Statement of Commonwealth heritageStatement of Commonwealth heritage

Statement of Commonwealth heritage

significance

The following statement of significance is taken from the Montague Island Lighthouse listing on the Australian Heritage Database (Place ID: 105601)c

The Montague Island Lighthouse tower, opened in 1881, is significant for its long association with the development and provision of maritime aids along the New South Wales coast, and for its part in

the history of Australian shipping over a considerable period (criterion a). (Themes:

3.8.1 Shipping to and from Australian ports,

3.16.1 Dealing with hazards and disasters)

The granite tower, with tapering walls, outward curving platform and curved balustrade, is a well-proportioned structure displaying very fine elements of design and craftsmanship.

The tower is also a good example of a late- 19th century light tower on the NSW coast (criterion f, criterion d).

The Montague tower is one of the only two offshore island lighthouses along the NSW coast (criterion b).

Additionally significant is the fact that the tower was designed by NSW Colonial Architect James Barnet. Barnet played a seminal role into the development of the colony’s architecture over 25 years (criterion h).

The island and the lightstation are socially significant on account of the large numbers of visitors to Montague, the tower’s high visibility from the coast and the incorporation of the tower into local tourism (criterion g).

The tower’s fine design and granite stonework, its landmark status along this part of the coast, the lack of modern visual intrusions, and the tower’s contrast with the island’s rounded granite slabs and treeless topography are all responsible for the tower having considerable aesthetic qualities (criterion e).