South Solitary Island Light

South Solitary Island Light is an active lighthouse on South Solitary Island, an island within the Solitary Islands Marine Park, about northeast of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. The lighthouse is located at the summit of the island. It is considered the most isolated lighthouse on the New South Wales coast. It was first in New South Wales to use kerosene over colza oil, and the last to do so before converting to electric power.

History

Suggestions for a lighthouse near Coffs Harbour were made as early as 1856, with locations proposed on either North Solitary Island or South Solitary Island. It was the shipmasters' preference that set the location to be South Solitary.

The lighthouse was designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet, and it is one of three concrete lighthouses built during that period, the others being Smoky Cape Lighthouse and Green Cape Lighthouse. Barnet had visited the island in October 1877, to determine the best locations for the buildings and the sources for materials. Cement and sand for the construction were transported to the island at harsh conditions, while broken stone was quarried on the island itself. Timber came in small vessels from Bellingen. Though construction was expected to finish by 1879, as the carving "18VR79" on the keystone over the entry doorway suggests, it was first exhibited on 18 March 1880.

The original lens was a Chance Brothers first-order dioptric Fresnel lens, the second of its type to be used in Australia. It is now on display at the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum.

The original light source was a kerosene burner, the first of its kind in New South Wales, rather than the colza oil ones used by other lighthouses of that period. As other lighthouses upgraded to kerosene, then to carbide lamps, and finally to electricity, South Solitary remained kerosene-operated until 1975, therefore also being the last to use kerosene in New South Wales. The light was displayed at a focal height of and was visible for .

As of 1934, the intensity of the light was 205,000 candela and the light characteristic was one flash every 30 seconds (Fl W 30s).

Conditions at the location were harsh due to both the island's isolation and to weather conditions. Originally supplies were sent from Sydney by steamer every fortnight, weather permitting. Later, they arrived more regularly by launch from Coffs Harbour. Due to the slopes, supplies were taken off the launch in a basket lowered by a crane, then hauled up a steep concrete path. The living quarters were lit by kerosene until the 1950s, and coal was used for heating and cooking.

Communication with the mainland was originally by a signal lamp or heliograph. A pedal radio was installed in 1937, enabling communication with the Norah Head Lightstation. That was later replaced by a Bendix radio. Keepers children were taught at first by a governess, who was employed by the keepers, and later by correspondence.

In May 1942, during the Second World War, the lighthouse was extinguished for the only time in its life, because several vessels were torpedoed by enemy submarines near the island.

In 1974, the flagstaff was removed and a helipad was constructed. On 22 August 1975, the lighthouse was electrified, using solar power, and automated, and was officially de-manned on 28 December of that year. The lens was replaced with a modern one, and a workshop-designed fibreglass and aluminium lantern replaced the previous structure. The change lowered the focal height of the light to the current .''List of Lights'' The old lantern was transported to the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum with a RAAF Chinook helicopter on 7 September 1977. The lighthouse was converted to solar power in 1975.

21st century

In 2000, the station was transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In 2004, the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water spent $440,000 AUD restoring the buildings, making them weatherproof, secure and better protected from the elements, although not suitable for accommodation.

In 2020, the crumbling cement is being restored and paintwork renewed, in a facelift by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, costing .

Current display

The current light source is a solar powered, 12  V 3 amp

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