A lighthouse is a tower, usually built onshore, to serve as an aid warning mariners of hazards, establishing their position and guiding them to their destinations. From the sea, a lighthouse may be identified by a distinctive shape or colour, by the colour or flash pattern of its light or a coded radio signal. While the development of electronic navigation systems has lessened the role of powerful lights marking landfall, among seafarers they still provide trustworthy reassurance and can be used by vessels with no special equipment on board.
Wollongong is the only place on the eastern coast of Australia which has two lighthouses in close proximity to one another. These lighthouses are also unique in that they are both listed individually as structures of local historical significance and are situated in a heritage listed precinct showcasing a developing outpost of Colonial Australia from the early 1800’s. Among examples are 19th century convict-built breakwaters and harbour, tramway alignments, fortifications, buildings and ocean bathing pools.
The harbour, once the bustling epicentre of Wollongong, is now home to private vessels and the local fishing fleet while south of the city lies Port Kembla which is a major commercial harbour. A further hazard to busy shipping lanes are the “Five Islands” lying a short distance off the coast (see the CO’s AdvLab on these islands) and the need to upgrade from what was once just a small red beacon atop a pole to an automated light at the entrance to the basin, and later a larger light high on the headline, would keep many safe in darkness and bad weather.
Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, also known affectionately as “the Little Lighthouse”, was built in 1871 costing around £3500, and is situated on the southern breakwater of Wollongong Harbour (aka Belmore Basin). Designed by Edward Orpen Moriarty and built by Joseph Mather, the tower is constructed of wrought iron on a ferro-concrete base to survive any gale force weather in the area. It is one of only two towers in New South Wales made from wrought iron, the other an identical structure at Warden Head near Ulladulla. Standing at 12.8m with a range of 10 nautical miles (19km), the lighthouse first shone in 1872 originally powered by an oil burner, later gas and followed by a single coloured electric white flashing light in 1921. It was deactivated in 1974 and slated for demolition due to deterioration, however the local community campaigned for its preservation. Following restoration works in the late 1970s and 2000, this now heritage listed icon (for being Australia’s first prefabricated steel lighthouse) is often depicted in tourist brochures and still lights up on special occasions.
Located nearby on Wollongong Head is Flagstaff Point Lighthouse, which assists the passage of vessels into Port Kembla and along the Illawarra coastline. Completed in 1936 at a cost of £9500, it was the first new tower built in the state in over 30 years. Standing at 25m with a range of 17 nautical miles (35km), this unmanned lighthouse is constructed of reinforced concrete and was the first fully automated flashing light to be installed in NSW. With a less common bi-colour feature, it’s white light emits on a bearing of 100 degrees to indicate land and a red light of 80 degrees to warn of offshore hazards such as reefs and shallow water. It was listed as a heritage building in 2000 and due to its vantage point, is a popular scenic/picnic spot for locals and tourists.
Logging requirements:
1. To claim this cache you are required to upload with your log, a picture taken from any position around the harbour precinct showing BOTH lighthouses in the one shot. To prove you were there for caching purposes, this photo or a second taken in front of either lighthouse, should show your geocaching name, GPS device, whole/part of yourself or other personal item. Be creative!
2. Send answers to the following questions via my geocaching profile/message centre. Do not include answers in your log.
a) How many circular windows, below the balcony, are on the Breakwater Lighthouse?
b) How many posts are attached by a chain around the Flagstaff Point Lighthouse?
Note:
- You may upload your log and photo/s without waiting for or gaining approval. I will contact you if an issue, however...
- Logs submitted without a photo and/or answers not sent to the CO within a reasonable time may be deleted but can be resubmitted when proof is provided.
- For single answers/photos submitted on behalf of a group, please name each account present.
- Photos showing clear answers to questions may also be deleted after log is accepted.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.