Nobbys Head
| Nobbys Head (Whibayganba) | |
| Coal Island, Nobbys Island | |
| headland | |
 Nobbys Head, Newcastle
|
|
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | New South Wales |
| Regions | Sydney Basin (IBRA), Hunter |
| Local government area | Newcastle |
| City | Newcastle |
| Building | Nobbys Head Lighthouse |
| River | Hunter River |
| Location | Newcastle Harbour |
| - elevation | 27.5 m (90 ft) |
| - coordinates | 32°55′24″S 151°48′04″E / 32.92333°S 151.80111°ECoordinates: 32°55′24″S 151°48′04″E / 32.92333°S 151.80111°E |
| For public | Yes (1st and 3rd Sunday per month) |
| Easiest access | Nobby's Beach carpark |
| Discovered by European | James Cook, RN |
| - date | 10 May 1770 |
| Timezone | AEST (UTC+10) |
| - summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Website: Newcastle City Council webpage | |
Nobbys Head (Aboriginal: Whibayganba) is a headland located on the southern entrance to Newcastle Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. The headland is situated above the Hunter River and the Tasman Sea of the South Pacific Ocean.
Originally called Coal Island, and then later Nobbys Island, the Island was connected to the mainland at first by the Macquarie Pier, completed in 1846, 38 years after commencement. The pier was eventually replaced by a breakwater. Sand accumulate along the breakwall to make Nobby's beach, and the sand and plants makes the isthmus appear natural.
The rock of the original island has significant tunnelling, which was completed during the 1850s using convict labour, with the aim of destroying the island.
Nobbys Head Lighthouse is located on the headland. The lighthouse is the third lighthouse built in New South Wales after the Macquarie Lighthouse in 1818 and the Hornby Lighthouse which was also built in 1858. The lighthouse is included in Newcastle's coat of arms.
Nobbys Head was first sighted by Europeans on 10 May 1770 by Captain James Cook from the ship Endeavour and was described by Cook as:
"A small round rock or Island, laying close under the land, bore South 82 degrees West, distance 3 or 4 Leagues".
It was not until the discovery of coal by Lt. John Shortland in 1797, that the island was viewed as having any significance. In 1804, Signal Head was the first place in Newcastle that any form of navigational aid was established. Originally a coal burning light, it was changed over to oil in 1821 for a short period of time but was reverted to coal as the oil system was not reliable.
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Wikipedia