Queensland Lighthouses

Queensland’s first lighthouse at Cape Moreton, built while still a part of NSW, was built in stone. Then followed 2 iron towers at Bustard Head and Sandy Cape. The Queenslanders then developed their own style of lighthouse not used anywhere else. They were timber framed iron plated towers that turned out to be a technical and economic success.

Once the Commonwealth took control of lighthouses in 1915, the distinctive Queensland lighthouse was no longer, replaced instead by a reinforced concrete or steel lattice tower. The passage along the coast of Queensland was fraught with danger due to the many coral islands and this was the early focus of the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service.

The Queensland Maritime Museum   is a great place to visit for lighthouse artifacts and history.

It is possible to inspect the towers at:

• Pine Islet (now at Mackay)
• Bay Rock (Maritime Museum of Townsville )
• Bustard Head
• Caloundra Lighthouses

Shining a Light on Queensland’s Lighthouses! – Queensland State Archives