Port MacDonnell, SA - Lighthouse 12 Sep 2012

Hitching up Ethel, our latest Jayco Expanda we left Adelaide and drove straight to Port MacDonnell where our first lighthouse was to be found.  Port MacDonnell is 394 kilometres from Adelaide and is 27 klms south of Mt Gambier.   We had decided to take the next 9 days meandering home learning about 8 SA lighthouses. 

What we noticed first of all was how beautiful the shore line from Port MacDonnell was.  Similar to the Great Ocean Road with the harshness of the ocean, the wind and rocks jutting out making this part of the coast very unforgiving.

It was obvious that any ship without navigation and travelling at night would be subject to this very treacherous section of SA coast.  There are two lighthouses in Port MacDonnell that we were to visit. 

Firstly we walked down to the Point and saw the foundations of the original MacDonnell lighthouse that was built in 1858.  It was very evident that the wind and ocean had eroded much of the cliffs away and back then the light only survived 23 years due to the danger of its collapse from the cliff on which it stood.  It was during this time that Ben Germein was appointed Lighthouse keeper.  So key points about this Lighthouse and it's keeper.

• Ben Germein was allowed to chose and name a Port in the area.  He chose Port MacDonnell and named it after the Governor of that time.
• Port MacDonnell was the largest Southeast Port and serviced Mount Gambier
• Ben lost three fingers when a brig 'John Omerod' capsized
• Ben was the driving force in saving the 25 people who survived the Admella wreck (but that is another story I will address later)
• Ben became melancholy and disorientated in his later years and spent many days disappearing in his boat
• In July 1893 he left his home and disappeared.  His decomposed body was found on the 28 August the same year.

This is all that is left of the original lighthouse.  The lighthouse and Lighthouse keepers cottage consisting of three rooms were removed and a new lighthouse located on the hill that was call The Cape Northumberland Lighthouse......so off we went to Lighthouse no 2.