Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00357:front:0:p12
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00357
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 31000–33821

1950. The successful contractors were K.A. Golding and C.F.W. Kewley, and the contract was signed 24 July 1950. Acceptance of the tender was listed in the Commonwealth Gazette of 3 August 1950.[xx]
The desired date of completion of the lighthouse is shown as 16th October 1950 however a Notice of Mariners issued in December of 1950 detail that the light was not fully operational until 21 December 1950.[xxi]
Written reports of the construction period are limited, however it is known that site access was exceedingly difficult as evident in a memo from the works supervisor dated 28 November 1950 which stated:
    'Access to this light is very rough and boggy in several places over the last two or three miles and only vehicles with 4WD are suitable for transport, it is suggested that some provision should be made for improving this track through the swamp area.'[xxii]
The main structure, including balcony floor, was constructed entirely of concrete. The tower was constructed using a slip form concreting technique (see Figure 13, 14 & 15). This building method allowed for the form work (the timbers) to move up the tower vertically extruding a concrete section as it moved.
Figure 13. Cape Baily Lighthouse under construction, 1950 (Courtesy of the Local Studies Collection, Sutherland Shire Libraries)[xxiii]
Figure 14. Cape Baily Lighthouse under construction, 1950 (Courtesy of the Local Studies Collection, Sutherland Shire Libraries)[xxiv]
Figure 15. Cape Baily Lighthouse under construction, 1950 (Courtesy of the Local Studies Collection, Sutherland Shire Libraries)[xxv]

Equipment when built
Upon completion, the tower stood as a cast concrete structure atop a 200mm thick concrete slab measuring 9250mm x 9250mm.
The tower was fitted with a Robison Brothers & Company Limited of Melbourne lantern house, which appeared to copy earlier Chance Brother lantern rooms[xxvi]. It is the only known example of this company manufacturing lighthouse equipment.
The Cape Baily light was first lit on the night of 21 December 1950.

Figure 16. Visitors to Cape Baily Lighthouse, 1950 (Courtesy of the Local Studies Collection, Sutherland Shire Libraries)[xxvii]

An AGA Dalen acetylene flasher unit was fitted within the Chance Brothers lens and served as the tower's initial light source. Eight large acetylene gas bottles were held in the tower base with gas lines feeding acetylene to the flasher mounted within the lens. Dishes cast into the ground level floor are still evident today although the acetylene bottles were long removed. The sunvalve controlled the flow of acetylene. It opened at dusk and closed at dawn ensuring acetylene was used only during the hours of darkness.
The site is now powered by an array of six solar panels with a low voltage light source.
It is presumed that the lens is of