Cape Columbine is the site of the last manned lighthouse built on the South African coast. It is the 1st.

Lighthouse usually sighted by shipping coming from Europe. The opening ceremony was fittingly performed at sunset on the 1st of October 1936 by Mrs. H.C. Cooper, wife of the designer and builder Mr. H.C. Cooper, the 1st lighthouse engineer for the Cape Colonial Government.

Date of installation: 1 October 1936
Character of light: 1 white flash every 15 seconds
Type of light: Revolving – electric
Candlepower: 5 040 000 c.d
Range: 32 sea miles
Height of focal plane: 80 meter above high water
Structure: 15m square masonry tower – painted white
Position: Latitude 32d 48′ 39″ S | Longitude 17d 51′ 23″ E

Shipwrecks

‘EVE’ Wrecked on Paternoster Island on 17 March 1829
‘COLUMBINE’ Wrecked 1.5km north of Cape Columbine on 31 March 1829
‘FRIENDS GOODWILL’ Wrecked near St Helena Bay on 6 February 1840
‘ALICIA JANE’ Wrecked on Paternoster Island on 16 May 1845
‘SS ST. LAWRENCE’ Wrecked on Great Paternoster Point on 8 November 1876
‘SS BULI’ Wrecked near Seal Island on 5 May 1884
‘SS ISMORE’ Wrecked a little north of the lighthouse on 3 December 1899
‘SS HALERIC’ Sank 4km southwest of Cape St. Martin lighthouse on 5 April 1933 after striking Cape St. Martin
‘SS CHUB’ Wrecked 3km south of Cape St. Martin lighthouse on 2 November 1945

NOTE: No lives were lost on the occasions of the above wrecks