Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Macquarie Lighthouse
The Macquarie Lighthouse, also known as South Head Upper Light, is the first, and is the longest serving, lighthouse site in Australia. It is located on Dunbar Head, on Old South Head Road, Vaucluse in the Municipality of Woollahra local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The lighthouse is situated approximately 2 kilometres (1 mi) south of South Head near the entrance to Sydney Harbour.
There has been a navigational aid in this vicinity since 1791 and a lighthouse near the present site since 1818. The current heritage-listed lighthouse was completed in 1883. The lighthouse and associated buildings were designed by James Barnet and built from 1881 to 1883. The lighthouse is fully operational and is under the control of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
The grounds are managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. The lighthouse is featured on the coat of arms of Macquarie University. A simplified line drawing of the lighthouse forms the logo of Woollahra Council in which local government the lighthouse is located. The lighthouse and associated site were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.
Visiting Macquarie Lighthouse
- Location: 33.8539°S, 151.2852°E — view on Google Maps
- Nearest town: Manly, New South Wales (6 km north) — see accommodation in Manly
- Access: Conditions vary by site. Some lighthouses sit on public headlands with car parks and interpretive signage; others are on islands or in active marine reserves requiring a boat or permit. Check with the relevant state parks service or heritage body for current access, opening times and fees before visiting.
Further reading
Read more on Wikipedia → — used under CC BY-SA 4.0. This article includes contributions from the Wikipedia community.