Lighthouses of Australia Inc

Griffiths Island Lighthouse The Griffiths Island Lighthouse in Port Fairy was built in 1859. Photo: Kristie Eggleston

Move to protect Port Fairy lighthouse & Griffiths Island

by Matt Neal, Warrnambool Standard
21 December 2006

Port Fairy's Griffiths Island and historic lighthouse have been recommended for heritage status. Moyne Shire Council voted this week to support Heritage Victoria's recommendation to list the island and lighthouse on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Griffiths Island Lighthouse Photo: John Ibbotson

However, the support came with a few conditions. The council agreed the heritage listing should not interfere with all Port of Port Fairy operational activities, such as training, wall repairs, sand dredging, road access and landing repairs. Another condition was that the listing not affect the need to remove sand from Lighthouse Beach, the south-west passage and Putney ground to help with the stabilisation of East Beach.

Cr Frank Norton also added to the motion that Griffith Island and the now non-existent Rabbit Island be registered but "defined as the area contained within the original shore as indicated on the 1840s charts".

Cr Di Clanchy said she was baffled by the need to define the area by an 1840s map which featured three islands that have now become one. "I think it's a positive...to put the area on the heritage register, but we're not living in the 1840s," she said.

Cr Jim Doukas said the important thing was that the listing did not get in the way of saving East Beach.

Cr Ken Gale agreed saying, "there's a very real concern about Heritage Victoria preventing the shire from carrying out its core business".

After the vote, the councillors unanimously supported Cr Clanchy's motion to invite Heritage Victoria "to explain the workings and objectives of Heritage Victoria".

Source: http://the.standard.net.au/articles/2006/12/21/1166290653436.html or download article as a PDF