Horsburgh Lighthouse
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| Horsburgh Lighthouse by John Turnbull Thomson, who designed the lighthouse, showing the island of Pedra Branca just after the completion of the lighthouse in 1851 | |
| Location | Pedra Branca, Singapore |
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| Coordinates | 1°19.817′N 104°24.444′E / 1.330283°N 104.4074°ECoordinates: 1°19.817′N 104°24.444′E / 1.330283°N 104.4074°E |
| Year first constructed | 1851 |
| Tower shape | Conical tower |
| Markings / pattern | Black and white horizontal bands |
| Height | 34 m |
| Focal height | 31 m |
| Characteristic | Flashing white every 10 seconds |
| Admiralty number | F1820 |
| NGA number | 21188 |
| ARLHS number | SIN-001 |
The Horsburgh Lighthouse (Chinese: 霍士堡灯塔; Malay: Rumah Api Horsburgh) is a lighthouse which marks the eastern entrance to the Straits of Singapore. It is situated on Pedra Branca island. Singapore's earliest lighthouse by date of completion, it is located approximately 54 kilometres to the east of Singapore and 14 km from the Malaysian state of Johor.
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[edit] History
The Horsburgh Lighthouse was named after Captain James Horsburgh[1] (September 28, 1762 – May 14, 1836), a Scottish hydrographer from the East India Company, who mapped many seaways around Singapore in the late 18th century and early 19th century. He was called "The Nautical Oracle of the World". His charts and books allowed ships to navigate through treacherous areas of the ocean, saving many lives and property on the seas between China and India. On the wall of the visitors room of the lighthouse there is the following memorial:
| “ | Pharos Ego
Cui nomen praebuit Horsburgh Hydrographus In maribus Indo Sinicis praeter omnes proeclarus Angliae Mercatorum nisi imprimus indole Ex imperii opibus Anglo Indici denique constructa Saluti nautarum insignis viri memoriae Consulo A.D. MDCCCLI W. J. Butterworth, c.b., Prov: Malacc. Proof. |
” |
A.D. 1851
which in translation reads: The Horsburgh Lighthouse is raised by the British enterprise of British Merchants, and by the liberal aid of the East India Company, to lessen the dangers of navigation, and likewise to hand down, so long as it shall last, in the scene of his useful labours.
To the Memory of the Great Hydrographer whose name it bears.
Col. W. J. Butterworth, c.b.
Governor in the Straits of Malacca.
[edit] Location
The lighthouse was built over an outcrop of rocks that for centuries was identified on maps as Pedra Branca (white rocks in Portuguese). It was built by John Turnbull Thomson (1821–1884), a government surveyor. In the presence of Governor William John Butterworth and other dignitaries, the lighthouse foundation stone was laid on May 24, 1850 and the lighthouse was completed in 1851. The lighthouse is also known as Pedra Branca Lighthouse.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "James Horsburgh". Electric Scotland. http://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/horsburgh_james.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
- ^ "An anecdotal history of old times in Singapore". http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/library/ananecdotal02.txt. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
[edit] References
- Savage, Victor R.; Brenda S.A. Yeoh (2003). Toponymics – A Study of Singapore Street Names. Singapore: Eastern Universities Press. ISBN 981-210-205-1.
[edit] Further reading
- Hall-Jones, John (1995). The Horsburgh Lighthouse. Invercargill, N.Z.: John Hall-Jones. ISBN 0473032058 (pbk.).
- Pavitt, J.A.L. (1966). First Pharos of the Eastern Seas : Horsburgh Lighthouse. Singapore: Donald Moore Press.
- Thomson, J.T. (John Turnbull) (1852). Account of the Horsburgh Light-house, Erected on Pedra Branca, near Singapore. Singapore: [s.n.].
[edit] External links
- Singapore Infopedia: Horsburgh Lighthouse
- Lighthouse Depot: Horsburgh Lighthouse (with photo)
- Tide tables with map
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Singapore". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/sgp.htm.
- Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society World List of Lights (WLOL): Singapore
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