Lighthouses of Australia Inc

• Vaucluse Bay Lighthouse
• Church as a lighthouse?

Vaucluse Bay Lighthouse

Vaucluse Bay Front Light Photo: John Ibbotson

I lived in Sydney as a little girl in the 1950's and was pleased to find your site. 

If I am correct, the Vaucluse Bay Front lighthouse was in our garden at 80 Wentworth Road. 

I would like to receive information on the lighthouse. Is it still being used today? How tall is it (very, in my memory!)? etc, etc. Can you help me? 

Many thanks.

Frederique Nijman
The Netherlands
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Hello Frederique, 

Vaucluse Bay Front Light Photo: John Ibbotson

What a lovely thought that you had a lighthouse in your front garden :) I am from Western Australia, but when in Sydney in January last we saw it on our Manly ferry crossing.:) It is so pretty with its pointed cupola - I have read referred to as Disney Castle towers :)

In John Ibbotson's book he mentions the following details for the rear light - which judging by his photo would have been in your front garden. It looks as though the front light was also in a garden - but maybe someone else's garden? The specific details are the front tower has an elevation of 16 metres, with the tower itself is 8 metres high. The rear is also 8 metres high, but has an elevation of 84 metres.

Vaucluse Bay Rear Light Photo: John Ibbotson

In John's book it says the rear leading light is in the front garden of a private home - looks like a very lovely home! While the front light is in the back garden of "a house" - both houses in Wentworth Rd. Maybe it depends on what you think of as the front or back garden - I would have thought with a view of Sydney Harbour would count as your "best garden" regardless which street the house faced onto.

Were the lights manned at all while you lived there, or were they already automatic?

Sadly, as you have already found - we do not already have any info about the lights on our page. Perhaps you have some other information you could add for us - or any old photos?

Further information is also available at http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/nsw.htm:

Thank you so much for making contact with us.

Pauline O'Brien
Secretary, LoA Inc.

Church as a lighthouse?

Fredrikstad Cathedral, Norway Photo: Wikipedia

In Fredrikstad, Norway, the local cathedral also serves as a lighthouse. Is there a church or cathedral in Australia that also doubles as a lighthouse? 

Your advise would be greatly appreciated for my research.

Knut Ekeberg
 Email Knut Ekeberg

Hi Knut,

Great idea, church as a lighthouse.

Mariners have used churches for centuries to navigate, they are usually situated on high ground and therefore bearings were taken from sea to calculate a vessel's position, the same as with lighthouses, the Scandinavians being great seafaring nations obviously had the nous to use the high buildings to install lights.

More of it!!!

Regards,

Phil Walsh
LoA Inc Membership Officer
 Email Phil Walsh