Point Hicks Lighthouse - Heritage Icons Project
Project status
The Point Hicks lighthouse and Light Station are currently closed.
The project
This project is being delivered at Croajingolong National Park, an Aboriginal cultural landscape steeped in history. Parks Victoria respects the deep and continuing connection that Traditional Owners have to these lands and waters, and we recognise their ongoing role in caring for the country.
The area also has a strong connection to Australia’s early settlement, with Captain James Cook the first British person to spot the granite headlands of Point Hicks off Victoria’s far-east coast in 1770.
The lighthouse was first lit in 1890 and is the tallest on mainland Australia. Its construction is somewhat of a mystery, with few details known about how the large concrete structure - an unusual material to use at the time - came to be erected in just two years in this remote part of Victoria.
Particularly curious is the use of cast iron throughout the lighthouse. Weighing many tonnes, the material was somehow transported to the very top of the towering structure to create the lantern room and the 162-step spiral staircase that is still cantilevered from the lighthouse’s walls.
The project will see repairs undertaken to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse to remedy structural issues and corroding metal work.
Project benefits
Visitors and community
This project will restore safe access to the lighthouse, helping to reactivate the site and keep it open to the community for years to come.
Economy
The Heritage Icons projects are expected to create around 80 jobs over four years, many in specialist trades. Works will also support Victoria’s tourism industry by preserving and protecting this historical site for visitors at home and right across the world.
Project funding
The Victorian Government is investing $2.5 million towards conservation of the Point Hicks Lighthouse.
Who are we working with?
East Gippsland Shire Council
Heritage Victoria
National Parks (Victoria)
Access changes
Access to the Point Hicks Lighthouse precinct via Thurra River Campground has been restored. While the lighthouse remains closed to visitors, the surrounding site can now be accessed. Please check the change of conditions page before your visit for the latest access information.
Related information
News August 2023: Historic lightstations, forts and mansion to get a new lease on life
Heritage Icons Projects
Point Hicks Lighthouse
Croajingolong National Park