Raffles Lighthouse
Raffles Lighthouse
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 Singapore
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| Location | Coney Islet Pulau Satumu Singapore |
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| Coordinates | 1°09′36.2″N 103°44′27.2″E / 1.160056°N 103.740889°ECoordinates: 1°09′36.2″N 103°44′27.2″E / 1.160056°N 103.740889°E |
| Year first constructed | 1855 |
| Construction | granite tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower and lantern |
| Height | 29 metres (95 ft) |
| Focal height | 32 metres (105 ft) |
| Intensity | 117,000 candelas |
| Range | 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 20s. |
| Admiralty number | F1693 |
| NGA number | 21500 |
| ARLHS number | SIN-004 |
Raffles Lighthouse (Chinese: 莱佛士灯塔; Malay: Rumah Api Raffles) is a lighthouse located on Pulau Satumu in the Singapore Strait, about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the main island of Singapore.
The Raffles Lighthouse was first mooted in 1833, but the foundation stone was only laid in 1854 when William John Butterworth was the Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1843 to 1855. The stones on which Raffles Lighthouse stands come from the granite quarries on Pulau Ubin. The lighthouse was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded modern Singapore in 1819.
The lighthouse was erected on a 1.3-hectare (3.2-acre) rocky island called Pulau Satumu, the southernmost island off the main island of Singapore. Pulau Satumu means "one tree island" – sa refers to satu ("one") and tumu is the Malay name for the large mangrove tree, Bruguiera confugata. The light source was a wick burner which was replaced in 1905 by a pressurised vapour kerosene mantle burner to increase the light intensity for a greater visible range. A 2nd Order optic was mounted on a roller carriage to allow for smooth rotation. (The Order is a system of classifying the type of lenses used based on the focal length of the lens). This roller carriage was a weight-driven machine which had to be rewound manually to lift the weight whenever it reached the base. The rewinding was done hourly. A crew of seven men was required to man the lighthouse.
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