Published on Australian Maritime Safety Authority (https://www.amsa.gov.au)
Table Cape lighthouse was first lit in 1888. The construction of the lighthouse followed the loss of the ship Emma Prescott in 1867 at Freestone Cove, and the Schooner Orson in 1884. Table Cape lighthouse was the first AMSA-managed lighthouse in Tasmania to be opened to the public for tours.
The Tasman Island lighthouse was built between 1904-1905 and first lit in April 1906. The tower was constructed of prefabricated cast iron panels imported from England. Until the 1930s the only communication available to the lightkeepers and their families was through pigeon post or by signalling to passing vessels.
The current lighthouse at Low Head was built in 1888 on the site of an original light which was built in 1833 by local convict labour. Low Head light station has a foghorn, one of only two still existing in Australian light stations.
Dent Island lighthouse was first exhibited in 1879 in response to the dramatic expansion of coastal shipping along the Great Barrier Reef in the mid-19th century. The tower is timber framed, clad in galvanised iron and is identical to the Cape Cleveland lighthouse built at the same time.
North Reef lighthouse, established in 1878, is one of the most remarkable light stations in Australia. Built on a migratory patch of sand on a coral reef at the northern end of the Capricorn Channel, the lighthouse includes a concrete base used as a freshwater tank and a circular keepers’ residence built to surround the tower.
Booby Island lighthouse was built in 1890 to light the western entrance to Torres Strait. The tower has a wooden frame and is clad in galvanised iron plates, a distinctive construction method only seen in Queensland lighthouses.
Bustard Head lighthouse was first exhibited in 1868 to warn of several dangers to shipping including the low coral isles of the Bunker Group and the outcrops which line the coast from Bundaberg to Bustard Bay. The 17 m high cast-iron tower of Bustard Head was the first light built by the government after Queensland became a separate colony in 1859.
Cape Cleveland lighthouse was constructed in 1879 to mark the southern approaches to the port of Townsville. Timber framed iron clad towers such as this are unique to Queensland, and Cape Cleveland closely resembles the nearby Dent Island Lighthouse.
Cape Moreton is the site of the oldest Queensland lighthouse, and the only one built of stone in the State. The iconic 23 metre tower was built in 1857 from sandstone quarried nearby. A new lantern was installed in 1928, but the stone tower, the external stone stair at the base, and the internal cast iron stair, all date from the original construction. The two distinctive red bands were first painted on the outside of the tower in 1942.
Cape du Couedic lighthouse was first lit in 1909 on the south side of Kangaroo Island in response to a series of shipwrecks such as the Loch Sloy in 1899 and the Loch Vennachar in 1905. In 1957 the original 1st order Chance Brothers lens was removed and installed at Eddystone Point lighthouse in 1961.
Cape Northumberland lighthouse was built in 1882 and originally housed a First Order Chance Bros. lens. It replaced the MacDonnell Light which was built in 1850 after a spate of wrecks caused a public outcry for the protection of mariners along the dangerous coastline.
Built in 1858 the Cape Borda light is located on Kangaroo Island. It is the third oldest remaining lighthouse in South Australia. It was built to guide sailing ships arriving into South Australia off the Roaring Forty trade-winds and into the Investigator Straits and on to Adelaide. Tours of the lighthouse and on site accommodation are available to visitors.