From Dusk to Dawn – A History of Australian Lighthouses

Published by Macmillan Australia in association with the Department of Transport and Communications, 1988

Written by historian Gordon Reid to coincide with Australia’s Bicentenary, From Dusk to Dawn is an authoritative history of how Australia and its system of coastal lights developed. It entwines early exploration of Australia’s coastline with British rule and explains the challenges faced by the home rulers trying to  balance domestic needs with those of a new colony shaping up as a rich trade and immigration destination.

Divided into three parts – Colonial Lights, the Commonwealth Light Service, and the Keepers – From Dusk to Dawn makes extensive use of rich government archival material and includes explorers’ journal and diary material, early charts, drawings and maps, as well as photographs of lighthouses and related apparatus. Stories of shipwrecks and their role as catalyst for lighthouse construction are woven through the text. The Keepers section highlights the lives and lot of early keepers and their families working in isolated and often very difficult conditions.

From Dusk to Dawn is out of print now. If you see a copy in a second-hand bookshop, grab it. It will be an important addition to your lighthouse reference shelf.