Cape Willoughby Lighthouse

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia
Surnames/tags: kangaroo_island south_australia lighthouse keepers

This Page is provided by the Kangaroo Island Early Settlers Project.

The first lighthouse constructed in South Australia was at Cape Willoughby on Kangaroo Island. Originally called the Sturt Light, after the explorer Charles Sturt, the lighthouse covered the approach to Backstairs Passage and Gulf St Vincent. It was illuminated for the first time on 16 January 1852.^[1]

Cape Willoughby was visited and named by British explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802. In 1849, with traffic through Backstairs Passage fast increasing, a move was made to build a Lighthouse at the Cape, for safer sea travel. In 1851 Trinity House, Port Adelaide, was established by the South Australian Government as the overseeing body for lighthouses, lightships, buoys and other navigational aids.

Kangaroo Island locals Messrs Thomas, Clark, Bates, Bristow, Johnston, Perky, Tapley, Cheeseman, Seymour and Simpson provided the bullock teams, local materials and labour for the building of the light tower and the oil-burning light began flashing in 1852. The original apparatus was a Deville lantern comprising of a revolving parabolic reflectors powered by a clock work mechanism. The illumination was provided by multiple wick burners.

The first Head Lightkeeper at the Sturt Light was Capt. William Cook Cawthorne ^[2] who served from 1852 to 1862. In 1856 Trinity House recorded that the Second Lightkeeper was Nathaniel Thomas and the Third was William Seymour. In 1860 the keepers were: Head Keeper, W. C. Cawthorne; Second Keeper, Donald Macarthur; Third Keeper, JohnTapley.^[3]Others who served were Messrs Carter, Taylor, Franks and others. ^[4]

For a further list of keepers, see Lighthouses of Australia - The Cape Willoughby Lighthouse

In 1853 the steamer Osmanli was wrecked off D'Estrees Bay and a lifeboat was rowed 40 miles to Cape Willoughby to seek help. Nat Thomas, Second Keeper, set out next day overland with supplies for the survivors.

The original keepers settlement was in a valley, ½ km from the light. Here a spring provided fresh water and it was close to the beach where supplies where landed.

In March 1856 the Trinity Board inspected the Sturt Light and found the stock of fuel to be: teaseed oil, 230 gallons; seal oil, 100 gallons and that there were only three spare lamps. Arrangements were made for a new order of 15 lamps. The Board also reviewed a complaint from the Master of the steamship Burra Burra who had not seen the light when passing only weeks before and claimed that the lamp could not have been lit. Journal entries by Capt Cawthorne and Third Keeper Michael Seymour confirmed that the light had been working from sunset to dawn. The Master of the Trinity Board made careful measurements and concluded that the light was not visible from some angles and an error had been made by the Captain of the Burra Burra.

The Board expressed "their satisfaction at the general good order, cleanliness, and discipline exhibited at the Sturt Lighthouse, and that the whole state of the establishment reflects great credit on the Head Keeper and the Under Keepers there stationed." ^[5]

In 1927, due to deterioration and the hardship of reaching the lighthouse in bad weather, three new keepers' cottages were built at the lighthouse.

Sources

1. ↑ State Library of South Australia Archives
2. ↑ South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Mon 1 Dec 1851 Page 3 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
3. ↑ Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Sat 3 Nov 1860 Page 8 MARINE BOARD
4. ↑ Kangaroo Island Then and Now Kingscote Country Women's Assoc. c. 1955, Page 24.
5. ↑ CAPE WILLOUGHBY—STURT LIGHTHOUSE, KANGAROO ISLAND. TUESDAY, MARCH 18. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Thursday 27 March 1856 p 3 Article

• Lighthouses of Australia Inc. - Cape Willoughby

Further Reading:

• SUDDEN DEATH AT CAPE WILLOUGHBY LIGHTHOUSE South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Tuesday 26 January 1869 p 2 Article
• THE STURT LIGHT.TO THE EDITOR Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) Saturday 21 August 1852 p 3 Article
• THE WATCHERS BY THE SEA

Research Notes

Tapley who helped build the Lighthouse and Tapley who died there as Lightkeeper are not the same people. John Tapley 1809-1869 was the 12th child of Richard Tapley and Elizabeth Stevenson Tapley of Folkestone, Kent, and arrived in Australia with his wife, Elizabeth nee Moffett Tapley and his brother Captain Daniel Tapley aboard the Orissa on 10 March, 1840. John had obtained free passage as an immigrant for himself. In 1856 he was head keeper at the Port Adelaide Lightship , transferred to C.W. and died there. His brother, Capt. Richard Edward Tapley was master of the cutter Albatross which frequently took supplies to K.I. He was interested in land at Hog Bay and in 1860 was granted two leases which later were transferred to John Buick. There are two Richard Tapleys in the Alberton Cemetery: (ozburials) TAPLEY, Margaret. 5 December 1852 age 52 years. Wife of Richard Tapley J.P. (b 1800?) TAPLEY, Richard.J.P. 1 December 1874 age 73 years. Husband of Margaret Tapley. (b 1801?) TAPLEY, Richard Mordaum. Died 31 January 1865 aged 39 years. Son of Margaret & Richard Tapley. (b 1826?)

A Richard Edward Tapley and Wife Arabella came to Sth Australia either on the Rajasthan in 16th November 1838 or possibly in 1844. (bound for South Aust.) A John Edward who also came on the Rajasthan, is listed on shipslist as son of Richard E.,

Another Richard Tapley 1801-1874, 6th child of Richard Tapley and Elizabeth Stevenson of Folkestone, Kent, married his first cousin, Margaret Tapley born 1807, Marske, Yorkshire-died 1852, Adelaide, in Folkestone on February 17, 1827. Richard Mordaunt Tapley born 1829 was their only child (11 years old on arrival in Aust)..This is the one buried at Alberton. He lived at Port Road, Alberton. Note: Richard Mordaunt would have been too young to start captaining the Albatross in 1844, so it was the father. The family emigrated to Australia in 1840 (Orissa?) and lived at Port Adelaide (Alberton) There he was a merchant and shipping agent and also owned land on various islands. He was a JP. (This last para from www.louisenordestgaard.com/AnnieEdith'sFamily.html#bros)

So our Mr Tapley, a shipping agent and insurance agent who helped build the lighthouse (in what way we don't know) had a connection with K.I. because he was capt of the Albatross and there were already lighthousekeepers in the family. Not clear that he leased land on KI that early but he certainly leased land on Thistle Island and other islands. I suppose he could have transported materials or something.

To add to the confusion. In a report of a court case Osborne vs Tapley, the defendant is a Tapley who was "Superintendant of the Sturt Lighthouse" and also ran sheep on islands in Spencer's Gulf. What do they mean "Superintendant of the Sturt Light?" If he was on the Trinity Board/Marine Board, surely he would say so, so this might mean he is a keeper at the light? Supreme Court

Lighthouses of Australia has John Tapley as lighthouse keeper in 1860, then John Tapley again for 1865-69.