Norah Head Light
Encyclopedia
Norah Head Light is an active lighthouse
located at Norah Head, a headland
on the Central Coast, New South Wales
, Australia
, close to Toukley. It is the last lighthouse of the James Barnet
style to be built, and the last staffed lighthouse constructed in New South Wales.
Officially displayed for the first time in 1903, the original vapourized kerosene
burner was upgraded in 1923, electrified in 1961 and automated and demanned in 1994, after more than 90 years of being staffed. It celebrated its centenary in 2003.
The concrete block tower is 27.5 metres (90.2 ft) high, topped by a bluestone
gallery. On top of the gallery is the original Chance Bros. lantern, housing the original Chance Bros. 1st order bivalve dioptric Fresnel lens
. Other important structures include the chief lightkeeper's cottage and assistant keeper's duplex, and a flag house.
from Noraville. However, these efforts were fruitless for many years. The first formal recommendation to construct the lighthouse was made by the Newcastle Marine Board, just prior to its abolition, in 1897.
The lighthouse was designed in a style similar to the style of James Barnet
, by his successor Charles Assinder Harding, who also designed Cape Byron Light
and Point Perpendicular Light
. It is the last to be designed in this style.
Construction commenced in 1901, undertaken by day labour. Materials were brought by boat and unloaded on a wharf constructed at Cabbage Tree Harbour for that purpose. It was officially lit on 15 November 1903, two years after Cape Byron Light. The first keepers were N. H. Williams as chief keeper, with N. Hanson and S. Kells as assistant keepers.
The cost of the tower and cottages was nearly £24,000, £19,000 for the construction of the tower and £5,000 for the optical apparatus, a Chance Bros. 1st order bivalve dioptric Fresnel lens
with 700 prisms
The original light source was a vapourized kerosene
burner and mantle generating a light intensity of 438,000 cd, visible for 18 nautical miles (33.3 km). The original mechanism was a grandfather clock-type mechanism with the counterweights going down a 100 feet (30.5 m) central column. The weights went down gradually as the light turned and had to be wound every half an hour. The light revolved every 10 seconds, and was floating in a mercury
bath of more than 15000 pounds (6,803.9 kg) to lessen the friction. The high speed of rotation made operating the light while it was active very difficult.
On 13 April 1923 the light source was upgraded to a Ford-Schmidt kerosene
burner with an intensity of 700,000 candlepower. It was changed to revolve every thirty seconds in 1928, to east the operation. The stables originally constructed at the complex were converted to a garage in 1960.
On 28 March 1961 the light was electrified, with mains electricity
as the power source, and an intensity of 1,000,000 cd. The drive was replaced with a 0.3 amp electric motor. At the same time the staff was cut from three lightkeepers to two.
The light was automated and demanned in 1994. It was one of the last stations in Australia to demanned, after over 90 years of being staffed.
The current light source is a 1000 Watt
120 Volt
tungsten-halogen lamp, which flashes white every 15 seconds(Fl.W. 15s) and can be seen for 26 nautical miles (48.2 km). It also shows a fixed red (F.R.) and green (F.G.) lights for coastal shipping.
The lighthouse celebrated its centenary on 15 November 2003, and the lighthouse appeared on the cover of the Wyong Shire Council
annual report for 2003.
coursing, and painted white. This technique was used in the period to reduce the cost of construction.
On the inside of the tower there are 96 steps leading to the gallery in 4 stages, the first 3 of the same grade and the last stage a bit steeper and narrower. The staircase is made of concrete with slate
treads and cast iron and brass balustrade.
On top of the tower is a bluestone
gallery and balcony with gunmetal railings. The gallery has a painted cast iron floor grate with a cast iron stair leading to the outdoor gallery. The lantern room is atop this gallery, made of metal and glass, encircled and protected by perspex and aluminium panels. It has a decorative iron catwalk encircling the glass to allow for cleaning. The lantern house is the original 3700 millimetres (145.7 in) Chance Bros. cast iron and copper lantern house, one of about 21 known to exist in Australia.
On the ground floor there is an entrance door made of cedar set with sidelights and fanlight, with an etching on the door glass saying Olim Periculum Nunc Salus, Latin for "Once Perilous, Now Safe". Above the door is the writing "•A1903D•", stating the year of official lighting. There is also a "ghost door" on the outside which was planned but never completed.
The first floor comprises an entry hallway and two rooms. The hallways is set with tessellated tiles and still has the original desk for the visitor's book. Of the two rooms, one was the report room used for administrative work, record keeping and logbooks. It is currently used as a radio room. The second room housed a spare mantle holder. It currently houses the electrical controls, including the sensors responsible for starting the light. It also houses the backup batteries, backup diesel generator and fuel tank, as well as a small workshop.
The accommodations in the complex consist of a lightkeepers
cottage with garden and Assistant Keeper's duplex, both constructed from concrete blocks, unpainted from construction, and originally having "Marseilles pattern" terracotta tile roofs. The keeper's cottage includes an open verandah on three sides, with cast iron posts and curved timber beams. The hipped roof is still the original terracotta tiles and one chimney remains. As for the duplex, circa 1970 the roof was replaced with concrete tiles and the chimneys have been demolished.
Also constructed were a small fuel store, workshop, paint store and earth closet near the keeper's cottage, and two fuel stores with earth closet and sink for the assistant cottages. All were constructed in the same form, from unpainted concrete blocked and the same terracotta tile roofs. All still remain in the complex, pretty much intact.
, one of the cottages is occupied by a resident keeper and another two are available for overnight accommodations.
Another structure at the complex is a small signal house, which was constructed as a flag house for the timber flagstaff, both constructed with the original structures in 1903. The flag house was constructed to match the lighthouse, from precast concrete blocks, rendered walls, with the same plinth and deep ashlar
coursing. The roof is made of concrete in a shallow hipped form, in contrast to the concrete dome proposed in the original drawings. The flag locker now houses maritime signal flags. The timber flagstaff was removed at an unknown date, and what remains of it are a concrete and steel base, a concrete apron, and four concrete and iron anchor points.
A stable was also constructed at the premises from the same concrete blocks with Marseilles pattern terracotta tiles. In 1960, as the stables were being converted to a garage, the roof tiles were replaced with a concrete tiles. Three timber doors to the former stable, tack and carriage rooms remain.
Also at the complex are underground fresh water tanks and sealed off condensation water tank beneath the tower.
About 100 metres (328.1 ft) up the hill there used to be a weather station, a mother station for Montague Island in the south and South Solitary Island in the north. Reports used to be collected and sent to the Weather Bureau in Sydney. This is all done now electronically.
(formerly NSW Maritime
), while the lighthouse reserve is managed by the New South Wales Department of Landssince 1997. The Norah Head Reserve Lighthouse Trust is a government appointed trust "Dedicated to the preservation, conservation and management of the Norah Head Lighthouse Reserve."
.
The site is accessible and the lighthouse is open for guided tours on weekends and for group bookings during the week. Two cottages are available for overnight staying, housing eight people each. It is also available for weddings.
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 Norah Head, 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 Central Coast, New South Wales
Central Coast, New South Wales
The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
, 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...
, close to Toukley. It is the last lighthouse of the James Barnet
James Barnet
James Johnstone Barnet was the Colonial Architect for New South Wales from 1862 - 1890.-Life and career:Barnet was born at Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland. The son of a builder, he was educated at the local high school...
style to be built, and the last staffed lighthouse constructed in New South Wales.
Officially displayed for the first time in 1903, the original vapourized kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
burner was upgraded in 1923, electrified in 1961 and automated and demanned in 1994, after more than 90 years of being staffed. It celebrated its centenary in 2003.
The concrete block tower is 27.5 metres (90.2 ft) high, topped by a bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
gallery. On top of the gallery is the original Chance Bros. lantern, housing the original Chance Bros. 1st order bivalve dioptric Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
. Other important structures include the chief lightkeeper's cottage and assistant keeper's duplex, and a flag house.
History
Calls for construction of a lighthouse at Norah Head (then "Bungaree Noragh Point") were made as early as 1861 due to many wrecks occurring in the area. A notable supporter in the end of the 19th century was local landholder Edward HargravesEdward Hargraves
Edward Hammond Hargraves was a gold prospector who claimed to have found gold in Australia in 1851, starting the Australian gold rush....
from Noraville. However, these efforts were fruitless for many years. The first formal recommendation to construct the lighthouse was made by the Newcastle Marine Board, just prior to its abolition, in 1897.
The lighthouse was designed in a style similar to the style of James Barnet
James Barnet
James Johnstone Barnet was the Colonial Architect for New South Wales from 1862 - 1890.-Life and career:Barnet was born at Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland. The son of a builder, he was educated at the local high school...
, by his successor Charles Assinder Harding, who also designed Cape Byron Light
Cape Byron Light
Cape Byron Light is an active lighthouse located at Cape Byron, New South Wales, Australia. The cape is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia, located about northeast of the town of Byron Bay...
and 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...
. It is the last to be designed in this style.
Construction commenced in 1901, undertaken by day labour. Materials were brought by boat and unloaded on a wharf constructed at Cabbage Tree Harbour for that purpose. It was officially lit on 15 November 1903, two years after Cape Byron Light. The first keepers were N. H. Williams as chief keeper, with N. Hanson and S. Kells as assistant keepers.
The cost of the tower and cottages was nearly £24,000, £19,000 for the construction of the tower and £5,000 for the optical apparatus, a Chance Bros. 1st order bivalve dioptric Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
with 700 prisms
The original light source was a vapourized kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
burner and mantle generating a light intensity of 438,000 cd, visible for 18 nautical miles (33.3 km). The original mechanism was a grandfather clock-type mechanism with the counterweights going down a 100 feet (30.5 m) central column. The weights went down gradually as the light turned and had to be wound every half an hour. The light revolved every 10 seconds, and was floating in a mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
bath of more than 15000 pounds (6,803.9 kg) to lessen the friction. The high speed of rotation made operating the light while it was active very difficult.
On 13 April 1923 the light source was upgraded to a Ford-Schmidt kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
burner with an intensity of 700,000 candlepower. It was changed to revolve every thirty seconds in 1928, to east the operation. The stables originally constructed at the complex were converted to a garage in 1960.
On 28 March 1961 the light was electrified, with mains electricity
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...
as the power source, and an intensity of 1,000,000 cd. The drive was replaced with a 0.3 amp electric motor. At the same time the staff was cut from three lightkeepers to two.
The light was automated and demanned in 1994. It was one of the last stations in Australia to demanned, after over 90 years of being staffed.
The current light source is a 1000 Watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
120 Volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
tungsten-halogen lamp, which flashes white every 15 seconds(Fl.W. 15s) and can be seen for 26 nautical miles (48.2 km). It also shows a fixed red (F.R.) and green (F.G.) lights for coastal shipping.
The lighthouse celebrated its centenary on 15 November 2003, and the lighthouse appeared on the cover of the Wyong Shire Council
Wyong Shire Council
Wyong Shire is located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney. Wyong Shire's administrative centre is located in the town of Wyong, and the Council maintains service and information centres at The Entrance, Tuggerah and at Lakehaven Shopping Centre...
annual report for 2003.
Structures
The lighthouse is a 27.5 metres (90.2 ft) tower, made from concrete blocks. The concrete blocks were made on the ground using a local aggregate, lifted and cemented into position and finally cement rendered inside and out with deep ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
coursing, and painted white. This technique was used in the period to reduce the cost of construction.
On the inside of the tower there are 96 steps leading to the gallery in 4 stages, the first 3 of the same grade and the last stage a bit steeper and narrower. The staircase is made of concrete with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
treads and cast iron and brass balustrade.
On top of the tower is a bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
gallery and balcony with gunmetal railings. The gallery has a painted cast iron floor grate with a cast iron stair leading to the outdoor gallery. The lantern room is atop this gallery, made of metal and glass, encircled and protected by perspex and aluminium panels. It has a decorative iron catwalk encircling the glass to allow for cleaning. The lantern house is the original 3700 millimetres (145.7 in) Chance Bros. cast iron and copper lantern house, one of about 21 known to exist in Australia.
On the ground floor there is an entrance door made of cedar set with sidelights and fanlight, with an etching on the door glass saying Olim Periculum Nunc Salus, Latin for "Once Perilous, Now Safe". Above the door is the writing "•A1903D•", stating the year of official lighting. There is also a "ghost door" on the outside which was planned but never completed.
The first floor comprises an entry hallway and two rooms. The hallways is set with tessellated tiles and still has the original desk for the visitor's book. Of the two rooms, one was the report room used for administrative work, record keeping and logbooks. It is currently used as a radio room. The second room housed a spare mantle holder. It currently houses the electrical controls, including the sensors responsible for starting the light. It also houses the backup batteries, backup diesel generator and fuel tank, as well as a small workshop.
The accommodations in the complex consist of a lightkeepers
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
cottage with garden and Assistant Keeper's duplex, both constructed from concrete blocks, unpainted from construction, and originally having "Marseilles pattern" terracotta tile roofs. The keeper's cottage includes an open verandah on three sides, with cast iron posts and curved timber beams. The hipped roof is still the original terracotta tiles and one chimney remains. As for the duplex, circa 1970 the roof was replaced with concrete tiles and the chimneys have been demolished.
Also constructed were a small fuel store, workshop, paint store and earth closet near the keeper's cottage, and two fuel stores with earth closet and sink for the assistant cottages. All were constructed in the same form, from unpainted concrete blocked and the same terracotta tile roofs. All still remain in the complex, pretty much intact.
, one of the cottages is occupied by a resident keeper and another two are available for overnight accommodations.
Another structure at the complex is a small signal house, which was constructed as a flag house for the timber flagstaff, both constructed with the original structures in 1903. The flag house was constructed to match the lighthouse, from precast concrete blocks, rendered walls, with the same plinth and deep ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
coursing. The roof is made of concrete in a shallow hipped form, in contrast to the concrete dome proposed in the original drawings. The flag locker now houses maritime signal flags. The timber flagstaff was removed at an unknown date, and what remains of it are a concrete and steel base, a concrete apron, and four concrete and iron anchor points.
A stable was also constructed at the premises from the same concrete blocks with Marseilles pattern terracotta tiles. In 1960, as the stables were being converted to a garage, the roof tiles were replaced with a concrete tiles. Three timber doors to the former stable, tack and carriage rooms remain.
Also at the complex are underground fresh water tanks and sealed off condensation water tank beneath the tower.
About 100 metres (328.1 ft) up the hill there used to be a weather station, a mother station for Montague Island in the south and South Solitary Island in the north. Reports used to be collected and sent to the Weather Bureau in Sydney. This is all done now electronically.
Site operation
The light is operated by Roads and Maritime ServicesRoads and Maritime Services
Roads and Maritime Services is an agency of the New South Wales Government responsible for building and maintaining road infrastructure and managing the day-to-day compliance and safety for roads and waterways....
(formerly NSW Maritime
NSW 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 lighthouse reserve is managed by the New South Wales Department of Landssince 1997. The Norah Head Reserve Lighthouse Trust is a government appointed trust "Dedicated to the preservation, conservation and management of the Norah Head Lighthouse Reserve."
Visiting
The lighthouse is on a narrow strip of land that separates the sea from Tuggerah LakeTuggerah Lake
Tuggerah Lake is a large coastal saltwater lake on the Central Coast of New South Wales about north of Sydney. It is connected with the sea through a tidal channel at its southern end known as The Entrance. It is also connected with two smaller lakes, Budgewoi Lake and through that to Lake...
.
The site is accessible and the lighthouse is open for guided tours on weekends and for group bookings during the week. Two cottages are available for overnight staying, housing eight people each. It is also available for weddings.