Lighthouses of Australia: Queensland's East Coast

Queensland, the state at the northeastern corner of Australia, has a long, tropical coastline facing the Coral Sea and fringed by the famous Great Barrier Reef. This coastline ends at Cape York, the northernmost point of the Australian continent. Beyond Cape York, the Torres Strait separates Australia from New Guinea and provides a passage from the Coral Sea (which is part of the Pacific Ocean) to the Arafura Sea (the easternmost arm of the Indian Ocean). This page includes lighthouses of the Coral Sea coast from the Townsville area southward; for the Cape York Peninsula lighthouses see the page for Queensland's Far North.

Most of the older lighthouses in Queensland are simple wood frame towers covered by iron sheets, like the Bulwer Island Light at right. These towers were built in the late 1800s, when there was a need to build a great many lighthouses on the Queensland coast as quickly as possible. Remarkably, at least 16 of these inexpensive lighthouses have survived to the present, and 9 remain active.

Coastal lighthouses in Australia are operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), but after automation AMSA transferred many of the station properties to the control of local or state authorities or organizations.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume K of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 111.

General Sources
Lighthouses of Queensland
The section of the Lighthouses of Australia site devoted to Queensland lights.
Lighthouses and Lightvessels in Australia - Queensland
Index to Wikipedia articles; most include photos.
Lighthouses from the Air - Part 6 and Part 7
Feature articles from the February and March 2002 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin, including aerial photos of many of the lighthouses.
Around Australia Chasing Lighthouses - Part 2
John Ibbotson's article from the December 2000 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin, including closeup photos of lighthouses in northern Queensland.
Annette Flotwell's East Coast Lighthouse Trip - Part 1 and Part 2
Feature articles from the September 2001 and August 2003 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin, including photos of many of the lighthouses.
Grant and Tracey's Lighthouse Page - Queensland
Photos of several lighthouses posted by Grant Maizels.
Australian Lighthouses
This site, posted by Kevin Mulcahy, has a comprehensive list of Australian lighthouses and includes good photos of some of them.

Bulwer Island Lighthouse
Bulwer Island Light, Queensland Maritime Museum,
Brisbane; Creative Commons photo by James Tyler

Northern (Townsville) Region Lighthouses
Pith Reef
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 25 m (82 ft) skeletal tower on piles. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the reef. Located on the Great Barrier Reef about 80 km (50 mi) east of Lucinda. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K3120.5; NGA 10004.
* Bay Rock (1)
1886. Inactive since the early 1980s. 8 m (26 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. Wikipedia has an article including a historic photo and Mark McIntosh's photo at right, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was originally located atop a rocky islet on the northwest side of Magnetic Island about 20 km (13 mi) north of Townsville; it was replaced by a small fiberglass beacon. In 1992 it was relocated to the Townsville Maritime Museum, where it was restored by Queensland Transport. The museum was expanded and refurbished in 2001; it exhibits a collection of Fresnel lenses from the former Penrith Island, Albino Rock, Heath Reef, and Duyfken Point lighthouses. Located on the south side of Ross Creek near downtown Townsville. Site open; museum open daily. Owner/site manager: Townsville Maritime Museum. ARLHS AUS-266; ex-Admiralty K3117.
* Platypus Channel Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); continuous blue light; also a red light, 1 s on, 1 s off, and in the daytime a continuous white light. Approx. 18 m (56 ft) skeletal tower carrying a rectangular slatted daymark painted white with a black vertical stripe. This is the entrance range for Townsville. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 100 m (110 yd) east of the historic Bay Rock Light (previous entry). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K3100.1; NGA 10062.1.
* Wharton Reef (1)
1915. Inactive since 1990. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) square steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted bright red. Rebecca Weeks has a closeup photo, Wikipedia has an article on the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was originally 15 m (50 ft) high and mounted on concrete piers on Wharton Reef in Princess Charlotte Bay off the Cape York Peninsula. It is the only survivor of a series of 20 acetylene-burning automatic lights built along the northern inside passage (inside the Great Barrier Reef) between 1915 and 1920. After it was replaced with a modern fiberglass light, it was donated to the Townsville Maritime Museum and located in the middle of a traffic roundabout at Palmer and Plume Streets, near the museum. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Townsville Maritime Museum. Site manager: Townsville City Council. ARLHS AUS-265; ex-Admiralty K3226.
Bay Rock Light
Bay Rock Light, Townsville, November 2009
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Mark McIntosh
Cape Cleveland
1879. Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); white flash every 7.5 s; a red flash is shown in a sector over Four Foot Rock. 11 m (36 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. Two 1-story keeper's houses and other light station buildings. A 2008 photo is available, Mulcahy has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Not be confused with the Point Cleveland Light in Redland (see below). This was formerly the rear light of a range, but the range has been discontinued. Cape Cleveland is a long, narrow promontory projecting northward into the Coral Sea about 40 km (25 mi) east of Townsville. Located on the point of the cape. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-027; Admiralty K3092.1; NGA 10096.
Cape Bowling Green (2)
1987 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 32 m (105 ft) square cylindrical steel skeletal tower with a square lantern structure and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a red horizontal band at the top of the tower. Winsome Bonham has a photo, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the cape. The original lighthouse, a 16 m (52 ft) iron tower, was dismantled and relocated to the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour in Sydney (see New South Wales). Cape Bowling Green is a lengthy promonotory, ending in a long, trailing sand spit, about 30 km (19 mi) north of Ayr. Located at the end of the higher portion of the promontory, near the base of the spit. Site status unknown. ARLHS AUS-023; Admiralty K3090; NGA 10108.
North Island (Stone Island, Bowen, Port Denison)
1867. Inactive. Approx. 11 m (35 ft) tapered hexagonal wood lighthouse with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome is red. Michael Henderson's photo is at right, a 2009 photo is available, Winsome Bonham has an excellent aerial photo, Dennis Brouwer has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. In 2002, Bonham and his colleagues were surprised to find this lighthouse, which was missing then from the available lists of Australian lighthouses. This is probably the original lighthouse, seen in an 1876 photo, but if so the gallery has been altered. The lighthouse is actually on North Island; the active light (focal plane 27 m (87 ft); flash every 4 s, white or red depending on direction) is located on Stone Island, a larger island to the southeast, on the other side of the Port Denison entrance channel. Located on a rocky island about 5 km (3 mi) east of Bowen. Accessible only by boat. Site status and site manager unknown. ARLHS AUS-242; Admiralty K3070; NGA 10133.

North Island (Stone Island) Light, May 2005
Creative Commons photo by Michael Henderson

Mackay Region Lighthouses
Dent Island
1879. Active; focal plane 37 m (127 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. Several 1-story keeper's houses are now privately owned. Wikipedia has an article that includes J. Warnes's 2007 aerial photo (also seen at right), and Google has a satellite view. Dent Island is one of the smaller islands of the Whitsunday Islands east of Cannonvale. Neighboring Hamilton Island has a settlement and airstrip, but Dent Island is privately owned. Located on the west side of the island, marking the Dent Island Passage. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (private). Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-188; Admiralty K3064; NGA 10204.
White Tip Reef Range Rear
1980s. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 10 s. 37 m (121 ft) skeletal tower on a concrete pile structure. The tower also carries a large orange square daymark facing the range line. No photo available, and light is not seen in Google's fuzzy satellite view. This is the entrance range for the Hydrographer's Passage, a 100 km (60 mi) long passage through the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. The Passage was surveyed by the Royal Australian Navy in 1981 to provide a direct connection between Mackay and other north Queensland ports and the Coral Sea. The route was opened to navigation in 1984, but ships using it must be guided by licensed pilots. Located near the outer edge of the barrier about 170 km (105 mi) northeast of Mackay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty K3054; NGA 10231.
Dent Island Light
Dent Island Light, Whitsunday Islands, August 2007
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by J. Warnes
Little Bugatti Reef
1980s. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 22 m (72 ft) skeletal tower on a concrete pile structure. The tower also carries a large orange square daymark. No photo available, and the light is not seen in Google's fuzzy satellite view of the reef. This light guides ships on the Hydrographer's Passage. Located about 13 km (8 mi) south of the White Tip Reef Range Rear Light. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty K3053; NGA 10230.
Bugatti Reef
1980s. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two white flashes every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. J. Warnes has a photo, but the light is not seen in Google's fuzzy satellite view of the reef. Located about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of the Little Bugatti Reef Light. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty K3056; NGA 10229.5.
Creal Reef
1985. Active; focal plane 32 m (1055 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 31 m (102 ft) skeletal tower on a concrete pile structure. The tower also carries a large orange square daymark. Google has a fuzzy satellite view of the reef. This light guides outbound ships entering the Hydrographer's Passage. Located on a reef about 150 km (95 mi) east of Mackay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty K3052; NGA 10229.
Flat Top Island
1894. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); four flashes, white or red depending on direction, every 20 s. 10 m (32 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome is red. Wikipedia has an article with a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rugged island off the entrance to Mackay harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-190; Admiralty K3028; NGA 10232.
** Pine Islet (1)
1885. Inactive since 1985. 10.5 m (35 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. Wikipedia has an article that includes Burkhard Westphal's photo seen at right, and Bill Strong's 2007 photo shows the lighthouse in excellent condition, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the location. Originally located on an island in the Percy Group about 130 km (80 mi) southeast of Mackay. After deactivation, the Pine Islet Lighthouse Preservation Society relocated the lighthouse to Mackay, where it has been on display since 1995. The lighthouse has been fully restored and has an operational kerosene-powered light. In 2004 the lighthouse was repainted by the Mackay Port Authority. Located at Mackay Marina on the waterfront in Mackay Harbour. Site open; tours of the lighthouse available. Site manager: Pine Islet Lighthouse Preservation Society. ARLHS AUS-127.

Fitzroy (Gladstone) Region Lighthouses
[Pine Islet (2) (Percy Isles)]
1985. Active; focal plane 67 m (220 ft); white flash every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) fiberglass tower; no lantern. The 1-story keeper's house, painted white with a green roof, survives at this historic light station. Winsome Bonham has an aerial photo, but the light is not shown by Google's distant satellite view. Located in the Percy Isles about 130 km (80 mi) southeast of Mackay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K3020; NGA 10304.
Pine Islet Light
1885 Pine Islet Light, Mackay, August 2006
Wikipedia Creative Commons photo by Burkhard Westphal
Balaclava Island Range Front (2)
1932 (station established 1884). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); quick-flashing white light. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal wood skeletal tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted white. The lighthouse also carries a triangular slatted daymark, point up, painted white with a black vertical stripe on the range line. Google has an indistinct satellite view. The range guides vessels entering Keppel Bay and Fitzroy River. Located on the north shore of Balaclava Island and the south shore of Keppel Bay, about 60 km (36 mi) northwest of Gladstone, near Port Alma. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-291; Admiralty K3002; NGA 10324.
Balaclava Island Range Rear (2)
1932 (station established 1884). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 27 m (89 ft) square pyramidal wood skeletal tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted white. The lighthouse also carries a rectangular slatted daymark, painted white, and a triangular slatted daymark, point down, painted white with a black vertical stripe on the range line. Google has a satellite view. The range guides vessels entering Keppel Bay and Fitzroy River. Located 1.6 km (1 mi) south southwest of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-292; Admiralty K3002.1; NGA 10328.
North Reef
1878. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two white flashes, separated by 5 s, every 15 s. 24 m (78 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and gallery; circular 1-story keeper's house, also wood frame covered by galvanized iron sheets, surrounds the base of the tower. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. Wikipedia has an article with an aerial view, another aerial view is available, and Google has a very distant satellite view. The reef was nearly awash when the lighthouse was built but has since stabilized as a vegetated island. Located about 120 km (75 mi) northeast of Gladstone. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-122; Admiralty K3014; NGA 10312.
#Sea Hill (2)
1895. Inactive; the lighthouse was deactivated in 2006 and apparently demolished in early 2009. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round corrugated iron tower with lantern and gallery. No recent photo available, but as of April 2012 Google still has a satellite view. The lighthouse marked the east side of the entrance to Keppel Bay. It was accompanied by a pilot station, which closed in 1963. It supplemented an 1873 lighthouse now in the collection of the Gladstone Maritime Museum (see below). The two lighthouses functioned as a range until the 1920s; Wikipedia has a historic photo of the two towers in 1908. NGA lists a light at Sea Hill (focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two white flashes every 6 s), so apparently there is now a fiberglass beacon at the station. Located on a promontory at the northwestern point of Curtis Island. Site open. ARLHS AUS-196; Admiralty K3000; NGA 10320.
North Reef Light
North Reef Light, August 2007
Wikipedia Creative Commons photo by J. Warnes
Cape Capricorn (3)
1964 (station established 1875). Active; focal plane 93 m (305 ft); flash every 5 s, white or red depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) concrete block tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof is red. Two 1-story keeper's houses are leased to private tenants. Wikipedia has an article with a photo, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view. The original corrugated iron tower was replaced by a concrete block lighthouse in 1938. Located on the northeast point of Curtis Island 24 km (15 mi) north of Gladstone. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (Curtis Island National Park). ARLHS AUS-026; Admiralty K2992.1; NGA 10336.
* Sea Hill (1)
1873. Inactive since the 1960s. 6 m (20 ft) square corrugated iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern dome red. The Wikipedia article has Vicki Nunn's closeup photo, a small photo is available (near the bottom of the page), and Google has a satellite view. Originally located at the northwest point of Curtis Island, this small lighthouse was moved in the 1920s to Grassy Hill, at Station Point, about 6 km (3.5 mi) northeast. Deactivated in the 1960s, it was sold into private hands but later came into the possession of the Gladstone Maritime Museum. This is apparently the oldest of Queensland's corrugated iron lighthouses. Located at the museum at 1 Francis Ward Drive in Gladstone. Owner/site manager: Gladstone Maritime Museum.
* Lady Musgrave Islet
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 2 s. 17 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower with double gallery. J.R. Gonthier has a photo, Wikipedia has an article on the island with a sunset photo of the light, but Google has only a distant satellite view. Transportation is available from Seventeen Seventy to this very popular island of the Great Barrier Reef; the island is part of the Capricornia Cays National Park. Located on the southernmost island of a reef about 80 km (50 mi) east of Seventeen Seventy. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K2963; NGA 10448.
** Bustard Head
1869. Active; focal plane 102 m (336 ft); two white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 10 s. 17.5 m (58 ft) wood frame tower covered by cast iron panels, with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome is red. Two 1-story keeper's houses (1920s) and other light station buildings. Dave Taylor's photo is at right, Isabelle Henry has a good photo, Wikipedia has an article with several historic photos, and Google has a satellite view. The Bustard Head Lighthouse Association was formed to work for preservation of the light station after it was automated in 1986, and in 2001 the Association leased the station reserve from AMSA. The buildings are being restored through the efforts of volunteers. The light station is within the Eurimbula National Park. Located on a headland about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of the town of Seventeen Seventy (the name commemorating Captain Cook's landing here in that year). Accessible by 4WD vehicles; guided tours available daily. Site and tower open to tours. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Bustard Head Lighthouse Association. ARLHS AUS-017; Admiralty K2964; NGA 10452.
Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light, Seventeen Seventy, May 2009
Flickr photo copyright Dave Taylor; used by permission

Wide Bay-Burnett Region Lighthouses
** Lady Elliot Island (1)
1873. Inactive since 1995. 18 m (59 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron panels, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; the lantern dome is red. A photo is at right, Laurin Dodd has a 2007 photo, Wikipedia has an article with several photos, Ibbotson has a photo (eighth photo of the article) showing both towers, and Google has a satellite view. The island, located at the extreme southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, is now the site of a popular resort. Located 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Bundaberg. Air transportation is available from Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Site manager: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. ARLHS AUS-299.
** Lady Elliot Island (2)
1995 (station established 1873). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 32 m (105 ft) square cylindrical steel skeletal tower with a fiberglass lantern structure and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. Wikipedia has a closeup photo. Located close to the historic lighthouse. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. ARLHS AUS-100; Admiralty K2962; NGA 10464.
* Burnett Heads (1)
1867 (relocated here in 1874). Inactive since 1971. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) tapered square wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome is red. The original 5th order Fresnel lens is mounted in the lantern. A 2007 closeup is available, and Wikipedia has an article with Marguerite Carstair's photo, but the tower is a bit hard to locate in Google's satellite view. This lighthouse was originally built at Comboyuro Point on Moreton Island; it was replaced there by a taller tower. The lighthouse has been restored and relocated about 1 km (0.6 mi) inland to the Burnett Heads Lighthouse Holiday Park. Located in Burnett Heads, on the south side of the Burnett River entrance, about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Bundaberg. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Bundaberg Regional Council. ARLHS AUS-281.
* Burnett Heads (2) (South Head)
1971. Active; focal plane 20 m (65 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical tile-covered concrete tower, painted white with a single red band around the top of the tower. No lantern, but in addition to the light the tower carries a dome-shaped receiver for the Cospas-Sarsat satellite-aided search and rescue system, one of two in Australia (the other one is diagonally across the country at Cave Point Light, Western Australia). The octagonal concrete base of the 1873 tower stands next to the current tower. A photo and a distant view are available, Wikipedia has an article, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the point at the south side of the Burnett River entrance, about 9 km (6 mi) northeast of Bundaberg. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-197; Admiralty K2956; NGA 10476.

Lady Elliot Island Light, December 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Polly Pickpocket
Sandy Cape (Fraser Island)
1870. Active; focal plane 128 m (421 ft); white flash every 10 s. 26 m (85 ft) wood frame tower covered by cast iron panels, with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome is red. Two 1-story keeper's houses (1930s) and other light station buildings. Anthony Keim has a photo, a closeup and a distant view are available, Wikipedia has an article, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was prefabricated by Kitson & Co. in Leeds, England. Said to be the largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island is about 120 km (75 mi) long and up to 25 km (15 mi) wide. The southern half of the island is separated from the mainland by narrow channels, while the northern half extends to form the east side of Hervey Bay. The lighthouse is located in a forested area of the island about 60 km (37 mi) east of Bundaberg and 6 km (3.5 mi) southwest of the northeastern tip of the island. The island is accessible by ferries from Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay; the light station is accessible by lengthy hikes or 4WD; there is a beach camping area nearby. Operator: AMSA. Site manager: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (Fraser Island National Park). ARLHS AUS-148; Admiralty K2932; NGA 10488.
Caloundra Area Lighthouses
Double Island Point
1884. Active; focal plane 96 m (315 ft); white flash 7.5 s. 12 m (40 ft) wood frame tower covered by galvanized iron sheets, with lantern and double gallery; solar-powered lens. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is red. Two modern keeper's houses. Neil Pierce's photo is at right, Wikipedia has an article on the station, a 2008 sunrise photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. In 2001 the Noosa Parks Association leased the two keepers houses; they have been restored and are available for overnight accommodations for association members (anyone can join for a small fee). The Point is a popular site for surfing and whale watching. Located on the summit of Double Island Point at the northern end of the Cooloola beach; accessible by 4WD from Rainbow Beach (about 25 km (15 mi) west). Site open, tower closed. Operator: AMSA. Owner: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (Great Sandy National Park (Cooloola Section)). ARLHS AUS-065; Admiralty K2912; NGA 5660.
* Point Cartwright
1978. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); three white flashes every 15 s (red flashes are shown toward the northwest). 32 m (105 ft) pentagonal reinforced concrete tower with concrete lantern. Entire lighthouse is white. Craig Jewell has a good photo, Wikipedia has an article for the station, and Google has a satellite view. This modern, high-tech tower replaced the Caloundra Head Light as the major coastal light on the northern approaches to Brisbane. Located on the point, near the mouth of the Mooloolaba River, off Pacific Boulevard in Mooloolaba. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-129; Admiralty K2907.8; NGA 5672.
* Caloundra Head (1)
1896. Inactive since 1968. 12 m (39 ft) wood frame tower covered by corrugated iron sheets, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is red. Wikipedia has an article with Brian Yap's photo (seen below right), Darren Stones has a nice closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is the oldest building in Caloundra. Threatened with demolition, it was relocated in 1970 by the Golden Beach Power Boat Club to a site next its clubhouse in Woorim Park. Grant Maizels has 1992 photos, taken when the lighthouse was still covered with rust. In 1999 the lighthouse, by then severely deteriorated, was returned to its original site and restored by volunteers and the City of Caloundra. The Lions Club of Caloundra acted as the principal supporter of the preservation effort, helping to organize the Friends of the Caloundra Lighthouses. However, when the group's lease expired in 2009 it lost access to the building. After a year of delays, a new lease was granted in December 2010. In early 2011 it was announced that both Caloundra lighthouses would be open to the public later in the year. Located on Canberra Terrace near Arthur Street in downtown Caloundra. Site open, tower closed. Owner: National Trust. Site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-253.
Double Island Point Light
Double Island Point Light, Rainbow Beach, October 2006
Wikipedia Creative Commons photo by Neil Pierce
* Caloundra Head (2)
1968. Inactive since 1997. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower supporting a semicircular signal station, with a lantern mounted on the roof. The lighthouse resembles an airport control tower. Brian Yap's 2008 photo is at right, Maizels has 1992 photos, Wikipedia has an article with Yap's photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was downgraded to a harbor light in 1978 and discontinued in 1997 due to interference from the lights of the growing city. Located next to the older lighthouse on Canberra Terrace near Arthur Street in downtown Caloundra. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-252.
* Caloundra Head (3)
1992. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); one long flash every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. 17 m (56 ft) 5-story condo building with the light mounted on the roof. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on Wickham Point, the southeasternmost point of Caloundra Head. Site open. Admiralty K2856; NGA 5676.
Bribie Island (Northwest Channel) Range Front (2)
Date unknown (station established 1896). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); quick-flashing white light by night; continuous yellow light by day. 15 m (49 ft) cylindrical white concrete tower rising from an open concrete enclosure and supporting a platform with gallery. Winsome Bonham has an aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is located on The Spit at the northern end of Bribie Island, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) south of Caloundra Head. Bribie Island is accessible by bridge; The Spit is accessible by 4WD vehicles on the beach. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. Site manager: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (Bribie Island Recreation Area). ARLHS AUS-185; Admiralty K2857; NGA 5680.
* Bribie Island (Northwest Channel) Range Rear (2)
Date unknown (station established 1896). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off by night; continuous yellow light by day. 19 m (62 ft) cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery but no lantern; four vane-like buttresses. Grant Maizels has photos on his Caloundra page, an aerial photo by Winsome Bonham is available, and Google has a satellite view. This attractive modern light tower is located at the Esplanade and Gregory Street, on the mainland shore of the Pumicestone Passage about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of Caloundra Head. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: unknown. ARLHS AUS-186; Admiralty K2857.1; NGA 5684.
Caloundra Lighthouses
1968 and 1896 Caloundra Lighthouses, November 2008
Wikipedia Creative Commons photo by Neil Pierce

Brisbane Area Lighthouses
*** Bulwer Island Range Rear (1)
1912. Inactive since about 1983. 16 m (52 ft) octagonal wood frame tower covered by corrugated iron sheets, with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. James Tyler's photo appears at the top of this page, there's a good photo taken over the lightship (next entry), and Google has a satellite view. Originally this was one of a pair of range lighthouses located on an island in the mouth of the Brisbane River. After being replaced by a modern skeletal tower, it was relocated about 1983 to a museum setting in downtown Brisbane. The original location is now the site of a large oil refinery. In 2004 a grant from the state government supported a major restoration; the gallery timbers were replaced and the tower was painted inside and out. Among the exhibits of the museum are the original 1st order Fresnel lens from the Cape Don Light in the Northern Territory and the original Fresnel lens from the 1883 Archer Point Light near Cooktown in Queensland's Far North. Located at the Queensland Maritime Museum on the south side of Brisbane River near the Victoria Bridge. Site and museum open daily; the ground level of the lighthouse is open to visitors. Owner/site manager: Queensland Maritime Museum. ARLHS AUS-015.
* Lightship CLS-2 Carpentaria
1918. Decommissioned 1985. Single-masted steel lightship; length 21.9 m (72 ft), width 7.8 m (26 ft). Entire ship painted red. The ship served in the Gulf of Carpentaria and also in Bass Strait. A good photo is available. This is one of only two surviving Australian lightships. Simon Brown's January 2008 photo shows the ship moved to dry dock. It was still there in a November 2008 photo, but a December 2009 photo shows it afloat once more. As of April 2012, Google's satellite view showed the ship in dry dock behind the World War II-era frigate HMAS Diamantina. Normally moored at the Queensland Maritime Museum on the south side of Brisbane River near the Victoria Bridge. Site open, vessel. closed. Owner/site manager: Queensland Maritime Museum. ARLHS AUS-248.
* Point Cleveland (Cleveland Point) (2)
1864 (station established 1847). Inactive since 1976. Approx. 15 m (50 ft) tapered hexagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Chance Brothers Fresnel lens (1875) on display at the Redland Shire Council Chambers in Cleveland. Brian Yap's photo is at right, Wikipedia has an article with a good photo, a 2009 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Not to be confused with the Cape Cleveland Light near Townsville (see above). The lighthouse replaced a small beacon installed in 1847. In 1969 the lighthouse was the site of experiments in the use of lasers as navigational aids. When it was replaced in 1976, it was saved and relocated about 30 m (100 ft) from the new light. The Redland Shire Council restored the lighthouse in 1987and has maintained it since. The lighthouse overlooks Moreton Bay on the point, at the end of Shore Street (extension of QLD 22) in Cleveland, about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Brisbane. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Redland City Council. ARLHS AUS-257.
* [Point Cleveland (Cleveland Point) (3)]
1976 (station established 1847). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); flash every 3 s, white or red depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) post light with a small gallery, buttressed with vertical concrete panels. The light is unpainted. A good photo is available, Wikipedia also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the extreme point of the cape, close to the historic lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. Site manager: Redland City Council. ARLHS AUS-130; Admiralty K2898; NGA 5812.

Point Cleveland Light
Point Cleveland Light, Redland, December 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Brian Yap


Moreton Island and Stradbroke Islands Lighthouses
North Point Range Front
Date unknown (station established 1899). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); quick-flashing light, white or red depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) lantern munted atop a square 1-story concrete equipment building. No photo available, but Google has a cloudy satellite view. The Cape Moreton lighthouse serves as the rear light of this range. According to Wikipedia's article on Moreton Island lighthouses, lights were shown from North Point as early as the 1860s, and a corrugated iron lighthouse was built in 1899. Apparently nothing survives of that lighthouse. Located on the northernmost point of Moreton Island. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. Admiralty K2854; NGA 5648.
Cape Moreton (North Point Range Rear)
1857 (Edmund Blacket). Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); four white flashes, separated by 3.3 s, every 20 s. 23 m (75 ft) sandstone tower with lantern and gallery; solar-powered lens. Lantern painted red, and the tower (otherwise unpainted) has two red horizontal bands painted below the lantern. Two 1-story keeper's houses and additional buildings. J. Brew's photo is at right, Wikipedia has an article with a photo by Philip Rickerby, Michael Dawes has a nice photo, and Google has a satellite view. The first lighthouse in Queensland and the only one built of stone, this historic tower was built by the New South Wales government two years before Queensland became a separate colony. The tower was extended in 1928-30. The lighthouse also serves as the rear light of the North Point Range. Located at the northern tip of Moreton Island, marking the entrance to Moreton Bay and Brisbane. Visitors to the island need a 4WD vehicle and a permit; there is ferry service from Scarborough, and the light station is accessible by 4WD on the beach or overland. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-039; Admiralty K2854.1; NGA 5852.
* Point Lookout
1932. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 5 m (16 ft) square concrete tower, painted white; lantern removed. Jason Felmingham has a closeup photo, but the tiny lighthouse is not very conspicuous in a Google satellite view. Point Lookout is the easternmost point of North Stradbroke Island, a large island located south of Moreton Island. The point is very popular with surfers and fishermen. Located at the end of Moongalba Road in Point Lookout. Accessible by road, with parking at the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: AMSA. ARLHS AUS-195; Admiralty K2852; NGA 5860.
Cape Moreton Light
Cape Moreton Light, February 2005
Creative Commons photo by J. Brew

Coolangatta Area Lighthouse
* Point Danger (Captain Cook Memorial)
1971. Active; focal plane 44.5 m (146 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) concrete monument, consisting of four pillars marked with the four principal directions of the compass, plus a bronze sculpture suspended between the pillars. An adjoining 1-story building houses the Point Danger Volunteer Marine Rescue station. Wikipedia has an article with a photo, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the point (named by Captain Cook in 1770) southeast of Coolangatta and precisely on the border of New South Wales. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: NSW Maritime. ARLHS AUS-132; Admiralty K2845; NGA 5868.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Comboyuro Point (1874-1960), Moreton Island. This lighthouse, an octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, was moved inland twice (in 1890 and in 1905), but it finally collapsed into the sea in 1960. ARLHS AUS-294.
  • Cowan Cowan Point (1874-?), west coast of Moreton Island. The lighthouse was demolished, but there is a small skeletal beacon at the site. ARLHS AUS-295; Admiralty K2859; NGA 5844.
  • Moreton Bay (Pile Light) (1882-1949), Moreton Bay. Wikipedia has an article on this historic lighthouse. ARLHS AUS-112.
  • Yellow Patch Light (1870s?-?), Moreton Island 800 m (1/2 mi) southwest of the North Point Light.

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Adjoining pages: North: Queensland's Far North | East: Coral Sea Islands | South: New South Wales

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Posted July 6, 2004; checked and revised April 22, 2012. Lighthouses: 39. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.