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Lighthouses of New South Wales |
State Indexes > NSW > Barranjoey Lighthouse |
The Barranjoey Lighthouse at Palm Beach Built of the attractive Hawkesbury Sandstone at Barranjoey Head on the outer reaches of suburban Sydney, the preservation of the Barranjoey Lighthouse and cottages has been a battle against bureaucracy, the elements and vandals. |
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LOCATION: | Latitude 33° 35'S, Longitude 151° 20'E (map) |
OPERATOR: | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
EXHIBITED: | Nepean sandstone |
CONSTRUCTION: | 1881 |
CHARACTER: | Group flashing 4 in 20 seconds |
LIGHT SOURCE: | 120V 1,000 Watt, quartz halogen lamp |
POWER SOURCE: | Mains power, standby diesel |
INTENSITY: | 75,000 cd |
ELEVATION: | 113 metres |
RANGE: | 19 nautical miles |
HEIGHT: | 29.75 metres |
AUTOMATED: | 1932 |
DEMANNED: | - |
DEACTIVATED: | No |
CUSTODIAN: | Parks & Wildlife NSW |
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The Barranjoey Lighthouse was the third light on the headland and was completed in 1881. A customs station was established in 1843 as the Headland marked the entrance to Broken Bay and the Pittwater which were considered to be the backdoor of Sydney for smugglers. The first report of any light on the headland was in 1855 when a fire was raised in a basket to assist mariners during stormy weather. Broken Bay and the Pittwater were a safe haven in storms for vessels carrying coal from Newcastle to Sydney. Later, in 1868, two wooden lighthouses know as the Stewart Towers, were built at either end of the headland to guide ships in. The need for a more permanent light lead to the construction of the current lighthouse. The tower is unpainted and built of the very aesthetic local sandstone. The original apparatus in the new tower was a fixed red dioptric of 700 candlepower with four oil wick burners. It is interesting to note that when this light commenced operations in 1881, and the first keepers were the George Mulhalls, father and son, who had also tended the lamps of the wooden Stewart Towers. In 1900, an explosion followed by a fire destroyed the ornamental roof of the adjacent oil house. Fortunately it was subdued before reaching the tower. |
Aerial view of Barranjoey
Lighthouse
Photograph: Winsome Bonham
In 1932, the Barranjoey Lighthouse was converted to automatic operation with the installation of a acetylene gas apparatus. A new character of group flashing white light of 6,000 candlepower was introduced. It was turned off and on by a Dalen Sun Valve.
Even though the acetylene gas apparatus was efficient, access to the tower for re-supply caused problems and in 1972 the light was converted to electric operation.
Jervis Sparks, a former long time resident of one of the cottages, who supplied most of this information, makes an interesting analogy on the power of the new light: "As 1,000 candlepower is the equivalent of one automobile with headlights on high beam, Barranjoey is a '75 car' lighthouse."
The Barranjoey Lighthouse and Keepers' Cottages
Photograph: Winton Irving
![]() The Barranjoey Lightstation Photo: Jervis Sparks |
Spelling of Barranjoey name The correct spelling of the name of the Barra(e)njoey Lighthouse is something for which there is no definitive answer. The original plans for the lighthouse spell it as 'Barrenjuey', but when the lightstation came under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service, it was officially known as the 'Barranjoey Lighthouse'. The Geographical Names Act of 1966 decreed it should be spelt 'Barrenjoey Lighthouse', and this spelling tends to be the most popular usage today. However, as this website page is about the lightstation itself, which is referred to as 'Barranjoey' in most official lighthouse documentation & literature, Lighthouses of Australia Inc has decided to use this spelling, whilst acknowledging that the other variations exist. More information about the variations in spelling can be found at http://www.barranjoey.com/spelling.htm |
We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to Web Keeper.
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.
Control of the reserve was passed to the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service in 1997 though the lighthouse and cottages were handed over in 1998. Unfortunately as a result, Jervis and Bridget Sparks, who had dedicated 30 years to researching and looking after Barranjoey and its lighthouse lost their fight to stay there in a court battle that ended in 1998. Jervis has written the book "Tales From Barranjoey" while both Jervis and Bridget operated the Barranjoey Historical Resources Centre and undertook voluntary guide work for the National Parks and Wildlife Service as part of the Chase Alive program. Despite the controversy of the eviction of the long standing tenants Parks and Wildlife are to be commended in there approach to restoration and utilisation of the Barranjoey Lightstation. A vindication of this is that despite a painful parting from Barranjoey, Jervis Sparks has assisted in providing background material and advice in its restoration. |
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NEAREST TOWN: | Palm Beach |
DISTANCE: | <<>> (Palm Beach) |
: | <<>> (Sydney) |
ACCESS: | 400 metres beach walk. 600 metre hard climb |
TOURS: | Tours every Sunday, weather permitting, 30 mins duration, $3 for adults, $2 for children - more info on 02 9472 9300 |
ACCOMMODATION: | None. |
The lighthouse and the cottages can only be accessed by a one kilometre walk from the car park.
The Barranjoey Lighthouse is on the headland jutting into the sea
Photograph: Winton Irving
To the South, the Macquarie Lighthouse, Australia's first lighthouse
The Barranjoey Chance Brothers brass name plate,
dated 1879
Photograph: Ian Clifford
Marguerite & Nick Stephen's NSW Trip: Part 2 | Bulletin Aug 01 |
Lighthouses From the Air: Part 2 | Bulletin Oct 01 |
NSW South Coast Lighthouse Expedition - Barranjoey Head | Bulletin Jul 02 |
Annette Flotwell's East Coast Lighthouse Trip: Part 3 | Bulletin Sep 03 |
Farewell to Barranjoey, Jervis Sparks | Bulletin Sep 98 |
Jervis & Bridget Sparks Say Farewell to Barranjoey | Bulletin Mar 99 |
Barranjoey Report out for Comment | Bulletin Jan 01 |
Barranjoey Finally Vacant | Bulletin Feb 01 |
Barranjoey Lighthouse Cottage Committee Formed | Bulletin Mar 01 |
Barranjoey Tower Now Open | Bulletin Jul 02 |
Barranjoey Lighthouse open to the public | Bulletin Aug 03 |
The
Barranjoey Lighthouse and Keepers' Cottages
Photograph: Grant Maizels
Looking for Peter Frank Eckman, Keeper at Barranjoey | Bulletin Aug 01 |
Lighthouse keepers in NSW - Josiah, Fred Sr, Fred Jr & Bill Warren | Bulletin Sep 03 |
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The Barranjoey Head Lighthouse | Grant Maizels |
The Barranjoey Head Lighthouse | Garry Searle |
Barranjoey.com | Jervis Sparks |
2017 Lighthouses of Australia Inc. not only illuminate the earth and the sea, but also to like fake Iwc Big Pilot Portuguese watches friends, edited the latest and best the best swiss iwc replica watches.and more swiss breitling replica watches
The magnificent Barranjoey Fresnel lens
Photograph: Ian Clifford
Special Thanks to:
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