Narooma residents are relieved that the Visitor Information Centre has reopened so that the rich history of Montague Lighthouse can once again be shared.
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Eurobodalla Shire Council closed the Visitor Information Centre, which houses the Lighthouse Museum, in May 2021.
It got a new lease of life in July when Narooma tourism operator Sally Bouckley relocated her Southbound Escapes business there and reactivated visitor centre services.
The timing means that Montague Lighthouse can be celebrated at the Lighthouse Museum during International Lighthouse Weekend on August 20-21.
To mark the occasion Narooma Historical Society has arranged for two National Parks and Wildlife Service volunteer guides to talk about lighthouses, how they work and the unseen light that guides shipping today.
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Laurelle Pacey, president of Narooma Historical Society, said Montague Island was identified as a good location for a lighthouse in the 1840s.
Years later, a national conference of the principal officers of the Marine Department of the Australian Colonies decided that due to increased trade, a circle of lighthouses should be erected around Australia, Ms Pacey said.
The vision was to have the coast "illuminated by a street with lamps".
"Each signal would be different so that by references to charts, seafarers knew exactly where they were," she said.
Montague Lighthouse opened and was first lit in 1881. It operated manually until 1986 and has been automatic since.
Community spirit keeps the light in Narooma
The Narooma townsfolk were sad to learn that the original light was going to be moved to Sydney.
Through great community effort, led by the Apex Club, a museum was built to specifically house the light.
Ms Pacey said the light was valued at $2 million in 1989.
In the early 2000s the light was groaning as it turned in the museum.
The former Montague Lighthouse headkeeper Bruce Conley and former Supervisor Maritime Aids for NSW Ian Cameron "were like pigs in mud going over the light to see what the problem was and how to fix it,' Ms Pacey said.
The problem was a missing weight. A replacement was installed to keep the light balanced as it turned.
Ms Pacey said Montague Lighthouse was not only significant to shipping, but also marked the community spirit that fought for the continued manning of the lightstation and made the museum possible.
Montague Island's rich Aboriginal and natural history makes Narooma unique, she said.
The free talks will be held from 11am-noon on Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21.
Numbers are limited to 15 each day because of space restrictions.
Bookings are essential and can be done via pacey@paceymedia.com.au
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