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Australia’s first light station celebrates its 200th anniversary

On November 30, 1818 — 200 years ago yesterday — the whale oil lamp in the original Macquarie Lighthouse, south of the entrance to the harbor of Sydney, Australia, was lighted for the first time. The original tower was completed in 1818 by convict Francis Greenway, who earned a pardon for his work.

MaquarieLighthouseGreenway
The first Macquarie Lighthouse, built 1816-18. Photograph taken in the 1870s; from the Papers of James Barnet, State Library of New South Wales.

The original lighthouse, made of soft sandstone, deteriorated quickly, and the 85-foot tower that stands today was built in 1883. It was automated in 1976 and is managed and controlled by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority out of Canberra.

You can read more on the ABC Radio Sydney site

And you can read more on the Macquarie University site

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