Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Cape Moreton Light
Cape Moreton Light, also listed as North Point Range Rear Light, is a heritage-listed active lighthouse located on Cape Moreton, a rocky headland located at the north eastern tip of Moreton Island, a large sand island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, on the coast of South East Queensland, Australia.
It marks the northern entrance to Moreton Bay and Brisbane and also serves as the rear light for the North Point Range. With its two distinctive red bands, it also serves as a daymark. It is the oldest lighthouse in Queensland, and the only one to be built by the New South Wales Government before the separation of Queensland, which took place in 1859.
It is also the only lighthouse in Queensland to be built of stone. The lighthouse was established following an increase in traffic through the northern entrance to Moreton Bay in the 1840s. It was designed by Edmund Blacket in 1854 and established in 1857. Over the years the light source went through several changes, from oil wick, to kerosene, to acetylene gas, to electricity, and finally to solar power.
The structures also went through various modifications, the major one being an increase in the lighthouse height and rebuilding of several structures, in 1928–1930. The station includes the lighthouse, three lighthouse keeper residences, and various buildings. The lighthouse is made of sandstone and topped by a concrete gallery and a cast iron lantern.
The residences and most other structures are timber framed and fibro clad.
Location
Cape Moreton Light is located in Queensland at approximately -27.0333°, 153.4667°. A map pin at these coordinates will take you to the approximate lighthouse site — note that some historic lights are on active marine reserves, islands or private land, and visiting may require a boat or permit.
Visiting Cape Moreton Light
Access to Australian lighthouses varies widely. Some are on publicly accessible headlands with car parks and interpretive signage; others are on remote islands that require chartered boats. Most operational lights managed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) are not open to the public interior, but the grounds and keepers' cottages at heritage-listed stations are often open during daylight hours.
If you're planning a visit, check with the relevant state parks service or heritage body for current conditions, access restrictions and opening times. Many of Australia's finest lighthouses are within national parks, and fees may apply.
Further reading
Read more on Wikipedia → — used under CC BY-SA 4.0. This article includes contributions from the Wikipedia community.