Laying the foundation stone for the new Macquarie Lighthouse, South Head, 1881.

Completed in 1818, Macquarie Lighthouse at Vaucluse was designed by Francis Greenway, a convict serving a sentence for forgery, and named for Lachlan Macquarie, the NSW Governor who commissioned it. Macquarie was so pleased with ‘his’ lighthouse that he gave a partial pardon to the English-born architect. Crumbling sandstone foundations led to the construction of a replacement lighthouse in 1883. Designed by James Barnet to closely resemble the original, this lighthouse continues to operate, ensuring the safe passage of vessels into Sydney Harbour.

Image courtesy of the National Library of Australiua

Image reference: 3513239