Crookhaven Heads Light
Encyclopedia
Crookhaven Heads Light is an active lighthouse
located at Crookhaven Heads, a headland
on the south side of the entrance to the Shoalhaven River
, north of Culburra Beach, New South Wales
, Australia
. Together with a movable light flashing yellow every 2s it serves as a range light into the channel. The lighthouse is in a severely deteriorated condition, and considered by some the most endangered lighthouse in New South Wales, suffering from repeated vandalization.
The station was established with a timber tower in 1882, as part of the Shoalhaven Signal Station 200 metres (656.2 ft) west of the current lighthouse, with Thomas Bishop as the first operator. The apparatus had been a brass lantern.
The current lighthouse was commissioned in 1904 and the old wooden lighthouse was immediately demolished. The lantern used was the one from the former Cape St George Lighthouse which was replaced by Point Perpendicular Light
in 1899. The name of the station was then changed to Crookhaven Heads.
The power source was changed to solar power
in the late 20th century.
The lighthouse was restored in the 1990s with wire mesh surrounding the lantern room, but no ongoing plan or presence was set. It was quickly vandalized again, and every piece of glass in the lantern was broken despite the protective mesh.
One step subsequently undertaken was to strip away the thicket so it would be more visible, but without a permanent solution that protects the site the authorities were reluctant to provide further funds. In 2008 NSW Maritime reported spending $25,600 AUD installing a separate light high atop the tower to protect it from vandalizm.
In July 2010, funds of $100,000 AUD were allocated for restoration of the lighthouse by the NSW Minister for Lands Tony Kelly. The next step was to be a scoping study to determine the extent of work required, which was to begin in the middle of July, with restoration work to start by the end of August.
while the land is owned and managed by the Land and Property Management Authority
.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located at Crookhaven Heads, a headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
on the south side of the entrance to the Shoalhaven River
Shoalhaven River
The Shoalhaven River is a river rising from the Southern Tablelands and flowing into the ocean near Nowra on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.- History :...
, north of Culburra Beach, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Together with a movable light flashing yellow every 2s it serves as a range light into the channel. The lighthouse is in a severely deteriorated condition, and considered by some the most endangered lighthouse in New South Wales, suffering from repeated vandalization.
History
The first light on the vicinity was a red lantern made from a ship's masthead supported on two poles, present at the river entrance since 1872.The station was established with a timber tower in 1882, as part of the Shoalhaven Signal Station 200 metres (656.2 ft) west of the current lighthouse, with Thomas Bishop as the first operator. The apparatus had been a brass lantern.
The current lighthouse was commissioned in 1904 and the old wooden lighthouse was immediately demolished. The lantern used was the one from the former Cape St George Lighthouse which was replaced by Point Perpendicular Light
Point Perpendicular Light
Point Perpendicular Light is a lighthouse located on Point Perpendicular, a point at the southern tip of the Beecroft Peninsula, in New South Wales, Australia. It marks and the northern entrance to Jervis Bay. The historic lighthouse was active from 1889 to 1993 and is still present, though its...
in 1899. The name of the station was then changed to Crookhaven Heads.
The power source was changed to solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
in the late 20th century.
State today
The lighthouse is currently in a severely deteriorated condition due to vandalism. The doors have been broken and removed, the windows and lantern room glass have been smashed and trash has been dumped inside. Vandalism is encouraged by its isolation and aggravated by the fact that the reserve is overgrown, making it impossible to see from the nearby Culburra Beach village.The lighthouse was restored in the 1990s with wire mesh surrounding the lantern room, but no ongoing plan or presence was set. It was quickly vandalized again, and every piece of glass in the lantern was broken despite the protective mesh.
One step subsequently undertaken was to strip away the thicket so it would be more visible, but without a permanent solution that protects the site the authorities were reluctant to provide further funds. In 2008 NSW Maritime reported spending $25,600 AUD installing a separate light high atop the tower to protect it from vandalizm.
In July 2010, funds of $100,000 AUD were allocated for restoration of the lighthouse by the NSW Minister for Lands Tony Kelly. The next step was to be a scoping study to determine the extent of work required, which was to begin in the middle of July, with restoration work to start by the end of August.
Structure
The tower is made from bricks and attached to a one-story service building. Both are painted white, though the color is deteriorating.Site operation
The light is managed by NSW MaritimeNSW Maritime
NSW Maritime was an agency in the Government of New South Wales, Australia. NSW Maritime was the State Government Authority responsible for marine safety, regulation of commercial and recreational boating and oversight of port operations...
while the land is owned and managed by the Land and Property Management Authority
Land and Property Management Authority
The News South Wales Land and Property Information, a division of the Department of Finance and Services in the Government of New South Wales, is responsible for land titles, property information, valuation, surveying, and mappping and spatial information in New South Wales.The division is led by...
.
Visiting
The lighthouse is accessible by a short hike through the parking at the north end of Prince Edward Avenue in Culburra Beach. The grounds are open, but the tower is closed.See also
- List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia