Warden Head Light
Encyclopedia
Warden Head Light, also known as Ulladulla Lighthouse, is an active lighthouse
on Warden Head, a headland
south of Ulladulla, New South Wales
, Australia
, guarding the entrance to the Port of Ulladulla. It is one of only two wrought iron
lighthouses in New South Wales, the other being its sibling, Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse. It is also notable for two relocations: the tower was constructed in 1873 on the Ulladulla Breakwater, and relocated in 1889 to its current location. Its keeper
's house was relocated to a different location in the 1920s.
. Tenders were invited in October 1869 by the Public Works Department, and both lighthouses were constructed by Joseph Mather, Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse in 1872 and Warden Head Lighthose in 1873.
The original light source was oil wick with a light intensity of 800 cd, with a Chance Brothers
optical apparatus, which is still present. It displayed a fixed white light (F.W.).
In 1889 the lighthouse was relocated to its current location on Warden Head, under the supervision of James Barnet, still the Colonial Architect.
In 1920 the light source was replaced with a carbide lamp
, automated and demanned. The characteristic was changed to a flashing one. In 1922, the keeper's house, no longer required, was relocated to Milton
to be used as a doctor's office.
In 1964 the tower was electrified. The current power source is a 110 V DC
battery
, charged from the mains electricity
. The current light source is a 120 V, 1,000 W, quartz halogen lamp with an intensity of 28,000 cd
, visible for 14 nautical miles (25.9 km) The current light characteristic is a group of two flashes every 10 seconds (Fl.(2)W. 10s).
In the 1940s a car park was developed at Warden Head by the Ulladulla Council to encourage visitors to the lighthouse.
In 2008 the lighthouse was renovated. The lead
based paint was stripped, the tower was repainted, and structural repairs were made.
Records of the Milton Post Office of 1904 list "Hansen J. Lighthouse keeper (Ulladulla)". The Ulladulla Post Office directory of 1904 lists "Brassington A, - lighthouse keeper".
foundation. The structure is divided by three timber floors, connected by iron ladders.
On top of the wrought iron shell is a small balcony supported by cast iron brackets, with a plain iron handrail.
(formerly NSW Maritime
). The grounds are accessible by road and parking is available, but the tower itself is closed to the public.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Warden Head, a headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
south of Ulladulla, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, guarding the entrance to the Port of Ulladulla. It is one of only two wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
lighthouses in New South Wales, the other being its sibling, Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse. It is also notable for two relocations: the tower was constructed in 1873 on the Ulladulla Breakwater, and relocated in 1889 to its current location. Its keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's house was relocated to a different location in the 1920s.
History
First recommendations for construction of a lighthouse at the Ulladulla Harbour were made in 1868, enabling night activity at the port. Construction of a lighthouse at the Ulladulla Harbour breakwater was initiated by Edward O. Moriarty, Engineer in Chief of the New South Wales Harbours and Rivers Department, together with a second lighthouse at Belmore Basin, Wollongong. Both lighthouses were designed by Colonial Architect's Office, then under Colonial Architect James BarnetJames Barnet
James Johnstone Barnet was the Colonial Architect for New South Wales from 1862 - 1890.-Life and career:Barnet was born at Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland. The son of a builder, he was educated at the local high school...
. Tenders were invited in October 1869 by the Public Works Department, and both lighthouses were constructed by Joseph Mather, Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse in 1872 and Warden Head Lighthose in 1873.
The original light source was oil wick with a light intensity of 800 cd, with a Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands , in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology....
optical apparatus, which is still present. It displayed a fixed white light (F.W.).
In 1889 the lighthouse was relocated to its current location on Warden Head, under the supervision of James Barnet, still the Colonial Architect.
In 1920 the light source was replaced with a carbide lamp
Carbide lamp
Carbide lamps, properly known as acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide with water....
, automated and demanned. The characteristic was changed to a flashing one. In 1922, the keeper's house, no longer required, was relocated to Milton
Milton, New South Wales
Milton is a town in the City of Shoalhaven on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, not far from Ulladulla. It was founded in the middle of the 19th century...
to be used as a doctor's office.
In 1964 the tower was electrified. The current power source is a 110 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
, charged from the mains electricity
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...
. The current light source is a 120 V, 1,000 W, quartz halogen lamp with an intensity of 28,000 cd
Candela
The candela is the SI base unit of luminous intensity; that is, power emitted by a light source in a particular direction, weighted by the luminosity function . A common candle emits light with a luminous intensity of roughly one candela...
, visible for 14 nautical miles (25.9 km) The current light characteristic is a group of two flashes every 10 seconds (Fl.(2)W. 10s).
In the 1940s a car park was developed at Warden Head by the Ulladulla Council to encourage visitors to the lighthouse.
In 2008 the lighthouse was renovated. The lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
based paint was stripped, the tower was repainted, and structural repairs were made.
Light keepers
The first Lighthouse keeper was William Gambell. Records of the Ulladulla public school show he had five children at the school.Records of the Milton Post Office of 1904 list "Hansen J. Lighthouse keeper (Ulladulla)". The Ulladulla Post Office directory of 1904 lists "Brassington A, - lighthouse keeper".
Structure
The tower is made of riveted wrought iron plates forming the shell. The plates which were created Joseph Mather's foundry at Wollongong and assembled on the original site on the Ulladulla Breakwater. It is 40 feet (12.2 m) high, with an additional 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) buried in the concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
foundation. The structure is divided by three timber floors, connected by iron ladders.
On top of the wrought iron shell is a small balcony supported by cast iron brackets, with a plain iron handrail.
Warden head
Warden head is named after shipwrights brothers David and James Warden. It was previously called Long Nose Point.Site operation and visiting
The light and the tower are operated by Roads and Maritime ServicesRoads and Maritime Services
Roads and Maritime Services is an agency of the New South Wales Government responsible for building and maintaining road infrastructure and managing the day-to-day compliance and safety for roads and waterways....
(formerly NSW Maritime
NSW Maritime
NSW Maritime was an agency in the Government of New South Wales, Australia. NSW Maritime was the State Government Authority responsible for marine safety, regulation of commercial and recreational boating and oversight of port operations...
). The grounds are accessible by road and parking is available, but the tower itself is closed to the public.