Cape Cleveland Lighthouse

On the 6th June 1770, James Cook, in the “Endeavour”, viewed the coastline from 10kms out to sea, and he almost certainly named the Cape because it reminded him of his home county of Cleveland (literally ‘cliff-land’) in northern England.

History

Cape Cleveland was first lit with a 4th order revolving light in December 1879.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have entered into a 20-year agreement with Townsville business people Ray and Sue Boundy to manage and maintain the buildings at the Cape Cleveland lighthouse site. The agreement focuses on preserving the heritage of the site and its buildings while allowing for economic opportunities through tourism.

Cape Cleveland lighthouse was automated in 1991, resulting in much of the former complex being redundant. In 1997, the balance of the complex together with the surrounding former lighthouse reserve was transferred to the state of Queensland on the basis that the heritage significance of the site be maintained. The state vested this responsibility with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).

The Cape Cleveland lighthouse station became a protected area upon the gazettal of the Bowling Green Bay Conservation Park on 5 May 2000.

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Keepers

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to keeper@lighthouses.org.au.

Please include this lighthouse’s name, the keepers full name and what years they were keepers. Also include the same information for any other lights they were on.