Fingal Head Light
Encyclopedia
Fingal Head Light is an active lighthouse
located at Fingal Head, New South Wales
, Australia
, a headland
about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Point Danger, which marks the Queensland
border.
wick burner which shone a fixed white light with an intensity of 1,000 cd
. It was describe by a daughter of William Arnold, the first lighthouse keeper
, as being shaped like a large meat safe, mounted on a wooden structure resembling a pigeon loft. The keeper had to row from the Tweed Heads Pilot Station each day and light the lantern at sunset, and a hut was constructed for him to stay in.
In October 1878 the Maritime Board of New South Wales decided to construct a modern lighthouse at the location. It was the third of five lighthouses of similar design designed and built by James Barnet
in 1878–80, the other four being Richmond River Light
, Clarence River Light
(now demolished), Tacking Point Lighthouse
and Crowdy Head Light
. It originally had a porch and an anexe serving as oil room. A four room one-story lighthouse keeper
's house was constructed about 20 metres (65.6 ft) northwest of the tower.
In 15 June 1920 the light was converted to an automatic carbide lamp
(acetylene gas) apparatus, with an intensity of 1,500 cd, and altered to group flashing. Soon after, the station was demanned and all buildings other than the tower were demolished.
In 1980 the light was converted to electricity. The current light source is a modern FA-251 Beacon with a 12 Volt
75 Watt
HL-2000 quartz halogen lamp. It is fed by mains electricity
with a Battery
standby. It revolves once every 30 seconds.
The current light characteristic is a flash every five seconds, red to east and white to other directions (Fl.W.R. 5s). It is partially obscured.
platform at 12 feet (3.7 m) above ground levels, supported by shaped bluestone corbel
s. The platform is surrounded by a handrail of metal standards and rails. It is topped by the domed lantern housing the optical apparatus, a fourth order catadioptric
.
(formerly NSW Maritime
). The site is managed by the New South Wales Department of Lands.
. Parking is provided, and there is also a public beach and a picnic area just north of the lighthouse. The tower itself, however, is closed to the public.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located at Fingal Head, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, a headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Point Danger, which marks the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
border.
History
The station was first established on 19 February 1872, a wooden pole structure of approximately 30 feet (9.1 m), holding a fixed keroseneKerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
wick burner which shone a fixed white light with an intensity of 1,000 cd
Candela
The candela is the SI base unit of luminous intensity; that is, power emitted by a light source in a particular direction, weighted by the luminosity function . A common candle emits light with a luminous intensity of roughly one candela...
. It was describe by a daughter of William Arnold, the first lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
, as being shaped like a large meat safe, mounted on a wooden structure resembling a pigeon loft. The keeper had to row from the Tweed Heads Pilot Station each day and light the lantern at sunset, and a hut was constructed for him to stay in.
In October 1878 the Maritime Board of New South Wales decided to construct a modern lighthouse at the location. It was the third of five lighthouses of similar design designed and built by James Barnet
James Barnet
James Johnstone Barnet was the Colonial Architect for New South Wales from 1862 - 1890.-Life and career:Barnet was born at Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland. The son of a builder, he was educated at the local high school...
in 1878–80, the other four being Richmond River Light
Richmond River Light
Richmond River Light, also known as Ballina Head Light and Ballina Light, is an active lighthouse located at Ballina Head, a headland in Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. The headland is at the northern side of the entrance to the Richmond River...
, Clarence River Light
Clarence River Light
Clarence River Light, also known as Yamba Light or Clarence Head Light, is an active lighthouse located on Pilot Hill, a hill in Wooli Park, Yamba, New South Wales, Australia, south of the entrance of Clarence River. The current lighthouse was built in 1955, replacing a previous lighthouse built in...
(now demolished), Tacking Point Lighthouse
Tacking Point Lighthouse
Tacking Point Lighthouse is Australia's third oldest lighthouse. It was built on a rocky headland about 8 kilometres south of Port Macquarie in 1879 by Shepard and Mortley, to a design by the New South Wales government's architect of the time, James Barnet...
and Crowdy Head Light
Crowdy Head Light
Crowdy Head Light is an active lighthouse located at Crowdy Head, a headland between Forster and Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It is registered with the Register of the National Estate.-History:...
. It originally had a porch and an anexe serving as oil room. A four room one-story lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's house was constructed about 20 metres (65.6 ft) northwest of the tower.
In 15 June 1920 the light was converted to an automatic carbide lamp
Carbide lamp
Carbide lamps, properly known as acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide with water....
(acetylene gas) apparatus, with an intensity of 1,500 cd, and altered to group flashing. Soon after, the station was demanned and all buildings other than the tower were demolished.
In 1980 the light was converted to electricity. The current light source is a modern FA-251 Beacon with a 12 Volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
75 Watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
HL-2000 quartz halogen lamp. It is fed by mains electricity
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...
with a Battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
standby. It revolves once every 30 seconds.
The current light characteristic is a flash every five seconds, red to east and white to other directions (Fl.W.R. 5s). It is partially obscured.
Structure
The circular tower is made from bricks and cement rendered from the outside. It is capped by an oversailing bluestoneBluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
platform at 12 feet (3.7 m) above ground levels, supported by shaped bluestone corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. The platform is surrounded by a handrail of metal standards and rails. It is topped by the domed lantern housing the optical apparatus, a fourth order catadioptric
Catadioptric
A catadioptric optical system is one where refraction and reflection are combined in an optical system, usually via lenses and curved mirrors . Catadioptric combinations are used in focusing systems such as search lights, headlamps, early lighthouse focusing systems, optical telescopes,...
.
Site operation
The light is operated by Roads and Maritime ServicesRoads and Maritime Services
Roads and Maritime Services is an agency of the New South Wales Government responsible for building and maintaining road infrastructure and managing the day-to-day compliance and safety for roads and waterways....
(formerly NSW Maritime
NSW Maritime
NSW Maritime was an agency in the Government of New South Wales, Australia. NSW Maritime was the State Government Authority responsible for marine safety, regulation of commercial and recreational boating and oversight of port operations...
). The site is managed by the New South Wales Department of Lands.
Visiting
The light is accessible by road from the Pacific Highway just south of the Tweed RiverTweed River (New South Wales)
The Tweed River is a short river in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Its drainage basin consists mostly of the erosion caldera of the Tweed Volcano, a huge extinct volcano of which Mount Warning is the volcanic plug...
. Parking is provided, and there is also a public beach and a picnic area just north of the lighthouse. The tower itself, however, is closed to the public.
See also
- List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia