Lady Elliot Island Light
Encyclopedia
Lady Elliot Island Light is an active lighthouse
located on Lady Elliot Island
, the southern-most coral
cay
of the Great Barrier Reef
, 46 nmi (85.2 km; 52.9 mi) north-east of Bundaberg, Queensland
, Australia
. The lighthouse is located on the western side of the island. It was the third lighthouse erected in Queensland after its formation in 1859 and the first in Australia to be constructed of a timber frame
clad
with iron plates. The original lighthouse was deactivated in 1995 and the light was replaced by a modern skeletal tower standing close to the original lighthouse.
was formed in 1859. In 1862, the Queensland government appointed the first Portmaster, Commander George Poynter Heath. However, it was only in 1864 that two committees were appointed to deal with the issue of coastal lighthouses. Lady Elliot Island was one of locations also mentioned by the Committees as a possible suitable site for the construction of a lighthouse.
The first navigation light to actually be installed on Lady Elliot Island was installed two year later, in 1866, in connection with the guano
mining company operating on the island which started in 1863. It was a temporary light installed on a tall mast, which survived until 1871 when it was destroyed by a gale and rebuilt.
In 1872 plans were drawn for a new lighthouse, and tenders were called. The winning tender, for £749, was by the brothers John and Jacob Rooney of Maryborough
, which also constructed Sandy Cape Light
, Cowan Cowan Point Light, Cape Capricorn Light
, Cape Bowling Green Light
and Booby Island Light
. The lighthouse was established in 1873, the third to be erected in Queensland since its formation in 1959, following Bustard Head Light
in 1869 and Sandy Cape Light
in 1870. By then, the guano mining operation has almost completely cleared the vegetation on the island. This was made worse by a herd of goats which were imported for meat and milk, which ate all growing vegetation. As the island had little topographical features to offer protection to begin with, so the station was completely unprotected from the powers of nature.
The lighthouse construction was the first of its kind in Australia. Unlike previous lighthouse using bolted segments of cast iron, the first of which were Troubridge Island Light constructed in 1856 in South Australia
and the original Breaksea Island Light constructed in 1858 in Western Australia
, as well as Sandy Cape Light and Bustard Head Light in Queensland, the tower used wrought iron
plates mounted on a timber frame which supplied the structural strength, where the iron plates act as cladding. This was a cheaper method of construction, and following lighthouses in Queensland used this method predominantly. The iron cladding was prefabricated
in England and shipped to the island in pieces, together with the imported lens, lantern and operating apparatus. The timber framing was prefabricated in Brisbane
and shipped to the site. The light was originally a flashing 4,000 cd
light.
The lighthouse was tended by a single lighthouse keeper
, assisted by a member of the guano mining company when required, and only one cottage was constructed.
As mentioned above, the original light was only 4,000 cd. In 1923 the light was upgraded to 23,000 cd. In 1928 it was upgraded again, to 85,000 cd, and the pedestal on which the lantern is positioned was modified. A weather station was established in 1939. In 1953 the lightstation was electrified and 1982 it was automated. However, the station remained staffed due to the importance of the weather station. In 1988 the lighthouse was finally demanned. The mechanism was replaced by a solar power
ed light, and finally on 19 October 1988, the light keepers left.
trees which were planted by Don Adams in 1969 and were allowed to grow over the years, and by 1995 the light was obscured. A new lighthouse was constructed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA), and the old lighthouse was shut down.
ed, The light characteristic shown is a white flash every 7.5 seconds (Fl.W. 7.5s), visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km). A racon
showing "B" is mounted at focal height of 17 feet (5.2 m).
ed at the joints and screw
ed to the timber frame and the base ring. The tower is painted white. It is topped by a gallery and a lantern, both painted white, with the lantern dome painted red. One addition to the original plan was the addition of a skillion roof
ed entrance porch to the base of the tower.
The inside of the lighthouse is divided into four storeys with timber floors. A central weight tube provides support to a winding timber stair that goes up to the third level. Access to the forth level, the gallery and the lantern is via a fixed ladder.
clad cottages and some associated structures. The cottages, set in a row, are located about 50 metres (164 ft) from the lighthouse, as was the practice at the time.
Other structures located around the lighthouse include an old power house, a workshop (which was formerly used as a radio room) a fuel store and a newer powerhouse. These were all used to be in a fenced compound, but the fence was removed sometime in the late 1990s. Other structures in the compound include a boat shed, as well as solar panels and weather recording equipment.
. The site is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
. The island can be reached only by air.
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 on Lady Elliot Island
Lady Elliot Island
Lady Elliot Island is the southern-most coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The island lies north-east of Bundaberg and covers an area of approximately . The island is home to a small eco resort and an airstrip, which is serviced daily by flights from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay,...
, the southern-most coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
cay
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
of the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, 46 nmi (85.2 km; 52.9 mi) north-east of Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland's broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region...
, 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...
. The lighthouse is located on the western side of the island. It was the third lighthouse erected in Queensland after its formation in 1859 and the first in Australia to be constructed of a timber frame
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
clad
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
with iron plates. The original lighthouse was deactivated in 1995 and the light was replaced by a modern skeletal tower standing close to the original lighthouse.
Establishment
The Government of QueenslandGovernment of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
was formed in 1859. In 1862, the Queensland government appointed the first Portmaster, Commander George Poynter Heath. However, it was only in 1864 that two committees were appointed to deal with the issue of coastal lighthouses. Lady Elliot Island was one of locations also mentioned by the Committees as a possible suitable site for the construction of a lighthouse.
The first navigation light to actually be installed on Lady Elliot Island was installed two year later, in 1866, in connection with the guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
mining company operating on the island which started in 1863. It was a temporary light installed on a tall mast, which survived until 1871 when it was destroyed by a gale and rebuilt.
In 1872 plans were drawn for a new lighthouse, and tenders were called. The winning tender, for £749, was by the brothers John and Jacob Rooney of Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
, which also constructed Sandy Cape Light
Sandy Cape Light
Sandy Cape Light is an active lighthouse located on Sandy Cape, the most northern point on Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. It stands about southwest of the northeastern tip of the island. It is the tallest lighthouse in Queensland. Built in 1870, it is the second major lighthouse to be built...
, Cowan Cowan Point Light, Cape Capricorn Light
Cape Capricorn Light
Cape Capricorn Light is an active lighthouse located on Cape Capricorn, a coastal headland on the northeast point of Curtis Island, in Central Queensland, Australia...
, Cape Bowling Green Light
Cape Bowling Green Light
Cape Bowling Green Light is an active lighthouse located on Cape Bowling Green, a lengthy headland ending with a long low sandspit, about from Ayr, Queensland, Australia. The lighthouse is at the end of the headland, near the base of the sandspit. The first lighthouse at the location, established...
and Booby Island Light
Booby Island Light
Booby Island Light is an active lighthouse located on Booby Island, an island near the tip of Cape York Peninsula, west of Prince of Wales Island, within the Endeavour Strait, Queensland, Australia. It marks the western entrance to the navigation channel through the Torres Strait...
. The lighthouse was established in 1873, the third to be erected in Queensland since its formation in 1959, following Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light is an active lighthouse located on the southeast tip of Bustard Head, a headland, about northwest of 1770, Queensland, Australia, within the Eurimbula National Park. Built in 1868, it is the second oldest lightstation in Queensland, following Cape Moreton Light, and the first to...
in 1869 and Sandy Cape Light
Sandy Cape Light
Sandy Cape Light is an active lighthouse located on Sandy Cape, the most northern point on Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. It stands about southwest of the northeastern tip of the island. It is the tallest lighthouse in Queensland. Built in 1870, it is the second major lighthouse to be built...
in 1870. By then, the guano mining operation has almost completely cleared the vegetation on the island. This was made worse by a herd of goats which were imported for meat and milk, which ate all growing vegetation. As the island had little topographical features to offer protection to begin with, so the station was completely unprotected from the powers of nature.
The lighthouse construction was the first of its kind in Australia. Unlike previous lighthouse using bolted segments of cast iron, the first of which were Troubridge Island Light constructed in 1856 in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and the original Breaksea Island Light constructed in 1858 in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, as well as Sandy Cape Light and Bustard Head Light in Queensland, the tower used wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
plates mounted on a timber frame which supplied the structural strength, where the iron plates act as cladding. This was a cheaper method of construction, and following lighthouses in Queensland used this method predominantly. The iron cladding was prefabricated
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located...
in England and shipped to the island in pieces, together with the imported lens, lantern and operating apparatus. The timber framing was prefabricated in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and shipped to the site. The light was originally a flashing 4,000 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...
light.
The lighthouse was tended by a single 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...
, assisted by a member of the guano mining company when required, and only one cottage was constructed.
Development
By 1874 the guano mining on the island has ceased, and a second cottage was built soon after. The residences were to be rebuilt twice more. The first time was sometime in the 1900s. A second time was in 1925 where three new cottages were built as well as the boat shed and two more sheds for maintenance and storage.As mentioned above, the original light was only 4,000 cd. In 1923 the light was upgraded to 23,000 cd. In 1928 it was upgraded again, to 85,000 cd, and the pedestal on which the lantern is positioned was modified. A weather station was established in 1939. In 1953 the lightstation was electrified and 1982 it was automated. However, the station remained staffed due to the importance of the weather station. In 1988 the lighthouse was finally demanned. The mechanism was replaced by a solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
ed light, and finally on 19 October 1988, the light keepers left.
Deactivation
The second half of the 20th century marked the re-vegetation of the lighthouse, which was to result in the final deactivation of the lighthouse. In 1966 lighthouse staff started the re-vegetation programme. The herd of goats was shot by the lighthouse staff in 1969. CasuarinaCasuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
trees which were planted by Don Adams in 1969 and were allowed to grow over the years, and by 1995 the light was obscured. A new lighthouse was constructed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...
(AMSA), and the old lighthouse was shut down.
Current structure and display
The current active light is a square steel skeletal tower. It is topped by a white fiberglass hut with a gallery. The fully automated light consists of six beams and is solar powerSolar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
ed, The light characteristic shown is a white flash every 7.5 seconds (Fl.W. 7.5s), visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km). A racon
Racon
A racon is a radar transponder commonly used to mark maritime navigational hazards. The word is a portmanteau of RAdar and beaCON.When a racon receives a radar pulse, it responds with a signal on the same frequency which puts an image on the radar display...
showing "B" is mounted at focal height of 17 feet (5.2 m).
The lighthouse
The lighthouse is largely in its original form. It is round in form and conical in shape. The base of the tower is a massive concrete floor cast within a low stone wall, with a segmented cast iron ring bolted to it. The tower if made of a timber frame clad with galvanised wrought iron plates, about 2.5 millimetre (0.0984251968503937 in) thick. The plates are rivetRivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
ed at the joints and screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
ed to the timber frame and the base ring. The tower is painted white. It is topped by a gallery and a lantern, both painted white, with the lantern dome painted red. One addition to the original plan was the addition of a skillion roof
Skillion roof
A skillion roof is normally a single sloping roof surface, not attached to another roof surface. Skillion roofs are sometimes called a shed roof, a flat roof, in Australia or a lean-to in the UK....
ed entrance porch to the base of the tower.
The inside of the lighthouse is divided into four storeys with timber floors. A central weight tube provides support to a winding timber stair that goes up to the third level. Access to the forth level, the gallery and the lantern is via a fixed ladder.
Other structures
The station also includes three fibroFibro
Fibro, the shortened form of "Fibrous Cement" - or "Fibrous Asbestos Cement", FAC, is a building material made of compressed fibres cemented into rigid sheets....
clad cottages and some associated structures. The cottages, set in a row, are located about 50 metres (164 ft) from the lighthouse, as was the practice at the time.
Other structures located around the lighthouse include an old power house, a workshop (which was formerly used as a radio room) a fuel store and a newer powerhouse. These were all used to be in a fenced compound, but the fence was removed sometime in the late 1990s. Other structures in the compound include a boat shed, as well as solar panels and weather recording equipment.
Site operation and visiting
The current lighthouse is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety AuthorityAustralian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...
. The site is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, or QPWS, is a sub-section of the Environmental Protection Agency within the Queensland government. Its primary concern is with the development and maintenance of national parks within Queensland.-External links:*...
as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or...
. The island can be reached only by air.