Last week we went to Point Lonsdale to pick up a car - about 40 minutes drive from us, and right at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. We had time to kill, so we went to the lighthouse and jetty, which is always a nice little walk. Built in 1902, it stands on a rugged headland. It's still active - in fact it's a really important navigational aid for ships entering the bay, allowing a safer passage for the notorious 'rip', a notoriously dangerous stretch of water. YOu can probably understand it if you look at the map below - that's a lot of water that moves out a really narrow opening! Can you see Melbourne in the map? That'll give you a hint to it's location. The massive waters of the Bass Strait here meets the pretty vast Port Phillip Bay.
Since europeon settlement, there's been around 150 shipwrecks around this area. Famously, in 1887, the SS Cheviot steamship approached the narrow strait and was caught in a violent storm that disabled its rudder. The crew desperately tried to anchor it and launch lifeboats, but was driven onto the jagged rocks of Port Nepean, just across from where we stood below. You can see the land mass across the water. Over 30 people died. It lead to improved safety measures for ships entering the bay.
Hence, the lighthouse! It's one of the few remaining manned lighthouses in the country. It's not particularly tall at only 21 metres, but it offers beautiful views of the coast and the distant Melbourne skyline. It's also adjacent to the Fort Queenscliff, a military installation dating back to the 19th century, adding to the historical significance of the area.
I really like the jetty here as well - it's just picturesque, and a great spot to watch the rip, the fishmerman, boats, and waves. It was built in the early 20th century, and has been well maintained since.
I really enjoyed taking photos from various angles, thinking about my composition. What does it mean to put the lighthouse in the top of the frame instead of dominate it? Or the pier in the top third, waiting for the white line of the breaking wave to add interest? Though I'm not great at photography I'm learning to be better and at Dad's suggestion, I'm taking the camera everywhere with me.
There's also a WW1 artillery bunker there, part of a historical coastal defense system, built to protect Port Phillip Bay from potential enemy attacks. There's a few along this coast, constructed of reinforced concrete, and used to house artillery and provided crucial vantage points for monitoring The Rip during the war - just in case!
Under the lighthouse, there's also a cave - but the tide was high so we couldn't get down to see. The cave is of historical significance because it housed William Buckley, an escaped convict.
He ended up living for many years with the indigenous people of the area before returning to Europeon society. It's where the phrase 'you've got Buckley's' comes from, or 'buckley's chance' or 'buckley's or none' - that is, chances of success are slim.
New to me were placards of old photographers and their work. I especially liked Fred Kruger's as I imagined the guy from Nightmare on Elm Street taking photos as a shipwreck went down. It's important to have a hobbie to have a relief from your night shift killing people. You know, a mental health thing.
After that, we went and picked up our new car, which I've written about recently. All in all, a good afternoon!
With Love,
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