BASS STRAIT ISLANDS

The Lighthouse precinct comprises the lighthouse, generator shed and oil store and the ruins of three residences. The residential precinct comprises of a loosely arranged group of residences, office, generator shed, garages and outbuildings situated on a saddle above East Cove. The tower, built in 1848, stands at an elevation of 305 metres at the southern tip of the island, it has the distinction of being the highest light exhibited in Australia. The tower is constructed from cement rendered granite rubble and is 13 metres high. The top six feet are freestone. The walls are six feet thick at the base. The windows spiral around the wall. The former Superintendent's Residence C.1847 (Now Museum and Store) is a typical Georgian style cottage with characteristic well proportioned symmetrical front, plain wall surfaces and simple but refined detailing. The planning is also close to symmetrical, with similar flanking wings at the rear of the house under the skillion roof, and two identical pyramidal roofed stores behind the house. The hip roof and skillion form is typical of houses of the era where the primary rooms (usually four in number in houses of this size) are under the hip roof, and the service rooms under the skillion. Both bullock teams and convict labour were used during the course of construction. Work was completed in January 1848. The Oil Store, built in 1848 is a white painted rendered rubble stonework structure with a rectangular headed door and window openings. The building has timber architraves, a timber framed fixed window and a timber door. The pyramid hip roof is sheeted with corrugated fibro. The interior walls are painted rubble with a concrete floor and unlined ceiling.