Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse
Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, is a historic lighthouse situated on the southern breakwater of the heritage-listed Wollongong Harbour, in Wollongong, New South Wales in Australia. Wollongong is the only place in the east of Australia to have two lighthouses located in close proximity of each other, the other being Wollongong Head Lighthouse.
While no longer used, the lighthouse was restored in 2002 as operational and is listed an official local heritage building. The Wollongong Harbour is home to private vessels and the local fishing fleet in the inner Belmore Basin. South of the city lies Port Kembla, a major steelmaking, minerals, grain and vehicle handling harbour.
A further hazard to shipping is an island group known collectively as The Five Islands lying a short distance off the coast.
Location
Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse is located in New South Wales at approximately -34.41966°, 150.90676°. 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 Wollongong Breakwater 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.