Sandy Cape Light
Encyclopedia
Sandy Cape Light is an active lighthouse
located on Sandy Cape
, the most northern point on Fraser Island, Queensland
, Australia
. It stands about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) 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 Queensland after its formation in 1859. It is one of the first lighthouses in Australia to be constructed using bolted prefabricated
segments of cast iron
, and one of only two such lighthouses in Queensland, the other being its sibling, Bustard Head Light
.
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. The only location for which both committees were in clear agreement about the need of a lighthouse was Sandy Cape. The site was also strongly recommended by Joseph Brady, Queensland Engineer for Harbours and Rivers of the time, on a tour of inspection he did in 1865. An order for the prefabricated tower was placed with Kitson & Co. of Leeds, England, the design being done by William Pole of Kitson & Co.
The lantern and apparatus were ordered from Chance Brothers
of Birmingham, England, and by 1867 all the materials have arrived at Brisbane
. The winning tender for the construction of the tower was of £4524 by the brothers John and Jacob Rooney of Maryborough
, Sandy Cape Light being the first of several lighthouses they constructed, to be followed by Cape Bowling Green Light
, Cowan Cowan Point Light, Cape Capricorn Light
, Lady Elliot Island Light
and Booby Island Light
.
The materials from Brisbane and cement from Sydney
were brought by ship, unloaded into barge
s, and then pulled by horses in trolleys on a 1.2 kilometre (0.745647283979768 mi) wooden rail, rising 50 metres (164 ft). Materials were then raised the final 50 metres (164 ft) by a horse powered whim
. It was originally planned that the light will be the first to be constructed by the new Queensland government. However, it was beat by Bustard Head Light
, constructed in 1868. Sandy Cape light was finally officially lit in May 1870.
The original apparatus was a revolving first order Chance Brothers apparatus which showed a light characteristic of one white flash every two minutes, visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km). The light source was an Argand lamp
fueled by Colza oil
or Rapeseed oil. Rotation was achieved by a clockwork
mechanism that had to be wound regularly. Also built in the station were quarters for the head keeper
and three assistant keepers, and their families, built of timber framed
weather board
and iron roofs.
In 1875, the light source was changed to Kerosene
. In 1915, the station was transferred to the Commonwealth. The light was upgraded in 1917 and again in 1923. In one of these upgrades when the light source was converted to an incandescent mantle using vaporised kerosene.
In the 1930s the lens was replaced with a 4th order Chance Brothers lens and the lighthouse was converted to electrical operation. Around that time The keepers' cottages were rebuilt and most of the other buildings at the premises were constructed. Septic tank
s were only installed in the 1960s. A boarded roadway was constructed in the 1970s and a brick engine room was built in 1974. The kitchens were renovated in the 1980s.
In 1995, the lighthouse was converted to solar power
and automated, and the 4th order lens was replaced with a VRB-25
apparatus. In 1997, the station was finally demanned, and was transferred back to the Queensland Government, to be administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which employs a ranger in the premises. A remote area power supply
(RAPS) for powering the quarters was installed in 2001, with both solar and wind power
sources and a diesel generator
for backup, though the wind turbine is unused since October 2002.
10 Volt
VRB-25
lantern, with an intensity of 160,000 cd
. The power source is a photovoltaic system
(a battery
charged by solar power
).
The tower is topped by a cantilever
ed iron balcony with a simple iron balustrade. On top of the balcony is the lantern room, with a cast iron catwalk supported on ornate iron brackets. The lantern room is constructed of cast iron, topped by a domed roof clad with copper sheeting and painted bright red.
's houses flanking the lighthouse, one for the head keeper and one for the assistant keeper. They are timber framed and fibro
clad, with timber cover battens and timber door and window frames. Windows have a fixed upper pane with sliding sash below and louver
s. Near the residences are a fowl yard and a shelter. A group of service buildings, including a power house, a garage and bulk fuel store are located about 80 metres (262.5 ft) southeast of the lighthouse. The workshop, office and garage are timber framed with painted fibro cement and cover battens, and were all built with the residences. The more recent power house and inflammable liquid store are constructed of bricks and have a concrete foundation, a hipped stainless steel roof, with central vent and metal door and window frames.
Also on the premises is a small picket fence
d cemetery
to the south of the station, with several stone headstones.
, while the site is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
as part of the Great Sandy National Park
. The island can be reached by ferry
from Hervey Bay or Inskip Point north of Rainbow Beach
, or by chartered flight via Maroochydore Airport. The station is accessible either by four-wheel drive
or by a long hike
.
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 Sandy Cape
Sandy Cape
Sandy Cape is the most northern point on Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The place was named by James Cook during his 1770 voyage up the eastern coast of Australia aboard the Endeavour...
, the most northern point on Fraser Island, 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...
, 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...
. It stands about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) 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 Queensland after its formation in 1859. It is one of the first lighthouses in Australia to be constructed using bolted 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...
segments of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, and one of only two such lighthouses in Queensland, the other being its sibling, 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...
.
History
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. The only location for which both committees were in clear agreement about the need of a lighthouse was Sandy Cape. The site was also strongly recommended by Joseph Brady, Queensland Engineer for Harbours and Rivers of the time, on a tour of inspection he did in 1865. An order for the prefabricated tower was placed with Kitson & Co. of Leeds, England, the design being done by William Pole of Kitson & Co.
The lantern and apparatus were ordered from Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands , in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology....
of Birmingham, England, and by 1867 all the materials have arrived at 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...
. The winning tender for the construction of the tower was of £4524 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...
, Sandy Cape Light being the first of several lighthouses they constructed, to be followed by 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...
, 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...
, Lady Elliot Island Light
Lady Elliot Island Light
Lady Elliot Island Light is an active lighthouse located on Lady Elliot Island, the southern-most coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, north-east of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. The lighthouse is located on the western side of the island...
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 materials from Brisbane and cement from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
were brought by ship, unloaded into barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s, and then pulled by horses in trolleys on a 1.2 kilometre (0.745647283979768 mi) wooden rail, rising 50 metres (164 ft). Materials were then raised the final 50 metres (164 ft) by a horse powered whim
Whim (mining)
A whim, also called a whim gin or a horse capstan, is a device similar to a windlass used in mining for hauling materials to the surface. It comprises a capstan or a wide drum with a vertical axle. A rope is wound around the drum, with both ends traversing several pulleys and hanging down the mine...
. It was originally planned that the light will be the first to be constructed by the new Queensland government. However, it was beat by 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...
, constructed in 1868. Sandy Cape light was finally officially lit in May 1870.
The original apparatus was a revolving first order Chance Brothers apparatus which showed a light characteristic of one white flash every two minutes, visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km). The light source was an Argand lamp
Argand lamp
The Argand lamp is home lighting oil lamp producing a light output of 6 to 10 candlepower which was invented and patented in 1780 by Aimé Argand...
fueled by Colza oil
Colza oil
Colza oil is a nondrying oil obtained from the seeds of Brassica rapa, var. oleifera, a variety of the plant that produces turnips. Colza is extensively cultivated in France, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands and Germany and Poland. In France, especially, the extraction of the oil is an...
or Rapeseed oil. Rotation was achieved by a clockwork
Clockwork
A clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion. Specifically, the term refers to a mechanical device utilizing a complex series of gears....
mechanism that had to be wound regularly. Also built in the station were quarters for the head 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...
and three assistant keepers, and their families, built of timber framed
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...
weather board
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
and iron roofs.
In 1875, the light source was changed to Kerosene
Kerosene
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...
. In 1915, the station was transferred to the Commonwealth. The light was upgraded in 1917 and again in 1923. In one of these upgrades when the light source was converted to an incandescent mantle using vaporised kerosene.
In the 1930s the lens was replaced with a 4th order Chance Brothers lens and the lighthouse was converted to electrical operation. Around that time The keepers' cottages were rebuilt and most of the other buildings at the premises were constructed. Septic tank
Septic tank
A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...
s were only installed in the 1960s. A boarded roadway was constructed in the 1970s and a brick engine room was built in 1974. The kitchens were renovated in the 1980s.
In 1995, the lighthouse was converted to 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...
and automated, and the 4th order lens was replaced with a VRB-25
VRB-25
The VRB-25 is a lighthouse optical system designed and built by Vega Industries Ltd. in Porirua, New Zealand. It was originally designed in 1993-95 with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard to meet USCG requirements for a robust mechanism requiring minimum maintenance. It has become the...
apparatus. In 1997, the station was finally demanned, and was transferred back to the Queensland Government, to be administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which employs a ranger in the premises. A remote area power supply
Remote Area Power Supply
A stand-alone power system , also known as remote area power supply , is an off-the-grid electricity system for locations that are not fitted with an electricity distribution system...
(RAPS) for powering the quarters was installed in 2001, with both solar and wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
sources and a diesel generator
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
for backup, though the wind turbine is unused since October 2002.
Current display
The current characteristic is one white flash every ten seconds (Fl.W. 10 s), visible for 21 nautical miles (38.9 km). The light source is a 100 WattWatt
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:...
10 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...
VRB-25
VRB-25
The VRB-25 is a lighthouse optical system designed and built by Vega Industries Ltd. in Porirua, New Zealand. It was originally designed in 1993-95 with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard to meet USCG requirements for a robust mechanism requiring minimum maintenance. It has become the...
lantern, with an intensity of 160,000 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...
. The power source is a photovoltaic system
Photovoltaic system
A photovoltaic system is a system which uses one or more solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. It consists of multiple components, including the photovoltaic modules, mechanical and electrical connections and mountings and means of regulating and/or modifying the electrical...
(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...
charged by 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...
).
The tower
The lighthouse is round conical in form, standing 26 metres (85.3 ft) high. It is constructed of prefabricated cast iron plates, and painted white, with splayed flanges at the base standing on a 4 metres (13.1 ft) concrete base foundation. The diameter at the base is approximately 7 metres (23 ft), tapering to about 4 metres (13.1 ft) at the top, below the lantern. Internally it has five floors, connected by a spiral iron staircase with cast iron steps, adjoined to the internal walls. The lighthouse has two entrances, one at the bottom and one about 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the ground, accessible by an outside staircase supported on brackets. The bottom entrance provides access to the ground floor, where a display of various maritime artefacts resides, including the 4th order Chance Brothers lens. The top entrance leads to the main tower. The words ""Kitson & Co LEEDS 1866" are cast above the doorway.The tower is topped by a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed iron balcony with a simple iron balustrade. On top of the balcony is the lantern room, with a cast iron catwalk supported on ornate iron brackets. The lantern room is constructed of cast iron, topped by a domed roof clad with copper sheeting and painted bright red.
Other buildings
A workshop and some other associated structures surround the lighthouse. The residences at the station consist of two one-story lighthouse keeperLighthouse 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 houses flanking the lighthouse, one for the head keeper and one for the assistant keeper. They are timber framed and fibro
Fibro
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, with timber cover battens and timber door and window frames. Windows have a fixed upper pane with sliding sash below and louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
s. Near the residences are a fowl yard and a shelter. A group of service buildings, including a power house, a garage and bulk fuel store are located about 80 metres (262.5 ft) southeast of the lighthouse. The workshop, office and garage are timber framed with painted fibro cement and cover battens, and were all built with the residences. The more recent power house and inflammable liquid store are constructed of bricks and have a concrete foundation, a hipped stainless steel roof, with central vent and metal door and window frames.
Also on the premises is a small picket fence
Picket fence
A picket fence is a variety of fence that has been used mostly for domestic boundaries. Until the introduction of advertising on fences in the 1980s, a Cricket field was also usually surrounded by a picket fence, giving rise to the expression rattling the pickets for a ball hit firmly into the...
d cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
to the south of the station, with several stone headstones.
Site operation and visiting
The light 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...
, while 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 Sandy National Park
Great Sandy National Park
Great Sandy is a coastal national park and suburb in Queensland, Australia. The park features untouched beaches, large sand dunes, heathlands, rainforests, swamps, creeks, freshwater lakes and mangrove forests....
. The island can be reached by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from Hervey Bay or Inskip Point north of Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach, Queensland
Rainbow Beach is a coastal town in south-eastern Queensland, Australia, east of Gympie. At the 2006 census, Rainbow Beach had a population of 999...
, or by chartered flight via Maroochydore Airport. The station is accessible either by four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
or by a long hike
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
.