Griffiths Island
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 The original mouth of the Moyne River, with the western end of Griffiths Island behind | |
  Griffiths Location of Griffiths Island in Victoria | |
| Etymology | Jonathan Griffiths[1] |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Western District, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°23′36″S 142°14′45″E / 38.39333°S 142.24583°E |
| Adjacent to | Bass Strait, Southern Ocean |
| Total islands | 3 |
| Major islands | Griffiths Island |
| Area | 31 ha (77 acres) |
| Length | 1.5 km (0.93 mi) |
| Width | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
Griffiths Island, sometimes incorrectly spelled as Griffith Island or Griffitts Island, lies at the mouth of the Moyne River next to, and within the bounds of, the town of Port Fairy, in the Western District of the state of Victoria in Australia.[2] Griffiths now has no permanent inhabitants, but is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is accessible on foot. It forms part of the Port Fairy and Belfast Coastline Protection Reserve and, as well as being a tourist attraction, is an important site in the context of the history of European settlement of western Victoria. It is managed by the Moyne Shire Council.
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| Location | Port Fairy Victoria Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°23′06″S 142°15′04″E / 38.38500°S 142.25111°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1859  |
| Construction | bluestone tower |
| Height | 11 metres (36 feet) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower with red trim and lantern |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1859 |
| Focal height | 12.5 metres (41 feet) |
| Lens | catadioptric lantern |
| Range | 22 kilometres (14 miles) |
| Characteristic | Fl (2) W 10 s. |
There is little surviving evidence of Aboriginal use of the island, though it was visited by the local Gunditjmara people, who knew it as Moleen. Following commercial investigation of the western Victorian coast, it was named after John Griffiths, an entrepreneur and merchant from Launceston in northern Tasmania, who figures prominently in the early history of the area. From the mid-1830s until 1843 the island served as a base for a bay whaling station for southern right whales, until the supply of whales was exhausted and the industry went into terminal decline. Some shipbuilding also took place during the 1840s. The abandoned whaling station buildings were later used until 1854 by Flora Dunlop, widow of Victorian politician Alexander Dunlop, as a 'mission' for young Aborigines. Because of its historic and archaeological significance, the island has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (H1659).[3][4]
Lighthouse
Griffiths Island Lighthouse was built in 1859 as a navigation aid at a time when Port Fairy was becoming an important trading port for western Victoria. Extensive harbour works undertaken then and subsequently, mainly to improve the navigability of the Moyne River and its approaches, have affected the shape and boundaries of the island. The lighthouse is operated by the Victorian Channels Authority, part of the Port of Melbourne Corporation. It was constructed on what was then Rabbit Island, at the eastern end of Griffiths, from local bluestone by Scottish stonemasons. The stairway was constructed with each step being inserted in the next course of stone in the outer wall. The lighthouse was initially staffed by two keepers. The last keeper to live on the island was there from 1929 to 1954, when the light was automated; the two stone keepers’ cottages were subsequently demolished in about 1956.[5][6]
