I have started a project to photograph all the lighthouses of Sydney. I've always loved lighthouses. They are very photogenic and each one has a fascinating history. I started with the two lighthouses in and around Watson's Bay. Elna joined me on the adventure. She has taken up drawing and painting and while I photographed Hornsby Lighthouse, she drew it. After photographing Macquarie Lighthouse, we walked back to Watson's Bay and had a gorgeous swim along the way. All in all, a great morning!
Hornsby Lighthouse
Perched dramatically on the South Head headland at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, Hornby Lighthouse is one of New South Wales’ most charming historic landmarks, its red-and-white striped sandstone tower a striking contrast against the harbour and Pacific Ocean beyond. Built in 1858 in direct response to two tragic shipwrecks — notably the Dunbar and Catherine Adamson, which highlighted how treacherous the approach to Jacksons Bay could be — Hornby became the third lighthouse constructed in NSW and was designed by colonial figures including Mortimer Lewis and Alexander Dawson. Today it still serves as an active navigational aid marking the southern entrance to Port Jackson and sits along the scenic South Head Heritage Trail, offering spectacular harbour views and a vivid slice of maritime history for visitors who walk up from Watsons Bay.
 |
| Elna doing her magic |
Walk to South Head Signal Station and Macquarie Lighthouse
South Head Signal Station
Just a short distance from Macquarie Lighthouse stands the historic South Head Signal Station, a striking white tower that many visitors assume is another lighthouse. Built in the 19th century, it played a vital role in Sydney’s maritime history, using flags, semaphores and later radio to communicate with ships approaching the Heads. Before modern navigation systems, this station was the harbour’s eyes and voice, relaying news of arrivals, signalling hazards, and connecting sea and shore. Today it sits quietly above the cliffs at Watsons Bay, its tall mast and octagonal tower a reminder of an era when information travelled by wind, light and human watchfulness.
Macquarie Lighthouse
Perched majestically atop Dunbar Head at Vaucluse overlooking the entrance to Port Jackson, Macquarie Lighthouse is one of Sydney’s most historic maritime landmarks — and Australia’s first and longest-serving lighthouse site. A navigational aid has stood here since the 1790s, but the first stone lighthouse was commissioned by Governor Lachlan Macquarie and designed by convict architect Francis Greenway; its lantern first lit the night in 1818, marking a pivotal moment in the young colony’s efforts to guide ships safely into Sydney Harbour. Over time the original sandstone tower weathered badly, and between 1881 and 1883 it was replaced with the stronger structure you see today designed by colonial architect James Barnet — a faithful homage to Greenway’s design that continues to shine as a working beacon and beloved heritage icon.
