Nobbys Head Light, Maritime lighthouse in Newcastle East, Australia
Nobbys Head Light is a white cylindrical tower with a lantern room and viewing platform situated at the entrance to Newcastle Harbour. The structure rises about 10 meters and features a simple, functional design typical of 19th-century lighthouse architecture.
The first beacon here was an open coal fire on Signal Head, replaced in 1821 by an oil-burning metal device that proved unreliable and was soon reverted to coal. By 1846 Nobbys Head, originally an islet over 60 metres high, was joined to the mainland by a causeway and reduced in height to improve sailing. The lighthouse and signal station, designed by Government Architect Alexander Dawson, were built in 1858; the original light had an intensity of 20,000 cd and three keepers. The light was electrified and automated in 1934.
The lighthouse appears in the coat of arms of the City of Newcastle, and the headland is open to the public on Sundays from 10am to 4pm. The site retains three one-storey keeper's houses and a three-storey signal station, and the whole station is floodlit at night.
The lighthouse is open to visitors on Sundays between 10 AM and 4 PM and involves a walk of roughly 770 meters from Nobbys Beach carpark. The path is relatively flat with good views of the harbor and coastline along the way.
Nobbys Head was originally an islet over 60 metres high; by 1846 a causeway linked it to the mainland, and the island was later cut down in height to improve sailing and make room for the lighthouse and signal station. The station is floodlit at night, and the lighthouse appears in the coat of arms of the City of Newcastle.
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