Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is a historic site recognised by both Commonwealth and State governments for its heritage significance. The lighthouse was placed on the Commonwealth Heritage List in 2004 due to its contribution to the development of Devonport and the Mersey District, and its status as a significant local landmark.

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is listed on the Tasmanian State Heritage Register for its association with the early settlement and development of the surrounding region, and the expansion of the shipping trade along the Tasmanian coast. The site is also recognised for its representation of principal late 19th century lighthouse characteristics, and its standing as an important local landmark within the township of Devonport. This site is also of high cultural significance to the Tommeginne People.

Built in 1889, the lighthouse is situated on Mersey Bluff, a promontory located along the northern coast of Tasmania within Mersey District. Originally accompanied by superintendents’ quarters, a flag pole, tide house and signal shed, the lighthouse tower is now the only structure found at the site and is leased by AMSA.

Once fitted with a 4th Order Chance Brothers & Co. lens, the lighthouse now operates on an automated lampchanger mechanism as part of our network of marine aids to navigation (AtoNs). The equipment is serviced by AMSA’s maintenance contractor who visits at least once each year. AMSA officers visit on an ad hoc basis for auditing, project and community liaison purposes.

This heritage management plan concerns the lighthouse, but also considers the management of the surrounding land. The plan is intended to guide decisions and actions of AMSA who continues to operate the lighthouse. AMSA has prepared this plan to integrate the heritage values of the lighthouse in accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Cth (EPBC Act), and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 Cth (EPBC Regulations).

Well-built and generally well-maintained, the lighthouse is in relatively good, stable condition. The policies and management guidelines set out in this heritage management plan strive to ensure the Commonwealth heritage values of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse are recognised, maintained and preserved for future generations.   

1.1 Background and Purpose

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is the Commonwealth agency responsible for coastal AtoNs. AMSA’s network includes the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, built in 1889.

Section 341S of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act requires AMSA to prepare a management plan for Mersey Bluff Lighthouse that addresses the matters prescribed in Schedules 7A and 7B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Cth) (EPBC Regulations). The principal features of this management plan are:

• a description of the place, its heritage values, their condition and the method used to assess its significance
• an administrative management framework
• a description of any proposals for change
• an array of conservation policies that protect and manage the place
• an implementation plan
• ways the policies will be monitored and how the management plan will be reviewed.

AMSA has prepared this heritage management plan to guide the future conservation of the place. This plan provides the framework and basis for the conservation and best practice management of the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse in recognition of its heritage values. The policies in this plan indicate the objectives for identification, protection, conservation and presentation of the commonwealth heritage values of the place. Figure 2 shows the basic planning process applied.

1.2 Heritage management plan objectives

The objectives of this heritage management plan are to:

• protect, conserve and manage the Commonwealth heritage values of the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse
• interpret and promote the Commonwealth heritage values of the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse
• manage use of the lighthouse
• use best practice standards, including ongoing technical and community input, and apply best available knowledge and expertise when considering actions likely to have a substantial impact on Commonwealth heritage values.

In undertaking these objectives, this plan aims to:

• Provide for the protection and conservation of the heritage values of the place while minimising any impacts on the environment by applying the relevant environmental management requirements in a manner consistent with Commonwealth heritage management principles.
• Take into account the significance of the region as a cultural landscape occupied by Aboriginal people over many thousands of years.
• Recognise that the site has been occupied by lease holders since the late 19th century.
• Encourage site use that is compatible with the historical fabric, infrastructure and general environment.
• Record and document maintenance works, and changes to the fabric in the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse fabric register (see 4.1 Fabric).

The organisational planning cycle and associated budgeting process is used to confirm requirements, allocate funding and manage delivery of maintenance activities. Detailed planning for the AtoN network is managed through AMSA’s internal planning processes¹.

An interactive map showing many of AMSA’s heritage sites, including Mersey Bluff, can be found at AMSA Heritage Lighthouses Interactive Map

2.1 Location 

Situated on Mersey Bluff, the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is located at 39 Bluff Access Road, Devonport, Tasmania. The lighthouse is approximately 2 km north of the township of Devonport and overlooks Bass Strait.

Coordinates: 41° 09.5269’ S, 146° 21.3317’ E

2.2 Setting and landscape

The lighthouse is situated on Mersey Bluff, a rocky coastal promontory overlooking Bass Strait. The bluff is approximately 1.6 km east of the mouth of Don River and approximately 1.2 km west of the mouth of the Mersey River. It is located within the Mersey River catchment.

Figure 5. Setting and landscape of Mersey Bluff - view from Lighthouse (Source: AMSA, 2013)

Fauna and flora

The endangered central north burrowing crayfish, Engaeus granulatus, is found along the coast of Devonport including Mersey Bluff.  

Humpback breeding grounds have been recorded along Tasmania’s north coast within Bass Strait which includes Devonport’s coastline. 

2.3 Lease and ownership

AMSA lease the lighthouse and land from the Minister administering the Crowns Lands Act 1976 Tas. 

The AMSA lease consists of one parcel of land, Lot 1 CPR 4034, with a total surface area of 200m2 (See Figure 6. for map of lease). The current lease commenced on 1 May 1998 for a period of 25 years, with the option to renew for a further 25 years. 

2.4 Access

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse can be publicly accessed via Bluff Access Road, a sealed vehicle track which terminates as a vehicle parking site and cul-de-sac. The Devonport Cycle and Walking Track also leads to the lighthouse and can be accessed 24/7 by the general public. 

All visitors are required to walk the remaining 50m to base of tower. The general public are able to walk around the base of the lighthouse, however access inside the tower is restricted to authorised personnel only. 

2.5 Listings

3.1 General history of lighthouses in Australia

The first lighthouse to be constructed along Australian soil was Macquarie Lighthouse, located at the entrance to Port Jackson, NSW. First lit in 1818, the cost of the lighthouse was recovered through the introduction of a levy on shipping. This was instigated by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, who ordered and named the light.

The following century oversaw the construction of hundreds of lighthouses around the country. Constructing and maintaining a lighthouse were costly ventures that often required the financial support of multiple colonies. However, they were deemed necessary aids in assisting the safety of mariners at sea. Lighthouses were firstly managed by the colony they lay within, with each colony developing their own style of lighthouse and operational system. Following Federation in 1901, which saw the various colonies unite under one Commonwealth government, lighthouse management was transferred from state hands to the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service.

Lamps and optics: an overview

Lighthouse technology has altered drastically over the centuries. Eighteenth century lighthouses were lit using parabolic mirrors and oil lamps. Documentation of early examples of parabolic mirrors in the United Kingdom, circa 1760, were documented as consisting of wood and lined with pieces of looking glass or plates of tin. As described by Searle, ’When light hits a shiny surface, it is reflected at an angle equal to that at which it hit. With a light source is placed in the focal point of a parabolic reflector, the light rays are reflected parallel to one another, producing a concentrated beam’.⁴

The catoptric system was largely obsolete from 1822 when Augustin Fresnel invented the dioptric glass lens. Dioptric systems were refined by Fresnel who took a convex lens and broke it down into a number of concentric annular rings. This design reduced the amount of light absorbed by the lens itself and reduced its overall weight.

The first dioptric lens was installed in the French lighthouse, Cordouan, in 1823. Fresnel’s dioptric system dominated lighthouse lens technology for over 150 years. The majority of heritage listed lighthouses in Australia still have dioptric lenses invented by Fresnel but made by others such as Chance Brothers (United Kingdom), Henry-LePaute (France), Barbier, Bernard & Turenne (France) and Svenska Aktiebolaget Gasaccumulator (Sweden).

Around 1900 incandescent burners came into use; in these, the fuel was supplied under pressure and burned inside an incandescent mantle, producing a brighter light within a smaller volume and with less fuel.

These optical systems were made in a range of standard sizes, called orders—see the Glossary of lighthouse terms in Appendix 2. Large dioptric lenses such as that shown in Figure 9 gradually decreased in popularity due to cost and the move towards unmanned automatic lighthouses. By the early 1900s, Australia had stopped ordering such lenses with the last installed at Eclipse Island in Western Australia in 1927. It is interesting to note that prior to that the last was ordered in 1909 for Cape DuCoudic in South Australia.

Smaller Fresnel lens assemblies continued to be made until the 1970s but eventually lost favour to cheaper plastic lanterns, which still used Fresnel’s technology.

In 1912, the Swedish engineer Gustaf Dalén was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for a series of inventions for acetylene-powered navigation lights. Dalén’s system—including the sun valve, the mixer, the flasher, and the cylinder containing compressed acetylene—proved efficient and reliable. Acetylene was quickly adopted by the fledgling Commonwealth Lighthouse Service from 1915, and remained in use until it was finally phased out in the 1990s.

Since then electric lighting—using mains power, diesel generators, and solar-voltaic systems—has become the universal source of energy for Australian navigation lights.

3.2 The Commonwealth Lighthouse Service

When the Australian colonies federated in 1901, they decided that the new Commonwealth government would be responsible for coastal lighthouses—that is, major lights used by vessels travelling from port to port—but not the minor lights used for navigation within harbours and rivers. There was a delay before this new arrangement came into effect. Existing lights continued to be operated by the states. 

Since 1915, various Commonwealth departments have managed lighthouses. AMSA, established under the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 (Cth), is now responsible for operating Commonwealth lighthouses and other aids to navigation, along with its other functions.

3.3 Tasmanian lighthouse management administration

The table below outlines the timeline for Tasmanian lighthouse management. 

3.4 Mersey Bluff: a history

Aboriginal history

The history of the bluff stretches back thousands of generations, and there are many sites of Aboriginal heritage significance located mere meters from the lighthouse tower. This includes middens, tea tree living grounds, and petroglyphs. Stone artefacts were also found on the bluff, many of which have removed unlawfully. 

Further consultation with the local Aboriginal Corporation will be reflected in the section in updates to the plan and in future versions of the plan.

Early European history 

The Mersey River was first traversed by European explorers in 1823, but the landscape was deemed unfavourable for settlement. In 1826 however, the establishment of the Van Diemen’s Land Co. resulted in the region being explored, surveyed and settled – headed by Captain Bartholomew Boyle Thomas. 

The settlements of Torquay and Formby were established in 1851 and 1853 respectively – Torquay on the eastern bank of the Mersey River and Formby on the western. By 1854, a wharf and other port facilities had been completed, and the trading of agricultural produce and timber increased significantly. In 1890, the settlements of Torquay and Formby amalgamated creating the township of Devonport.⁷

3.5 Planning a lighthouse

Why Mersey Bluff?

Prior to the installation of a lighthouse, an obelisk was mounted on Mersey Bluff that could be observed for some distance from sea. However, the obelisk could not be sighted after nightfall nor during cloudy conditions, leaving mariners entering the river from the westward completely unguided. Owing to the ever-increasing popularity of Formby (later Devonport) as a hub for agricultural and timber trade, the Marine Board determined that a light should be established on the Bluff in place of the obelisk.⁸  The Bluff’s position at the mouth of the Mersey River ensured the safe passage of mariners entering from Bass Strait.

Design

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse was designed by Huckson and Hutchison of Hobart. The original 1889 blueprint design illustrated a circular brick structure complete with capstone and weather vane.

Construction 

In June of 1888, tenders were called for the building of the lighthouse, keeper’s house, flagpole, tide house and signal shed. Messrs T and F Duff were chosen as the successful tenders with a cost of £1,559. Construction commenced on 16 October 1888 – which was reportedly “…carried out in a most substantial manner”.⁹  Constructed with a cement concrete foundation, the brick tower stood on a “plinth of soild basalt” with a cap of white Bellerive sandstone.¹⁰  The lighthouse was completed less than 12 months after commencing with work officially ceasing on the 28th of May 1889. 

The Mersey Bluff lighthouse was officially opened on 2 September 1889.¹¹

Equipment when built 

Following completion, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse stood fitted with a 4th Order Chance Bros. dioptric lens. The light could be observed for a distance of 12 miles weather permitting.¹²

The lighthouse tower was accompanied by a Superintendent’s quarters, signal shed, tide house and flagpole.

Superintendents (lightkeepers) were stationed at the lighthouse. Reports indicate two keepers were stationed there in 1912, a third having been removed just previously.

The lighthouse was de-manned in 1920 following its conversion to automatic electric operation.
 

3.6 Major events

The following table details the major events to have occurred at Mersey Bluff Lighthouse from its construction in 1889 to present day.

 

3.7 Changes and conservation over time 

Due to advances in lighthouse technology over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse has undergone a number of changes, both technological and physical, to improve its function as a marine AtoN. 

The Brewis Report

Commander C.R.W.Brewis, RN retired naval surveyor was commissioned in 1911 by the Commonwealth Government to report on the condition of existing lights and to recommend any additional ones. Brewis visited every lighthouse in Australia between June and December 1912 and produced a series of reports published in their final form in March 1913. These reports were the basis for decision-making on the lighthouse's use. 

Below is the report Brewis collated on his visit to the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, and his accompanying recommendations.¹⁴

MERSEY BLUFF LIGHT (20 miles from Low Head.) Lat. 41º 9’ S., Long. 146º 23’ E., Charts Nos. 1695a and 1079.- Established in the year 1889, and recently converted to acetylene. Signal station by day. Flags. Connected by telephone with Devonport. Character.- One white, with red sectors, fixed dioptric, about 500 c.p. Illuminant, acetylene gas.Colt seven-day acetylene generator. Brick tower, 42 feet. Height of focal plane, 116 feet above high water. Visible – white, in clear weather, 16 nautical miles; red, 7 miles. Condition and State of Effciency.- The light-house tower, apparatus, and dwellings are in servicable condition. The light requires to be given a more distinctive character. There are two light-keepers at this station. Until recently there were three. There is no necessity for more than one light-keeper, as the light is of an unwatched character, and the staff should be regulated accordingly. Communication.- By road, 2 miles to Devonport. Quarterly by steamer, carrying stores by contract. Tide Signals.- Tide signals have been established recently in the light-house reserve, and an arrange-ment entered into by the Mersey Marine Board with the light-keeper’s family for the display of the signals. Leading Lights.- The Harbour Leading Lights which are situated near the wharves, and 2 miles from the Bluff, are at present attended at sunset and daybreak by the Mersey Bluff light-keepers. These are not coastal lights.  RECOMMENDED .- (a)    The Mersey Bluff Light be given a distinctive character, by inserting a revolving or dropping shutter, actuated by clockwork mechanism (to be wound every sixteen hours), thus converting it from fixed to flashing. Light characteristic – two flashes, each of one-third second duration, in quick succession, every six seconds. (b)    A 70 c.p. burner be used, increasing the power to 1,200 c.p. (c)    The Harbour Leading Lights, acetylene (U.), being of a purely local character, be not taken over. They should be controlled by the Mersey Marine Board, and managed by the Harbour Master, as is done in the other States with similar lights. (d)    One light-keeper be withdrawn. (e)    The work connected with tide signals be permitted to be performed by the light-keeper’s family, without prejudice, and during the pleasure of the Commonwealth Government.

In 1929, red, vertical stripes were painted on the white Mersey Bluff Lighthouse tower to increase its visibility in the day. The alteration was made after designs were finalised by the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service, and these stripes contribute to the lighthouse's distinctive character.

Figure 13. Proposed alteration in colour of tower, CLS 1929. NAA: P1130, 29/0062 (© Commonwealth of Australia, National Archives of Australia)

Alteration to the light

Date	Alteration
1910	Lighthouse converts to acetylene operation with onsite gas generator.
1920	Lighthouse converts to DC Electic operation.
1952	2nd Order Fixed Lens assembly installed.  Original lens installed at the Althorpe Island Lead light (SA) from 1965-1991.
1978	Lighthouse converts to mains electric operation.

Figure 14 2nd Order fixed lens and current light source (Source: AMSA, 2010)

Recent conservation works

The table below documents recent conservation works carried out at the lighthouse.

Date	Conservation works
2014	Lantern room and balcony repainted.
2018	Structure repaint due to vandalism.

3.8 Summary of current and former uses

From its construction in 1889, Mersey Bluff Lightouse has been used as a marine AtoN for mariners at sea. Its AtoN capability remains its primary use.   

3.9 Summary of past and present community associations

The lighthouse and its immediate surrounds maintains strong associations with a variety of groups.

Aboriginal associations

The local Devonport/Latrobe Aboriginal community maintain strong ties to the bluff. They are the knowledge-holders for the region, and are dedicated to exhibiting the history and culture of the bluff and surrounding area. The Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation oversees matters concerning the bluff and Tiagarra.

In 1976, the Tiagarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Museum was established on the bluff which houses a large collection of artefacts and information on Aboriginal cultural heritage. Although first run by the Devonport City Council, the Tiagarra building now owned by the Aboriginal community. Further information can be found on the Centre’s website.

Local, national and international associations

The site’s contribution to the development of the district has cemented Mersey Bluff Lighthouse as a popular and significant local landmark. The easy access roads and walking tracks established in its vicinity indicates the site’s active inclusion in the local community. The tower and its iconic red stripes have also been identified as imperative to the Devonport City Council’s branding.

As a manned site from its construction in 1889 until 1920, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse maintains familial ties from past lightkeepers – ties which transcend local, national and international borders. 

3.10 Unresolved questions or historical conflicts

Any historical conflicts and unresolved questions brought to light concerning the lighthouse’s history will be included in this section within future plans.

3.11 Recommendations for further research

Further research on the Superintendents (lightkeepers) stationed at the lighthouse would be beneficial in understanding the social history of the lighthouse. Additionally, further research into changes made to the tower and lightstation as a whole would provide greater insight into the transformation of the lightstation from its construction in 1889 to the present day. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Footnotes

⁴ Garry Searle, First Order: Australia’s Highway of Lighthouses, (SA: Seaside Lights, 2013), 34.

⁷ ‘Devonport History,’ Devonport City Council, https://www.devonport.tas.gov.au/live/residents/devonport-history/

⁸ ‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse,’ Tasmanian News, Aug 30, 1889

⁹ ‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse,’ Tasmanian News, Aug 30, 1889

¹⁰ ‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse,’ Tasmanian News, Aug 30, 1889

¹¹ ‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse,’ Examiner, Aug 31, 1889

¹² ‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse,’ Examiner, Aug 31, 1889

¹³ ‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse,’ Examiner, Feb 2, 1920

¹⁴ Brewis, C R W., Preliminary report on the lighting of the coast of Tasmania and the islands in Bass Strait: Recommendations as to existing lights and additional lights, Department of Trade and Customs, (1912), pg. 12.

4.1 Register

The cultural significance of the lighthouse resides in its fabric, and also in its intangible aspects – such as the meanings people ascribe to it, and the connections to other places and things. The survival of its cultural value depends on a well-informed understanding of what is significant, and on clear thinking about the consequences of change. The Burra Charter¹⁵ sets out good practice for conserving cultural significance.

Criterion listed under ‘Heritage Significance’ refer to the criterion satisfied within the specific Commonwealth heritage listing.

Lighthouse feature: Lantern roof

Description and condition

1889 Chance Bros part-spherical dome of copper sheets lapped and screwed to ribs

• Ribs – Chance Bros cast iron radial ribs
• Inner Skin – none
• Ventilator – ball type (vent holes sealed). New stainless steel vent was installed in February 2019 to reduce the moisture accumulation previously occurring in the dome
• Lightning Conductor – vertical spike on top of ball ventilator
• Gutter – polygonal fabricated gutter attached to ring of cast iron pieces bolted together
• Handrails – none
• Drip tray – copper dish suspended under ventilator, with central hole for heat tube

Lighthouse feature: Lantern glazing

Description and condition

1889 Chance Bros, polygonal in form.

• Panes – flat rectangular glass, one tier.
• Astragals – Chance Bros vertical astragals of rectangular section iron, bolted to gutter ring at top, and to lantern base below.
• Downpipes – one downpipe discharging to balcony floor.

Heritage significance: High

The lantern glazing is an historic and essential part of a lighthouse associated with the development of Tasmanian townships (criterion a).

The lantern glazing contributes to the aesthetic value of the lighthouse (criterion e).

Lighthouse feature: Lantern base

Description and condition

1889 Chance Bros, cylindrical in form. Curved panels of cast iron bolted together with flanged joints.

• Internal lining – none (removed).
• Vents – round air inlets cast as part of wall panels. Cast iron air trunks bolted on inside, each fitted with one brass regulator.
• Door – Chance Bros iron door with timber frame inside. Copper alloy hinges. Secured with steel strong-back, steel stud and hand-wheel.

Heritage significance: High

The lantern base is both an original and essential part of a lighthouse associated with the devleopment of Tasmanian townships (criterion a).

Lighthouse feature: Lantern floor

Description and condition

Slate slab floor supported on sandstone cornice at the top of the tower wall, and on central iron post.

Heritage significance: High

The lantern floor is an historic and essential part of a lighthouse associated with the development of Tasmanian townships (criterion a).

Lighthouse feature: Lens assembly

Description and condition

700mm focal radius fixed (non-rotating) lens assembly of glass and gunmetal, with array of reflecting prisms on the landward side. 

Supported by steel brackets attached to the lantern base, and by brackets attached to the lantern roof gutter ring.

Heritage significance: High

The lens assembly is an historic and essential part of a lighthouse associated with the development of Tasmanian townships (criterion a).

Lighthouse feature: Light source

Description and condition

Lamp: 12V 100W C8 Halogen LP PR30s in CR Control S-2086BLR 10amp lampchanger.

Heritage significance: Low

Lighthouse feature: Pedestal

Description and condition

Fabricated metal box pedestal supporting the lamp changer (but not the lens assembly). Replica Chance Bros. maker’s plaque fit to pedestal.

Heritage significance: Low

Lighthouse feature: Balcony floor

Description and condition

1889 sandstone slabs supported by tower wall and cornice.

Heritage significance: High

The balcony floor is an original and essential part of a lighthouse associated with the development of Tasmanian townships (criterion a)

Lighthouse feature: Balcony balustrade

Description and condition

1889 wrought iron balusters with four iron pipe rails.

Heritage significance: High

5.1 Commonwealth Heritage Listing – Mersey Bluff Lighthouse

The following statement of significance and heritage criteria is taken from the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse listing on the Commonwealth Heritage List Place ID: 105377.

Commonwealth statement of significance

The Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, built in 1889, is significant for its association with the development of Devonport and the Mersey District. The lighthouse reflects the importance of Devonport during the late nineteenth century as a river port which was sustained by exports of agricultural produce and timber. (Criterion A) (Australian Historic themes 3.8.1 Shipping to and from Australian ports; 3.8.2 Safeguarding Australian products for long journeys and 3.16.1 Dealing with hazards and disasters).

The Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is significant as an important local landmark that forms a focal point in the recreational area of the township of Devonport and the surrounding region. (Criterion E.1).

Commonwealth heritage criteria

There are nine criteria for inclusion in the Commonwealth Heritage List – meeting any one of these is sufficient for listing a place. These criteria are similar to those used in other commonwealth, state and local heritage legislation, although thresholds differ. In the following sections, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is discussed in relation to each of the criteria as based on the current Commonwealth Heritage Listing Place ID 105377.

5.2 TAS State Heritage Register – Mersey Bluff Lighthouse

The following information is taken from the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse listing on the Tasmanian State heritage register (THR ID: 1382).

TAS statement of significance

No statement is provided for places listed prior to 2007.

TAS State heritage criteria

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse has also been identified as having local heritage significance under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme (as enacted by the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 (TAS).

These heritage values, identified and explained in the Commonwealth Heritage List and the State Heritage Register, will form the basis of the management of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse. In the event of necessary works, all criteria will be consulted to inform best practice management of the values associated with the lighthouse. (See Section 7. Conservation management policies for further information on strategies to conserve heritage values of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse)

5.3 Condition and integrity of the Commonwealth heritage values

A heritage monitoring program was implemented in 2016. Each site is visited and reviewed every two years where the heritage fabric and values of the site are evaluated. Assessment of the condition and integrity of lighthouse’s values are derived from the latest available Heritage Asset Condition Report produced by AMSA’s maintenance contractor.

‘Condition’ is measured on a Good – Fair – Poor scale and incorporates the current condition of the specific value. Integrity is measured on a High – Medium – Low scale which incorporates the value’s intactness.

As a whole, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse’s identified values are in Good condition. These values also demonstrate high integrity. The lighthouse tower’s prominence within its landscape setting is undisputed and retains much of its original fabric.  

5.4 Gain or loss of heritage values

Evidence for the potential gain or loss of heritage values will be documented within this section of future versions of this heritage management plan.

6.1 Implications arising from significance

The Commonwealth statement of significance demonstrates Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is a place of considerable heritage value due to its contribution to the development of Devonport and the Mersey District, and its significance as an important local landmark.

The implication arising from this assessment is that key aspects of the place should be conserved to retain this significance. The key features requiring conservation include:

• continued use of the lighthouse as an AtoN
• architectural quality of the building
• interior spaces and features, which are notable for their design, details and/or their original lighthouse function. These include:
  • intermediate floors
  • ground floor
  • spiral staircase
  • lantern room
• external spaces and features, which are notable for their design, details, and/or their original lighthouse function. These include:
  • lantern roof
  • balcony
  • lighthouse walls and windows

Referrals and approvals of action

The EPBC Act requires approval from the Minister for the Environment for all actions likely to have a significant impact on matters of National Environmental Significance (NES).

The Act provides that actions:

• taken on Commonwealth land which are likely to have a significant impact on the environment will require the approval of the Minister.
• taken outside Commonwealth land which are likely to have a significant impact on the environment on Commonwealth land, will require the approval by the Minister.
• taken by the Australian Government or its agencies which are likely to have a significant impact on the environment anywhere will require approval by the Minister.

The definition of ‘environment’ in the EPBC Act includes the cultural heritage values of places.

Heritage strategy

If an Australian Government agency owns or controls one or more places with Commonwealth heritage values, it must prepare a heritage strategy within two years from the first time they own or control a heritage place.

A heritage strategy is a written document that integrates heritage conservation and management within an agency’s overall property planning and management framework. Its purpose is to help an agency manage and report on the steps it has taken to protect and conserve the commonwealth heritage values of the properties under its ownership or control.

The heritage strategy for AMSA’s AtoN assets was completed and approved by the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment in 2018 and is available online.¹⁶

Heritage asset condition reports

A heritage asset condition report is a written document that details the heritage fabric of a site with an in-depth description of each architectural and structural element. The document includes: a brief history of the site, the Commonwealth Heritage statement of significance and value criteria, a heritage significance rating for each individual element, and a catalogue of artefacts on-site. The document is also accompanied by up-to-date photos of each structural element. This document operates as a tool for heritage monitoring, and is reviewed and updated biennially.

Aboriginal heritage significance

Mersey Bluff as a whole is notable for its Aboriginal heritage significance. The potential remains for future works at the lighthouse to impact these values. In the event major works at the lighthouse are to be carried out, AMSA will seek to minimise impacts to the surrounding area by:

• Utilising specific access tracks to ensure no damage to surrounding vegetation,
• Ensuring project footprint is limited to the AMSA lease. In the unlikely instance work is required outside of this footprint, approvals will be sought from the appropriate stakeholders.
• Implementing an appropriate discovery plan in the instance Aboriginal cultural heritage is suspected and/or found.

6.2 Framework: sensitivity to change

Owing to the site’s historic relationship with the settlement of Devonport, and its aesthetic qualities, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is of high significance. Therefore, work actioned by AMSA on the lighthouse’s fabric harnesses the potential to reduce or eradicate the significance of the site’s heritage values.

Conservation works, including restoration and reconstruction, or adaption works of the absolute minimum so as to continue the lighthouse’s usefulness as an AtoN are the only works that should be actioned by AMSA on Mersey Bluff Lighthouse. Some exceptions are made for health and safety requirements, however any and all work carried out must be conducted in line with heritage considerations and requirements of the EPBC Act.

The table below demonstrates the level of sensitivity attributed to the various elements of the fabric register in the face of change. These are measured on a High – Medium – Low spectrum depending on the action’s possible threat to the site’s heritage values.

High sensitivity

High sensitivity to change includes instances wherein a change would pose a major threat to the heritage value of a specific fabric, or the lighthouse. A major threat is one that would lead to substantial or total loss of the heritage value.

Moderate sensitivity

Moderate sensitivity to change includes instances wherein a change would pose a moderate threat to the heritage value of a specific fabric, or would pose a threat to the heritage significance of a specific fabric in another part of the building. A moderate threat is one that would diminish the heritage value, or diminish the ability of an observer to appreciate the value.

Low sensitivity

Low sensitivity to change includes instances wherein a change would pose little to no threat to the heritage value of a specific fabric, and would pose little to no threat to heritage significance in another part of the building.

6.3 Statutory and legislative requirements

The following table outlines the statutory and legislative requirements relevant to the conservation and management of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse. 

6.4 Operational requirements and occupier needs

As a working AtoN, the operational needs of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse are primarily concerned with navigational requirements. Below are the operational details and requirements of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse as outlined by AMSA.

AMSA’s goals

AMSA is responsible, under the Navigation Act, for maintaining a network of marine AtoN around Australia’s coastline that assist mariners to make safe and efficient passages. AMSA’s present network of 500 marine AtoN includes traditional lighthouses such as Goose Island Lighthouse, beacons, buoys, racons, automatic identification system stations, metocean sensors including broadcasting tide gauges, current meter, directional wave rider buoys and a weather station.

Technological developments in the area of vessel traffic management have also contributed to increasing navigation safety and helped promote marine environment protection. AMSA aims to meet international standards for the reliability of lighthouses set by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).

At the time of preparing this management plan, the major goal for Mersey Bluff Lighthouse primarily encompasses its continued utilisation as an AtoN (for as long as necessary), while upkeeping the appropriate maintenance to conserve and preserve the heritage values of the lighthouse.   

Lighthouse performance standards

AMSA aims to meet international standards for the reliability of lighthouses set by IALA. Mersey Bluff light is designated as an IALA Availability Category 1 AtoN (within a scale of Category 1 to Category 3, Category 1 aids are most critical). Category 1 aids have an availability target of 99.8 per cent.

Access to the lighthouse

One practical effect of this performance standard is that the operational equipment and structure of the light need to be kept in good repair by regular preventative maintenance and equipment that fails in service is repaired quickly. Routine maintenance and emergency repairs are carried out by AMSA’s maintenance contractor. The contractor needs reliable access to the site for this work, and AMSA officers need access for occasional inspection of the site including auditing the contractor’s performance.

6.5 Proposals for change

Preventative maintenance works are carried out on the lighthouse to maintain its status as a working marine AtoN, and to assist in the site’s conservation.

A list of scheduled preventative maintenance work is identified within the latest available site inspection report. The information provided below was taken from this report:

6.6 Potential pressures

In the case of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, the obligation to remove/replace original fabric materials from the lighthouse owing to unavoidable and irreversible deterioration remains a potential pressure on the site and it’s identified heritage values. At this stage however, there is no plan to remove or replace original fabric materials.

In the event plans are made to modify or remove heritage fabric, work will be conducted in line with the heritage considerations and requirements of the EPBC Act.

6.7 Processes for decision-making

Processes for decision-making are required in the event of an incident that impacts the heritage values of the site. The following incidents are included due to their likelihood of occurrence at the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Footnotes

¹⁶ AMSA, AMSA Heritage strategy, (2018)

¹⁷ AMSA, Annual Report 2020-21

Policies

Note: The management of sensitive information is not relevant to AMSA’s heritage strategy and therefore bears no relevance in this management plan.

Fabric and setting

Policy 1 – Protect and conserve the significant external and internal fabric of the lighthouse, including existing buildings, layout and setting.

AMSA’s main purpose is to facilitate the ongoing operation of the site as a marine AtoN while preserving the site’s heritage values. As part of a heritage monitoring program, Heritage Asset Condition Reports are produced for each site every two years to evaluate the condition of the heritage fabric and values. Routine servicing is also carried out by maintenance contractors. Regular written reports from these visits will be sent to AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness for review and any work requirements identified will be scheduled accordingly. Should for some unforeseen reason the site no longer be viable as a marine AtoN, ownership will be passed to an appropriate state of federal authority to ensure preservation of the heritage assets. 

Implementation strategy:

• AtoN Maintenance contractor will continue scheduled periodic maintenance of the lighthouse and marine aids to navigation every 12 months to ensure condition is monitored for early warning of deterioration. Schedule must be approved by AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to arrange for maintenance to be carried out on the lighthouse as required while continuing to operate as an AMSA marine aids to navigation.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to arrange for the replacement and upgrading of marine aids to navigation equipment in the lighthouse as required to meet AMSA’s service commitment, in a manner that preserves the original fabric of the lighthouse.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to maintain information on the heritage fabric of the lighthouse including any and all actions, treatments and inspection outcomes within the heritage fabric register.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to conserve all the fabric elements identified as significant in the heritage asset condition report.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to seek expert materials conservation advice when considering repair, restoration and reconstruction of historic fabric. The relevant local, state and federal heritage approvals must be sought prior to repair, restoration and reconstruction.
• AMSA AtoN Heritage Coordinator to conserve the distinctive character of the lighthouse by collecting photographic evidence and historical documentation of the original fabric.

Uses

Policy 2 – Install and operate equipment in the lighthouse, so it continues to function as an effective marine AtoN, in such a way as to impose the least possible harm to the significant fabric.

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse’s use as a working marine AtoN is of high priority. Carrying out maintenance, including upgrades to AtoN equipment, is necessary to its function and continued marine safety along the TAS coast. In the event of the installation or upgrade to AtoN equipment, proper precaution will be taken to ensure the least possible harm is done to significant fabric.

Implementation strategy:

• AtoN Maintenance Contractor to monitor Mersey Bluff’s AtoN equipment  every 12 months and propose maintenance in the instance of necessary installation or removal. Proposed maintenance is to be approved by AtoN Asset Management and Preparedness.
• AMSA to outline all possible risks to significant fabric, external and internal, associated with the installation, removal and operation of equipment.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to ensure works carried out are those that ensure the least possible harm to significant fabric.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to seek expert heritage conservation advice on best practice management of the site during installation, removal and operation of equipment.

Policy 3 – Monitor possible impacts to the site resulting from tourism and control appropriate access to the lighthouse for contractors and visitors.

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is not currently open as a tourist site and access inside the lighthouse is restricted to authorised personnel, such as contractors, AMSA employees and official tour groups. AMSA personnel and contractors require easy access inside the lighthouse tower for periodical site visits to carry out inspections and routine maintenance. Tourists can easily access the lighthouse externally.

Implementation strategy:

• AtoN Maintenance contractor to ensure control on access to all buildings within AMSA’s lease area is maintained by periodically inspecting restricted access areas inside the lighthouse during maintenance visits every 12 months.
• AtoN Maintenance contractor to inspect lighthouse for signs of wear and tear attributed to visitors on-site during maintenance visits, and note changes in Heritage Asset Condition Report.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to ensure contractors are made aware of the heritage values of the lighthouse.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to ensure access to site is available for Traditional stakeholders to maintain cultural traditions.

Interpretation

Policy 4 – Accurate and relevant interpretation of the history and significance of the place should be made available to site users/visitors and for offsite external research.

AMSA will continue to make information available through the maintenance of site interpretive signage and its website.

Implementation strategy:

• All relevant information concerning the history and significance of the place will be checked for accuracy and updated appropriately.
• Information will be primarily presented in online resource files accessible to both relevant personnel and the general public. On-site interpretative signage will be utilised where appropriate.
• This information will be maintained and updated in accordance with changes to the history and significance of the place.

Management

Policy 5 – AMSA will continue to conserve the lighthouse in accordance with Commonwealth and TAS State heritage listing requirements.

For works requiring heritage approval, AMSA will obtain permission from any relevant state or federal authorities. Continuous and as-needed conservation works will be undertaken as required.

Implementation strategy:

• Liaise with the relevant federal and state agencies when proposing work on the site.
• Approval in writing must be granted for any development proposals.

Policy 6 – The cultural significance of the lighthouse will be the basis for deciding how to manage it.

The heritage values or cultural significance of the place must be conserved. This heritage management plan includes relevant background information to support this policy (see ‘Section 3 History’).

Implementation strategy:

• Conserve the lighthouse to protect its heritage values (cultural significance).
• When possible, strive to maintain the original fabric of the lighthouse.
• Use the Burra Charter as the primary guide for treatment of fabric.
• Engage appropriately qualified heritage consultants when making decisions regarding impact on heritage values.
• Assess impacts on the heritage values of the place when considering proposed alterations or adaptations.

Policy 7 – Monitor, review and report the Commonwealth heritage values of the lighthouse every five years or sooner if major changes to the lighthouse occur.

The Commonwealth heritage values of the lighthouse are to be monitored and reported on a regular basis. A Heritage Asset Condition Report is updated for Mersey Bluff Lighthouse every two years. The report records historical information, condition, and maintenance requirements for fabric within the lighthouse to ensure a gain and/or loss of heritage value is identified.  

Implementation strategy:

• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to regularly monitor the lighthouse for possible impacts on the identified Commonwealth heritage values.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to review the current Commonwealth heritage values at least once every five years and assess any gain or loss of values.
• This review must be undertaken in the event of any major alterations to the lighthouse.
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to report any changes to the Commonwealth heritage values of the lighthouse to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Heritage Branch).
• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to update AMSA’s heritage strategy  and this plan to reflect any changes identified.
• AMSA AtoN Maintenance Contractor to review and update Heritage Asset Condition Report biennially.

Policy 8 – Maintain historical, management and maintenance records within AMSA and make available these records. 

As part of the proper process for managing change in significant places, the Burra Charter points out the importance of making records before any change, and advocates placing records in a permanent archive and making them available where this is appropriate. AMSA’s collection of records, which include documents pertaining to heritage intervention, management and maintenance, are subject to this process. Heritage Asset Condition Reports are routinely generated for each heritage lighthouse and stored in AMSA’s record-keeping system. AMSA will continue to practice such processes via their records management systems (RMS).

Implementation strategy:

• AMSA to maintain, review and update records through existing AMSA RMS as required.
• AMSA to ensure records are made available to the relevant personnel and parties as required.

Policy 9 – Provide appropriate training and resources to all relevant AMSA staff, contractors and licensees.

The management of a heritage place is outlined within the statutory requirements of the EPBC Act and EPBC Regulations. In order to ensure best practice management of AMSA-operated lighthouses, all staff, contractors and licensees are required to have access to the appropriate training and resources in order to provide best practice conservation of the site.  

Implementation strategy:

• Provide staff personnel involved with the management and maintenance of Mersey Bluff Lighthouse access to up-to-date versions of the AMSA heritage strategy, heritage management plans and fabric registers.
• When funds are made available, AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness staff will undertake relevant training to ensure comprehension of the Commonwealth heritage and EPBC Act statutory requirements.
• Develop and provide appropriate training for contractors engaged with heritage sites to ensure comprehension of the Commonwealth heritage and EPBC Act statutory requirements.
• AMSA representatives will attend Commonwealth-run heritage workshops, programs and conferences for up-to-date information on statutory requirements and best-practice management of sites of national and state heritage significance.
• All current and incoming tour guides operating within AMSA lighthouses will be required to take the lighthouse tour guide safety induction e-learning module once every two years to stay informed on visitor safety and duty-of-care of the site’s heritage values.

Policy 10 – Use contractors and service providers with appropriate experience.

AMSA is to ensure parties carrying out work have appropriate knowledge and use best practice methods to ensure conservation of the lighthouse.

Implementation strategy:

• Engage staff and contractors with the relevant experience and expertise concerning conservation of the lighthouse.
• Provide the appropriate training on heritage conservation matters for AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness staff and other relevant parties who hold responsibility for heritage management.

Policy 11 – Seek heritage advice and apply best heritage practice.

AMSA will continue to use in-house heritage expertise, external consultancy, or a combination of both as required in order to successfully apply best heritage practice. Should in-house heritage expertise be limited in responding to a requirement, external heritage expertise will be engaged to address the issue.  

Implementation strategy: 
•    Apply in-house heritage expertise when required. 
•    Use tools such as the Burra Charter and Working Together: Managing Commonwealth Heritage Places¹⁸ to measure the likely impact of proposals.
•    Seek external heritage expertise in the event of limited in-house capability.

Policy 12 – Appropriate protocol in the event of unforeseen discoveries or disturbances of heritage within the AMSA site.

AMSA’s scope of work rarely involves excavation. Should such work need be undertaken, AMSA will implement a suitable discovery plan and seek advice from suitably qualified personnel as required. In the event of any unforeseen discovery or disturbance of heritage-related items on the AMSA site, notification to the appropriate organisation will occur in accordance with the conditions of the discovery. This plan will also be updated accordingly.  

Note: In most cases, AMSA’s leases are limited to the immediate vicinity of the lighthouse and therefore this scenario is not anticipated as a likely occurrence.

Implementation strategy:

• Contact Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation, Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania, and Devonport City Council and inform of discovery/suspected discovery.
• Seek appropriate heritage advice and apply best practice in the event of unforeseen discoveries/disturbances.

Policy 13 – Make this heritage management plan available to all persons involved in decision-making on the management of the lighthouse and its setting.  

The plan will be made available to all personnel intrinsic to management of the lighthouse and its setting, for example AMSA maintenance contractors, staff and other relevant parties.

Implementation strategy:

• Provide links to this plan via the AMSA publicly accessible website.
• Provide copies to all relevant personnel and parties.

Future developments

Policy 14 – Adaptation of the place using methods or processes that minimise impact on heritage values and significance in accordance with the Burra Charter principles.

It is likely that over time the lighthouse will house new equipment as technology changes and improves. The Burra Charter principles will be used as the basis for decision-making.

Implementation strategy:

• Assess the likely impacts of changes on the heritage values and significance of the place.
• Preserve the original fabric of the place and do only what is necessary for the continued use and care of the place.
• Engage expert heritage advice and use the Burra Charter in adapting the place. 

Policy 15 – When required, engage with adjacent landowners to maintain an appropriate setting for the lighthouse in its visual and natural context.

Any changes to the surrounding land, or AMSA leased area, requires careful consideration. AMSA will liaise with all adjacent landowners in the event of any proposed changes that may affect the setting and attempt to influence a positive outcome.

Implementation strategy:

• AMSA Asset Management and Preparedness to engage with adjacent landowners through consultation when changes are proposed regarding the wider visual and natural context.
• Consultations will take the form of online correspondence where in-person engagement is not possible.

Policy 16 – In the event of adaptive re-use or divestment (instance(s) which would no longer place the lighthouse under AMSA control), AMSA will strive to ensure the Commonwealth and TAS State heritage values of the site are recognised and preserved. 
 
In the event Mersey Bluff Lighthouse is no longer identified as a working AtoN, AMSA will withdraw its standing as lessee and hand over all authority to the lessor. This process must be conducted in line with s 341ZE of the EPBC Act.

Implementation strategy:

• AMSA will negotiate with lessor to have site lease terminated.
• All available heritage information within AMSA’s collection, including this heritage management plan, will be shared with the relevant parties to ensure the Commonwealth and TAS State heritage values of the site are recognised and preserved. 

Community Involvement

Policy 17 – Consult with indigenous and community stakeholders in the preparation of the management plan.

AMSA will give community and Indigenous groups, as well as the general public, an opportunity to review and comment on this management plan through a public consultation process.

Implementation strategy: 
•    Undertake community consultation when preparing the heritage management plan in accordance with EPBC Regulations.
•    Seek advice from any relevant Indigenous communities and refer to Engage Early—Guidance for proponents on best practice Indigenous engagement for environmental assessments under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)¹⁹  to guide consultations.  

Review

Policy 18 – Review this plan within five years of its adoption or sooner if major changes are needed.

This plan will be reviewed every five years. This review should:

• assess the content of the plan.
• determine its effectiveness in protecting the identified heritage values.
• provide any necessary recommendations for updating or re-writing of the plan. If major changes occur at the site in the interim, this plan will be reviewed and updated earlier than the specified five years.

Implementation strategy:

• Review this heritage management plan at least five years after its adoption.
• Review and update this heritage management plan in the event of a major change to the lighthouse.
• Submit revised plan for approval.

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Footnotes

¹⁸ Commonwealth of Australia, Working Together Managing Commonwealth Heritage Places: a guide for Commonwealth agencies (2019).

¹⁹ Commonwealth of Australia, Engage Early—Guidance for proponents on best practice Indigenous engagement for environmental assessments under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) (2016).

Plan and schedule

Monitoring and reporting 

As stipulated by Schedule 7A of the EPBC Regulations, the outlined implementation plan and associated policies listed above are required to be monitored and updated accordingly. The below review process timetable will be adhered to over the next five years:

Other key actions in monitoring and reporting include:
•    Ensuring the implementation plan and policies are readily available for all relevant personnel,
•    Delegating AMSA staff to periodically check the implementation plan is up-to-date and being utilised appropriately by the relevant personnel,
•    Ensuring the timeframes outlined within the plan are followed,
•    Delegating AMSA Response staff to review this plan and the associated policies at least every five years and determine whether its contents are relevant and effective in terms of continuing to conserve the place.
 

Appendix 1. Glossary of heritage conservation terms

The Burra Charter, from its first (1979) version and its current (2013) version, defined a set of terms that have since been widely adopted in Australian heritage conservation practice.
Where the following terms are used in their heritage management plan, the particular meanings defined in the charter are intended. The definitions are quoted from Article 1 of The Burra Charter²⁰.

Adaptation means modifying a place to suit the existing use or a proposed use.
Associations mean the special connections that exist between people and a place.
Compatible use means a use which respects the cultural significance of a place. Such a use involves no, or minimal, impact on cultural significance.
Conservation means all the processes of looking after a place to retain its cultural significance.
Cultural significance means aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations. Cultural significance is embodied in the place itself, its fabric, setting, use, associations, meanings, records, related places and related objects. Places may have a range of values for different individuals or groups.
Fabric means all the physical material of the place including components, fixtures, contents, and objects.
Interpretation means all the ways of presenting the cultural significance of a place.
Maintenance means the continuous protective care of a place and its setting. Maintenance is to be distinguished from repair which involves restoration or reconstruction.
Meanings denote what a place signifies, indicates, evokes or expresses to.
Place means a geographically defined area. It may include elements, objects, spaces and view. Place may have tangible and intangible dimensions.
Preservation means maintaining a place in its existing state and retarding deterioration.
Reconstruction means returning a place to a known earlier state and is distinguished from restoration by the introduction of new material.
Related object means an object that contributes to the cultural significance of a place but is not at the place.
Related place means a place that contributes to the cultural significance of another place.
Restoration means returning a place to a known earlier state by removing accretions or by reassembling existing elements without the introduction of new material.
Setting means the immediate and extended environment of a place that is part of or contributes to its cultural significance and distinctive character.
Use means the functions of a place, including the activities and traditional and customary practices that may occur at the place or are dependant on the place.

 

Appendix 2. Glossary of historic lighthouse terms relevant to Mersey Bluff Lighthouse

A
Apron paving – concrete paving surround the base of the lighthouse tower.
Astragal – bars which support the glazing of a lantern. They may also support the roof. Simply a framing member between the glazing bars in the lantern glazing. In its true meaning an astragal is a moulding that has a rounded profile. In lanterns this is almost never the case. 

B 
Balcony – walk way around the outside of the lantern, used for maintenance and (formerly, when lighthouses were manned) for observing ships. Principal parts are the balcony floor and the balcony balustrade. 
Balcony floor – floor of the balcony. Mersey Bluff’s balcony floor is of 1889 sandstone slabs. 
Balcony balustrade – handrail together with its supports. The supports are called balusters. A railing or wall on the outer perimeter of a balcony, to prevent people from falling off the balcony. Generally made of metal stanchions and rails, Mersey Bluff is fitted with 1889 wrought iron balustrades.
Balcony door – door in the lantern base to give access to the balcony. 

C
Character – pattern of flashes of light emitted by a lighthouse, designed to identify that particular lighthouse. 

F
Flagpole – structure whereby signalling flags could be attached for communication with passing vessels.

G

Glazing bar - rebated bars of metal which retain the panes of glass in a window. Often consist of vertical angled steel members joining between done support ring and murette. Often the glazing bar has a tenon that matches a mortise in the murette. Astragals are arranged helically. Helical and trapezoidal glazing bars were used where a fixed light was in use (flashing or non-rotating) as vertical bars cut off portions of the light. In comparison, a helical bar design crosses the light source at an angle, obscuring part of it.
Glazing – middle section of the lantern, circular or polygonal in plan, between the lantern roof above and the lantern base below, made up of glass panes held in a framework of glazing bars and astragals. 

I
Incandescent kerosene -  a light fuel once utilised by lighthouses to ignite and fuel the lantern. 

Intermediate floors – levels found mid-way up a building. Mersey Bluff has two intermediate floors comprised of slate slabs. 
Iron – there were two common types of iron used in lighthouse construction; wrought and cast. Older lights will almost certainly contain these iron types. Wrought iron has been worked by hand and is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content in contrast to steel, it also has fibrous inclusions. Cast iron is iron which has been heated until it liquefies, and is then poured into a mould to solidify.

L
Lantern – glazed enclosure, usually of cylindrical or polygonal shape, at the top of a lighthouse, which surrounds and protects the optical apparatus. It contains the optical apparatus, made up of the lantern roof, lantern glazing and lantern base sections.
Lantern floor – level in a lighthouse where the lantern is installed, and by which access may be gained to the optical system and to the inside and outside of the lantern glazing. The lantern floor is generally at or near the same level as the catwalk and can be made from steel, concrete, or timber. Mersey Bluff’s lantern floor is of slate slab. 
Lantern glazing – middle section of the lantern, circular or polygonal in plan, between the lantern roof above and the lantern base below, made up of glass panes held in a framework of glazing bars. On the landward side there may be blank panels in place of glass, or other opaque construction. Types of lantern glazing include: flat and curved trapezoidal panes and curved diamond/triangular panes. Mersey Bluff’s lantern glazing are comprised of flat rectangular panes.
Lantern roof – roof of the lantern. Usually made of copper sheeting over a framework of rafters. Mersey Bluff’s lantern roof is a copper-sheeted part-spherical dome. 
Lens assembly – a transparent optically refracting element of glass. The surface is usually spherical in form.
Light source – electric bulbs now illuminate most lighthouses. 
Lighthouse – the principal structure of a lightstation, generally made up of a lantern, balcony and tower.
Lightstation – A precinct containing a lighthouse structure and other related buildings, for example. Keepers’ cottages, store room, signal house. 

O
Optical apparatus - equipment to provide, direct and control the light emitted by the light source. Comprised of light source, lens assembly, and pedestal.
Order – a shorthand expression of the size of an optical apparatus or lantern. At the time the system of orders was established, when kerosene burners were used, longer range lights needed larger burners, and larger burners needed lens assemblies of longer focal length to ensure a sharply defined beam. Thus in turn the lantern rooms were required to be larger to house these lens assemblies. AMSA historic lantern rooms range from 1st to 4th order.

P  
Pane  - an individual piece of glass in the lantern glazing. Often original supply was 3/8” thick polished plate but in later years this changed to 5/16”.
Pedestal – part of the optical apparatus, consisting of a metal column or base standing on the balcony floor inside the lantern and supporting the lens assembly and light source. Some later Chance documentation (such as their tariffs 1908) also refer to the lantern base as a pedestal. 

S
Signal shed – structure whereby signalling flags were stored.

T 
Tower – structure to support the lantern at a sufficient height above the ground. The most common types are the masonry tower, timber-framed tower, cast iron tower, and lattice tower. 

Appendix 3. Table demonstrating compliance with the EPBC Regulations

Appendix 4. Mersey Bluff Lighthouse current light details

Mersey Bluff Light – AN065-01

Appendix 5. Document detailing 1921 acetylene explosion inside Mersey Bluff Lighthouse & Transcription

Figure 16. Original document detailing acetylene explosion at Mersey Bluff Lighthouse 1921. NAA: P1130, 29/0006 (© Commonwealth of Australia, National Archives of Australia)

Appendix 6. Notice to Mariners. Mersey Bluff Lighthouse – Intended alteration in colour of Tower (1929)

Figure 17. Notice to Mariners regarding 1929 alteration to tower colour. NAA: P1130, 29/0062 (© Commonwealth of Australia, National Archives of Australia) ²¹

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

Footnotes

²⁰Australia ICOMOS, The Burra Charter, (2013).

²¹NAA: P1130, 29/0062

AMSA, AMSA Heritage strategy, 2018 PDF4.79 MB. 

AMSA, Annual Report 2020-21. 

AMSA Interactive heritage lighthouse map, Google, 2019. 

The Burra Charter: The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance. Australia ICOMOS, 2013.

Engage Early: Guidance for proponents on best practice Indigenous engagement for environmental assessments under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Commonwealth of Australia, 2016.

Australian Heritage Database, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, Bluff Rd, Devonport, TAS, Australia. Department of the Environment and Energy, 

Brewis, C.R.W. Preliminary report on the lighting of the coast of Tasmania and the islands in Bass Strait, with recommendations as to existing lights and additional lights. Department of Trade and Customs, 1912.

Marquis-Kyle, P., Heritage Lighthouse Report: Mersey Bluff. AMSG, 2007.

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse [picture] Hobart : s.n., [between 1880 and 1889] In: Allport album IV, no. 14, digitised item from Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, State Library of Tasmania.

National Archives of Australia: Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Central Office; A9568, Drawings and Plans of Lighthouses and of Associated Buildings and Equipment, 1833-1968; 5/7/1, Hobart Marine Board: Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, 1889.

National Archives of Australia: Australian Maritime Safety Authority, southern region, Tasmania; P1130, Correspondence files, annual single number series, 1916-62; 29/0062, Mersey Bluff Lighthouse – alteration of distinguishing marks, 1916-60.

Register for the National Estate. Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, Bluff Rd. Devonport, TAS, Australia. Australian Heritage Database

Reid, G., ‘From Dusk till Dawn: A history of Australian lighthouses’. Aus: Macmillan Co., 1988.

Serle, G., ‘First Order: Australia’s Highway of Lighthouses’. Glenelg, SA: Seaside Lights, 2013.

Sims, P.C. ‘No Reprieve for Tasmanian Rock Art’. Arts (2) 2013. DOI 10.3390/arts2040182

Tasmanian Heritage Register. Mersey Bluff Lighthouse. Tasmanian Council, n.d.

Tomlinson, C., ‘Tomlinson’s Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts’. 1854.

Working Together Managing Commonwealth Heritage Places: a guide for Commonwealth agencies. Commonwealth of Australia, 2019.

‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse.’ Tasmanian News. Aug 30, 1889

‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse.’ Examiner. Aug 31, 1889

‘Mersey Bluff Lighthouse.’ Examiner. Feb 2, 1920

Copyright

© Australian Maritime Safety Authority

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Acknowledgements

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority acknowledges that the lighthouse is in the traditional country of the Tommeginne people.

For additional information or any enquiries about this heritage management plan, contact the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Manager Asset Management and Preparedness, PO Box 10790, Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Phone: (02) 6279 5000 (switchboard)

Email: Heritage@amsa.gov.au

Website: www.amsa.gov.au

Attribution

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s preference is that you attribute this publication (and any material sourced from it) using the following wording: Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority Mersey Bluff Lighthouse Heritage Management Plan – 2022

Front cover image

Cover photo of the Mersey Bluff lighthouse (Source: AMSA, 2010).

More information

For enquiries regarding copyright including requests to use material in a way that is beyond the scope of the terms of use that apply to it, please contact us through our website: www.amsa.gov.au