Monthly Bulletin May/June 2005 - Vol 8 No. 3

Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse relit

by Ian Clifford, LoA Committee member

The Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, constructed in 1872, and deactivated in 1974, was relit for three nights (8-10 April 2005) in conjunction with Department of Lands (the custodians) to mark Heritage Week.

Restoration of the Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse began in 2000, and the light was exhibited for the first time in 18 years in March 2002 to coincide with the IALA Conference in Sydney and the Lighthouses of Australia Annual Dinner in Wollongong. The restoration won the highly competitive Australian Engineering Excellence Awards in 2001, and to celebrate the win, the light was lit once again during Engineers Week in August 2002. I was involved in organising the relighting including preparing the apparatus and setting an historically correct flashing sequence.

For the relighting which occurred in April 2005, the lighthouse looked good because after 12 months of chasing, I finally procured the right coloured red sector and refitted it - so red was R-101 Red where it should be red! I restored the optic to operating condition and set the light up so it could permanently operate if necessary including auto lamp changers, making operating for 3 nights a "set and forget job".

Warden Head, which still operates as a nav aid and Wollongong Breakwater are exactly the same design except that Warden Head was shortened when it was relocated from the Ulladulla Breakwater. It makes Wollongong Harbour look completely different, actually complete when the light is operating. They are both very attractive structures and a tribute to their designer Edward Moriarity. The Breakwater light when operating really adds to the ambiance of the Harbour at Wollongong. 

Hopefully people enjoyed the spectacle, I did!

The Department of Lands put out the following press release:

Lighting up the sky for Heritage Week - Press release April 2005

The Department of Lands will light up the night sky with the Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse for three nights commencing Friday 8 April to mark the start of Heritage Week, the Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly, has announced.

"Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse is a magnificent structure, built in 1871 and constructed of wrought iron. In recent years the lighthouse has been restored, renewing one of the most enduring symbols of heritage in the region.

The lighting of this historic landmark will be an opportunity for the community to step back in time, and see a working piece of our history. It will also coincide with the 60th anniversary of the National Trust and 20th anniversary of the local branch, marking an even greater occasion for the community to celebrate.

The Department of Lands, as the manager of Crown Lands in NSW, has some of the most significant historical structures in the State. This Lighthouse is a fine example of one of these structures, as it is both a symbol of our past, and a symbol for our future."

The lighthouse will light up at 15 minutes to sunset on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night and turned off at sunrise, matching its historic hours of operation.

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