The community event was held for the 135th anniversary of the historic lighthouse, with a great turnout, sausage sizzle, members of the Lighthouses of Australia group, and photographers galore.

National Parks area manager for the Sapphire Coast Andrew Wall said, as the sun went down and the lighthouse lit up, there was a spontaneous big cheer from the crowd – “it looked beautiful”.

“It was a wonderful evening,” Mr Wall said.

“The size of the crowd was unexpected – we ran out of sausages!

“We’re very grateful for all the volunteer support that made the night happen.”

Mr Wall said the ongoing attraction of Green Cape Lighthouse as a tourist destination, despite being obsolete thanks to more modern shipping safety technology, shows “the living heritage” enjoyed by many on the Far South Coast.