Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Tacking Point Lighthouse
Tacking Point Lighthouse is Australia's thirteenth oldest lighthouse. It was built on a rocky headland about 8 kilometres south of Port Macquarie in 1879 by Shepherd and Joseph William Mortley, to a design by the New South Wales Colonial Architect, James Barnet. It is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and is classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW).
Tacking Point was named by explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802 during his 1802–1803 circumnavigation of Australia. Its nearest lighthouses are Smoky Cape Lighthouse at South West Rocks, to the north, and Crowdy Head Light, to the south.
Location
Tacking Point Lighthouse is located in New South Wales at approximately -31.4755°, 152.9372°. 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 Tacking Point Lighthouse
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.