Low Isles Light
Encyclopedia
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 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northeast of Port Douglas
, Queensland
, Australia
. The island is situated on the western edge of the main shipping channel into the harbour of Port Douglas, and it marks the entrance to the channel. Built in 1878, it was the first lighthouse in Far North Queensland
and more specifically the first to light the Inner Passage of the Great Barrier Reef
. Its construction is typical to Queensland lighthouses of the time, timber frame clad
with galvanized iron, and it is the fourth lighthouse of this type constructed in Queensland, though it is the first of them to use porthole
s.
The lighthouse was recommended in February 1876 but construction of the lighthouse and cottages, by W. P. Clark, started more than a year later. The structures were ready and the light was lit in late 1878. The original oil wick light was upgraded to kerosene in 1923, to electricity in 1963 and finally converted to solar power
in 1993, when the station was demanned.
The size of the island mandated a rather compact circular pattern of structures. Other than the lighthouse, none of the original structures survived, the keeper residences being rebuilt in the 1960s. One of the residences now serves as a research station. The station is owned and managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
and the University of Queensland
. The site can be visited but the tower is closed.
in 1860 and Bowen
in 1864. Access to these ports from the north necessitates the negotiation of the Inner Passage which was completely unlit. The need was officially noted by a Legislative Council committee in 1864, especially noting shipping from India, China and other countries to the north which would avoid the northern ports due to the dangerous navigation required, but no official recommendation was made.
A station on Low Island was established 1874. A recommendation for the construction of a permanent lighthouse was made in February 1876 by Commander George Poynter Heath, the first Portmaster of Queensland and the Chairman of the Queensland Marine Board, Commander George Heath, in a letter to the Colonial Treasurer. While the recommendation was accepted for immediate action, the preparation of plans for the lighthouse was delayed from an unknown reason and tenders were called in March 1877. The contract, for £3,195, was awarded on May 1877 to W. P. Clark, who already constructed Queensland's first lighthouse since the separation, Bustard Head Light
, in 1868, and who was later to be awarded the contracts for Cape Cleveland Light
and Dent Island Light
(1878), Double Island Point Light
(1884) and Pine Islet Light
(1885). Clark committed to completing the lighthouse and cottages in seven months, starting in June 1877. Constructed commenced in Brisbane
in July 1877 and by December 1877 the lighthouse was being moved to Low Island. Construction completed by August of that year and light was finally displayed on 17 September 1878. The lens was a Chance Brothers
3rd order (500 mm focal length
) revolving dioptric supported by a roller bearing pedestal and the characteristic mentioned was "attains its greatest brilliancy every minute", with visibility of 14 nautical miles (25.9 km). The tower was painted white. The original light source was oil wick burners with an intensity of 13,000 cd
. Construction also included three lighthouse keeper
cottages, which were also prefabricated
elsewhere and brought to the site.
In March 1911 the island was hit by a cyclone
, stripping it of soil and vegetation, and damaging the station buildings. As preparation for transferring the light from the Queensland Government to the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service, an evaluation was made by Commander Brewis in 1912, which recommended an upgrade of the light to incandescent mantle and a change of the characteristic to one flash every ten seconds, as well as the installation of a fog signal. The station was transferred to the Commonwealth in 1915, and it was only in 1923 that the recommendation was acted upon, and the light source was upgraded to vapourised kerosene
with an intensity of 100,000 cd. At the same time, the characteristic was altered, and again in 1930.
In 1960 two of the three residences were replaced with modern structures. Upgrade to electric operation occurred in 1963 and in the same year three structures were constructed. The original boathouse, constructed in 1920, was replaced with a new structure, relieving quarters were built and a fuel store was constructed. In 1972 a power house and a bulk fuel store were constructed.
In 1992 the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA) announced its plans to automate the station, remove the light keepers, and transfer the island to the responsibility of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
(QPWS). This prompted the foundation of the Low Isles Preservation Society, a community organization with the purpose of protecting the island and the lighthouse. The light was eventually converted to solar power
on March 1993, and as planned the station was demanned and the site was transferred to the QPWS. The lens which was removed at the time is now on display in the Court House Museum of Port Douglas. The last keeper left the island in 1994.
The apparatus is a VRB-25
rotating at 1 rpm. The light source is a 12 Volt 20 Watt Halogen lamp
with an intensity of 49,212 cd.
base. It is conical in shape, built of an internal timber frame, clad
with galvanized iron plates rivet
ed together, and painted white. Sunlight is provided through porthole
s and access to the top floor is via a square timber staircase surrounding the central weight tube. The intermediate landings are of metal clad wood. The tower is surmounted by a balcony and Chance Brothers
8 in 1 in (2.46 m) diameter lantern room, housing a VRB-25 lantern. The balcony is made of radial cantilever
ed timber sections and is surrounded by an iron balustrade.
clad except for the 1972 powerhouse which is brick constructed.
The cottages, constructed in the early 1960s, are raised on concrete posts, and the area beneath is used for utility purposes. Access is through aluminum stairs constructed in 1987. They have hipped roof
s of fibro cement and stainless steel
gutters. The cottage formerly housing the assistant keeper now serves as the University of Queensland
's Low Isles Research Station. It includes a laboratory under the house and can accommodate six people.
and by the University of Queensland's Centre for Marine Studies. The island is accessible only by boat, and day tours to Low Isles are available from Cairns and Port Douglas. The station is open to the public but the tower itself is closed.
The original 1878 lens is on display in the Court House Museum of Port Douglas.
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 Low Island, a 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...
which together with Woody Island forms the Low Isles group, about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northeast of Port Douglas
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
, 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...
. The island is situated on the western edge of the main shipping channel into the harbour of Port Douglas, and it marks the entrance to the channel. Built in 1878, it was the first lighthouse in Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
and more specifically the first to light the Inner Passage 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...
. Its construction is typical to Queensland lighthouses of the time, timber frame 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 galvanized iron, and it is the fourth lighthouse of this type constructed in Queensland, though it is the first of them to use porthole
Porthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
s.
The lighthouse was recommended in February 1876 but construction of the lighthouse and cottages, by W. P. Clark, started more than a year later. The structures were ready and the light was lit in late 1878. The original oil wick light was upgraded to kerosene in 1923, to electricity in 1963 and finally 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...
in 1993, when the station was demanned.
The size of the island mandated a rather compact circular pattern of structures. Other than the lighthouse, none of the original structures survived, the keeper residences being rebuilt in the 1960s. One of the residences now serves as a research station. The station is owned and 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:*...
and the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
. The site can be visited but the tower is closed.
History
The need for lights in the Inner Passage inside the Great Barrier Reef arose with the development of ports in the north of Queensland such as MackayMackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
in 1860 and Bowen
Bowen, Queensland
Bowen is a town on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Bowen had a population of 7,484.-Geography:Bowen is located on the north-east coast of Australia, at exactly twenty degrees south of the equator. In fact, the twentieth parallel crosses the main street...
in 1864. Access to these ports from the north necessitates the negotiation of the Inner Passage which was completely unlit. The need was officially noted by a Legislative Council committee in 1864, especially noting shipping from India, China and other countries to the north which would avoid the northern ports due to the dangerous navigation required, but no official recommendation was made.
A station on Low Island was established 1874. A recommendation for the construction of a permanent lighthouse was made in February 1876 by Commander George Poynter Heath, the first Portmaster of Queensland and the Chairman of the Queensland Marine Board, Commander George Heath, in a letter to the Colonial Treasurer. While the recommendation was accepted for immediate action, the preparation of plans for the lighthouse was delayed from an unknown reason and tenders were called in March 1877. The contract, for £3,195, was awarded on May 1877 to W. P. Clark, who already constructed Queensland's first lighthouse since the separation, 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 1868, and who was later to be awarded the contracts for Cape Cleveland Light
Cape Cleveland Light
Cape Cleveland Light is an active lighthouse located on the northern tip of Cape Cleveland, a promontory projecting into the Coral Sea west of Cleveland Bay and about east of Townsville, Queensland, Australia...
and Dent Island Light
Dent Island Light
Dent Island Light is an active lighthouse located on Dent Island, a small island off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Dent Island is part of the Whitsunday Group of the Whitsunday Islands...
(1878), Double Island Point Light
Double Island Point Light
Double Island Point Light is an active lighthouse located at the summit of Double Island Point, 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, Queensland, Australia.Though the location was...
(1884) and Pine Islet Light
Pine Islet Light
Pine Islet Light, also known as Percy Isles Light, is an active lighthouse located at Pine Islet, a small islet belonging to the Percy Isles group of the Northumberland Islands, about southeast of Mackay, Queensland, Australia...
(1885). Clark committed to completing the lighthouse and cottages in seven months, starting in June 1877. Constructed commenced 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...
in July 1877 and by December 1877 the lighthouse was being moved to Low Island. Construction completed by August of that year and light was finally displayed on 17 September 1878. The lens was a 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....
3rd order (500 mm focal length
Focal length
The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light. For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus...
) revolving dioptric supported by a roller bearing pedestal and the characteristic mentioned was "attains its greatest brilliancy every minute", with visibility of 14 nautical miles (25.9 km). The tower was painted white. The original light source was oil wick burners with an intensity of 13,000 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...
. Construction also included three 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...
cottages, which were also 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...
elsewhere and brought to the site.
In March 1911 the island was hit by a cyclone
1910–1921 Australian region cyclone seasons
-1910–11 cyclone season:-Cyclone 1:On 19 November 1911, a cyclone touched land in Western Australia when it had a minimum pressure of 965 hPa.-Cyclone 2:...
, stripping it of soil and vegetation, and damaging the station buildings. As preparation for transferring the light from the Queensland Government to the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service, an evaluation was made by Commander Brewis in 1912, which recommended an upgrade of the light to incandescent mantle and a change of the characteristic to one flash every ten seconds, as well as the installation of a fog signal. The station was transferred to the Commonwealth in 1915, and it was only in 1923 that the recommendation was acted upon, and the light source was upgraded to vapourised 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...
with an intensity of 100,000 cd. At the same time, the characteristic was altered, and again in 1930.
In 1960 two of the three residences were replaced with modern structures. Upgrade to electric operation occurred in 1963 and in the same year three structures were constructed. The original boathouse, constructed in 1920, was replaced with a new structure, relieving quarters were built and a fuel store was constructed. In 1972 a power house and a bulk fuel store were constructed.
In 1992 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) announced its plans to automate the station, remove the light keepers, and transfer the island to the responsibility of 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:*...
(QPWS). This prompted the foundation of the Low Isles Preservation Society, a community organization with the purpose of protecting the island and the lighthouse. The light was eventually 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...
on March 1993, and as planned the station was demanned and the site was transferred to the QPWS. The lens which was removed at the time is now on display in the Court House Museum of Port Douglas. The last keeper left the island in 1994.
Current display
The current light characteristic is a white flash every ten seconds (Fl.W. 10s) visible for a distance of 17 nautical miles (31.5 km).The apparatus is 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...
rotating at 1 rpm. The light source is a 12 Volt 20 Watt Halogen lamp
Halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen lamp, is an incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine. The chemical halogen cycle redeposits evaporated tungsten back on to the filament, extending the life of...
with an intensity of 49,212 cd.
Lighthouse
The tower stands on a concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
base. It is conical in shape, built of an internal timber frame, 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 galvanized iron plates rivet
Rivet
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 together, and painted white. Sunlight is provided through porthole
Porthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
s and access to the top floor is via a square timber staircase surrounding the central weight tube. The intermediate landings are of metal clad wood. The tower is surmounted by a balcony and 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....
8 in 1 in (2.46 m) diameter lantern room, housing a VRB-25 lantern. The balcony is made of radial 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 timber sections and is surrounded by an iron balustrade.
Other structures
The size of the island mandated a compact arrangement of the structures, in a radial pattern with the lighthouse as the axis including both living quarters and service structures. The structures include two keeper's cottages, originally one for the head keeper and one for the assistant keeper, relieving quarters, an older and a newer power houses, an old fuel store and a newer bulk fuel store, a boat house and a toilet block. The station also includes a grave site, some tank, a landing for amphibious vehicles and some weather recording equipment. All structures are timber framed and 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 except for the 1972 powerhouse which is brick constructed.
The cottages, constructed in the early 1960s, are raised on concrete posts, and the area beneath is used for utility purposes. Access is through aluminum stairs constructed in 1987. They have hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
s of fibro cement and stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
gutters. The cottage formerly housing the assistant keeper now serves as the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
's Low Isles Research Station. It includes a laboratory under the house and can accommodate six people.
Site operation and visiting
The light is operated by the AMSA. The site is owned and operated by the QPWS as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine ParkGreat 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...
and by the University of Queensland's Centre for Marine Studies. The island is accessible only by boat, and day tours to Low Isles are available from Cairns and Port Douglas. The station is open to the public but the tower itself is closed.
The original 1878 lens is on display in the Court House Museum of Port Douglas.