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Palm Beach Headland Becomes Australia’s First Urban Night Sky Place: Barrenjoey High School Alumni Marnie Ogg's Hard Work Realises Long-Held Dream For Everyone

In an Australian first Palm Beach Headland has been designated as an Urban Night Sky Place (UNSP) by DarkSky International.

The designation demonstrates how good-quality lighting and design can reduce the impacts of artificial light on the natural night-time environment and open up opportunities for better viewing of the night sky.

The designation is due to the work undertaken by Avalon Beach lady Marnie Ogg and the support provided to her by former Councillor Kylie Ferguson.

Marnie managed Sydney Observatory before devoting her time to one of her passions: preserving the night sky. 

In July 2016 Marnie successfully saw the Warrumbungle National Park designated as Australia's first Dark Sky Park under then Minister for Planning and Pittwater MP Rob Stokes. Since then she has spent her time re-engaging people with the natural heritage of the night sky and reducing the impacts of lighting pollution. In 2017, Marnie was awarded the Dark Sky Defender Award, presented by the International Dark-Sky Association. 

​Her activities in preserving the night sky, include starting the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. Everything ADSA does is underpinned by science-based evidence gathered by researchers in the field of Light At Night. 

The Australasian Dark Sky Alliance is a volunteer, non-profit charity, educating the public and policymakers about night environment conservation. With light pollution at night increasing by 2% year on year, it is one of the fastest-growing pollutants in the world, leaving only 20% of the world's population a sky full of stars and impacting on nocturnal wildlife as well.

The Australasian Dark Sky Alliance's Mission is to: 

• Educate the public and policymakers about night sky conservation.
• Promote environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
• Create business opportunities that support night sky preservation.
• Empower everyone with the tools and resources to help bring back the night.
• Support communities to create IDA Designated Dark Sky Places in the Southern Hemisphere.

When the designation was confirmed Marnie said, ''Since 2018 I've been championing this concept; doing the first dark sky measurements to see if it was viable; writing to businesses to see if they would support it; meeting with Northern Beaches Council councillors, National Parks, and lighting companies for their buy in; organising the first dark sky event on the site; and collaborating with Northern Suburbs Astronomical Society to show people the night sky from this magical part of Sydney.

Thank you to former Cr. Kylie Ferguson for all her hard work in putting the motion forward and up the ranks in council, to the team at Northern Beaches Council who have done the legwork since to make it viable and all the community members who supported the concept from the beginning.

Congratulations!

I am exceedingly proud and delighted to know there is one more patch of dark sky being preserved in Australia.''

Kylie Ferguson steered the proposal through Council in 2021. Cr. Ferguson said then:

''The benefits of an Urban Night Sky are wonderful.  Decreasing light pollution is a good thing on many levels. It allows people to enjoy all the starry sky has to offer.  It is also important to our health, improving our circadian rhythms as well impacts of light pollution on migratory animals such as turtles, seabirds and moths has been well documented.  These animals use the light from the stars to guide their journey.''

Marnie explained:

''Urban Night Sky Places are relatively new to the suite of designations organised by the International Dark-Sky Association. Unlike their bigger areas of designation (Parks, Reserves, and Sanctuaries) which are often very remote, a long drive from a capital city, and may never be visited by the general populous, UNSP must be within a 50km radius of a city. 

My comparison with an Urban Night Sky Place is a zoo. A zoo will never replace a wild or natural environment, but they play a part in our ever education and conservation. The night sky above Urban areas may not be the most pristine or display the most amazing night skies but they provide a valuable gateway for people who may never have seen a naked-eye planet or the arm of the milky way to make that first step into exploring the universe. They also provide a working demonstration of 'good lighting' that keeps people safe and feels warm and inviting.''

In her Profile interview Marnie expanded on that:

''When I was a kid it wasn't uncommon for our summer days to be filled with running through a sprinkler that was turned on in the morning to soak the garden, and turned off just before sunset. Water was used without consideration of how it flooded onto footpaths or dripped out of taps. 

This may sound strange, but to me, this is how we use light now. Lights are left on all night and are beaming light into the environment even when there is no one there who needs it. Light may feel benign but ecologists are understanding more and more how disruptive this is to the natural processes of the environment. 3.6 billion years has seen animals evolve to require the cover of darkness to forage, to learn to fly to rest and restore, and in 150 years of artificial light at night we have dramatically changed some of our environment to exist with 24 hours of light. This is disrupting breeding patterns, migration, pollination and human well-being. 

By simply considering when to use light, reducing the intensity and increasing technologies such as dimmers, timers and motion sensors we can greatly reduce the impact of light on our natural environment, reduce our carbon footprint and increase the number of stars we can see in the night sky too.''

A UNSP aims to preserve a dark sky experience for visitors and educate people on the benefits of proper outdoor lighting that ensures public safety while protecting the night sky.

Positioned on the northernmost tip of Palm Beach, the Place covers 62 hectares and incorporates Governor Phillip Park and Barrenjoey Headland, which is part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. 

DarkSky International designates Urban Night Sky Places following a rigorous application process to meet specific program requirements. 

Mayor Sue Heins said Palm Beach is already world famous and it’s incredibly special to be designated an Urban Night Sky Place. 

“We’re extremely proud to be the first designated Urban Night Sky Place in Australia and the southern hemisphere. Through a lot of hard work and consultation with our community we can now join the 160,000 square kilometres of protected land and night skies in 22 countries on 6 continents.

“This designation is a testament to our commitment to preserving and celebrating the beauty of the night sky amidst urban environments. As cities expand and light pollution increases, it becomes increasingly crucial to protect and appreciate our connection to the stars above.” Mayor Heins said.

“This is an inspirational achievement for the Northern Beaches Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). As the first UNSP in Australia, this initiative will inspire others to protect the area regionally and demonstrates to Greater Sydney the importance of good lighting practices to ensure safe public safety while preserving natural night skies,”  Amber Harrison, Dark Sky Places Program Manager said.

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