The keeper of the lighthouse key had an immense responsibility. Lives depended on the light never going out.

The lighthouse service ran a tight ship and everything needed to be spick and span, done on time and to the clock. Painting the tower and the lightstation buildings was a never-ending task. As soon as painting the lightstation was completed it was time to start at the beginning again. There were strict rules regarding the hierarchy of the three keepers and their families, including no fraternising between the head keepers and assistant keeper’s families to ensure that discipline was maintained.

Lightkeepers and their families needed to be resilient. Lightkeeper Samuel Smith, who had an eventful and adventurous life, is a great example.

Deserting his ship in NZ, he fought in the Maori wars, survived a shipwreck in the Timor Sea and was on the ship that attempted to rescue the Burke & Wills expedition. He was in the lighthouse service for around 30 years, stationed at Wilson's Promontory, Snake Island, Gabo Island, Point Hicks, the South Channel Fort and Portland. Pictured here in this photograph was his most valued possession, a New Zealand war medal. He married in 1868, lived into his 90’s and was survived by seven children.

Hours would have been spent at this desk by the Head Keeper, noting all the day’s events, the weather, the ships that passed by, any communications sent or received and detailing any emergencies that may have arisen.

This cedar desk was most likely a standard issue by the Public Works Department. Many of the furniture items that have survived are similar across all the Victorian Lightstations and represent different eras of occupation. Some are custom built, such as cabinets which necessitated curved backs which were made to fit.

The Lighthouse at Port Fairy was built by Scottish stonemasons in 1859 on an island that was known by the local Gunditjmara people as ‘Moleen’.

These were originally a cluster of three separate islands with the European names of Goat, Rabbit and Griffiths islands. The islands were a base for whaling from the 1830’s to 1843. The abandoned whaler’s buildings were used as a ‘mission’ for young Aboriginal people until 1854. The Lightstation cottages were demolished in 1956 but the lighthouse still shines out across the sea.

The Lady Loch would have been a welcome sight to the lighthouse residents. She brought stores, letters and presents from the outside world and was possibly the only contact for 6 months or more.

Working on the supply steamship could be a dangerous job. For example, in 1896 three men lost their lives landing supplies for the Cape Otway Lightstation at Blanket Bay and in 1925 two men perished at the same task at Cape Borda on Kangaroo Island.

The Lady Loch was built at Saltwater River in Footscray in 1886 as a custom cruiser and lighthouse tender.

Henry Bayles Ford was the lightkeeper at Cape Otway from 1848 until 1878 after the first lighthouse keeper was dismissed for interfering with the light. The light never went out when the Fords were at Cape Otway.

This cup and saucer was part of a tea set belonging to the daughter of Henry and Mary-Anne Ford. Their son George rode to Camperdown to get help when the Loch Ard was wrecked in 1878.

Lightkeepers needed to be proficient in delivering messages via the signal flags that were maintained at all lightstations.

The current flag system is based on the International Code of Signals that was developed in 1857. A series of flags can spell out a message as each flag represents a letter and individual flags have specific and standard meanings. For example, U means ‘you are running into danger’ and K means ‘I wish to communicate with you’. The flags were usually made of wool as this fibre is more resistant to moisture. All lightstations had a signal flag pole on which to hoist the flags.

The Speculant was wrecked at Cape Patton in the early hours of the morning.

The Age described the wreck as "Listed to starboard. All the cabin is gutted and the ballast gone. There is a big rock right through the bottom of her, and there is not the slightest hope of getting her off". Captain Jacobson was found guilty of careless navigation by failure to verify the position of the vessel with respect to Cape Otway when the light was visible and by not setting a safe and proper course. He was suspended for six months and ordered to pay costs.

This megaphone was used to communicate to ships from the Point Hicks Lightstation.

This is a relatively rare item of equipment which was once used worldwide in marine situations. A pamphlet promoting the U.S made Stentor Megaphone emphasizes its ‘highly finished’ appearance ‘with nickel mouthpiece, rim and other fittings’. The promotional material also pronounces ‘the carrying power of a Megaphone is astonishing. Even under adverse conditions, it magnifies the power of the voice many times. For listening to distant sounds, it is also of great assistance’. The pamphlet advises that the 30-inch no.2 model, which cost US $2.50, ‘makes it easy to talk half-a-mile and shout a mile’.

As access to medical assistance could be unpredictable, kits were supplied to remote lightstations.

Medical items in the kits were numbered to ensure correct administration by lightstation staff via radio contact. Before radio contact, passing ships could be communicated to by signalling with flags via the International Code of Signals to render assistance. In June 1934 a fishing launch travelled through 50 miles of rough seas in darkness with a very ill Mrs Middlemis. Gabo Island lightkeeper, Mr Middlemis, accompanied his wife in the launch to Eden. “She did not collapse” he said “because she is not the collapsing type. Lightkeepers wives have to put up with a good deal”.

The Lighthouse at The Prom has been an iconic destination for walkers since 1898 when the National Park was declared.

The entire promontory was closed during the Second World War when it was used for commando training and the radar station at the lighthouse was manned by Navy personal. After the end the war the National Park gained greatly in popularity as a hiking destination. In 1949 the Prom lightkeepers and their families reported being almost overwhelmed by visitors with over 40 in one day. All the visitors were welcomed with open hearted hospitality and a cup of tea.