Light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3317; NGA 9536.
East Vernon (2)
Date unknown (station established 1928). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) square cylindrical white fiberglass tower mounted on a square platform supported by robust piles. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery that appears to be twice the listed height of the present tower. The present tower is built on the same piles that supported the original. The light guides vessels approaching Darwin from the northeast. Located just offshore on the south side of East Vernon Island, about 60 km (40 mi) northeast of Darwin. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AUS-066; Admiralty Q3316; NGA 9540.
Cape Hotham
1928. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); three flashes, separated by 2 s, white or red depending on direction, every 15 s. 16.5 m (54 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery; entire structure painted white. Lightphotos.net has a closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was restored in 2022 by CivilPlus Constructions; the company's photo of the results is at right. Located at the end of a long peninsula about 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Darwin, marking the eastern entrance to the Clarence Strait. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site status unknown, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-245; Admiralty Q3315; NGA 9544.

Cape Hotham Light, Clarence Strait, 2022
photo copyright CivilPlus Constructions Pty. Ltd.

West Arnhem Shire Lighthouses
Arnhem Land is a large, very thinly populated region at the northeastern corner of the Northern Territory.
Cape Don
1917. Active; focal plane 50 m (163 ft); white flash every 10 s. 36 m (118 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery rising from an octagonal base. Tower unpainted, lantern painted white. The keeper's houses have been converted to a fishing lodge; renovated in 2010, they are available for overnight accommodations. A photo is at right, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Peter Robo has an aerial photo taken in 1981. Cape Don is Australia's northernmost traditional lighthouse, standing in latitude 11°18.0' S. This is the only Northern Territory lighthouse on the territory's Heritage Register. In 2005 the original Chance Brothers 3rd order Fresnel lens and its rotating apparatus were discovered in storage and donated to the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane. Located on the western tip of the Cobourg Peninsula, marking the entrance to the Dundas Strait and Van Diemen Gulf. Accessible by boat or by air; driving from Darwin is possible in the dry season but requires permits and careful preparation. Site open, tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. ARLHS AUS-028; Admiralty Q3314; NGA 9548.
[Smith Point]
Date unknown. Daybeacon, never lit. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round strongly conical stone cairn. Heshan Hewasiribaddana has a 2018 photo and Google has a satellite view. Smith Point is one of several northern "fingers" of the Cobourg Peninsula. There is a national park campground on the point, but reaching it requires careful planning and permits; not for the casual visitor. Located at the tip of the point. Site open, tower closed.
Cape Croker
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 5 s. 4 m (13 ft) white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located near the northern tip of Croker Island about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Cape Don. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3313.4; NGA 9552.2.
New Year Island (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 30 m (98 ft) white skeletal tower. A view from the sea (halfway down the page) is available and Google has a distant satellite view. The light guides vessels around the east end of the Cobourg Peninsula. The Northern Territory Library has a 1986 photo of the first lighthouse, a slender round cylindrical steel tower with gallery supported by guy wires. Located on a small island in the Arafura Sea about 60 km (40 mi) northeast of Cape Don. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS AUS-179; Admiralty Q3313; NGA 9552.

Cape Don Light, West Arnhem, October 2008
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Andy-La Paloma
Haul Round Island (Maningrida)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 7 m (23 ft) white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Haul Round Island is the dry land on a reef off the entrance to the aboriginal community of Maningrida. The island is known as the location of one of the largest seabird breeding colonies of the Northern Territory. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q3312.8; NGA 9552.5.

East Arnhem Shire Lighthouses
Stevens Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, the upper portion enclosed by a white daymark. A photo (next to last photo on the page) is available and Bing has a satellite view. Stevens Island is at the northeastern end of the western and shorter chain of the Wessel Islands, a chain of islands extending 120 km (75 mi) northeast from the Napier Peninsula into the Arafura Sea. Located on the northeastern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q3312.5; NGA 9553.
Cape Wessel (2)
1966. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft ) square stainless steel skeletal tower with a white fiberglass lantern. AMSA's aerial photo is at right, the Northern Territory Library has a 1986 photo, Lorraine Phelan has a 1972 photo, and Bing has a satellite view. Cape Wessel is at the far northeastern end of the Wessel Islands. The light here guides vessels entering the Gulf of Carpentaria, the large embayment of northeastern Australia. Located on Rimbija Island, the northeasternmost island of the archipelago. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3312; NGA 9556.
Truant Island (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) skeletal tower. No current photo available but Bing has a satellite view. The Northern Territory Library has a photo, taken either in 1975 or 1986, that shows a round cylindrical stainless steel tower like the 1970 Imperieuse Reef Light off the Kimberley coast (in North Western Australia) and the 1974 Pelsaert Island Light in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands (in South Western Australia).The light guides vessels approaching the mainland town of Nhulunbuy, the largest town of Arnhem Land with a population of about 3350. Located atop a small island about 75 km (45 mi) south of Cape Wessel. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3311; NGA 9560.

Cape Wessel Light, East Arnhem
Australian Maritime Safety Authority photo

Roper Gulf Shire (Gulf of Carpentaria West Coast) Lighthouses
[North East Islet]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (205 ft); white flash every 5 s. 2 m (7 ft) white fiberglass cabinet. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Despite its small size this is an important light guiding vessels along the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and approaching Groote Eylandt, the largest island of the Gulf. Located atop a small island about 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Groote Eylandt. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3305; NGA 9568.
Connexion Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 2.5 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. This light guides vessels approaching the mining settlement of Alyangula on Groote Eylandt. Connexion Island is a small island in the channel on the west side of Groote Eylandt. Located on the west coast of Connexion Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q3307; NGA 9576.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Far North Queensland | West: North Western Australia

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted June 25, 2004; checked and revised March 26, 2024. Lighthouses: 16. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.