Name and Location

The Kiama Lighthouse, also known as Kiama Light, is an active 19th-century coastal light located on Blowhole Point in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. The official name of the lighthouse is Kiama Lighthouse (Kiama Light), while its local nickname is simply Kiama Lighthouse. Its coordinates are -34.6718138° S, 150.8625920° E.

Construction and History

The Kiama Lighthouse was built in 1887 to replace a flagstaff and fixed red leading light of Kiama Harbour, aiming to improve navigation safety along the South Coast shipping route. The lighthouse was designed by the Office of the Colonial Architect under James Barnet as a specimen design. It is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register (ref. SHR 00934).

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse features a cylindrical cast-iron tower, bolted in eight rings to a concrete foundation. The tower stands at 11 meters tall, while its focal plane height is 38 meters above mean sea level. The exterior finish is white painted with pronounced gallery balcony, black railings, and a domed lantern room with a red roof.

Light and Navigation

The Kiama Lighthouse operates using an electric lamp (mains-powered) with a characteristic of group flashing (3) white every 15 seconds (Fl (3) W 15s). Its nominal range is 8 nautical miles. The lighthouse was automated in 1917, and it has been unmanned since then.

Accessibility and Visiting

The grounds are open to the public 24 hours, with a short walk from Blowhole Point Road car park (off Jetty Road). However, tower access is not available for internal climbs or public tours. Visitors can enjoy picnic tables, interpretive panels, and a coastal walking track to the Kiama Blowhole. Admission is free.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse overlooks the Pacific Ocean and the adjacent blowhole. The surrounding landscape features a basalt headland with ocean swells and the Kiama Blowhole (200 meters north). Nearby points of interest include Surf Beach, Kiama Harbour, Minnamurra Rainforest, and Historic Kiama Railway Station.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Although there are no documented hauntings, local legend speaks of lighthouse keepers from the early 1900s signaling passing ships by semaphore, a practice long replaced by the automated rotating dioptric lens.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by Transport for NSW (Lighthouse Asset Management) and appears on Australian chart AUS 191. It has no installed AIS or radar.

Further Information