McCrae Lighthouse

Located on McCrae Beach in the Mornington Peninsula, the McCrae Lighthouse has served as an essential part of the Port Phillip Bay navigation system for over a century.

Measuring at 33.5 metres tall, it is Victoria's tallest lighthouse and has been guiding mariners since its establishment in 1883. After being decommissioned in 1994, the lighthouse is set to undergo significant restoration works funded by a $1 million grant from Heritage Victoria.

In 1874, Chance Bros & Co. of Birmingham in England manufactured the present-day McCrae Lighthouse. The lighthouse was then transported to Australia by sea and erected on this site in 1883. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the Port of Melbourne Authority in 1994 following modernisation of Port Phillip Bay's navigational aids. It was subsequently transferred to the McCrae Foreshore Committee via the Department of Natural Resources and Energy in 1996.

The lighthouse has not only dioptric but also catadioptric and holophotal lens systems. The light was visible at a distance of up to 25 kilometres and provided the back mark of the leading navigation line through the main fairway of the South Shipping Channel projecting high-intensity white beams along the South Shipping Channel and towards Melbourne.

The restoration is due to start in August 2021 and is planned to be completed in December 2021. The proposed restoration will repair structural and cosmetic issues, which will ensure that the lighthouse remains a shining beacon for residents and tourists for many more years to come. The restoration will also provide limited supervised access to the lighthouse in the future, and the lighthouse is set to be painted from