| Physical description: | Context
Smoky Cape is located to the south east of South West Rocks a seaside resort town situated at the mouth of the Macleay River, 35 kilometres north east of Kempsey and midway between Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. South West Rocks has a variety of beaches facing in different directions. East of the township is Lappers Point which extends north east with a west facing beach at its base. South of the point are a number of small protected beaches such as Horseshoe Bay and Little Bay. Gap Beach and North Smoky are long stretches of forest fringed beaches. Trial Bay Gaol, which occupies the headland flanking the main beach, is a prominent tourist attraction dating from the same period as Smoky Cape. Setting The Precinct encompasses a dramatic headland along a beach strip, with two mountains, Big Smoky and Small Smoky, as a backdrop. These landmarks are flanked by a long beach to the south, with coves and beaches terminating at Laggers Point and enclosing Trial Bay to the North. The lighthouse is hidden from South West Rocks by the mountains but visible from the south west, along the road following the Macleay River. Between Smoky Cape and Korogoro Point, wetlands parallel the dunes, featuring sedges and reed species together with stands of melaleucas. This diversity of habitat supports equally diverse fauna. Proclaimed as a reserve in 1972, Hat Head National Park extends south beyond Smoky Cape, running parallel to the coast to Hat Head and Korogoro Point at the southern end of Smoky Beach. The headland area lies within Hat Head National Park and overlooks a long beach to the south. The Arakoon State Recreation Area borders the National Park and contains Trial Bay Goal. These are managed separately but are connected by some of the major walking tracks in the area. The Lighthouse road, sealed in 1987, leaves the main road and leads 4 kilometres through relatively flat bush land before rising quickly to the level of the car park at the lighthouse precinct. Natural Attributes The setting for the Lighthouse includes Hat Head National Park with its spectacular coastline and beaches. The granite rock at Gap Beach shows unusual folding, just north of the Lighthouse. South of the Lighthouse, along the 17 kilometre Smoky Beach, the fragility of coastal ecology is seen where past grazing and burning have left many dunes wholly mobile, moving as much as a metre a year. A wide variety of flora and fauna species are found along the range. Blackbutt woodland occupies the higher slopes with unique cabbage tree palm forest in the gullies. The exposed headlands feature coastal heath plants, which have adapted to the harsh conditions while the sands of the beach join dunal vegetation and stands of littoral rainforest behind the dunes. The Cape provides the backdrop to three significant islands, Green Island, Fish Rock and Black Rock. These provide ample fishing and diving as well as being the most southerly occurrence of coral reef on the coast of NSW. Opposite the lighthouse is a small island, regarded as a choice diving location, largely due to its underwater cave. The Lighthouse precinct provides an ideal platform to observe both coastal processes and the range of marine and landform elements. These range from island, beach, headland, and rock platform through to dune, heath, wetland and forests. Site Description Smoky Cape Lighthouse stands on a dramatic headland 120 metres above high-water, it is the highest light on the NSW coast and with the exception of the Queensland light on Fitzroy Island, it has the longest range of all of the lighthouses on the eastern coast. It is the only man-made feature visible in this locale, emphasising its isolation. The Lighthouse precinct is surrounded by dense natural vegetation. The dam site and Smoky Cape Range are located to the west of the headland and have a former Naval Camp in their vicinity. Captain Cook’s Lookout is also located on the headland, north west of the Lighthouse precinct. In World War 2 the lighthouse had a search light battery and light gun emplacement. The remains of a military encampment are evident to the west and together with a concrete slab and several small concrete gun platforms near the lighthouse. The Lighthouse is sited on the top of a bluff, which then falls away to the sea below. The support buildings are set below and behind the lighthouse for more protection from adverse weather. The main cottage and two assistants cottages are sited on level platforms, cut into the steep slopes and stabilised by high concrete retaining walls. The stables are set well below the cottages, near the entry to the precinct. The site rises steeply from the car park to the Lighthouse and its narrow pathway is known as “Heart Attack Hill". There is little on site car parking. Cars presently can drive up a narrow driveway, but must traverse all the way up the lighthouse forecourt before turning around and descending to the small grassed plot in front of the Head Lighthouse keeper’s cottage. In this location immediately adjacent to the main pedestrian pathway more than two cars would be a disruptive visual element. There is no provision for parking in the private yards of the cottages. There is a four car garage located at the base of the precinct. Cottage yards are securely fenced and there is a grade separation to the pedestrian pathway, which rises to access the lighthouse. The two cottages are enclosed with small gardens and both feature views back to the mountain and north and south over the nearby beaches. Access to the southern cottage, from the access road, passes through the garden of the other cottage. Due to the exposed nature of the site there is little cultural planting in the gardens around the cottages. The precinct is serviced by three underground water tanks, located adjacent to the cottages. They are supplemented by a spring fed dam water supply from the adjacent mountain. Buildings and Structures The Lighthouse Precinct consists of: Lighthouse and attached engine room Signal House Head keepers Cottage Two attached Assistant keepers cottages Former Stables buildings Garage Small freestanding office/weather station Small flag room and several former fuel stores. A number of associated sites in the vicinity of the Precinct includes: The dam site Naval gun emplacement and Captain Cook Lookout. The site is now owned by NPWS but the lighthouse tower and weather station building are leased back to AMSA and remain in use as an operational navigation aid. The small office building continues in use as a weather station. The three cottages have been recently painted externally, with a consistent all white with dark blue trims. The two smaller cottages have also been painted internally, while the Head Keeper’s Cottage remains with an older paint scheme internally. External fencing has recently been painted white. Most of the early joinery externally and internally remains intact. There has been some repair and replacement work, with new carpentry simply replicating the previous work. The old asbestos roofing to all three cottages has recently been replaced with white custom orb. The two Assistant Keeper’s cottages have recently been upgraded internally for use as holiday lettings. The existing external toilets will remain. The two residence are linked by an internal doorway through the party wall. This opening has been blocked but can still be read in the fabric. The Lighthouse Tower The Lighthouse is octagonal with large single storey entry pavilion. Constructed in mass concrete the tower is 17.4 metres tall and has a Chance Bros. lantern and lens. Cast iron stairs lead up to the gallery level. An early description of the tower refers to two storeys with iron floors and staircases and walls of mass concrete. The gallery round lantern is of granite supported on moulded granite cantilevers with gun metal railing. The tower is entered from an enclosed passage protected by a screen wall which is constructed around the base of the structure. The floors of the storerooms are paved in concrete and cemented. The tower is divided into two storeys with iron floors and staircases. The walls are 920mm thick at the base and taper to 620mm at the top and are constructed of mass concrete using locally mined granite as the aggregate and are cemented externally and internally. The gallery floor of the lantern is formed of granite voussoir blocks supported on molded granite brackets. An ornate metal railing featuring Queen Victoria’s mark is used for the hand railing at this level. The tower walls feature a number of openings including a light opening located below the balcony which housed a subsidiary red light to cover Fish Rock. The tower is entered from an enclosed passage which also accesses the two store rooms and are also constructed of mass concrete. A screen wall also of mass concrete is built around the tower. The ground floor rooms were originally used as store and work room. In 1912 the original burner was replaced by an incandescent vaporised kerosene burner. Again in 1962 the light was altered to a mains electric operation with an increased power. The structures has also undergone a number of other fabric alterations including the roofing to the pavilion which was replaced in zincalume in 1990.The Lighthouse is maintained by AMSA and has recently been painted. The original optic remains but the light source has been updated. The light still operates at night and is screened from view towards the settled areas to the south west. Head Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage The Head keeper's Quarters designed in 1888 is also constructed in concrete with rendered finish. The building was constructed with two bedrooms, sitting room Inspecting Officer’s Room, dining room, kitchens and stores. Most of the building was surrounded by verandah with the corner windbreaks at the north and south eastern corners. The building extends from the north western corner and incorporates store and enclosure forming a courtyard which houses one of the underground water tanks. The building also has verandahs on the northern and southern facades which are connected by a central passage. Another verandah is located on the eastern facade of the building and faces a concrete retaining wall. Assistant Keeper’s Cottages The Assistants quarters are two semi-detached cottages originally containing four rooms, with kitchen and store areas. The buildings were also constructed of mass concrete cement rendered externally and plastered internally. The roofs originally clad in galvanized iron. The northern residence has the characteristic corner wind break at the north western corner flanked by two open verandahs on the northern and western facades. A verandah located on the eastern facade of the building was enclosed during the 1970s, however the kitchen and store areas continue to enclose the courtyard space to the east of the building. A concrete retaining wall forms the eastern boundary of the courtyard. All of the ceilings were battened during the 1920s through to the 1940s over either the original lath and plaster or later fibrous plaster. The ceilings to the lobby and kitchen appear to be fibre board with timber battens. The northern residence now has three bedrooms, a door opening was made in the dividing party wall between the two residences and partitions erected to facilitate the use of an extra bedroom. The other, southern residence has two bedrooms in addition to kitchen, bathroom and outside toilets. Enclosed balconies provide additional space The residences generally feature hipped roofs with painted brick chimneys and skillion roof verandahs supported on simply decorated timber posts. Cultural Landscape Walking tracks down to the nearby beach and further on the South West Rocks all start from the car park. Formerly established by the NPWS in 1980 the tracks will require further works and maintenance. Captain Cook Lookout is located at the in the Lighthouse reserve and at the foot of the headland. Transferred to the local Council the memorial was dedicated to Captain Cook in 1970 to mark the bicentennial of the sighting of the Cape by Captain Cook. Remains of naval use of the headland remains within the Reserve. Probably an observation post it has remnants of gun emplacements and telephone communications. A dam, constructed at the time of the construction of the lighthouse complex is located on Big Smoky Hill. It appears fresh water continues to supply the dam via gravitation feed and continues to supplement the Light station's supply to this day. A car park and sealed access road were added in the 1970s.Other Structures & Elements Three cement rendered underground water tanks remain the capacity in proportion with each residence. The accompanying pumps however have been removed. A modern steel water tank has been constructed in the courtyard of northern assistant keeper’s residence. Paving, fencing, retaining walls and remnant gardens surround the complex. The footings of the flagstaff remain in front of the lighthouse, but the flagstaff has been removed. It was an integral part of the operation of the Lighthouse and can be partly seen in the AMSA brochure on the Lighthouse.
Additionally, the Register of the National Estate adds the following notes: Smoky Cape was named by Captain Cook during his voyage of discovery in 1770. Earliest European contact with the area was not until 1816, when the brig, Trial, hijacked by convicts, was wrecked at Trial Bay in 1816. Subsequently explorer John Oxley visited the bay in November, 1817. The early coastal trade in the region was predominantly timber (cedar) gathering. The conference of Principal Officers of the Maritime Departments of the Australian Colonies of 1873 reported the need for a lighthouse at Smoky Cape. However, no further action seems to have been taken until when in 1886 Alexander Kethel, the member for North Sydney in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, called upon the Government to erect a lighthouse on Smoky Cape. The reasoning being the increased coastal trade on the northern seaboard on New south Wales. The Colonial Architect, James Barnet, and members of the Marine Board subsequently surveyed the recommended site and prepared the necessary specifications. Tenders were called in January 1889. The contractor, Mr Oakes, unfortunately died during the course of construction, but the project was still completed. The cost of construction, including tower, optical apparatus and ancillary buildings, amounted to 16,800 pounds. The light was first exhibited on 15 April 1891. The light is situated in a 32.8ha reserve approximately 10km from Jerseyville. The reserve adjoins Hat Head National Park. Access to the station is by road. The 17.4m white octagonal tower and attached service annexe are constructed of concrete blocks using local granite aggregate. The tower is surmounted by a 12ft 1in (36.65mm) diameter first order lantern manufactured by Chance Brothers of Birmingham, England. The optical apparatus consists of a Chance Bros. First order 920mm focal radius revolving lens mounted on a roller bearing pedestal driven by an electric motor. The light source is a 120 volt 1,000 watt tungsten halogen lamp. The apparatus gives a character of Group Flashing three every twenty seconds with an intensity of 1,000,000 candles resulting in a nominal visible range of 26 nautical miles. The signal house is a detached building and original to the lighthouse. The Head Keeper's Quarters and the duplex cottage which serves as the assistant keepers quarters and relief staff. Other associated buildings include a brick stable/shed, a four car concrete garage and a fibro cement workshop. The station is connected to mains electricity with a 2.5 kva standby diesel generator. The tower and houses are constructed of poured concrete with an aggregate of locally quarried granite, cement rendered inside and outside. The lantern room floor of the lighthouse consists of voussoir blocks supported by cast in situ corbels. |