The Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse at Seal Rocks has been formally added to the State Heritage Registry.
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The appointment was made on February 22 by NSW environment minister Gabrielle Upton and sees the local landmark join other well-known sites on the registry such as St Peter's Church and the Jenolan Caves.
Constucted in 1875, the Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse was the first major lightstation complex built as a part of the 'highway of lights', which was designed to provide navigators along the NSW coast with a network of guiding lights.
It was designed by colonial architect James Barnet and is known not only for its structural intricacies, but also for the exquisite natural environment it overlooks.
Mark Sheriff served as the last lighthouse keeper at the station from 1989 to 2006 and believes it is a place of deep historical significance, reaching back through the multitude of individuals who have been involved with the lighthouse to the Worimi people who inhabited the land for generations before the arrival of white settlers.
"Anyone who comes and does anything here knows it's a special place," he said.
"It's quite unique. It sucks in these great weather events."
Nominated for the State Heritage Registry by the Great Lakes National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the process took a number of years and now sees the lightstation complex legally protected as a heritage item under the NSW Heritage Act 1977.
A spokesperson from NPWS said not only does this provide the landmark with increased conservation significance, but it also opens it up to greater funding opportunities.
"Its age, its architectural design, and its condition all make it special," she said.
"And scenically it's sensational."