Cape Northumberland (South Australia)

Cape Northumberland
Port MacDonnell, South Australia
Cape Northumberland, from the west
Cape Northumberland is located in South Australia
Cape Northumberland
Cape Northumberland
Coordinates38°03′46″S 140°39′41″E / 38.062829°S 140.661385°E / -38.062829; 140.661385[1]
Elevation30 m (98 ft)[2]
Location
FootnotesLocations[1]

Cape Northumberland is a headland in the southeast of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the southernmost point of South Australia. It is located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the town of Port MacDonnell, 28 kilometres south southwest from the municipal seat of Mount Gambier and about 393 kilometres (244 mi) southeast of the state's capital Adelaide.[1][3][4]

History

Cape Northumberland was named after Hugh Percy, Duke of Northumberland, by the Royal Navy officer, James Grant, on 3 December 1800, when he was mapping the southern coast of Australia aboard HMS Lady Nelson. The cape is the site of the historic Cape Northumberland Lighthouse, built in 1858. Because it was being undermined by the sea, a new lighthouse was constructed in 1882, about 700 metres (2,300 ft) further inland. The position of original lighthouse is marked by a monument.[5][1][3]

Geography

The cape is located on the southeast coast of South Australia. It is the western end of Discovery Bay and its subsidiary, MacDonnell Bay.[1][2]: 4  The cape was described in 2017 in an American source as being "about 30 metres (98 ft) high, is rugged and cliffy, with a hill rising to an elevation of 41 metres (135 ft) behind it.[2]: 3  It is the southernmost point on the South Australian coastline.[1][6]

Climate

Climate data for Cape Northumberland (1864-2006)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 42.0
(107.6) 		43.2
(109.8) 		41.4
(106.5) 		34.5
(94.1) 		27.9
(82.2) 		22.3
(72.1) 		21.0
(69.8) 		25.1
(77.2) 		32.3
(90.1) 		33.8
(92.8) 		41.8
(107.2) 		41.2
(106.2) 		43.2
(109.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 21.7
(71.1) 		21.9
(71.4) 		20.6
(69.1) 		18.8
(65.8) 		16.4
(61.5) 		14.5
(58.1) 		13.8
(56.8) 		14.5
(58.1) 		15.8
(60.4) 		17.4
(63.3) 		18.9
(66.0) 		20.3
(68.5) 		17.9
(64.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.6
(56.5) 		13.9
(57.0) 		12.8
(55.0) 		10.9
(51.6) 		9.1
(48.4) 		7.6
(45.7) 		6.7
(44.1) 		7.1
(44.8) 		8.1
(46.6) 		9.3
(48.7) 		10.8
(51.4) 		12.3
(54.1) 		10.2
(50.4)
Record low °C (°F) 5.1
(41.2) 		5.4
(41.7) 		4.5
(40.1) 		2.4
(36.3) 		1.0
(33.8) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		−1.2
(29.8) 		−0.4
(31.3) 		1.5
(34.7) 		1.0
(33.8) 		3.6
(38.5) 		−2.4
(27.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 25.4
(1.00) 		24.8
(0.98) 		31.6
(1.24) 		55.0
(2.17) 		77.6
(3.06) 		97.7
(3.85) 		104.5
(4.11) 		94.7
(3.73) 		66.7
(2.63) 		52.2
(2.06) 		38.4
(1.51) 		34.6
(1.36) 		706.3
(27.81)
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) 7.8 6.8 9.8 13.8 17.7 19.5 21.4 20.7 17.7 15.2 11.4 10.0 171.8
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 73 73 75 74 77 79 78 75 75 74 73 75 75
Source: Bureau of Meteorology.[7]
  • The first Cape Northumberland Lighthouse
    The first Cape Northumberland Lighthouse
  • The sign at Cape Northumberland, marking South Australia's southernmost point
    The sign at Cape Northumberland, marking South Australia's southernmost point
  • A satellite image of Cape Northumberland (left) showing its relationship to the coastline to its immediate east including the James Corcoran Breakwater[6]
    A satellite image of Cape Northumberland (left) showing its relationship to the coastline to its immediate east including the James Corcoran Breakwater[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Search results for 'Cape Northumberland, CAPE' with the following datasets selected - 'Suburbs and Localities, 'Government Towns' and 'Gazetter'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 127: East Coast of Australia and New Zealand (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 3-4.
  3. ^ a b "Northumberland, Cape". State Library of South Australia. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  4. ^ South Australia. Department of Marine and Harbors (1985), The Waters of South Australia a series of charts, sailing notes and coastal photographs, Dept. of Marine and Harbors, South Australia, pp. Chart 2, ISBN 978-0-7243-7603-2
  5. ^ "The Cape Northumberland Lighthouse at Port MacDonnell". lighthouse.net.au. Archived from the original on 6 May 1999.
  6. ^ a b Boating Industry Association of South Australia (BIA); South Australia. Department for Environment and Heritage (2005), South Australia's waters an atlas & guide, Boating Industry Association of South Australia, p. 179, ISBN 978-1-86254-680-6
  7. ^ "Climate statistics for CAPE NORTHUMBERLAND". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 10 July 2021.