5.1 Commonwealth heritage listing –Cape Baily Lighthouse
The following information is taken directly from the Commonwealth Heritage listing for Cape Baily Lighthouse (Place ID: 105571).
Commonwealth statement of significance
The following statement of significance is taken directly from Cape Baily Lighthouse’s Commonwealth heritage listing:
Cape Baily Lighthouse, constructed during 1950-51, is significant for reflecting the ongoing development of navigational aids along the Australian coast during the twentieth century, and for its association with the post-war development of Botany Bay as a major port for Sydney. (Criterion A.4) (Themes: 3.8.1 Shipping to and from Australian ports, 3.16.1 Dealing with hazards and disasters)
The lighthouse is unusual in that it is comprised of a 1950s concrete tower and a late nineteenth century lantern. (Criterion B.2)
The tower, located on a rise behind dramatic cliffs, and rising above coastal vegetation and wetlands, is a landmark feature of the local area. (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, Cape Baily Lighthouse is discussed in relation to each of the criteria as based on the site’s current Commonwealth Heritage Listing (Place ID: 105571)
| Criterion | Attributes | Explanation |
Criterion A) Processes This criterion is satisfied by places that have significant heritage value because of importance in the course, or pattern, of Australia’s natural or cultural history. | All of the form and fabric of the lighthouse. | Cape Baily Lighthouse, constructed during 1950-51, is significant for reflecting the ongoing development of navigational aids along the Australian coast during the twentieth century, and for its association with the post-war development of Botany Bay as a major port for Sydney. |
Criterion B) Rarity This criterion is satisfied by places that have significant heritage value because of possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Australia’s natural or cultural history. | The nineteenth century lantern. | The lighthouse is unusual in that it is comprised of a 1950s concrete tower and a late nineteenth century lantern. |
Criterion E) Aesthetic characteristics
| The external form and appearance of the tower, within its natural landscape setting. | The tower, located on a rise behind dramatic cliffs, and rising above coastal vegetation and wetlands, is a landmark feature of the local area.
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These heritage values, identified and explained in the Commonwealth Heritage List, will form the basis of the management of Cape Baily 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 Cape Baily Lighthouse)
5.2 Condition and integrity of 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 Commonwealth heritage values are derived from the latest available Heritage Asset Condition Report produced by AMSA’s maintenance contractor.
‘Condition’ is measured from good to poor and incorporates the current condition of the specific value. Integrity is measured from high to low and incorporates the value’s intactness. Cape Baily Lighthouse’s Commonwealth heritage values and its associated attributes maintain good condition and high integrity.
The Commonwealth heritage values for Cape Baily Lighthouse exhibit good condition and high-medium integrity due to the incorrect information included in its listing.
| Value | Values (including attributes) | Condition | Integrity |
| Criterion A) Processes | Cape Baily Lighthouse, constructed during 1950-51, is significant for reflecting the ongoing development of navigational aids along the Australian coast during the twentieth century, and for its association with the post-war development of Botany Bay as a major port for Sydney. | Good | High |
| Criterion B) Rarity | The lighthouse is unusual in that it is comprised of a 1950s concrete tower and a late nineteenth century lantern. | Good | Medium |
Criterion E) Aesthetic characteristics | The tower, located on a rise behind dramatic cliffs, and rising above coastal vegetation and wetlands, is a landmark feature of the local area. | Good | High |
5.3 Gain or loss of Commonwealth heritage values
Criterion B (Rarity) of the Commonwealth Heritage listing is incorrect. The lantern housed in Cape Baily was constructed in 1950 by Australian company Robison Brothers of Melbourne. However, the design of the Cape Baily Lighthouse is the only known example of its kind. It can be argued that there remains compliance with this criterion.
Evidence for the potential gain or loss of heritage values will be documented within this section in future versions of the plan.