The City of York's captain, Phillip Jones, misunderstood the light as the pilot boat and headed straight for it. The conditions were rough that afternoon with stormy weather, blinding rain and heavy seas.Īt the time the pilots, who were based on Rottnest Island, were busy attending to other arrivals and so lit a fire at the base of the Wadjemup Lighthouse to warn the ship to stand off.
The ship made a record passage to Western Australia and approached Rottnest Island late afternoon on July 12, 90 days after they set sail. The City of York set out from San Francisco for Fremantle on Apwith 26 men and a cargo of Oregon wood on board. The point was named after captain Phillip Parker King's ship, HMS Bathurst, which visited the island in 1822.īuilt from local limestone and opened on September 1 1900, Bathurst Lighthouse exists because of a nautical mishap involving the 'City of York'.Ī second lighthouse to accompany Wadjemup Lighthouse was being considered for the island at the time but it took a tragic accident to jolt the authorities into action.
The Bathurst Lighthouse is comparatively short but stands proud above some of Australia's most beautiful beaches.īefore the lighthouse was constructed, Bathurst Point was the location point for the Pilot Service on Rottnest Island, which is 18 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia and in line with Fremantle.
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