[1] Philippus Baldaeus, a Dutch minister who served in the area in the late 1650s, detailed his observations of Galle Harbour, in his work, A True and Exact Description of the most Celebrated East-India Coasts of Malabar and Coromandel and also of the isle of Ceylon (1672), stating that there was an iron cannon placed on the ramparts and a lantern to guide the sailors on top of the 28 feet above sea level rock which jutted out into the sea.

[2][4] It was a 24.4 m-high (80 ft) iron lighthouse,[4][5] constructed from cast-iron plates, imported from England, designed by British architect Alexander Gordon and erected by Messrs. Robinson, Engineers of Pimlico.

[1][2] The original light was furnished with a glass prism lens floating in a bath of mercury (to reduce friction) and was powered by a weight driven machine.

[citation needed] The light station is within the walls of the ancient Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and well known tourist attraction.

[1] The lighthouse is strategically located at the southern end of the promontory, built approximately 6 m (20 ft) above the road level on the ramparts, at what is known as the Point Utrecht Bastion, giving it full view of any ships entering Galle Harbour.