Lighthouse, Baranjoey [sic.]

The lighthouse at Barrenjoey, north of Sydney near Palm Beach, was completed in 1881. This photograph was probably taken not long after its opening, as it shows the stonemasons and other workmen who constructed the tower and possibly the first keeper James Steere, standing near the lantern, looking out to sea through a telescope. Paine’s black-and-white photograph manages to capture the fine quality of Hawkesbury sandstone out of which the lighthouse was made and which was frequently remarked upon in the press at the time. Although lighthouses – remote and elegant human edifices battling the forces of nature – have traditionally appealed to artists, this particular photograph seems to have a more prosaic aim. It is a record of growth and progress; of a sure control extended over the landscape by Australia’s new inhabitants.

© Art Gallery of New South Wales Photography Collection Handbook, 2007