Norah Head Lighthouse

The Norah Head lighthouse was the last of three similar lighthouses on the NSW coast to be built using precast concrete blocks, completed in 1903. Point Perpendicular completed 1898, Cape Byron completed 1901. These three lights were designed by Charles Harding who was James Barnett’s successor. The convict architect Francis Greenway designed Australia’s first lighthouse, the 1818 Macquarie Lighthouse at Watsons Bay (replaced by James Barnett in 1883 using Greenaway’s original design). Greenaway influenced Australian lighthouse architecture for the next 85 years. His influence can be seen in Norah Head.

History

The lighthouse was strongly mooted by local landholder Edward Hargraves (who is credited with starting the first Australian gold rush in 1851) because of his concern over the number of wrecks in the area. These included the Gwydir with three lives in 1894 and earlier a boat with 20 Chinese seamen whose bodies where washed ashore.

The lighthouse at Norah Head was completed in 1903. A Chance Brothers 2nd order optic and mercury float were installed with the light being first lit on the 15th of November 1903.

The construction of Point Perpendicular lighthouse in 1897/98 to the design of Charles Harding trialed a standard design using precast concrete blocks cast on site leading to a reduction in construction costs at remote sites. This was partly driven by the economic depression of the 1890’s. The Norah Head tower was also built utilising  precast concrete blocks which were cast on the ground in wooden mould’s, raised into place and rendered. The work was supervised by Charles Harding and C.W. Darley with a total cost of construction of 24,000 pounds of which 5,00 pounds were for the optic apparatus. A Chance Brothers second order catadioptric lens with Chance pressurised concentric wick burner was chosen together with a mercury float. Like Cape Byron Norah Head also has an auxiliary red sector showing 210-241 deg. Norah Head also shows a green auxiliary light towards Soldiers Point and Pelican point.

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The light was upgraded in 1923 to a Ford-Schmidt kerosene burner that increased the intensity from 438,000 to 700,000 candlepower.

In 1961 it was converted to mains electricity which increased the light intensity to 1,000,000 candlepower.

Keepers

The first keepers appointed to Norah Head were Mr KH Williams, Mr Hanson and Mr Kell.

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to keeper@lighthouses.org.au.

Please include this lighthouse’s name, the keepers full name and what years they were keepers. Also include the same information for any other lights they were on.