x
“Women and Children First!”
The Danger Point Lighthouse first exhibited its light on the 1st of January 1895 and was built on the treacherous stretch of coastline that saw the tragic sinking of the HMS Birkenhead in 1852.
The lighthouse has a white octagonal masonry tower with a red lantern which stands just over 18 metres high. The lantern uses group flashing, three light flashes every 40 seconds, to send its life-saving message out to sea.
A memorial on the lighthouse grounds commemorates the brave soldiers who perished when the ill-fated HMS Birkenhead struck an unmapped submerged rock only 1.7 kilometres offshore. That fateful night when more than 450 soldiers stood fast as all the women and children aboard the ship made their way to safety in the few available lifeboats, has been cemented in history.
Entry fees to the Danger Point Lighthouse Open Weekend are as follows:
Donations are most welcome and an essential part of being able to continue the work done by the event organisers and its volunteers.
Danger Point Lighthouse is a short drive from Gansbaai town centre.
Directions to Danger Point Lighthouse (from Hermanus)
