There were magnificent scenes in Coffs Harbour last Friday night with the official opening and anniversary celebration of the South Solitary Island lighthouse “optic.”
The optic, or lens, is found at the heart of a lighthouse. Its primary function is to amplify and focus light, making it visible over long distances.
It’s been described as like a “streetlight for shipping.”
The South Solitary Island optic was built by a British company and installed in the lighthouse in 1879.
When the lighthouse was automated in 1975, the optic – which weighs over four tonnes – was brought to the mainland and stored in a hall on Harbour Drive for almost 50 years.
Now, after being meticulously restored, the optic has gone on display in a special casing in the heart of the jetty foreshore.
Last Friday Coffs Mayor Paul Amos officially opened the optic enclosure.
The optic was then lit for 15 minutes, 144 years to the day after it first shone on the island in 1880.
Nationals Member for Coffs Harbour, Gurmesh Singh, joined the community celebrations.
“What an amazing way to showcase our city’s unique heritage,” he said.
