Raffles Lighthouse (Chinese: 莱佛士灯塔; Malay: Rumah Api Raffles) was built in 1855 on Pulau Satumu (‘One Tree Island’ in Malay). Named after the founder of colonial Singapore Sir Stamford Raffles, the foundation of the lighthouse was laid in 1854 by the late Colonel W. J. Butterworth who was then the Governor of the Prince of Wales Island, Singapore and Malacca.
The light source was by wick burner which was replaced in 1905 by a pressurised vapour k...
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Raffles Lighthouse (Chinese: 莱佛士灯塔; Malay: Rumah Api Raffles) was built in 1855 on Pulau Satumu (‘One Tree Island’ in Malay). Named after the founder of colonial Singapore Sir Stamford Raffles, the foundation of the lighthouse was laid in 1854 by the late Colonel W. J. Butterworth who was then the Governor of the Prince of Wales Island, Singapore and Malacca.
The light source was by wick burner which was replaced in 1905 by a pressurised vapour kerosene mantle burner to increase the light intensity for a greater visible range. A 2nd Order optic was mounted on a roller carriage to allow for smooth rotation. (The Order is a system of classifying the type of lenses used based on the focal length of the lens). This roller carriage was a weight-driven machine which had to be rewound manually to lift the weight whenever it reached the base. The rewinding was done hourly. A crew of seven men was required to man the lighthouse.
In 1968, the installation of a 4th Order electrically operated...
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