Vlamingh Head Lighthouse
Vlamingh Head Lighthouse sits on Lighthouse Bay, about 17 kilometres north of Exmouth in Western Australia. It’s a popular spot for visitors who want to watch both sunrise and sunset from the same headland, and it’s near the Ningaloo Lighthouse Holiday Park.
European explorers first reached the area in the 1600s. Dutch sailors Haevik Claezoon van Hillegom sighted the coast in 1618, and Willem de Vlamingh charted the headland in 1696. The region later got the name Cape Murat from Nicolas Baudin in 1801.
The coast along the northwest was long considered dangerous, so building a lighthouse here was a major decision. After a 1907 inquiry and the 1907 wreck of the SS Mildura, Vlamingh Head was chosen as a lighthouse site. Construction began in 1911, and the lighthouse started operating on 10 November 1912. Its light could be seen for up to 41 kilometres and was run by two keepers. The lamp used kerosene and flashed twice every 7.5 seconds. Supplies and fuel were landed on the beach and carried up to the lighthouse by horse-drawn tramway.
During World War II the area became important for the US Navy, with a refuelling depot and radar station built nearby. In 1953 a cyclone caused significant damage to the area and the lighthouse; keepers did much of the repairs themselves. In 1969 the original light was replaced by a new light mounted at a nearby tower at Point Murat (Naval Communications Station Harold E. Holt).
Today the lighthouse is a tourist attraction and a highlight of the Exmouth coastal drive. The area remains popular for sunsets, whale watching, and interpretation panels that explain the site’s history.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:13 (CET).