Thank you to everyone who submitted a survey, shared images of the Cape and contacted us to talk about how they value the Cape Otway Lightstation Site. We really appreciate your valuable input and so enjoyed hearing some of the tales you told!

We have analysed and collated all the community feedback into an engagement report.

In mid 2024 we sought community input to help guide the conservation and management of the Cape Otway Lightstation precinct. Information gathered on how and why locals and visitors value the site will provide us with guidance on how to manage this special part of the coast into the future.

Cape Otway is on the lands of the Gadabanud People, part of Eastern Maar Country, which has a rich cultural heritage and a wealth of environmental values. Since the 1800s it has also been home to the Cape Otway Lightstation.

The Lightstation

The Cape Otway Lighthouse was built in 1848 and became known as the ‘Beacon of Hope’. It is a premier attraction along the Great Ocean Road, with thousands of visitors every year. It is the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia, and widely considered to be the most significant.

The lighthouse is part of a larger complex of historic assets overseen by the Authority, including an 1859 Telegraph Station and a World War II Radar Bunker. This complex is referred to as the Cape Otway Lightstation.

Visit the Lightstation Website for more information on this fascinating site.

Environmental Values

The Cape Otway Lightstation precinct sites within the Otway Ranges bioregion and is features a variety of ecological vegetation classes including coastal headland scrub and coastal dune grasslands. The precinct is surrounded by The Great Otway National Park, which contains a large range of wildlife habitat, including 43 endemic species found nowhere else in the world! Regular animals you see in this area include koalas, king parrots, possums, gliders and yellow-tailed black cockatoos.

Management arrangements

The Authority currently leases the site from Parks Victoria and will take on land management responsibility by 1 November 2025.

We asked the local community, visitors and those who value the Lightstation precinct to fill out a survey and upload images to help us better understand the value of this precinct. The survey and photo submissions are now closed.