Hornby Lighthouse
Sydney Harbour National Park, NSW
The 1858 red-and-white lighthouse on South Head — NSW's third lighthouse, built after the Dunbar wreck.
About this place
Hornby Lighthouse stands at Inner South Head, designed by colonial architect Alexander Dawson and completed in 1858 after the Dunbar was wrecked at the foot of South Head. NPWS notes it was the third lighthouse in NSW. The red-and-white striped tower looks west to the harbour, north to Middle Head and North Head, and east to the Pacific — a winter whale-watch perch. Reach it on the South Head Heritage trail from Camp Cove; the lighthouse itself is a working aid to navigation, viewed from the outside among the gun emplacements. Pair with Gap Bluff if you want the ocean-cliff side of Watsons Bay as well.
Access & getting there
Walk only from Camp Cove. Ferry to Watsons Bay. National park open sunrise to sunset. No interior tours on a casual visit. No dogs.
South Head Lighthouse Walk, Watsons Bay NSW 2030 (via Camp Cove and the South Head Heritage trail)
Safety notes
Cliff and rock-platform edges. Stay off restricted lightstation structures. Strong wind at the Heads.
Gear notes
Wind layer and binoculars. Camera for the striped tower.
On the map
Community photos
Posts from this place will appear here soon.
Events nearby
Linked Hikezilla events coming soon.
Connected challenges
Tied to challenges — coming soon.