Lighthouses of Australia Inc

Sydney Harbour "Wedding Cake West" Lighthouse collapses

Compiled by Kristie Eggleston, LoA Inc Webmaster

The Wedding Cake Lighthouses in Sydney Harbour, c. 2002 Photo: Bob Adams

Until recently, two white, tiered channel lighthouses known as the "Wedding Cakes" – familiar to thousands of sailors and fishermen – have marked the channel of the Sow and Pigs reef, guiding vessels through Sydney Harbour. The green-lit Eastern Channel Lighthouse was built in 1908, and its twin, the red-lit Western Channel light off Georges Head near Mosman, was built in 1924, replacing a marker buoy. The lights were originally powered by gas, then converted to solar.

The Western Channel light surrounded during a yacht race Photo used with permission courtesy Andrea Francolini

On 12 December 2006, during the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Big Boat Challenge, the Western Channel Light – 066196 / SYHB (WMO 95766) – better known as Wedding Cake West, was noticeably heeling over. The structure collapsed into the harbour at around 4.30pm. Travellers on the 4.35pm JetCat from Manly were slightly delayed as their captain slowed down to avoid the debris.

The Western Wedding Cake Lighthouse Photo: John Ibbotson

The sunken lighthouse had a red light, a concrete tower, copper top and white painted wooden paling skirt. Both the fragile wooden Wedding Cake lighthouse structures were scheduled to be replaced by Sydney Ports before the middle of next year at a cost of up to $300,000.

The Bureau of Meteorology weather station, a 10-metre stainless steel mast on Wedding Cake West, was installed in 1996 to provide information about conditions in the harbour, specifically for the 2000 Olympics. The last weather reading from its channel marker recorded a temperature of 17.6°C and an 18-knot south-westerly.

Sydney Ports had cordoned off the area by late Tuesday and, along with the NSW Maritime Authority, were collecting what was left of the marker. The remains have been salvaged and are being assessed to determine whether the structure could be restored or needs to be rebuilt. The only indication left of the fallen lighthouse are four temporary buoys.

Sources:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/leading-light-of-the-harbour-bows-out/2006/12/12/1165685679707.html or download PDF
http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=29543 or download PDF
http://www.boatingoz.com.au/?page=19810 or download PDF
Kamini Parashar, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, Sydney Ports Corporation