Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse

Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse is Australia’s most southerly lighthouse. Located 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles) off the south coast of Tasmania, it is exposed to extreme weather conditions with constant strong winds known as the Roaring Forties coming off the Southern Ocean. Completed in 1891 the original light assembly (prism, clockwork, astragal and copper dome) were bought from Chance Bros in the United Kingdom.

This image comes from the Australian News and Information Bureau collection, now held in the National Archives. This vast archival resource is the legacy of nearly half a century’s work by Bureau photographers who captured hundreds of thousands of photographs of Australians at work and play.