Mount Lewis (Mount Louis) Signal Station was a Semaphore signal station on the summit of Mount Lewis, near Tinderbox overlooking the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in Tasmania. It stood on a twenty acre site 726 feet above sea level.
The Signal The semaphore was a crude system of rotating arms, one above the other and was operated by ropes.[1] Semaphore messages were sent by raising and lowering the arms to set positions. All trees at the top of Mount Lewis, also known as Mount Louis, were cleared, affording better visibility of the semaphore. There was no natural water, but a water tank was dug out of the rock. A small hut was erected in which the code book was kept.[2]
Rather than the more complex system of semaphores linking Mount Nelson with Hobart and Port Arthur, Mount Lewis connected with the signal station at Mount Royal to convey information about shipping entering the River Derwent to Mount Nelson. The staff included the officer in charge, a soldier to guard him and three men to operate the signals.
History The signal station was established in 1813 on the orders of Governor Lachlan MacQuarie and alongside the signal station at Mount Royal above Gordon, Tasmania (known then as Three Hut Point) brought signals from Mount Nelson. In March 1926, the station received its first telescope. In April 1834, it was decided to place freemen only in charge of the station instead of convicts, with a salary of fifty pounds a year. Permission was given to erect a cottage for the officer in charge of Mount Lewis Signal Station. In June 1839, a bullock team was provided to help bring water and wood to the summit of Mount Lewis. On 22 December 1841, the convicts operating the signal rescued two men from drowning in an upset boat in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. The men were rewarded with a Ticket of Leave. By February 1857, all men operating the signal as well as the chief signalman were freemen. The signalman earned £100/yr. Signals from Mount Lewis were often erratic, and in 1858, the signal was scheduled for closure. The Hobart pilot, James Hurburgh pledged to keep it open in exchange for an extra thirty pounds a year. He was ordered to raise a signal every morning and evening as well communicating any shipwreck, accident or onboard sickness as soon as he learned about it. In 1870, high winds blew the mast over and it was never repaired. Within ten years, the telephone had replaced the semaphore and soon afterwards all buildings associated with the signal station were demolished. By 1885, the signal was described by The Mercury as "a clearing on the rounded hill top and a mournfully looking flagstaff surmounting it."
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