Double Island Point Light is an active
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
located at the summit of
Double Island Point
Double Island Point is a coastal headland in Queensland, Australia. It is the next headland north of Noosa, Queensland, Noosa and is within the Cooloola, Queensland, Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park, at the southern end of W ...
, a coastal headland within the
Cooloola section of the
Great Sandy National Park. It is located at the southern end of
Wide Bay, north of
Noosa Heads
Noosa Heads is a coastal town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. It is a popular holiday destination. In the , the suburb of Noosa Heads had a population of 5,120 people.
Geography
...
,
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia.
Though the location was indicated for a lighthouse in 1864, it was only constructed in 1884, by W. P. Clark, who constructed other Queensland lighthouses. Upgrades to the
kerosene
Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...
fueled light and the lens occurred in 1923 and 1925. Major reconstruction occurred in 1933 when the light was converted to 110 V electricity, significantly increasing its luminosity, and new cottages replaced the originals. In 1980 the light was converted to 240 V and finally, solar conversion took place in 1991. Double Island Point Light became automatic the following year.
The lighthouse is typical for Queensland, made of
timber frame
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
clad with
galvanized iron
Galvanization ( also spelled galvanisation) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are coated by submerging them in a bath of ...
plates, painted white with a red dome. It is surmounted by an original
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was an English glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands (county), West Midlands (formerly in Staffordshire), in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassma ...
lantern with a modern
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 m ...
self-contained rotating beacon mounted inside. It is surrounded by several auxiliary structures. The two lighthouse keepers' cottages, hardwood framed and sheeted with asbestos cement, are at a lower level, with a few other buildings. The site is positioned in the Great Sandy National Park, but there is no public access to the lighthouse.
History
The colony of Queensland was formed in 1859. In 1862, the Queensland government appointed the first Portmaster, Commander
George Poynter Heath
George Poynter Heath (19 June 1830 – 26 March 1921) was a Royal Navy captain and the first portmaster of Queensland, Australia. It was under his supervision and administration that the of coast of Queensland, and its numerous river and cree ...
. However, it was only in 1864 that two committees were appointed to deal with the issue of coastal lighthouses. One of the locations indicated by these committees as a possible suitable site was Double Island Point. However, it was to take almost two decades until the Queensland Government took action upon this recommendation.
In 1881 or 1882 Heath made a report to the Parliament stating the need for the lighthouse. In 1883 he made a visit to the island and realised that the originally planned location, halfway up the point, would result in a light that would not be visible to the north. He advised that the lighthouse will be constructed at the summit of the point, with a 3rd Order light, a more powerful light than originally planned, and advise which was accepted. Plans were made by the Queensland Colonial Architect's Office, and at the end of June 1883 tenders were called, for the construction of the lighthouse and
lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper or lightkeeper is a 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. Lighthouse keepers were sometimes referred to as ...
cottages, for both Double Island Point Light and c. The contract for both lightstations, for the cost of , was awarded to W. P. Clark, who already constructed Queensland's first lighthouse since Queensland's formation,
Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light is an active lighthouse located on the southeast tip of Bustard Head, a headland, about northwest of Seventeen Seventy, in the Australian state of Queensland, within the Eurimbula National Park and locality of Eurimbula. B ...
(in 1868), and who was also awarded the contract for
Low Isles Light
Low Isles Light, also known as Low Islets Light or Low Island Light, is an active lighthouse located on Low Island, a coral cay which together with Woody Island forms the Low Isles group, about northeast of Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia ...
in 1877 and for
Cape Cleveland Light
Cape Cleveland Light is an active heritage-listed lighthouse located on the northern tip of Cape Cleveland, a promontory projecting into the Coral Sea west of Cleveland Bay (Queensland), Cleveland Bay in the Suburbs and localities (Australia), ...
and
Dent Island Light in 1878.
The lighthouse was first exhibited on 11 September 1884, the eighteenth to be constructed by the Queensland Government. The original lamp was an oil wick burner with an intensity of 13,000
cd. It was fixed, with revolving panels. Three lighthouse keeper cottages were also constructed, originally located near the lighthouse. A schoolhouse was also established at the point at the same time, which was active until 1922.
In 1923, the light was converted to a
incandescent gas mantle
A Coleman white gas lantern mantle glowing at full brightness
An incandescent gas mantle, gas mantle or Welsbach mantle is a device for generating bright white light when heated by a flame. The name refers to its original heat source in gas li ...
fueled by vapourised
kerosene
Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...
, with an intensity of 100,000 cd. A further upgrade in 1925 replaced the lens with a third order
focal length
The focal length of an Optics, optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light; it is the Multiplicative inverse, inverse of the system's optical power. A positive focal length indicates that a system Converge ...
revolving apparatus floating in a
mercury bath. In 1933 the light was converted to 110 V electricity, the lamp having an intensity of 750,000 cd. The original cottages were demolished and two modern cottages were constructed, further down the hill than the original ones, at the old location of the schoolhouse, at the crest of the ridge. A new watch hut was also constructed at that time.
In 1961 the radio was moved from the lighthouse area to a radio hut which was constructed near the cottages. This radio hut now serves as a weather hut. In 1980 a new powerhouse was constructed, holding two
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
s, and bulk fuel tanks were installed. At that time the light was converted to 240 V
AC and the light source was a 120 V 1000 W
tungsten halogen lamp with an intensity of 1,000,000 cd, visible for .
The light was finally converted to a
solar power
Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...
ed
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 m ...
on 9 October 1991, at which point the third order optic apparatus and the lamp were removed. This reduced the strength of the light considerably, to 48,430 cd, resulting in a reduction of the range of visibility to . The station was fully automated, and staff removed, in 1992.
Current display
The current
light characteristic
A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular somewhat navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists ...
is a white flash every 7.5 seconds (Fl.W. 7.5s) visible at 109°-037°, for a distance of .
The apparatus is a VRB-25 rotating at 1.33
rpm
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
. The light source is a 12
Volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, Voltage#Galvani potential vs. electrochemical potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units, International System of Uni ...
35
Watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
Halogen lamp
A halogen lamp (also called tungsten halogen, quartz-halogen, and quartz iodine lamp) is an incandescent lamp consisting of a tungsten filament sealed in a compact transparent envelope that is filled with a mixture of an inert gas and a small ...
with an intensity of 48,430 cd.
Structures
The structures at the station are divided into two clusters, one around the lighthouse and the other near the cottages.
Lighthouse cluster
The lighthouse cluster includes low
dry stone
Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. A certain amount of binding is obtained through the use of carefully ...
retaining wall
Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides. Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to ...
s to the east of the tower, which create a level area. It includes the tower, a watch hut, a powerhouse and a tank farm. There are also trees including two
hoop pine
''Araucaria cunninghamii'' is a species of ''Araucaria'' known as hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include colonial pine, Queensland pine, Dorrigo pine, Moreton Bay pine and Richmond River pine. The scientific name honours the botanist a ...
s, grass and flowering plants. Installed in this area are also an
anemometer
In meteorology, an anemometer () is a device that measures wind speed and direction. It is a common instrument used in weather stations. The earliest known description of an anemometer was by Italian architect and author Leon Battista Alberti ...
and some
radio antennas
In radio-frequency engineering, an antenna (American English) or aerial (British English) is an electronic device that converts an alternating electric current into radio waves (transmitting), or radio waves into an electric current (receivi ...
.
The tower is from the base to the lantern,
[. says "about seven metres".] conical in shape. It is built of an internal
timber frame
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
,
clad with
galvanized iron
Galvanization ( also spelled galvanisation) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are coated by submerging them in a bath of ...
plates, about thick, and painted white. The base and the ground floor are of mass
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
. On top of the tower is a round
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...
balcony, supporting the lantern, an original
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was an English glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands (county), West Midlands (formerly in Staffordshire), in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassma ...
diameter, made of cast and
wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
. A VRB-25 lantern is mounted inside the lantern on the original mercury float pedestal, but with the mercury removed. The lantern is surmounted by a
copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
cupola, painted red.
The 1933 watch hut is hardwood framed, clad with asbestos cement. It is built on a concrete base and has a corrugated asbestos cement roof. The 1980 powerhouse is a
cavity wall
A cavity wall is a type of wall that has an airspace between the outer face and the inner, usually structural, construction. The skins typically are masonry, such as brick or cinder block. Masonry is an absorbent material that can retain rainwat ...
ed
brick
A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
structure, with a reinforced concrete floor and a ring beam. It houses two
diesel engines
The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the die ...
. The 1980 bulk tank farm uses a number of small tanks.
Cottage cluster
The cottage cluster includes the two 1933 cottages, one for the head lightkeeper and one for his assistant, a weather shack, a garage, a workshop/store, service pits, a
flag pole
A flagpole, flagmast, flagstaff, or staff is a pole designed to support a flag. If it is taller than can be easily reached to raise the flag, a cord is used, looping around a pulley at the top of the pole with the ends tied at the bottom. The fla ...
, and a
Stevenson screen
A Stevenson screen or instrument shelter is a shelter or an enclosure used to protect meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around them. It f ...
.
The cottages are hardwood framed and sheeted with asbestos cement. The hardwood floor is constructed on raised concrete stumps and the roofs are of corrugated steel.
rainwater tank
A rainwater tank (sometimes called a rain barrel in North America in reference to smaller tanks, or a water butt in the UK) is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via pipes. Rainwater tanks are de ...
s are installed next to the cottages. The 1961 weather shack, which mainly acts as an office for recording weather observations, is timber-framed, clad with asbestos cement, with a concrete floor and corrugated asbestos cement roof. The flag pole is a diameter galvanised steel tube set in concrete, with hardwood beams and stainless steel
stay
Stay may refer to:
Places
* Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US
Law
* Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment
* Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tr ...
s. The garage is a made of brick with concrete floor and timber-framed aluminium sheet roof. The keepers' vehicles are sheltered at an attached carport with concrete floor, galvanised steel tube columns and a roof of hardwood framed corrugated asbestos cement. The workshop is a prefabricated galvanised steel frame structure, clad with aluminium sheeting and a concrete floor.
South of the cottages is the grave of Fanny Byrn, wife of George Byrne who was the head lightkeeper from February 1886 until July 1900. It is surrounded by a picket fence and marked with a marble headstone.
Site operation and visiting
The light is operated by the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's International Maritime Organization, international ...
. The site is owned and operated by the
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is a business division of the Department of Environment and Science within the Government of Queensland. The division’s primary concern is with the management and maintenance of Protected areas ...
as part of the Great Sandy National Park. The site is accessible by
four wheel drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive (FWD), was a pioneering American company that developed and produced all-wheel drive vehicles. It was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Dr ...
from
Rainbow Beach, but the tower is closed to the public.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Australia
This is a list of lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia.
Australia has a coastline of , with over 350 lighthouses and navigational aids around the Australian coastline, and a single inland lighthouse, the Point Malcolm lighthouse.
The firs ...
Notes
References
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External links
*
{{Authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1884
Lighthouses in Queensland
Queensland places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate
Queensland Heritage Register
1884 establishments in Australia
Cooloola, Queensland