McNabs Island Lighthouse (Rear Range Light)

McNabs Island once had a second lighthouse; although all that remains today is the concrete foundation located a short distance from Military Road.

Built in 1903, the McNabs Island Lighthouse, at 40 metres elevation, had a longer range than the more well-known Maugher Beach Lighthouse, being visible for up to 27 kilometres out at sea. The two lighthouses were used in conjunction by ships entering the harbour, who would line the two lights up in order to know they were on the correct course to avoid the dangerous shoals. The lighthouse building was constructed to incorporate a living space for the light keeper and their family. From 1905 to 1932 the lighthouse keeper was Matthew Lynch, the father of Bill Lynch, who would achieve fame in the carnival business with the travelling Bill Lynch Show. Matthew Lynch retired to a property on the north end of the island, which still stands and is known as the Lynch House.

Following Lynch, the light keeper was Colin Cleveland, who served until 1957, and also farmed the area with his family. His children attended a small school on the island in the 1930s, later commuting to study in Shearwater by naval duty boat.

The last keeper left in 1959 when electricity replaced oil, and the lighthouse was finally torn down in 1976, having been replaced by a pair of small red lights on skeleton towers near Fort Hugonin.