Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships.
Charles Simic
I love lighthouses. It's a seagull thing. We visited this little beauty at Low Head, five kilometres north of George Town on the north coast of Tasmania. Located on the eastern side of the Tamar River, this small town is home to Australia’s oldest continuously operating pilot station.
The Low Head Lighthouse was Australia's third and Tasmania's second. It was originally manned by a superintendent and two convict assistants who were locked in their quarters overnight.
In 1888, the original convict-built stone tower was pulled down and replaced with the present double brick structure, designed by Marine Board architect Robert Huckson.
In 1926, a broad red band was painted around the middle of the tower to increase visibility during daylight hours. A bit like my son's shirt that day.
