Norah Head Light

OperationalNew South Wales
Norah Head Light

Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.

About Norah Head Light

Norah Head Light is an active lighthouse located at Norah Head, a headland on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia, close to Toukley. It is the last lighthouse of the James Barnet style to be built, and the last staffed lighthouse constructed in New South Wales.

Officially displayed for the first time in 1903, the original vaporized kerosene burner was upgraded in 1923, electrified in 1961 and automated and demanned in 1994, after more than 90 years of being staffed. It celebrated its centenary in 2003.

The concrete block tower is 27.5 metres (90 ft) high, topped by a bluestone gallery. On top of the gallery is the original Chance Bros. lantern. This lantern holds the original housing of the Chance Bros. 1st order bivalve dioptric Fresnel lens. Other important structures include the chief lightkeeper's cottage and assistant keeper's duplex, and a flag house.

Visiting Norah Head Light

  • Location: 33.2822°S, 151.5767°E — view on Google Maps
  • Nearest town: Newcastle, New South Wales (44 km north-east) — see accommodation in Newcastle
  • 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.

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Further reading

Read more on Wikipedia → — used under CC BY-SA 4.0. This article includes contributions from the Wikipedia community.