Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Cape Byron Light
Cape Byron Light, also called Cape Byron Lightstation, is an active heritage-listed lighthouse and now interpretative centre, interpretative space, maritime museum, administration office, retail building, accommodation, tourist attraction and visitor attraction located at Cape Byron on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
It was designed by Charles Harding and Cecil W. Darley and built from 1899 to 1901 by Messrs Mitchell & King. It is also known as Cape Byron Lightstation (including moveable items), Byron Bay Lighthouse, Cape Byron Headland and Cape Byron Headland Reserve. The property is owned by NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. The lighthouse was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004; and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 February 2019.
The lighthouse and surrounding buildings were added to the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate on 21 October 1980. Cape Byron Light is Australia's most powerful lighthouse, with a light intensity of 2,200,000 candelas. Cape Byron, the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia, is approximately three kilometres (2 mi) northeast of the town of Byron Bay.
Location
Cape Byron Light is located in New South Wales at approximately -28.63861111°, 153.63638889°. A map pin at these coordinates will take you to the approximate lighthouse site — note that some historic lights are on active marine reserves, islands or private land, and visiting may require a boat or permit.
Visiting Cape Byron Light
Access to Australian lighthouses varies widely. Some are on publicly accessible headlands with car parks and interpretive signage; others are on remote islands that require chartered boats. Most operational lights managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) are not open to the public interior, but the grounds and keepers' cottages at heritage-listed stations are often open during daylight hours.
If you're planning a visit, check with the relevant state parks service or heritage body for current conditions, access restrictions and opening times. Many of Australia's finest lighthouses are within national parks, and fees may apply.
Further reading
Read more on Wikipedia → — used under CC BY-SA 4.0. This article includes contributions from the Wikipedia community.