Originally called Eagles Nest Point, the lighthouse was originally built in 1891. It was converted to automatic operation in 1919.
The original British-made first order Fresnel lens is still in use.[1] However, the factory in Birmingham, where the lens was built, was bombed during war-time and the essential formulae for making the unique lens crystal were lost, should a replacement ever be needed.
A Japanese firm, consulted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, estimated the cost of replacing the lens at more than A$1 million.
Under standard Australian lighthouse convention, red filters would usually be placed to the extreme left and right of the beam (indicating "danger zones" for a passing ship, in-line with the jagged coastline). For reasons unknown, the Split Point Lighthouse operated for many years under the opposite system; although this has now been corrected.