Roman Rock Lighthouse

Roman Rock Lighthouse
Location	Simon's Town; Western Cape; South Africa
Coordinates	34°10′52.4″S 18°27′36.4″E / 34.181222°S 18.460111°E
Tower
Constructed	1861
Foundation	stone basement
Construction	cast iron tower
Automated	1919
Height	14 metres (46 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower and lantern
Power source	solar power
Racon	Q
Light
First lit	16 September 1861
Focal height	17 metres (56 ft)
Range	20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 6s.

Roman Rock Lighthouse is a lighthouse in False Bay, near Simon's Town. It is the only lighthouse in South Africa built on a single rock.^[1]^[2]

The light was first exhibited on 16 September 1861.^[3]

The light was electrified in 1992 at the request of the South African Navy.^[4]

History

Designed by Alexander Gordon of the British Lighthouse Authority,^[5] the lighthouse was a difficult endeavor due to the harsh conditions of the area, with fierce winds and turbulent seas, limited construction to a mere 96 working days annually, stretching the build over four-year.^[4] The original lighting mechanism was designed by James De Ville, a London-based lamp manufacturer, and consisted of a revolving platform that carried eight single-wick oil burners set in polished metallic reflectors. These burners made a full rotation every four minutes.^[5] John Williams served as the first head lighthouse keeper, overseeing a small team of two other men that rotated shifts every seven days.^[5] In 1914 the lighting mechanism was replaced the tower was no longer manned by lighthouse keepers,^[4] the lighting mechanism was replaced by a acetylene gas cylinders that provided automatic flashes every six seconds.^[5] The lighting mechanism was updated again in 1992 to be eclectic at the request of the South African Navy.^[4]

References

^ "Roman Rock". Lighthouses of South Africa. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Western South Africa". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
^ Williams, Harold A (1993). Southern Lights. William Waterman Publications. p. 49. ISBN 0-9583751-1-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Roman Rock Lighthouse". www.simonstown.org. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "1861: Since Its Debut, This Lighthouse Has Been a Real Rock Star". Transportation History. 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2024-07-29.