Designed by Alexander Gordon of the British Lighthouse Authority,[5] the lighthouse was a difficult endeavor due to the harsh conditions of the area, with fierce winds and turbulent seas, limited construction to a mere 96 working days annually, stretching the build over four-year.[4] The original lighting mechanism was designed by James De Ville, a London-based lamp manufacturer, and consisted of a revolving platform that carried eight single-wick oil burners set in polished metallic reflectors. These burners made a full rotation every four minutes.[5] John Williams served as the first head lighthouse keeper, overseeing a small team of two other men that rotated shifts every seven days.[5] In 1914 the lighting mechanism was replaced and the tower was no longer staffed by lighthouse keepers,[4] replaced by an acetylene gas cylinders that provided automatic flashes every six seconds.[5] The lighting mechanism was updated again in 1992 to be electrical at the request of the South African Navy.[4]
