Cape Hermes:

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South African Lighthouse No 3


The little lighthouse that could.


Pic Source: German Online List of Lighthouses
Its name creates the illusion that this lighthouse is also situated near Cape Town, but it is actually located in the Eastern Cape province and is often referred to as the Port St Johns Lighthouse.

According to Lighthouses.co.za the Cape Hermes Lighthouse did not start out as the octagonal tower structure it is today. Apparently, when it was commissioned in May 1902, it consisted only of a ships masthead light hanging outside the signal station. The lighthouse, as it stands behind its picket fence today, came into operation about two years later - on 16 October 1904.

NOTE: Researching this lighthouse, has definitely secured a position for Port St Johns (aka the Jewel of the Wild Coast) on my destination bucket list.

I found this historic postcard on Leuchtturm-welt.net, but for more modern images, check out Charmaine Blackburn on Flickr or the Google Maps Satellite.

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