Horsburgh Lighthouse

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Horsburgh Lighthouse
Location: Pedra Branca, Singapore
Coordinates
WGS-84 (GPS)		 1°19′81″N, 104°24′34″E
Year first constructed: 1851
Tower shape: Conical tower
Markings/Pattern: Black and white horizontal bands
Height: 34 m
Elevation: 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. It is 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.

Contents

[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.

[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 24 May 1850 and the lighthouse was completed in 1851. The lighthouse is also known as Pedra Branca Lighthouse.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ James Horsburgh. Electric Scotland. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.

[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

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Lighthouses in Singapore
Operational lighthouses
Historical lighthouses
Foreign lighthouses