Lighthouses are really cool buildings and hold so much interesting history that I wanted to highlight them in my blog today.
Western Australia Lighthouses
Western Australia has some of the most remote and harsh coastline in the world. It was one of the last states to be lit, with most lights dating from the turn of the 20th Century. In the populated south can be found a few of the nicest stone towers in Australia.
Lighthouses feel like they are from another time. We have thoughts about men battered by the wind and waves braving the elements to keep boats safe. There is something romantic and gothic about lighthouses (probably the fact that they also feel like they are often portrayed as lonely places with a single lighthouse keeper). In many ways, lighthouses are all those things: romantic and from another time and full of history but they were also full of people; the lighthouse was manned by more than one person (there are 24 hours in a day and lighthouse keepers were tough but still needed sleep) and many of them were married so there were women and children and trips to town needed. There is also the vast and interesting history of signals, the fact that most lighthouses have a unique flash timing. But more importantly, lighthouses are still needed, still in use, they are now automated and no longer need to be manned but they are used for collection of weather data and many are stunning. There are two down south you can visit and get inside (though prepare for the steps if you’re going to Cape Leeuwin). It’s stunning to stand up top, in the wind and the sun and think about having to work up there too. There can be so much imaginative play involved with something like a lighthouse and I think that’s why lighthouses remain so interesting.
There are lighthouses all around Cockburn, a quick google maps search will find these ones for you:
- Woodman Point Lighthouse (which replaced Arthur Head Lighthouse along with the two Mole lighthouses)
- Rottnest Island Lighthouse
- Bathurst Point Lighthouse
- North Mole Lighthouse
- South Mole Lighthouse
A Lighthouse Story by Holly James and Laura Chamberlain
Waves crash and splash as Eva travels across the sea to visit her Grandad, the lighthouse keeper. Follow along as she learns all about the history of lighthouses, how they work and the magic and danger of the sea that surrounds them.
Eva loves to visit Grandad at his lighthouse and throughout the book they explore the lighthouse and all of the different funtions. This is a great place to start talking about lighthouses.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch by Ronda and David Armitage
Every day, Mr Grinling, the lighthouse keeper cleans and polishes his light to make sure it shines brightly at night. At lunchtime he tucks into a delicious and well-deserved lunch, prepared by his wife. But Mr Grinling isn’t the only one who enjoys the tasty food. Will Mrs Grinling think of a way to stop the greedy seagulls from stealing the lighthouse keeper’s lunch?
This is one of my favourite books from when I was a kid, one of the reasons I love lighthouses and problem solving I’m sure. The seagulls keep stealing Mr Grinling’s lunch as it flies down the wire to the lighthouse. Mr and Mrs Grinling try different methods to stop the seagulls from stealing the lunch until finally Mrs Grinling has a wonderful idea and Mr Grinling’s lunch is safe.
This book is one of a well-loved, and well-known book series about Mr Grinling and his lighthouse. A few of the other ones at Cockburn Libraries are:
The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell. Illustrations by Rose Northey
“Do you need rescuing from this tower?” he asked her. “No,” she said, “I like it here.” The Lighthouse Princess is almost perfectly happy. She takes care of the light that keeps ships at sea safe, catches fish off the balcony and swims with penguins and seals. But one day, a little fishing boat with green sails sets out just as a storm blows up.
This is a lyrical, fairytale-esque story about a girl who lives in a tower but is quite happy there…and even happier when she is joined by a friend who decides to stay.
Extra Information
Two of the most well-known lighthouses in WA are the Cape Leeuwin and the Cape Naturaliste lighthouses, part of the reason they are so well known in that they are open to the public while still being working lighthouses. Below is a video on each lighthouse with some more information. I’ve visited them both and would recommend a visit if you should be in the area.
Craft
What you need:
- Card,
- Watercolour paint, or just paint,
- Scrap paper or masking tape, and
- a lighthouse shape on black paper (if you print in yellow it will show up on black paper)
What you do:
- Cut out the lighthouse.
- Put down the making tape or scrap paper strips where the light will shine.
- Paint over the whole piece of paper.
- Remove the tape.
- Glue to lighthouse on.
