The descendants of lighthouse keepers who manned an iconic site on the New South Wales Central Coast in the 1900s have returned to celebrate its 120-year anniversary.
Local resident Matt Smith, who grew up hearing grand tales about life on the iconic Norah Head lighthouse reserve, is one of those descendants.
His father, grandfather and great-grandfather all manned the lighthouse at various points in the last century.
Now, he and other locals hope they can also play a role in caring for the site.
“While we’re not manning the lighthouse or tending to it, we’re hopeful we can preserve this,” he says.
“And help in any way possible to make sure it’s here for everyone because it’s such an iconic location.”
Mr Smith is part of a newly formed group that hopes to protect the the lighthouse and the surrounding reserve.
Norah Head Reserve Community Liaison Group chair Ian Rhodes said the reserve was an important mainstay for the community today.
“I feel like it’s an anchor and a point of reference,” he says.
“It’s something everyone holds to.”
Celebrating 120 years
The lighthouse turned 120 years old on Wednesday.
In the late 1800s, well-known Noraville resident Edward Hargraves pushed for it to be built after he witnessed several shipwrecks off the coast.
Construction began in 1901 and cost about £24,000 to complete.
It was first opened and illuminated on November 15, 1903.
Since that time, it has helped protect ships travelling with vital cargo and passengers off the coast.
Mr Rhodes says a lot of ships were lost at sea off Norah Head before the lighthouse opened.
He says it was the last one to be built along a dangerous part of the state’s coastline.
“All the other sites that were a danger to ships up and down the coast were built well before Norah Head,” he says.
“This was the very last one that went in.”
A lonely but ‘idyllic’ existence
People who lived in lighthouses during the 1900s said the lifestyle was often isolated and exhilarating.
Jacki Lamphee spent her early childhood living in lighthouses across NSW, including the Norah Head lighthouse.
She too is part of the new community group caring for the site.
“I do remember it as idyllic,” she says.
“I just remember every afternoon we were on the beach exploring.”
She says her dad had to find another job once the systems were automated in the late 1900s.
“When we first started there were lots of lighthouse keepers and a relief lighthouse keeper, so a couple of families living in each place,” she says.
“And then over time because it became more automated all the families and men weren’t needed, so they started going to new careers.”
Mr Smith said it was important that the history of these places was remembered.
“The [lighthouse keepers] were providing an essential service — people’s lives were in these guys’ hands,” he says.
“If they did their job properly people survived [but] if they did their jobs poorly people would die.”
These days the lighthouse and reserve, now managed by Reflections Holiday Parks, is a popular wedding venue and lookout for whale watching.
Reflections says it will work with the Norah Head Reserve Community Liaison Group to care for and preserve the historic site.
The group will celebrate the lighthouse’s 120th birthday this Saturday.