History
In the mid-nineteenth century, there were few lights in the Tacking Point area and over 20 ships were wrecked. The first wrecks occurred in 1823 and were the schooner Black Joe and the steamer Sumatra. Consequently, in 1879, a fixed catadioptric light of less than 1000 candelas was erected on Tacking Point. It was the fourth of five small navigational lighthouses built to a design by James Barnet. The other four lighthouses were Crowdy Head Light, Fingal Head Light, Richmond River Light and Clarence River Light (now demolished). Only two of these lighthouses, Tacking Point and Crowdy Head still have a storeroom attached.
The lighthouse was built of cement-rendered bricks and only needed to be 8 metres high due to the elevation of the site. In 1919, the light was converted from wick oil light to automatic acetylene operation, and was demanned in 1920. The light was converted to mains electricity in 1974. The foundations of the keeper's cottage are still visible.
Management of the lighthouse is shared by three government authorities: the New South Wales Department of Lands owns the lighthouse; Roads and Maritime Services (formerly NSW Maritime) operates the light; and the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council manages the site. Vandalism has been a problem in the early 2000s. Resolving the issue has been complicated by the split management.
Read more about this topic: Tacking Point Lighthouse
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