Local Government
Exmouth
Region
Gascoyne
160km South of NW Cape, Ningaloo Station
Located on Ningaloo pastoral station, approximately 100 kilometres south of Exmouth. The site is accessed off the Minilya Exmouth Road, onto an unsealed road for 30 kilometres through the Bullara and Ningaloo Pastoral stations. Within 1 kilometre of Ningaloo Homestead that is located in close proximity to the Indian Ocean, a track veers to the south west and skirts around the base of Cloates Hill, to approach Point Cloates Lighthouse & Quarters (ruins) from the west. Further west, the Quarters is located on a level site, with the Lighthouse a further 50 metres up the hill, to the east.
Point Cloates Lightstation
Exmouth
Gascoyne
Constructed from 1910
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Register | Registered | 22 Aug 2006 | HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Register of the National Estate | Indicative Place | |||
| Lighthouses Survey | Completed | 01 May 2000 | ||
Poor
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8526 | Point Cloates lighthouse, Ningaloo: stabilisation of top of structure. | Report | 2007 |
| 5942 | Conservation analysis of 13 lighthouse properties. | C D Rom | 2000 |
| 7183 | Lighthouses of Australia : images from the end of an era. | Book | 2001 |
| 7065 | Images CD No. 32 : assessment images : Point Cloates Lighthouse and Quarters and Vlaming Head Lighthouse Group. | C D Rom | 2004 |
| 4585 | The Australian Maritime Safety Authority : lighthouse conservation assessment : Point Cloates : Exmouth : Western Australia. | Heritage Study {Other} | 2000 |
| 9803 | Shipwrecks of the Ningaloo Reef: maritime archaeological projects from 1978 - 2009 | Book | 2011 |
Other Built Type
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Lighthouse |
| Present Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Lighthouse |
| Style |
|---|
| Other Style |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | STONE | Sandstone, other |
| Wall | CONCRETE | Other Concrete |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Workers {incl. Aboriginal, convict} |
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | River & sea transport |
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | Water, power, major t'port routes |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Exmouth
17km north of townsite
World War II Aircraft Warning Radar
Exmouth
Gascoyne
Constructed from 1943
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | |||
00837 Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Group
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3814 | Exmouth 31 Radar Station Conservation Plan | Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} | 1998 |
Other Built Type
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | OTHER | Other |
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Comms: Other |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | METAL | Steel |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | World Wars & other wars |
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | Telecommunications |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Constructed from 1943
The Vlamingh Head Radar site has historic, rarity, scientific and cultural heritage significance. The site is one of the few remaining on the Australian coast. It is an example of effort made by our defence forces to establish a defence network on our remote coastline. It has historic links with Operation Potshot (refer Place Record Form No 8). As it represents technology of the past it demonstrates a way of life no longer practiced end therefore has scientific heritage value.
The original transmitter and receiver were mounted on structural steel angle frames and turned by an electric motor. It was camouflaged with a high wall, sandbags, wire netting and spinifex cover. The sandbags surrounding the site and the structure itself still remain.
Vlamingh Head Radar was a vital part of Operation Potshot during the defence of northern Australia in WWII. The North West Cape (along with other northern districts) was chosen as the location for a coastal defence base. The construction began late in 1942 on what became known as 'Operation Potshot'. The base did not prove to be as secure as planned, and in May 1943 was bombed by two Japanese fighter planes. Further plans for a submarine maintenance base were scrapped, although the base continued to serve as a refuelling stop for submarines. (For further details, refer to the Historical Notes on Place Record Form No 8 - Operation Potshot Site). A cyclone in February 1945 badly damaged much of the base, including the aircraft warning radar. This is indicated on a nearby plaque.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| E McNabb; "Pot Shot Profile 1942-46". | Yokine | 1995 | |
| RC Gordon; "History of the North West Cape". | Teachers Higher Certificate Thesis | ||
| "North West Cape: US Naval Communication Station and the Support Township of Exmouth". | Commonwealth Govt Printer, Canberra |
| Owner | Category |
|---|---|
| Shire of Exmouth | Local Gov't |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Yardi Creek Rd via Exmouth Exmouth
Lyndon Location 22
Exmouth
Gascoyne
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | |||
00837 Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Group
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | COMMERCIAL | Other |
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Housing or Quarters |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | CONCRETE | Other Concrete |
| Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Constructed from 1912
The Lighthouse keepers' quarters have aesthetic, historic and cultural significance. Although they have been altered they are still an example of an architectural style, technology and way of life which has now been superseded.
This rendered concrete dwelling has accommodation for two families. It has a corrugated iron roof and shuttered fibro clad verandahs. Originally it had a central living area and two wings which contained the sleeping quarters. It featured large breezeway doors and drop down shutters as protection against storms and cyclones.
The Vlamingh Head Lighthouse was built in 1912 (for further details refer Place Record Form No 16). In order for the lighthouse to be manned 24 hours a day, two keepers were employed. Accommodation was provided for the men and their families if they were married. An excerpt from a letter from Mary Butler, wife of keeper Sydney Butler, described the living conditions at the lighthouse. Isolated, with no wireless, cars or refrigerators, and with only a monthly postal service, the keepers and their families were forced to make their own entertainment. However, Mrs Butler said "...the quarters were excellent with large rooms and verandahs". Today (1997) the lighthouse keepers' quarters are used as a residence in the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Caravan Park.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| L Harris; "Article on Vlamingh Head Lighthouse 1912-1967". |
| Owner | Category |
|---|---|
| Ningaloo Lighthouse Resort | Other Private |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Yardie Creek Rd via Exmouth
located at the northern most extremity of the Cape Range, on the North West Cape, 17 kilometres north of Exmouth
Vlaming Head Lighthouse Group
Exmouth
Gascoyne
Constructed from 1912
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Register | Registered | 22 May 2007 | HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Classified by the National Trust | Classified | 04 Oct 1976 | ||
| Register of the National Estate | Permanent | 21 Mar 1978 | ||
Fair to good condition
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7183 | Lighthouses of Australia : images from the end of an era. | Book | 2001 |
| 2495 | Vlaming Head Lighthouse Exmouth | Heritage Study {Other} | 1992 |
| 4850 | Vlaming Head lighthouse and store, Exmouth : final report | Report | 2001 |
| 9341 | Vlamingh Head Lighthouse precinct development plan. | Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} | 2009 |
| 7065 | Images CD No. 32 : assessment images : Point Cloates Lighthouse and Quarters and Vlaming Head Lighthouse Group. | C D Rom | 2004 |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | VACANT\UNUSED | Vacant\Unused |
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Lighthouse |
| Original Use | RESIDENTIAL | Single storey residence |
| Present Use | RESIDENTIAL | Single storey residence |
| Style |
|---|
| Other Style |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
| Wall | RENDER | Other Render |
| Wall | CONCRETE | Other Concrete |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | World Wars & other wars |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Workers {incl. Aboriginal, convict} |
| OUTSIDE INFLUENCES | Water, power, major t'port routes |
| TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS | River & sea transport |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Yardie Creek Rd via Exmouth Exmouth
Lot 4 P14685 18 18/484 17km north of townsite
Exmouth
Gascoyne
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | |||
00837 Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Group
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | VACANT\UNUSED | Vacant\Unused |
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Lighthouse |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | METAL | Corrugated Iron |
| Wall | RENDER | Other Render |
| Wall | CONCRETE | Other Concrete |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Workers {incl. Aboriginal, convict} |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Constructed from 1912
The Vlamingh Head Lighthouse has aesthetic, historic, social, scientific and cultural heritage significance. It was a significant feature of the north west coast for 50 years until 1967. It is a notable piece of architecture in a very remote location. Though now disused as a navigational warning dev ice, it retains much evidence of a way of life no longer practiced.
The Vlamingh Head Lighthouse was constructed from shuttered stone with a mortar fill which was then rendered. The lighthouse lantern on top is made from pre-fabricated steel and glass. Close by there is a small separate rendered stone building with an iron roof. The sparse and bleak setting on the North West Cape peninsula is typical for the positioning of a lighthouse.
Over the years the dangerous coastline around the North West Cape contributed to a number of shipwrecks on the reefs. One of these was the SS Mildura. In 1907 the ship had foundered at Point Murat losing all livestock but without the loss of human life. Recognition by shipping authorities of the need for a substantial navigational warning system led to the construction of the lighthouse on Vlamingh Head. Building commenced in November 1911. Delays were caused by bad water, dysentery among the labourers and the need to bring all materials and provisions in by sea from Fremantle. A fatality occurred when F J Reddy succumbed to dysentery in May 1912 (refer Place Record Form No 6). The lighthouse became operational on 10 November 1912 and was visible for up to 22 nautical miles. Two lighthouse keepers were required to keep the light burning. Fuelled by kerosene the light flashed in a group of two flashes every 7.5 seconds. Accommodation for the lighthouse keepers were provided nearby. Fuel supplies and provisions for the keepers were ferried from the beach by horse drawn carriages on a tramway. The lighthouse became obsolete with the introduction of an electric light on the VLF tower at the Harold Holt Communication Centre on 21 April 1967. Today (1997) the lighthouse is open as a tourist attraction.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| L Harris; "Vlamingh Head Lighthouse 1912-1967". | Historical pamphlet | ||
| Commander C R W Brewis R N; "Lighting of the West Coast of Australia (King George Sound to Cambridge Gulf)." | Pub Commonwealth of Australia Dept of Trade and Customs Vic | 1912 |
| Owner | Category |
|---|---|
| Shire of Exmouth | Local Gov't |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.
Norwegian Bay N of Point Cloates Ningaloo
Point Cloates Whaling Station
Exmouth
Gascoyne
Constructed from 1915
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Register | Registered | 22 Aug 2006 | HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Port-related Structures Survey | Completed | 31 Oct 1995 | ||
Norwegian Bay Whaling Station (ruins) is in poor condition with all remaining elements rusted and weathered beyond restorative opportunities.
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9803 | Shipwrecks of the Ningaloo Reef: maritime archaeological projects from 1978 - 2009 | Book | 2011 |
| 4801 | Norwegian Bay Whaling Station : an archaeological report. | Report | 1985 |
Historic site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | Transport\Communications | Water: Jetty |
| Original Use | INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING | Whaling Station |
| Style |
|---|
| Other Style |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Other | METAL | Steel |
| Other | TIMBER | Other Timber |
| Other | CONCRETE | Other Concrete |
| Other | BRICK | Other Brick |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Fishing & other maritime industry |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Workers {incl. Aboriginal, convict} |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.