Kiama Light

Kiama Light

Kiama Light
Location	Kiama New South Wales Australia
Coordinates	34°40′19″S 150°51′45″E
Tower
Constructed	1887
Foundation	concrete
Construction	concrete-clad brick
Automated	1920
Height	51 feet (16 m)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower and lantern
Power source	mains electricity
Operator	NSW Maritime
Light
Focal height	119 feet (36 m)
Lens	4th order Chance Brothers lens
Light source	mains power
Intensity	28,000 cd
Range	16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)
Characteristic	four white flashes, separated by 2s, every 20s

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.

History

Kiama Light c. 1926 showing the principal and assistant keepers' houses.

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 Edward Orpen Moriarty MA MInstCE.

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 120 V 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 a hexagonal fence

Site operation

The lighthouse is managed by Roads and Maritime Services (formerly 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

• List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia

References

• 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.
• "Lighthouse Lights - NSW Maritime". maritime.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 3 October 2010.