The iconic Norah Head Lighthouse is a grand old lady gracing the headland at the eastern edge of the village for the past 118 years.
It has been standing tall and operating continuously all that time and is carefully looked after by the “lighthouse family”, a group of volunteers who have become good mates while they tend to maintenance, conduct tours and keep the history alive.
“Some say there is a ‘presence’ in the lighthouse tower, with many people claiming that they ‘have felt a hand on their shoulder’ but when turning there is no one there,” says Neil Rose, who is Chair of the Norah Head Lighthouse Land Management Board.
“However, there is a real presence of place at the Lighthouse Reserve,” he said.
“The views are spectacular and the beaches and rock shelves are a gold mine of experiences for inquisitive young minds, plus there are plenty of lawns for a family picnic.
“The craftsmanship associated with the design and construction of the lighthouse and the keeper’s quarters is amazing and it makes you realise just how skilled and knowledgeable the people were all those years ago.
“Initially the lighthouse was manned by three families who also ran a small farm to grow their own food as there were no supermarkets or corner shops in those days,” Rose said.
The Lighthouse Reserve is maintained by four groups of volunteers: a Land Management Board; Coastcare volunteers who look after natural resources; a maintenance crew who carry out most repairs to the keeper’s quarters; and, tour guides who accompany people through the lighthouse tower.
The tour takes visitors to the top of the tower where the Chance Bros lens is installed, which is another engineering marvel.
The Board is calling for more volunteers to join their “lighthouse family”, especially for the Reserve Coastcare team and the lighthouse tower tours.
Rose said the natural resources of the reserve were impressive for such a small area, with more than 150 plant varieties and almost as many different birds.
“The land animals are mainly small nocturnal mammals and reptiles, so take care where you place your feet,” he said.
“The two main functions of the Coastcare team are the removal of weeds and the replacement of native vegetation which ensures that the reserve’s native vegetation is protected and improved, which is why the reserve has such prolific bird life.
“The age group of these volunteers is generally between 60 and 85 years.
“This work keeps people connected and helps enormously with their fitness, and their duties can be either in the reserve’s bushland, which can be quite steep, or maintaining the public area of the reserve.
“Just two of our amazing volunteers are gentlemen of 80-plus years who both look after the steep slopes on the reserve.
“Morning tea is at 10am, when the homemade scones and cake is produced and a few embellished stories are told,” Rose said.
He said the tour guides provide visitors with the fascinating history of the lighthouse which includes the religious connection where symbolic errors were deliberately placed into the lighthouse structure.
Tour guides also talk about who was responsible for having the lighthouse built and why, plus the requirements needed to be a lighthouse keeper in the early 1900s, for instance, lighthouse keepers had to be male, married and short.
“If you are interested in becoming a tour guide you need to be relatively fit to climb the 94 steps up the lighthouse tower,” Rose said.
“There are landings between the four sets of stairs where you can catch your breath.
“The views from the tower are spectacular, from Newcastle to Sydney and across the Central Coast, you can actually see Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower on a clear day.
“If you are not up to climbing stairs, we still need people to sell admission tickets, to take enquiries or man our small souvenir shop,” Rose said.
“We look forward to meeting new members of volunteer crew,” he said.
Source:
Media release, Mar 22
Neil Rose, Norah Head Lighthouse Land Management Board