Western Channel Pile Light
Encyclopedia
Western Channel Pile Light, also known as the West Wedding Cake due to its shape, is an active pile lighthouse
located at the Sydney Harbour, New South Wales
, Australia
, off Georges Head at Mosman. It marks the western end of the Sow and Pigs Shoal. It collapsed in December 2006 and was reconstructed and restored to operation in December 2008.
, together with Eastern Channel Pile Light
.
It was constructed from concrete bottom (originally known as the "gas house"), supported by twelve piles, with a copper top and a wooden stakes skirt. It was originally gas powered (probably a carbide lamp
), and was later converted to solar power
.
In 1996 a 10 metres (32.8 ft) stainless steel mast, serving as a weather station, was installed on the structure, providing information about weather conditions in the harbor.
The lighthouse was due for replacement in 2007, and a budget was set, but in 12 December 2006 it collapsed, as one or two of the supporting piles broke. The Sydney Ports Corporation employed Waterways Constructions to reconstruct the lighthouse. The new tower was designed to look as similar as possible to its predecessor, using the salvaged and renovated lantern house, and a new lower section. Reconstruction completed and the light returned to operation on December 18, 2008.
Pile lighthouse
A pile lighthouse is a type of lighthouse used primarily in Florida, including on open reefs adjacent to the Florida Keys. Another place in which pile lights are prevalent is Australia....
located at the Sydney Harbour, 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...
, off Georges Head at Mosman. It marks the western end of the Sow and Pigs Shoal. It collapsed in December 2006 and was reconstructed and restored to operation in December 2008.
History
Western Channel Pile Light was established in 1924, replacing a marker buoyBuoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
, together with Eastern Channel Pile Light
Eastern Channel Pile Light
Eastern Channel Pile Light, also known as the East Wedding Cake due to its shape, is an active pile lighthouse located at the Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, off Laings Point in the Vaucluse suburb of Sydney. It marks the eastern end of the Sow and Pigs Shoal.-History:Eastern Channel...
.
It was constructed from concrete bottom (originally known as the "gas house"), supported by twelve piles, with a copper top and a wooden stakes skirt. It was originally gas powered (probably 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....
), and was later converted to solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
.
In 1996 a 10 metres (32.8 ft) stainless steel mast, serving as a weather station, was installed on the structure, providing information about weather conditions in the harbor.
The lighthouse was due for replacement in 2007, and a budget was set, but in 12 December 2006 it collapsed, as one or two of the supporting piles broke. The Sydney Ports Corporation employed Waterways Constructions to reconstruct the lighthouse. The new tower was designed to look as similar as possible to its predecessor, using the salvaged and renovated lantern house, and a new lower section. Reconstruction completed and the light returned to operation on December 18, 2008.