Cleveland Point Light
Encyclopedia
Cleveland Point Light, also known as Point Cleveland Light, is a lighthouse
located on the north-eastern tip of Cleveland Point, overlooking Moreton Bay
, at Cleveland
, a suburb approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) east-south-east of Brisbane
, Australia
. The original lighthouse was established in 1864-1865 as a wooden hexagonal tower. It is one of only two surviving lighthouses of this form, the other being Old Burnett Heads Light
. A newer light, constructed of a concrete post, replaced it in 1976, and the original lighthouse was relocated a short distance away, where it stands today. The newer light was removed in 2009.
An early 1847 private beacon was replaced by a temporary government light in 1864, and then the permanent tower in 1865. The lens were upgraded twice, in 1874 and 1879. In 1934 the lighthouse was converted to electricity, and remained so until 1976 when it was deactivated and replaced by a concrete pile light constructed just 3 metres (9.8 ft) away. The original tower was moved away in 1979 and restored in 1987.
While timber frame and cladding
construction is typical for the area and period, both the hexagonal form and the weatherboard
cladding are unique. The tower is surmounted with a red painted lantern room and an hexagonal gallery. Both towers were easily accessible. The newer tower consisted of concrete posts supported by two vertical concrete bars. The old tower is easily accessible to the public as was the newer one, but entering is not allowed.
of New South Wales
, at his expense, as part of his lobbying of Cleveland as the port for Moreton Bay. In the middle of the 19th century, small coastal steamboat
s became a main means of transport for farmers in Moreton Bay, specifically in Cleveland, Victoria Point
, Redland Bay
and along the Logan River
and Albert River
. Several lights were established around that period to assist navigation in Moreton Bay, notorious for its rocks and moving mudflat
s and sandbanks. In some places where no official light was established, locals would install their own lights, as was the case in Cleveland Point. In the 1860s the Government of Queensland
decided to replace these lights with a permanent light. The first temporary government light was displayed in April 1864. The permanent light was constructed in late 1864 to early 1865. The original light source was a fixed kerosene
operated light, visible for 14.5 kilometres (7.8 nmi). In 1874 a refurbished Chance Brothers
Fresnel lens
from Comboyuro Point Light on Moreton Island
replaced the original lens. The apparatus was upgraded to a more powerful Chance Brothers lens in 1879. Two red sectors, indicating close-by shoal
s were installed in 1920. In 1934 the lighthouse was converted to electricity and the City Electric Light Company Limited became the responsible operator. The light source was a round concentrated filament lamp.
In 1969 the lighthouse took part in experiment in the use of laser beams as aid to navigation. In 1976 the lighthouse was deactivated and replaced by a concrete pile light which was constructed just 3 metres (9.8 ft) away. In March 1976 the original lighthouse was moved away about 30 metres (98.4 ft) away. The Redland Shire Council restored the lighthouse in 1987.
was Alfred Winship, who served from 1864 to 1877. The second keeper was James Troy, who served along with his family for 50 years until 1927, the longest serving lightkeeper at one lighthouse in Australia. From 1927 to 1951 the keeper was Jim Klemm. Other keepers served for shorter periods after that.
with weatherboards
, rather than the typical metal. While several other lighthouses of the period were clad this way, the only other surviving example is Old Burnett Heads Light
. The inside of the tower is unpainted. It comprises three levels connected by a ladder. A timber floor opens to the west of the first floor, while two windows are at the first and second levels, on the eastern face.
On top of the tower is a red painted iron alloy lantern room capped with an iron alloy dome. It holds six panels, five clear glazed and one of red perspex. A hatch under the sill on the western face opens to the gallery. The gallery is wooden, hexagonal in form, with a pipe handrail
, supported on metal strut
s.
in its location. The parts were stored, but , the lighthouse has not been returned to its original site and there currently is no active lighthouse in operation at Cleveland Point.
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 the north-eastern tip of Cleveland Point, overlooking Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
, at Cleveland
Cleveland, Queensland
Cleveland is a suburb located approximately east-south-east of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the council seat for the Redland City local government area...
, a suburb approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) east-south-east of 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...
, 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 original lighthouse was established in 1864-1865 as a wooden hexagonal tower. It is one of only two surviving lighthouses of this form, the other being Old Burnett Heads Light
Old Burnett Heads Light
The Old Burnett Heads Light is an inactive lighthouse which used to be located on the south side of the Burnett River entrance, in Burnett Heads, Queensland, Australia. It was relocated to the Burnett Heads Lighthouse Holiday Park...
. A newer light, constructed of a concrete post, replaced it in 1976, and the original lighthouse was relocated a short distance away, where it stands today. The newer light was removed in 2009.
An early 1847 private beacon was replaced by a temporary government light in 1864, and then the permanent tower in 1865. The lens were upgraded twice, in 1874 and 1879. In 1934 the lighthouse was converted to electricity, and remained so until 1976 when it was deactivated and replaced by a concrete pile light constructed just 3 metres (9.8 ft) away. The original tower was moved away in 1979 and restored in 1987.
While timber frame and cladding
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....
construction is typical for the area and period, both the hexagonal form and the weatherboard
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...
cladding are unique. The tower is surmounted with a red painted lantern room and an hexagonal gallery. Both towers were easily accessible. The newer tower consisted of concrete posts supported by two vertical concrete bars. The old tower is easily accessible to the public as was the newer one, but entering is not allowed.
History
The first navigation aid on Cleveland Point was a beacon established in 1847, by Francis Edward Bigge Member of the Legislative AssemblyMember of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
of New South Wales
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
, at his expense, as part of his lobbying of Cleveland as the port for Moreton Bay. In the middle of the 19th century, small coastal steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s became a main means of transport for farmers in Moreton Bay, specifically in Cleveland, Victoria Point
Victoria Point, Queensland
Victoria Point is a suburb located approximately south-east of Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia, in the Redland City local government area...
, Redland Bay
Redland Bay, Queensland
Redland Bay is a suburb south-east of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, and is part of the Redland City local government area. It is named for the bay it sits on, which forms part of larger Moreton Bay...
and along the Logan River
Logan River
The Logan River is a river in South East Queensland. The catchment is dominated by urban and agricultural land use. Near the river mouth are mangrove forests and a number of aquaculture farms.-History:...
and Albert River
Albert River (Queensland)
The Albert River is a river in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast and Beaudesert shires and covers an area of 782 square kilometres. The river provides drinking water for the town of Beaudesert....
. Several lights were established around that period to assist navigation in Moreton Bay, notorious for its rocks and moving mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s and sandbanks. In some places where no official light was established, locals would install their own lights, as was the case in Cleveland Point. In the 1860s the Government of Queensland
Government 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...
decided to replace these lights with a permanent light. The first temporary government light was displayed in April 1864. The permanent light was constructed in late 1864 to early 1865. The original light source was a fixed 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...
operated light, visible for 14.5 kilometres (7.8 nmi). In 1874 a refurbished 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....
Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
from Comboyuro Point Light on Moreton Island
Moreton Island
Moreton Island is a large sand island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, on the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. Moreton Island lies 58 kilometres northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. The island is 95% National Park and a popular destination for four wheel driving, camping,...
replaced the original lens. The apparatus was upgraded to a more powerful Chance Brothers lens in 1879. Two red sectors, indicating close-by shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
s were installed in 1920. In 1934 the lighthouse was converted to electricity and the City Electric Light Company Limited became the responsible operator. The light source was a round concentrated filament lamp.
In 1969 the lighthouse took part in experiment in the use of laser beams as aid to navigation. In 1976 the lighthouse was deactivated and replaced by a concrete pile light which was constructed just 3 metres (9.8 ft) away. In March 1976 the original lighthouse was moved away about 30 metres (98.4 ft) away. The Redland Shire Council restored the lighthouse in 1987.
Notable light keepers
The first 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...
was Alfred Winship, who served from 1864 to 1877. The second keeper was James Troy, who served along with his family for 50 years until 1927, the longest serving lightkeeper at one lighthouse in Australia. From 1927 to 1951 the keeper was Jim Klemm. Other keepers served for shorter periods after that.
Structure
The white painted tapering tower is timber framed, as typical for Queensland lighthouses of the late 19th century. However, it is quite unusual in that it is hexagonal in form, rather than round in form like most lighthouses of the period, and cladCladding (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 weatherboards
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...
, rather than the typical metal. While several other lighthouses of the period were clad this way, the only other surviving example is Old Burnett Heads Light
Old Burnett Heads Light
The Old Burnett Heads Light is an inactive lighthouse which used to be located on the south side of the Burnett River entrance, in Burnett Heads, Queensland, Australia. It was relocated to the Burnett Heads Lighthouse Holiday Park...
. The inside of the tower is unpainted. It comprises three levels connected by a ladder. A timber floor opens to the west of the first floor, while two windows are at the first and second levels, on the eastern face.
On top of the tower is a red painted iron alloy lantern room capped with an iron alloy dome. It holds six panels, five clear glazed and one of red perspex. A hatch under the sill on the western face opens to the gallery. The gallery is wooden, hexagonal in form, with a pipe handrail
Handrail
A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide stability or support. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators in order to prevent injurious falls. Other applications include bathroom handrails—which help to prevent falls on...
, supported on metal strut
Strut
A strut is a structural component designed to resist longitudinal compression. Struts provide outwards-facing support in their lengthwise direction, which can be used to keep two other components separate, performing the opposite function of a tie...
s.
New lighthouse
The new lighthouse was established in 1976. It was an unpainted concrete post with a metal gallery, supported by two vertical concrete bars. It was located on the site of the original lighthouse. In 2009, the lighthouse was disassembled to fit a large prop boat for the filming of the 2010 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a 2010 3D fantasy-adventure film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia . It is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media...
in its location. The parts were stored, but , the lighthouse has not been returned to its original site and there currently is no active lighthouse in operation at Cleveland Point.