12/09/2026
Kingston Jetty Lighthouse
Kingston SE, South Australia
Constructed - 1881
Decommissioned - 1958
The Unknown Light...
Rare images of the little known lighthouse that once marked the end of the town jetty.
"The lighthouse at the end of Kingston jetty; the keeper is standing on the light's small balcony, his bicycle is propped up at the entrance guarded by a dog" — Arthur Searcy
The sea off Kingston SE is so shallow that when the town's first jetty was built in 1864-65, it was 155 metres long, and it ended in water which was still only a little over 1 metre in depth!
In 1876 a second jetty - 1,219 metres - was built which finally reached water at a depth of 5 metres!
Unfortunately though, at this length it was often the victim of wild storms from the Southern Ocean and was frequently damaged.
It was wrecked in 1923, rebuilt and then wrecked again in 1958 by a severe storm and, after that, it was shortened to the length that it is today.
As for the old lighthouse... And according to Kingston locals, it appears to have had a burial at sea!
Following it's decommissioning in 1958 and the subsequent storm damage to the jetty, the lack of access and the lack of maintenance combined; put the structure into a state of dilapidation.
Sadly, some time in 1973 the lighthouse fell into the ocean and was never recovered.
Info: Kingston SE Locals
-Robert Kneebone
-Anne-louise Smith
Photos© Arthur Searcy (1902 & 1911)
SA Marine Board President
The Searcy Collection
State Library of South Australia
