IT’S 138 years old and can well and truly be said to be a local icon – now the Cape Nelson Lighthouse is getting some much-needed love and care.

And even though the $2 million restoration is taking place in the middle of the peak tourist season – and will close the Lighthouse itself for at least six months, if not the surrounds – even those directly affected seem to accept what is happening.

The work is being done on behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which operates the Lighthouse itself.

While work on the heritage-listed Lighthouse began this week, AMSA did not publicly state beforehand that it was happening or that the Lighthouse itself would be closed.

An AMSA spokeswoman said the work was necessary “to ensure this property continues to serve the community for many years to come”.

“AMSA has embarked on a $2 million refurbishment to repair stonework, remove lead paint, and give the property a new lease on life,” she said.

“AMSA has liaised with Parks Victoria and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning in the lead up to the works and has engaged an experienced contractor to undertake the project.

“Completion is expected by mid-2023, although these old buildings do have a habit of revealing nasty surprises as the works get underway.

“A temporary aid to navigation will serve the navigational needs of mariners during the refurbishment.

“The State of Victoria has a licence from AMSA to permit access by tourists, and although tours won’t be possible while the work is underway, on completion AMSA hopes the visitor experience will be significantly enhanced as the lighthouse will look as good as it did on the day it was built.

“AMSA has engaged with the tour provider and will do what it can to minimise disruption while the work is underway.

“Unfortunately, it isn’t feasible to undertake extensive protective and restorative work over the winter months due to cold temperatures and adverse weather conditions.

“AMSA looks forward to welcoming the media and the community to see the refurbished property when the project is complete.”

The work on the Lighthouse, which was officially lit on July 7, 1884, after a 30-year battle, is being carried out by Melbourne-based McElligotts Protective Coatings Contractors, which has done several such jobs for AMSA.

Lighthouse historian Gordon Stokes said the main job was to ensure all surfaces, including internal ones, containing lead were removed.

The stairways would be removed and repainted before reinstallation with modern protective finishes but internal walls of the tower would remain unpainted.

“Externally all the paint surfaces will be removed off the tower but it will be repainted in traditional colours, the current colours,” Mr Stokes said.

“The lantern itself will be fully refurbished, it being cast iron  after the removal of the internal panelling of the lantern.

“We’ve discovered that the lantern consisted of a number of panels to complete the circle.

“I think it’s very interesting to see the panels uncovered.”

The inside of the lantern, a silver-greyish colour, had been found to contain a high percentage of lead, Mr Stokes said.

“It must be removed and the original stencils and numbers will have to be removed but AMSA indicated they would re-create the stencil labels and put them on again,” he said.

“The current light and lens will be protected by timber panelling during the operation.”

The light currently flashes four times every 20 seconds and can be seen about 21 nautical miles (39km) out to sea and this would still be the case during the restoration.

The electrical system would be updates and the viewing balcony, about 32m above ground, would also be reinforced and strengthened.

“I think it’s important to understand that the Lighthouse is considered to be in good condition anyway,” Mr Stokes said.

“The bluestone resists salty moisture coming in to some degree and it’s not as porous as some construction material.”

Mr Stokes also runs the tours of the Lighthouse.

“From our point of view tours will be cancelled for a minimum of six months, we believe,” he said.

“And depending on the weather it may only be six months but it could be as long as nine months.

“Of course it’s a great disappointment that it’s being done during the busiest period for Lighthouse tours, however it does give us confidence the Lighthouse will continue to be used as a major lighthouse on the Victorian coast for the foreseeable future.

Rob Hunt of Cape Nelson Lighthouse accommodation said he had let all his guests know what was going on – with a “best guess” that the Lighthouse would re-open in mid-June.

“We’ve offered everyone that stays with is a discount because obviously part of the experience is having the lighthouse in the background and if they come with the expectation it’s going to be sitting there and it ain’t it can all go AWOL,” he said.

“Generally speaking people have been pretty accepting of what’s happening and they’ve been more than happy with our offer to them.

“The other way of looking at it is it’s a one in a life time experience of seeing a lighthouse totally shrouded.

“Possibly the biggest impact is going to be the café – people have heard there are renovations going on and the assumption is it’s going to be closed, but it isn’t and they’re open every day.”

Mr Hunt said while the Lighthouse itself was closed, the surrounds weren’t.

“People can get to pretty much every point that they could prior to the reno starting but there’s a convoluted way of getting there,” he said.

The Lighthouse, as with many local landmarks, has a colourful history.

It was first proposed for Cape Bridgewater by a government committee in 1854, but Portland Harbour master James Fawthrop weighed into the debate two years later asserting Cape Nelson would be preferable.

Nothing was done for many years, as shipwrecks continued, until some political jockeying in the late 1870s saw the project start.

It was surveyed in 1879 and tenders let three years later.

After federation, the Lighthouse became part of a national network and was manned until the 1990s.