Montague Island – Sapphire Coast NSW
Located 9 kms east of Narooma (36°15′S 150°13′E), Montague Island has developed into a popular Sapphire Coast Tourist destination. Featuring a colony of over 1,000 small penguins, amazing fauna and the perfect location for fishermen and die hard divers, Montague Island is a must see for anyone visiting the south coast of NSW
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European History – Montague Island – Sapphire Coast, New South Wales
Although first sighted by Captain Cook in 1770, it wasn’t until the second fleet sailed past in 1790, that a proper name of the island was given. The island was named Montague Island, by the master of the merchant ship “Surprize”, named after the George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
The lighthouse on Montague Island was established to protect coastal shipping. In 1880, ironically as the light house was being built, the vessel ‘Lady Darling’ stuck the reefs at Aughinish Rock, 3 kms south of Montague island. The crew abandoned ship and rowed to nearby Montague Island where they were rescued by those working on the Lighthouse. (This occurred the same day Ned Kelly was hung in Melbourne)
The lighthouse was first lit in 1881, and then converted to a fully automated system in 1986, it remains a part of our coastal navigation system and nautical history.
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