Dictionary of Sydney
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  4. Sow and Pigs Reef

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Sow and Pigs Reef

Geological feature

Reef near the entrance to Sydney Harbour between Camp Cove and Georges Head. It caused damage and wrecks before explosives were used to reduce its size. In 1836 a lightship replaced the floating beacon, and this was in turn replaced by a permanent pile light in the 1912. The Western Channel Pile Light now marks the reef's western edge to guide shipping.

-33.8381626761, 151.27045149515

Type
Geological feature

The wreck of the Edward Lombe

CC BY-SA 2.0
by
Hugh Tranter
,
2019

In August 1834 one of the worst maritime disasters in Sydney waters took place when the Edward Lombe was wrecked off Middle Head. The story has been overshadowed by the catastrophic wreck of the Dunbar in 1857, but at the time, the wreck of the Edward Lombe was a significant and distressing incident for the colony. Never before had the colony witnessed the destruction of a large sailing vessel with a resulting loss of life and the event generated widespread debate in the colony about the safety of shipping in the harbour.

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