The uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse: 70 Years of guiding ships along KwaZulu-Natal's coast

uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse celebrated 70 years of guiding vessels along Durban’s coast in KwaZulu-Natal.

According to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the lighthouse was first lit by the authority on the night of November 25, 1954.

One of South Africa’s most recognisable sites, the lighthouse, situated on the uMhlanga Promenade, is a 21-metre cylindrical concrete tower painted white, with a red top and red lantern house.

Its rotating lens system produces three flashes every 20 seconds.

The lighthouse is automated and is one of two lighthouses built to replace the Bluff Lighthouse; the other is Cooper Lighthouse.

Bluff Lighthouse was operational from 1867 to 1940 and was demolished in 1941 to make way for the placement of heavy artillery guns for World War II

“The uMhlanga Rocks tower was built soon after the opening of nearby Cooper Lighthouse in Durban, which was commissioned on 31 July 1953. It took just four days and 19 hours to construct and was commissioned a year later,” said TNPA.

The authority, which also carries out scheduled maintenance of the lighthouse, revealed that the original site for the uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse was on the grounds of the Oyster Box Hotel.

“When 33 centimetres of rain fell in less than 24 hours in January 1953 and caused erosion close to the proposed site, the current location was chosen because it had a rock foundation,” said TNPA.

Other lighthouses in KwaZulu-Natal include Cape Vidal, Cooper, Durnford, Green Point, Ifafa, Jesser Point, North Sand Bluff, Port Shepstone, Richards Bay and Tugela.

TNPA is mandated to provide, operate and maintain lighthouses and other marine Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) to assist the navigation of vessels within commercial port limits and along the coast of South Africa.

Lighthouses, beacons and buoys are the most common types of visual AtoNs.