Cape Byron Lighthouse

  • Cape Byron Lighthouse stands as an iconic aid to navigation and is steeped in rich local, state and national history.
  • Located 1.6 kilometres from Byron Bay town centre, the Cape Byron Lighthouse has been in operation since December 1901 and is located on Australia’s most easterly point.
  • The lighthouse was one of the last lightstations to make up the ‘highway of lights’ illuminating the New South Wales coastline.
  • Cape Byron the nation’s most powerful aid to navigation – equivalent to 2.2 million candelas.
  • As a working aid to navigation, the lighthouse tower remains the property of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
  • Although the lighthouse remains fitted with its original lens assembly, it now runs on an automated mechanism as part of AMSA’s network of AtoNs.
  • In 2020, Cape Byron’s lantern room underwent a major refurbishment to remove lead paint layers and clean the mercury float.
  • The Cape Byron Lighthouse and surrounding land is owned by the NSW Government (National Parks and Wildlife Service).
  • It was also first placed on the Commonwealth Heritage List in 2004.
  • The lighthouse’s heritage management plan identifies the historical and cultural values and how to protect, conserve, tell and present its story.
  • This helps outline the current needs of managing and protecting the lightstation, which was first included on the Commonwealth Heritage List in 2004 for its cultural significance.