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now responsible for operating Commonwealth lighthouses and other aids to navigation, along with its other functions.

3.3 Cape Baily: a history
Aboriginal history

The Kamay Botany Bay National Park has a rich history that stretches back many thousands of years. Significant Aboriginal sites have been recorded within the National Park, some of which include middens and engravings. The Kurnell area is also considered one of the first points of contact Aboriginal people had with the crew of the Endeavour when British Captain James Cook landed there in 1770.
Further information collated from consultations with knowledge holders will be included in future versions of the plan.

Early European history
The Kurnell region has a long history of association with early European exploration. On 29 April 1770, British Captain James Cook entered Botany Bay aboard the Endeavour alongside Naturalist Joseph Banks who collected various native plant specimens for study from the region.[xi]

It is believed the headland remained relatively free of European settlement until the first land grant occurred in 1815. Captain James Birnie was awarded the grant and went on to established 'Alpha Farm'.[xii] The land was sold to John Connell in 1828, and then to Thomas Holt in 1860. Holt later donated 250 acres of the land to the Crown which was transformed into a reserve, known today as Kamay Botany Bay National Park.[xiii]

  3.4 Why Cape Baily?
Discussions on a light at the entrance to Botany Bay started in the early 1930s. On 30 January 1930, site inspections were carried out at the two most likely locations for a lighthouse, Cape Banks on the northern side and Cape Baily on the southern.
The Acting Deputy Director of NSW and the State's Lighthouse Inspector visited both sites and reported the following:

    The isthmus which connects the low peninsula of Cape Banks to the land is very rough. The cost of transport of construction materiel and cylinders to the Cape by this route would be prohibitive.
    The Deputy Director, NSW, suggested water transport as the alternative. Water transport would present no difficulty in Queensland, where we have lighthouse vessels with crews experienced in handling boats and landing materials on rocky shores but in NSW we would have to depend on hired boat attendance, the proposal is not attractive.
    Were the tower and apparatus that it is proposed to install at Cape Baily installed at Cape Banks, the elevation of the light would be 90' and range 15 miles. At Cape Baily, the light would be visible a distance of 5.5 miles further south than would be Cape Banks. Smoke from the industrial establishments on the north shore of Botany Bay (the Bunnerong Power House is quite close) will reduce the visibility