Cape Otway Lightstation

Photos are from the top of and inside the Lighthouse and WWII Bunker

Few people today are aware of the war at sea, which raged along the Australian coastline during World War l. Naval and merchant seamen were
losing their lives only a few kilometres beyond the beaches. This war was largely kept from the knowledge of the Australian public at the time
to prevent panic and the loss of morale. A total of 41 Allied ships were sunk in or adjacent to Australian waters by German surface commerce raiders and Japanese submarines. All the submarine attacks took place between June 1942 and July 1944 when up to 27 large submarines were operating in Australian waters.

By 1939, the Australian Government considered that Australia was not open to the threat of invasion. However, they realised the need to prepare
for sporadic raids. Under a veil of secrecy, they established a programme to manufacture and install radar stations around the Australian coastline.
In November 1941, 32 coastal locations were identified as sites for radar stations to monitor shipping and aircraft movements. Four were to be placed in the Bass Strait region: 13 RS at Cape Otway: 14RS at Wilsons Promontory; 15RS at Metung and 16RS at Gabo Island. Cape Otway was the first to be built.

This information was sourced from the Bunker site.Læs mere