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The Hobart Town Mercury, 4th September 1857 :
“LIGHT-HOUSE, JEVIS BAY. - The Sydney Government are taking necessary steps for erecting a light-house near Jervis Bay.”
The Moreton Bay Courier, 28th August 1860 :
“Our local government, I fear, will hardly be found equal to the great demand that will be made upon them by the exigencies of the times. Mr. Cowper, indeed, toils at his work like a steed that knows no tiring, and no government can be complete without him; but his colleagues seem to be sad idlers. The ‘cats’ of the parliament are away, and the ‘mice’ of the cabinet can play. Robertson is off over the hills and far away, to Scone. Arnold is ruralising at the Paterson; and Weekes seems to done nothing lately but consent to the construction of a lighthouse at Jervis Bay, in the wrong place. On this subject there is an article in this morning’s Empire, which will be worth republishing, for the information of seamen. The lantern is to be lighted up on the 1st October; but four members of the Pilot Board have protested against this, as dangerous. The light was originally to placed at Crocodile Head, whence it could have been seen for thirty miles, north or south. The intention was changed at the suggestion of Captain Denham, and the light was ordered to be placed on the opposite point - Cape Grevell; but now it has been fixed two miles from there, whence it can be seen over the Cape, so that it may lure vessels to destruction in Wreck Bay.”
The Argus, 15th April 1862 :
“LIGHTHOUSE AT CAPE ST. GEORGE. - A select committee of the Assembly was appointed last session to report upon the misplacement of the lighthouse that was erected on Cape St. George, to the south of Jervis Bay. One of the recommendations of the committee was that a board of nautical men be appointed to decide as to the proper site for the lighthouse, with a view to its removal from its present position. The gentlemen selected for this duty - Captain Sidney, R.N., Mr. Hixson, and Captain Sullivan, of the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company - have recently sent in a report to the Government, the recommendation of which is that the lighthouse should be removed and fixed on the original site - Cape St. George, some two or three miles to the south of where it now stands. It appears that the boars were not unanimous in this advice, but the disagreement is understood to have been caused by some uncertainty on the part of one of the members of the board as to the precise objects intended in the erection of the lighthouse. We believe that the Government will shortly carry out the above recommendations, and will give timely notice of their intention to remove the light.”
The Courier (Brisbane), 17th May 1862 :
“Irregularities have also been found to exist in the management of our own lighthouse, and are now under official investigation. One of those is the case of Jervis Bay light, the keeper of which is the ex-Mayor of Sligo !”
The Courier (Brisbane), 29th October 1863 :
Some few years ago an intercolonial conference was held at Melbourne to discuss the subject of coastal lighthouses. Several new lights were recommended, and all of them have been erected. With the notable exception of the Jervis Bay light, which through official negligence and blundering was set up in the wrong place, all lights then recommended have been found very useful. If the Jervis Bay light were in the proper place, the coast from King George’s Sound to Sydney would be sufficiently lighted for all present purposes.”
It was noted that the cost of the lighthouse was L6,000.
The Courier (Brisbane), 5th November 1863 :
“The famous case of the Jervis Bay lighthouse, which was not only duly ordered to be erected in a different spot from that recommended, but actually erected in a third spot, which had neither been ordered nor recommended, ought to induce some caution in future.”
The Australian Town and Country Journal, 6th July 1878 :
“Jervis Bay Light-house, N.S.W.
“WE give herewith an illustration of Cape St. George light-house, though more generally known as Jervis Bay lighthouse, 80 miles south of Sydney. This spot is well known to travellers by sea between Sydney and melbourne. It was off Cape St. George that the Dandenong was wrecked, and the Chimborazo put into Jervis Bay when she collided with the rocks at the point opposite the light-house.
 “Cape St. George is situated in 35deg 11.15 S. lat., 150deg 47 E., long. (Co. St. Vincent.) It is a rocky promontory on the peninsular forming the S. head of Jervis Bay. At a distance of 2 miles N. of this cape is a white stone tower erected on a prominent headland, and on which a light is exhibited, called the Cape St. George light. The light is in 35deg 9.15 S. lat., 150deg 47.48 E., long. The tower is 61ft high, , the light 224ft above high water level, and is visible in all directions of the horizon fron N. 27deg E, round by the eastward to S. 0deg 40 W. It is also visible 19deg 52. further to the W., over a sloping hill, situated to the S. of the lighthouse, but only when a considerable distance to the S. of the same. The light is on the Catoptric principle of the 3rd class, and revolving, exhibiting at intervals of 30 seconds a red, green, and white light, alternately. The intensity of the white light is visible from an elevation of 16 feet in clear weather, at a distance of 20 miles, while its green and red rays vanish at a distance of 15 miles. The formation is of sandstone.
“Jervis Bay is a beautiful bay and harbour, lying in lat. 35 6 S. The entrance to Jervis Bay is 2 miles wide, and inside there is a bay or harbour from 3 to 4 leagues in length, and 2 in width. It is considered a safe port for ships of all sizes, and is 80 miles from Sydney. It is large and commodious, easy of access, and affording shelter from all winds, and having room for 200 sail of ships with plenty of wood and water, and was discovered by Lieutenant Bowen in August 1791. There is some excellent agricultural land on the shores of this bay; and a great trade is being done in the fine forests around by sawyers and timber merchants. Slate containing quartzite.”
The Brisbane Courier, 22nd April 1891 :
“The marine Board started to-day on their annual tour of inspection of the lighthouses and pilot stations. During the trip, which will last nine days, the members of the board will visit Jervis Bay and choose a site for a new lighthouse at Point Perpendicular.”
The Brisbane Courier, 18th November 1895 :
“A SAD FATALITY.
“An exceedingly sad accident occurred at the Cape St. George Lighthouse, Jervis Bay, yesterday. Edward Bailey, first assistant lightkeeper, took his two sons, aged 10 years and six years, to fish off a ledge of rock a little distance away from the lighthouse, when suddenly a huge wave washed over the rock, carrying Bailey into the sea. When he again appeared on the surface he found that his feet were entangled in his fishing line, which was made fast to the rocks. His son by his direction cut the line, and Bailey started to swim back to the rock, but when he had got about half-way he turned on his back to float apparently to recover his breath; then he suddenly disappeared feet first, evidently having been taken down by a shark, three of these monsters having been swimming about the spot a few minutes previously. No trace could be found of his body. he leaves a widow and eleven children.”
The West Australian, 18th May 1897 :
“The Government to-day received six tenders for the erection of a lighthouse at Point Perpendicular, Jervis Bay. The lowest amount was L10,719, the tender being sent in by Mr. E. H. Kelly.”
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