Bluff Lighthouse

About Bluff Lighthouse

The Bluff Lighthouse in Durban, Natal, once stood proudly atop the Bluff headland before being demolished to make way for modern development, a reflection of the city’s tendency to replace the old with the new. Built between 1864 and 1867 under the direction of Natal Colonial Engineer Peter Paterson, the iron, tapering cone-shaped structure rose 81 feet with a domed lantern roof and ball finial, always painted white. Its light, set at 70 feet and revolving to reach peak brilliance every minute, shone from 282 feet above high water and was visible up to 25 miles out at sea. Construction was arduous, with materials ferried across the bay and hauled up the steep 195-foot Bluff, but the lighthouse became a vital beacon until replaced by a newer structure further inland.