It stands at the eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula, on the western side of the entrance to Port Phillip from Bass Strait, on a headland overlooking The Rip, a stretch of water considered one of the more treacherous navigable passages in the world,[1] and the only seaborne approach to Melbourne.

The current lighthouse, completed in 1902, was designed by the Victorian Public Works Department and erected by the contractors Coate Brothers.

Surrounding its base is the octagonal, two-storey, brick signal station and observation room.

In 1863, the original Queenscliff Low Light, a prefabricated wooden structure, was re-erected at Point Lonsdale and painted with distinctive black and red bands.

The restored foghorn is operated in foggy weather, giving a double blast every 30 seconds.

There is public access to the area around the tower, and organised tours are conducted on Sundays by the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum.