Flagstaff Point (Wollongong Head) Lighthouse

Wollongong Harbour is the only point on the eastern coast of Australia which has two lighthouses.

Located on Flagstaff Point the newer lighthouse on Wollongong Head assists the passage of vessels into Port Kembla.

History

Completed in 1936, by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service, it was the first new lighthouse in New South Wales since 1903. The tower is constructed of reinforced concrete including the lantern which was constructed to house the 1863 first order Chance Brothers fixed lens recovered from Gabo Island following its conversion to a rotating optic as part of Gabo’s conversion to electric operation in 1935. 

The structure cost £6,800 ($13,600) with plant and equipment £2,607 ($5,214).

It was the first fully automatic lighthouse to be constructed as an unattended automatic lighthouse in New South Wales. 

The original light apparatus was a Chance Brothers electric flasher which was not available in time for commissioning of the light so a temporary acetylene gas light was employed until the Chance Bros equipment arrived in October 1938. The acetylene apparatus was retained as the standby light in case of electricity mains failure until a diesel generator was installed in the 1960’s.

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The light is an occulting light, white with two red sectors, light 4.5 seconds, dark 1.5 seconds. The red sectors indicate navigation hazards to vessels.

It was built to serve as a coastal light and particularly for ships entering Port Kembla to the south of Flagstaff Point. Up until the construction of Flagstaff Point the only aid had been the old Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse situated at Belmore Basin to the north west. The Breakwater light was discontinued in May 1974 as Port Kembla had replaced Wollongong Harbour as the commercial port for the Illawarra area.

Keepers

This light was never manned. When necessary it was attended to by the Wollongong Harbour Master.