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WATER & COAST · OLDEST & FIRSTS

Mainland Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse.

Cape Otway Lighthouse · Cape Otway

Cape Otway (AU), Cape Otway Lighthouse -- 2019 -- 1226. Archive photo before the current tower closure.

Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Display cropped. Cape Otway (AU), Cape Otway Lighthouse -- 2019 -- 1226. Archive photo before the current tower closure.

About this place

A coastal landmark with a carefully bounded record: oldest surviving lighthouse on the Australian mainland. The tower is currently closed for conservation.

The record

Comparison: Surviving mainland Australian lighthouses.

The record excludes offshore islands. Tower closure means no interior access or climb during conservation works.

Visiting

Check current grounds access and admission before a long coastal trip. Do not plan on climbing the tower.

Check the linked visitor information for current access. Occasion tags are editorial suggestions. They do not certify accessibility or opening hours.

Day tripWith friends

Sources

Sources checked 23 September 2026. A publisher’s claim is attributed; it is not a complete independent survey.