Point Stephens Light
Location | Point Stephens, New South Wales, Australia |
---|---|
Coordinates | 32°44′49″S 152°12′04″E / 32.746931°S 152.201156°E |
Tower | |
Constructed | 1862 |
Construction | sandstone (tower) |
Automated | 1973 |
Height | 21 m (69 ft) |
Shape | Cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
Markings | white (tower), white (lantern) |
Power source | solar power |
Operator | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
Heritage | Heritage Act — State Heritage Register |
Light | |
Focal height | 38 m (125 ft) |
Intensity | 40,700 candela |
Range | 17 nmi (31 km; 20 mi) |
Characteristic | Fl(4) W 30s |
Official name | Point Stephens Lighthouse Group |
Type | Built |
Criteria | a, c, e, f, g |
Designated | 2 April 1999 |
Reference no. | 01005 |
The Point Stephens Light is a heritage-listed active
Proposed in 1857, the
The tower is designed in the form of a
The lighthouse is managed as part of the Tomaree National Park. Access to the lighthouse is difficult, either through a narrow spit of sand at low tide or by boat.
History
As early as 1857, the need for a lighthouse on Point Stephens was identified, due to the proximity to the entrance of Port Stephens, and the dangers of the local coastline to ships.[4] Another reason was that mariners were mistaking the entrance to Fingal Bay for that of Port Stephens.[1] At least twenty four vessels are known to have been wrecked in the area. the most serious being the Dove in 1828 with the loss of seven lives, and the Pandora in 1836 with five lives.[1] Another notable wreck was the Florence Irving in 1877.[5]
The lighthouse was finally built in 1862
The original apparatus was a 3.0-metre (10 ft) Wilkins & Co.
In 1901, the keeper's quarters went through major repairs, replacing the original
In 1960, the lighthouse was electrified and connected to the mains electricity through a submarine power cable, and a backup diesel generator was installed in the basement of the tower.[5] In March 1973 the lantern was replaced with a smaller 2.1-metre (7 ft) diameter fiberglass lantern (NAL-1 type) and a PRB-21 fully automated hexagonal lamp array with a rotating pedestal was installed.[8] The lower part of the original Wilkins & Co. lantern was retained, together with the 1932 railings.[5] As the tower was now fully automated, the keepers were withdrawn, and the keeper's quarters were no longer needed for the operation of the light. All logs, drawings and furniture were therefore burned as surplus by the Department of Transport's employees, and the buildings were set ready for demolition. However, a last minutes campaign by one of the last keepers and by locals was successful, and the buildings were therefore leased to the National Trust of Australia (NSW), which was responsible for its conservation, and a caretaker in turn leased them from the National Trust.[7][5]
In 1973, the lighthouse keeper was replaced by automated system powered by solar.[9] There three lighthouse families living there were two month supply of food and barge called Bomb Snow in case they would cut off due to rough seas.[9]
In 1990,b following a 1989 failure of the submarine cable and problems with the diesel generator, the light was converted to solar power with battery storage. The caretaker stayed in the premises until March 1991, when lease arrangement difficulties and the previous failure of the mains forced the caretaker's withdrawal. It only took until September 1991 for vandals to destroy the keepers' cottages by fire.[7] In 1992 the Australian Construction Services cleared the site and stabilised some of the building elements, and a security fence was installed.[5]
In 1998, management of the Tomaree National Park, in which the lighthouse is located, was transferred to the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and the tower received some long due restoration, which completed in October 1998.[2] At a cost of A$85,000 the walls were cleaned and covered with a special waterproof membrane system, the cast steel staircase refitted and the lantern room resealed for waterproofing.[10]
The current light source is a 12-
Structures
The tower
The lighthouse is located on the south-east extremity of the point.
The walls of the tower are constructed of
The interior of the tower is divided by iron floors and spiral stairways into four stories. The ground floor was originally used for oil store, and it now houses the light equipment, including a generator.[5] Access to the tower is through the ramped stone steps on the north, entering the first floor.[8]
Originally, the tower was topped with a glass lantern, which was replaced with a fiberglass one in 1973. The original lantern is now held by the Nelson Bay Historical Society.[8]
The keepers' house
The keeper's house is located about 13 metres (43 ft) north of the tower.[1] It is the only example in Australia of a terrace of lighthouse keepers' quarters.[11] It was probably completed slightly later than the lighthouse, as building materials were continuing to be sent from Sydney after the official opening.[5]
The terrace comprises three one story cottages, a six-room cottage for the principal keeper and two three room cottages for the assistants, all sharing the same roof. Each of the cottages had a kitchen, a storeroom and a privy. The building was constructed of the same imported sandstone as the lighthouse, dressed outside and plastered inside. The roof was originally made of
Water was originally supplied from two underground rainwater tanks, each 34,800 litres (7,650 imp gal).[11] The residency was served by a single septic system, discharged via an infiltration bed to the north east of the property.[5]
As mentioned above, the keeper's house was gutted by vandal fire in September 1991. In early 1992 a fence was installed and the chimneys and gables were stabilised by new brickwork.[11]
Other structures
Several service structures used to be located behind the resident buildings, namely kitchen, privies and stores, and were destroyed in the 1991 fire, leaving only parts of the timber walls.[5]
A brick privy with a
Other remains include a series of
At the north of the island are the remains of a 19th-century wharf including concrete tracks, rock cutting and iron fixings (several brackets and stumps).[1][5] A concrete helipad west of the lighthouse was constructed in the 1970s.[5]
Site operation and visiting
The light is operated by Transport for NSW,[12] while the site is managed by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service as part of the Tomaree National Park, in which it is located.[3] Visiting the lighthouse is difficult. The point is connected to the mainland with a narrow tombolo, and is only accessible by foot at low tide. It is accessible by boat, and the grounds are open, though the tower is closed to the public.[3]
Heritage listing
On 2 April 1999, the lighthouse and adjacent structures were listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register with the following statement of significance:[5]
Point Stephens Lightstation and its setting are significant as one of a collection of lighthouses which combine the natural values of a coastal environment with the cultural values of a prominent landmark and isolated settlement. One of a small number of Victorian lighthouses designed by Colonial Architect Alexander Dawson, this example employs sandstone for the tower in a flared design incorporating an external stair to the first-floor entrance. The semi-detached terrace, now in a ruinous state, is among the most architecturally accomplished of the early detached residential housing type. The light station retains a rare remnant of the original Wilkins & Co lantern and has the potential for archaeological study at both the lightstation and wharf precincts.
— Statement of significance, New South Wales State Heritage Register.
See also
Notes
- ^a : According to List of Lights.[13] Lighthouses of Australia, New South Wales in The Lighthouse Directory lists 20s.[3]
- ^b : According to Point Stephens Lighthouse Group (Place ID 1320) in the Australian Heritage Database,[1] Lighthouses of Australia, New South Wales in The Lighthouse Directory,[2] and Point Stephens and Sugarloaf Point Trip Report in the Lighthouses of Australia Inc Bulletin.[7] The Point Stephens Lighthouse in the Lighthouses of New South Wales says 1989.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Point Stephens Lighthouse Group (Place ID 1320)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Point Stephens Lighthouse". Lighthouses of New South Wales. Lighthouses of Australia Inc.
- ^ a b c d Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Northern New South Wales". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ "The Coast and Its Harbours". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 9 October 1857. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ .
- ^ "The Port Stephens Light". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 21 March 1862. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Clifford, Ian (January 2000). "Point Stephens and Sugarloaf Point Trip Report". Lighthouses of Australia Inc Bulletin (1). Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Point Stephens Lighthouse (outer) (Place ID 1321)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government.
- ^ a b Blight, Taryn. "The Story Behind Port Stephens and Fingal Bay". blog.fcswc.org.au. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ Crystal, Tom, Newcastle Herald, 10 October 1998 (November 1998). "Refurbished Lighthouse a Reminder of a Brighter Past". Lighthouses of Australia Inc Bulletin. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "Point Stephens Lighthouse Keepers House (Place ID 1322)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government.
- ^ "Lighthouse Lights". NSW Maritime. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 123.
Attribution
This article incorporates text by New South Wales State Heritage Register available under the CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
External links
- Media related to Point Stephens Lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons
- Searle, Garry. "Point Stephens". Lighthouses of New South Wales. SeaSide Lights.
- Grant and Tracey's Lighthouse Pages – Point Stephens