Tacking Point Lighthouse, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. Built 1879 by Scottish-born Colonial Architect James Barnet (1827-1904), it is constructed of brick with cement rendering, and is 8 m. tall — though, thanks to its rocky base on South Head, its "focal height" is 34 m. above sea level. Its flashing light can be seen from as far away as 16 nautical miles (Charles 154-55).
Barnet was an important and influential architect. Born in Arbroath, in Angus, he first left his homeland to study in the capital, where he was prepared for his profession by William Dyce and the architect C.J. Richardson (Dyce was the superintendent of the government's new School of Design in Somerset House from 1838-43, and Richardson was the master of the architectural class there from 1845-52). In 1854, as a young, recently married man, Baret left his first position as Clerk of Works to the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers in London, to seek a new life in Australia. After little more than ten years, he was not only fully established there, but had achieved the position of Colonial Architect. In this role, which he held for 25 years, "he had an important influence on colonial architecture"; problems in the later stages of his career notwithstanding, "his public buildings were well built and well designed and stood as a memorial to his ability" (McDonald).
This, the third oldest lighthouse in Australia (seen above from the other side), replaced a pre-existing one. It was one of several that Barret designed, along with a variety of other public works. Once useful to the ships engaged in the whaling industry, the lighthouse is now popular with sightseers, who enjoy whale-watching and surfing in the area.
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Photographs by Philip V. Allingham, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Bibliography
Charles, Victoria. Lighthouses. New York: Parkstone Press, 2015. Ebook.
McDonald, D.I. "James Johnstone Barnet (1827-1904)." Australian Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Web. 7 February 2026. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/barnet-james-johnstone-2939
"Tacking Point Lighthouse." Port Macquarie. Web. 7 February 2026. https://www.portmacquarieinfo.com.au/products/tacking-point-lighthouse
Created 6 February 2026