Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00078:reg:2023:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00078
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2023 (pt 10/13)
Character Range: 25783–29161

Commonwealth Lighthouse Service
When the Australian colonies federated in 1901, they decided that the new Commonwealth government would be responsible for coastal lighthouses—that is, major lights used by vessels travelling from port to port—but not the minor lights used for navigation within harbours and rivers. There was a delay before this new arrangement came into effect. Existing lights continued to be operated by the states.
Since 1915, various Commonwealth departments have managed lighthouses. AMSA, established under the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 (Cth), is now responsible for operating Commonwealth lighthouses and other aids to navigation, along with its other functions.
  3.3 Tasmanian Lighthouse Service Administration
The following table outlines a chronology of Swan Island Lighthouse's management following federal acquisition.

Time Period  Administration
1915-1927:   Lighthouse District No. 3 (Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania), Hobart Headquarters.

             Deputy Director of Lighthouses and Navigation, Tasmania.
1927-1963:
             Department of Shipping and Transport, Regional Controller, Tasmania.
1963-1972:
             Department of Transport [III], Regional Controller, Tasmania.
1972-1982:
             Department of Transport and Construction. Victoria-Tasmania Region, Transport Division (Tasmania).
1982-1983:
             Department of Transport [IV] Victoria-Tasmania Region, Hobart Office.

1983-1985:   Department of Transport [IV], Tasmanian Region.

1985-1987:   Department of Transport and Communications, Tasmanian Region.

1987-1990:   Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

1991-

  3.4 Swan Island: a history

Aboriginal history
Surveys of the Outer Furneaux Islands were carried out in 1989-1990 and a total of 64 prehistoric Aboriginal sites were recorded, all containing stone artefacts. Sites recorded on Swan Island were identified as being open sites consisting of stone artefacts of quartz, quartzite and exotic. Seven unretouched flake and flaked pieces, and three retouched implements were identified within Swan Island's artefact scatters and are estimated to date from the late Pleistocene landbridge phase.[9] These investigations demonstrated that the eastern Bassian region was occupied during the prehistoric period.

Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania (Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, TAS) detailed that two significant sites recorded are registered Aboriginal heritage sites. These sites are located outside of the AMSA lease.
Following European exploration and inhabitation of Bass Strait, the Pairrebeenne People were forcibly removed from their own Country to Swan Island for a period of time in 1830.[10]
The full extent of past and present Aboriginal cultural associations with Swan Island requires further consultation and research. New information will be included in later versions of this plan.

Early European history
In 1798, the passage of water separating Tasmania from the mainland was charted by British explorer George Bass, and British navigator and cartographer Matthew Flinders. Named 'Bass Strait', this passage was traversed by countless ships that had previously been forced to journey around the south coast of Tasmania.[11]

The Waterhouse Group Islands were named after Captain Henry Waterhouse, a British Officer of the Royal