Cape Sorell Historic Site

The Cape Sorell Historic Site is home to the historic Cape Bruny Lighthouse, built in 1836, which stands at 114 meters tall and offers panoramic views of the rugged South Bruny coastline. Visitors can join guided tours to learn about the lighthouse's history, including shipwreck tragedies on nearby islands, convict hardships during construction, and the lives and duties of the lighthouse keepers. After the tour, visitors can explore the grounds, which include a track to a nearby beach passing a grave site thought to be the resting place of two children from 1875 and 1898, and a dry stone wall marking the boundaries of an old vegetable patch. The Cape Bruny Lightstation Museum, located by the car park, houses a collection of maritime artifacts. The lighthouse was commissioned by Governor George Arthur following a series of shipwrecks off the southern Tasmanian coast. When first lit in 1838, it was the third lighthouse in the state and only the fourth in Australia. A lighthouse reserve of almost 200 acres provided timber, vegetable gardens, and grazing land, all indispensable parts of its operation. The nightly task of maintaining the light was challenging, with each lighthouse having a unique light characteristic ensured by a clockwork planetary table that needed rewinding every eight hours. The fifteen lamps of the original 1838 Wilkins lantern each burned 600mls of expensive sperm whale oil per hour and needed frequent refilling. The lamps were extremely fragile, being replaced every three nights in 1839. The lighthouse was refurbished in 1901-3 with a powerful new Chance Brothers lantern replacing the original Wilkins lantern, then in 1959 the light was electrified. Cape Bruny light was lit for the final time in 1996 when it was replaced by a solar-powered light nearby, and in December 2000 it was added to the South Bruny National Park. To reach the Cape Bruny Lighthouse, visitors can take a ferry from Kettering to Bruny Island, followed by a 1 hr 15 min drive south through Alonnah, and then a right onto Lighthouse Road (C629). The lighthouse is approximately 20 km from the turn-off. The grounds are open for inspection at any time, with vehicle access from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and pedestrian access only is available outside these hours. Visitors can climb the lighthouse during regular tours throughout the day, with sunset tours available on request. For more details, visit Cape Bruny Lighthouse Tours.