Tacking Point Lighthouse

Tacking Point is one of five similar NSW lights designed by Colonial architect James Barnett who held this role for 25 years from 1865 to 1890. Taking Point was established to serve the growing Port Macquarie. 

History

In the early to mid 19th Century the main contact for the coastal towns of the north coast of New South Wales was sea transport. There were no roads and the railways were only just beginning.

There were few lights and in the Tacking Point area more than 20 wrecks occurred, the first being the schooner Black Joe in 1823, and the steamer Sumatra in the same year.

In 1879 a fixed 4th order catadioptric light of approximately 1000 candelas was erected on Tacking Point. The structure is built of cement-rendered bricks and because of the elevation only needed to be 8 metres high.

The apparatus was converted from wick burner (kerosene) in 1919 to automatic acetylene operation. As a result of automation the keepers were withdrawn after 40 years of service. The light was converted to mains electricity in 1974. Conversion to LED light source was completed in early 2021 with the removal of the rotating VRB-25 beacon and installation of a fixed high intensity LED beacon. 

The foundations of the keeper’s cottage can still be seen.

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Keepers

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.