Tacking Point Lighthouse, Historic lighthouse in Port Macquarie, Australia

Tacking Point Lighthouse is a brick tower with a rendered finish standing on a rocky headland near Port Macquarie, designed to guide vessels along this stretch of coast. The structure features a light system visible from the water to warn approaching ships of the hazards in the area.

Built in 1879 by architect James Barnet, this structure was constructed to stop the pattern of shipwrecks that had claimed more than 20 vessels in the area. Its establishment marked a turning point in maritime safety along this stretch of the New South Wales coast.

Matthew Flinders named Tacking Point in 1802 after tacking his ship to avoid closing on the coast. The headland marks the end of the roughly 9 km coastal walk from Town Beach to Lighthouse Beach, and the surrounding waters are used for whale watching and surfing, with a surf life-saving club at neighbouring Lighthouse Beach.

The headland is the end point of the roughly 9 km coastal walk from Town Beach to Lighthouse Beach, built by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. The site is also reached by road, and the rocky ground around the tower calls for careful footing. A surf life-saving club operates at neighbouring Lighthouse Beach.

The 1919 switch to automatic acetylene operation came before full automation in 1920, and mains electricity followed in 1974. The foundations of the keeper's cottage can still be seen on the headland. Only Tacking Point and Crowdy Head retain their attached storerooms among James Barnet's five small navigational lights.