[3] It was opened with great ceremony in 1895 by John Forrest, the Premier of Western Australia.

Until June 1982 the lens was rotated by a counter weight driving clockwork mechanism, and the beacon was a pressure kerosene mantle type.

[2] The lighthouse, besides being a navigational aid, serves as an important automatic weather station.

The lighthouse's buildings and grounds are now vested in the local tourism body and the single (1960s) and double (1980s) communications towers that were north-west of the lighthouse, seen in older photographs of Cape Leeuwin, have been removed.

The young Felix von Luckner, later a German World War I war hero, noted for his long voyage on the Seeadler during which he captured 14 enemy ships, was briefly assistant lighthouse keeper.