Kiama Light, also known as Kiama Harbour Light, is an active lighthouse in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. The lighthouse is located close to the Kiama Blowhole on Blowhole Point, south of Kiama Harbour.
 Kiama Light | |
 | |
| Location | Kiama, New South Wales, Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°40′19″S 150°51′45″E / 34.671828°S 150.862631°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1887 |
| Foundation | concrete |
| Construction | concrete-clad brick |
| Automated | 1920 |
| Height | 51 feet (16 m) |
| Shape | round, lantern, gallery |
| Markings | white |
| Power source | mains electricity  |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 119 feet (36 m) |
| Lens | 4th order Chance Brothers lens |
| Intensity | 28,000 cd |
| Range | 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)[1] |
| Characteristic | four white flashes, separated by 2s, every 20s[2] |
History
Tenders for the construction of the tower were called in 1886, ten years after Robertson Basin, a man-made basic, was opened in Kiama Harbour. The tower was commissioned on the 1 January 1887. It was designed by architect Edward Moriarty.
The light was established in 1887. The original apparatus was an oil burner with a catadioptric fixed lens and light intensity of 600 cd. The characteristic was fixed green and it was visible for 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi). Two houses were constructed, a principal lighthouse keeper's house close to the tower, and a one-story assistant keeper's house a bit further.
In 1908 the power source was upgraded to coal gas with an intensity of 1,500 cd and a range of 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi).
A report from 1913 says that the light is unwatched and the keeper's house is empty, though officially the station was only demanned in 1920. According to records, in 1920 the light was further upgraded to acetylene gas carbide lamp, the characteristic was changed to a group flashing and the light was automated.
The principal keeper's was destroyed by vandals soon after this, though the other cottage remained as it was the residence of the harbour pilots.
in the 1920s. The assistant keeper's house was used for many years as the pilot's cottage, and now serves as a museum and a tourist information centre.
In 1969 the light was electrified and connected to mains electricity, with a 120V Battery bank as backup. The current light source is a 120 V, 1000 W, quartz halogen lamp.
Structure
The foundation of the tower is a concrete slab, 14 feet (4.3 m) deep and 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter.
The building is made of bricks, cemented outside and plastered within. Ascending the tower is done by three iron ladders leading from one storey to the next. The top of the structure is surrounded by an artistic railing.
The tower is surrounded by an hexagonal fence
Site operation
The lighthouse is managed by NSW Maritime. The museum is managed by the Kiama Historical Society.
Visiting
The site is accessible by road and parking is available. The museum is open on weekends, but the tower is closed to the public.
See also
References and notes
- List of Lights, Pub. 111: The West Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. and Hawaii), Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Islands of the North and South Pacific Oceans (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 132.
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Northern New South Wales". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- "The Kiama Lighthouse". Lighthouses of New South Wales. Lighthouses of Australia Inc.
- Searle, Garry. "Kiama". Lighthouses of New South Wales. SeaSide Lights.