Afternoon profile of island showing the former lighthouse base

Hamelin Island lies north of Cape Hamelin, just out to sea from the former Hamelin Bay Jetty, on Hamelin Bay, on the south west coast of Western Australia, about 7 km north of Cape Leeuwin.

The location of the island, and its protection of part of the anchorage from prevailing weather and winds was observed very early in the twentieth century.[1]

Rabbits

A Western Mail (Western Australia) Christmas edition of 1930 has a photograph of the island, and calls it Rabbit Island.[2] Which relates to the 22 July 1911 article cited above - Leeuwin Land, which stated that:

The island stands right athwart the jetty, about half a mile from the shore. At one time rabbits were to be shot upon it.

Wrecks

The Hamelin Bay was the site of many wrecks, however less have occurred on the island. One was in December 1933 of the fishing boat Toba.[3] In July 2016, a storm caused a lone sailor to strike rocks in the bay, causing the sailor to abandon ship on a small tender to seek shelter on the island.[4]

Light

In 1935 the Island automatic light was planned and proposed, to assist navigators in the area of Cape Leeuwin for a successful negotiation of the journey rounding at the Leeuwin area.[5]

The automatic light was constructed in 1937 - 1938.[6][7][8]

The light house was re-located in 1967, to higher ground behind Cape Hamelin on the mainland.

The relocated lighthouse on the higher ground above Hamelin Bay

Notes

  1. ↑ "LEEUWIN LAND". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 22 July 1911. p. 7. Retrieved 7 December 2015..
  2. ↑ "SHEEN OF THE SEA". Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 25 December 1930. p. 56 Supplement: The Western Mail - Xmas 1930. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "FISHERMEN WRECKED". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 18 December 1933. p. 19. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Lone yachtsman saved from sinking vessel off WA's Hamelin Bay". PerthNow. Perth, WA. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "COASTAL LIGHTS". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 25 April 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "HAMELIN ISLAND LIGHT". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 22 April 1937. p. 17. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "NEW LIGHTHOUSE AT HAMELIN ISLAND". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 3 June 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Aid to Navigation". The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 3 June 1938. p. 8. Retrieved 7 December 2015.

34°24′S 115°12′E / 34.400°S 115.200°E / -34.400; 115.200

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