Why Lighthouses?

True or False After reading the above text, circle the sentences you believe are true!

Lighthouses were very important to mariners in the old days but are not so important now.

A long time ago, mariners were guided by large fires lit on top of hills.

The Fresnel Lens was invented in the 1800s.

The oceans and rivers used to be like highways.

The first lighthouse was called Egypt and built about 2300 years ago.

Electricity meant that lighthouse keepers were not needed anymore.

Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous reefs, and safe entries to harbors and they have a long history behind them. About 3000 years ago before we even had real ports where ships could safely dock, mariners were guided by large fires built on hilltops. They soon realised that raising the fire would mean the light could be seen further out to sea and so they built large platforms to lift the fire up off the ground. The first real lighthouse was a giant platform with a massive fire lit in it every night. It was called ‘Pharos’ and was built in ancient Egypt about 2300 years ago. It is believed to have lasted over 1400 hundred years until it was destroyed by large earthquakes in the year 956. In the following 1000 years, trade over the sea continued to grow and grow, people transported incense, spices, silk, herbs and even other people, all over the world to be sold at markets. The oceans and rivers of the world were like the modern highways of today and lighthouses were the warning signs, the traffic lights and maps all rolled into one.

From the 1700s to the 1800s lighthouses changed dramatically, new sources of fuel such as mineral oils, whale oil and later on kerosene meant that the lights became brighter and far more efficient to run. In the 1800s, Augustin Jean Fresnel invented the Fresnel Lens which acted like a giant magnifying glass and was capable of sending a very small light a long way out to sea. Because lighthouses were often in very remote locations they usually had a lighthouse keeper who lived near them to make sure they worked through the night. With the beginning of electricity many lighthouses became automated and the lighthouse keepers were no longer needed. It is only in recent times that lighthouses have begun to decline mainly due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational aids such as GPS and satellite tracking systems. It is the end of a very long relationship between man and lighthouses.

Pharos Lighthouse, Egypt

Land Ahoy!

On the map to the right, the Supply Ship needs to make its way to the Lighthouse Supply Shed. 1. Label the compass, legend and

scale. 2. Follow the grid lines marked and

draw the shortest route the ship can take to the Lighthouse Supply Shed in the bay.

3. Write out the route in the ships’

log book below. 4. Make notes on any dangers or

points of interest you notice on your route.

Believe it or not mobile phones didn't always exist...and all those years ago when the ships’ captain wanted to talk to the lighthouse keeper they had to use Semaphore flags and a good set of binoculars. Below on the left is a message written in Semaphore flags. Use the key on the right to decode the message and write it on the notepad. The first word has been done for you!

SMS … _ _ ...

Semaphore Flag Key

Lighthouse keepers used to communicate with ships by flashing a light and using Morse Code. Below is a message recorded by the lighthouse keeper from a ship which is sinking. Can you decipher what it says?

Morse Code

Below is a list of duties lighthouse keepers used to perform to maintain the lighthouse . Can you unscramble these sentences and match them to the pictures? The first one is done for you.

Colour in the pictures when you’re done!

All In a Day

Whale Survey In whale season, from September to November, the waters around Cape Naturaliste can be very busy. One job we do at the lighthouse is to monitor whale numbers and make a note of their behaviors.

BREACH - The whale propels most of its body out of the water, then turns to crash back to the surface.

TAIL SLAP - This occurs while most of the animal is underwater with their tail in the air slapping the water. This can be an aggressive action towards another whale or a vessel that may be too close.

ROUND OUT - After inhaling air through its blowhole, the humpback begins to dive by arching its body and rolling ahead. The name ‘humpback’ comes from the regular action, which is called a round out.

PEC SLAP - Humpback whales frequently roll at the surface, slapping their pectoral fins against the water

Whale Behaviours

1. Read the descriptions of some common whale behaviours below.

3. Now look at the picture above and make a tally of the whales and their behaviour.

2. Match them with the correct picture.

Flora Hunter

These flora are common to the area around Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. See if you can find each one on the trails around the Lighthouse. Tick them off as you find them.

Pigface (1) Plant: Grows in patches, close to the ground and often has long stems. Leaves: Thick, green triangular leaves with pointed ends often with red colouring. Leaves act as water storage organs enabling the plant to survive hot dry summers on coastal cliffs and sand. Flowers: Bright purple with red fruit. from Sept-Jan.

(1)

Peppermint Tree (2) Plant: Grows as a short shrub right on the coast or up to a 10m tree in protected areas. Branches often twist and turn with rough grey bark. Leaves: Leaves are dark green (on both sides), 10-12cm long and 6-10mm wide. Have a kind of peppermint smell when crushed . Flowers: Clumps of small white flowers on the branches from Oct-Dec.

(3)

Native Rosemary (3) Plant: Rounded shrubs grows to about 2m high along the coast. Leaves: Often grey green short leaves similar to Rosemary and has a very strong herblike smell when crushed. Flowers: Small yellow/brown flower heads from April-June.

(2)

Flora Hunter

These flora are common to the area around Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. See if you can find each one on the trails around the Lighthouse. Tick them off as you find them.

Red Eyed Wattle (4) Plant: Common coastal plant which grows as a dense, dome shaped shrub up to 6m tall. Recognised by its old, twisted seed-pods which sometimes have black and red seeds that look like an eye. Leaves: Grow from 4 to 8cm long, and 6 to 12 mm wide. Flowers: Usually very few flower heads which are bright yellow, small round clusters .

Parrot Bush (5) Plant: Very common along the limestone coast as a shrub or small tree up to 6m. Leaves: Very prickly dark green leaves .with teeth along the entire margin. They range from 2 to 6 cm in length, and 0.8–4 cm in width. Flowers: Cream coloured domed flowerheads about 4 to 5cm wide on the end of the stem. Flowers usually from July to November though sometimes earlier.

Rottnest Teatree (6) Plant: Very typical shrub along the coastal limestone, grows up to 8m tall though often smaller in windy areas. Leaves: Numerous, narrow leaves, 5-15mm long and 1-3mm wide which are arranged alternately on the stem . Flowers: Cream or pale yellow flowers around late summer with small nuts grouped into clusters

(5)

(6)

(4)

Tour Notes

When was CNLH built?

How high is the lighthouse from ground level to the light?

How high is the hill above sea level?

How many shipwrecks occurred around Geographe Bay before the Lighthouse was built?

How many months did it take to build the LH?

From which bay was the limestone rock quarried?

What town in England did the lens come from?

How long were the LH keepers’ work shifts each day?

Where were the LH keepers’ children schooled?

Tour Notes

In the early 1900s, what was the name of the nearest town to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse?

What were the two main tasks Lighthouse keepers had to do on their night shift?

List three tasks LH keepers had to do during their day shift.

Why did the LH keeper have to cover the lens with a big curtain during the day?

How many tonnes does the lens weigh?

How could the ships at sea tell which lighthouse was which?

Mercury is a planet and it’s also a liquid metal, how was it used in the lighthouse?

What was the main problem for lighthouse keepers when using Mercury?

New Zealand Fur Seal

Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

Lighthouse Colour-in