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Lighthouse

Lightkeepers’ Museum Opens at Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

Through detailed exhibits and interactive displays, the new Lightkeepers’ Museum immerses visitors in the captivating history of Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.

Amy Neville
13 Feb 2025
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The Lightkeepers’ Museum brings to life the extraordinary experiences, isolation, and resilience of the lightkeepers and their families who once tended the lighthouse.

Visitors gain a deeper understanding of the lighthouse’s remarkable engineering and enduring legacy, which continues to guide maritime traffic after 120 years of service. The museum also highlights the broader historical context of the region, exploring the lighthouse’s role in local history, the French exploration and mapping of the coast in the early 1800s, and the 60,000-year custodianship of the Wadandi people.

 

The unveiling of the Lightkeepers’ Museum on January 21st, 2025, marked the culmination of a five-year redevelopment project at Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.

The Hon. Kyle McGinn MLC officially opened the museum, joined by Stuart Hicks, Chair of the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA). The event brought together key supporters, stakeholders, and organisations whose contributions were instrumental in bringing the project to life. Also in attendance were the families of past keepers, who hold a deep connection to the site and the stories now carefully preserved and shared in the museum.

Key features and exhibits

Visitors to the Lightkeepers’ Museum can explore a range of immersive exhibits that bring history to life:

  • Audio and visual interactive displays featuring firsthand stories from the children of past lighthouse keepers.
  • A bespoke animated film recounting the dramatic tale of the Carnarvon Castle ship fire and the incredible survival stories of those who reached Cape Naturaliste.
  • Historical artefacts showcasing the lighthouse’s operational history and the lives of its caretakers.
  • Informational storyboards providing rich context on the lighthouse’s legacy and those who maintained it.

The focus of the centre is to provide insight and stories from the perspective of the children of keepers who lived at Cape Naturaliste. Some of the experiences visitors can expect to find include a number of audio and visual interactives, a bespoke animation film telling the story of the Carnarvon Castle Ship that caught fire at sea and the survival stories of those on board who managed to get ashore at Cape Naturaliste.

~ Steve Harrison, Capes Foundation Director

A Lasting Legacy

Initiated in 2017, the redevelopment of the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse precinct has been a transformative journey. With guidance from the Heritage Council, MRBTA’s Capes Foundation has restored the lighthouse keepers’ cottages and grounds, which were previously underutilised and in need of structural work.

Improvements also included the transformation of a four-bay garage into a multipurpose classroom, upgrades to work sheds and storage spaces, the creation of a universally accessible observation lookout, and extensive landscaping and pathway enhancements.

The new Lightkeepers’ Museum is the final phase of this ambitious project—designed to ensure the site’s stories continue to be shared for generations to come.

The successful completion of this extensive redevelopment was made possible through the collaborative efforts of many partners, including the State Government and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), the South West Development Commission (SWDC), Heritage Council, Gibson International, the WA Maritime Museum, families of past lighthouse keepers, Koomal Dreaming’s Josh Whiteland, the Australian Society for Maritime Archaeology (ASMA), researcher Michelle Slarke, Dunsborough Historical Society, and local trades and businesses.