Iconic Hornby Lighthouse officially heritage listed

Port Authority of NSW has welcomed the State Heritage listing of its iconic red and white striped Hornby Lighthouse - Australia’s third oldest lighthouse – located on South Head near Watsons Bay.

Heritage NSW worked closely with Port Authority during the heritage listing process, as the lighthouse is a significant element of the South Head Cultural Landscape that the NSW Government announced today as being added to the State Heritage Register.

Port Authority of NSW CEO, Captain Philip Holliday said it was fitting Hornby Lighthouse, which was built in 1858, was now formally recognised on the State Register for its historical and maritime significance.   

“Hornby Lighthouse remains to this day an active and important lighthouse that plays a vital role as a navigational aid for ships seeking safe passage into Sydney Harbour,” Mr Holliday said.

“The lighthouse marks a ledge of dangerous submerged reefs at the southern entrance to Port Jackson and Sydney Harbour.

“It is the site of one of Australia’s most tragic maritime disasters where many lives were lost prior to the lighthouse being built. 

“In 1857, the Dunbar was wrecked attempting to enter the harbour during a bad storm with 59 crew and 63 passengers on board.  Tragically 121 people died with only one survivor.  Only two months later another 21 lives were lost when the Catherine Adamson went down.

“It is a stark reminder of the dangers of seafaring even today, and the importance of our network of navigational aids, including lighthouses, and the use of marine pilots with detailed local maritime knowledge to avoid these kinds of events occurring in modern shipping.”

Listing on the State Heritage Register provides legal recognition that an item or place is of State heritage significance and that the community wants to keep it for future generations.

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