Old and new Macquarie Lighthouse, side by side

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 State Library New South Wales

Image Call Number: SPF/3444