Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors. Used under Creative Commons licence.
About Dent Island Light
Dent Island Light is an active lighthouse on Dent Island, a small island off the coast of Queensland, Australia, part of the Whitsunday Group of the Whitsunday Islands. Located on the southwest tip of the island, the light guides ships navigating the Whitsunday Passage, between Whitsunday Island and the islands to the west, and marks the Dent Island Passage.
From its inception, the lighthouse was closely connected to Cape Cleveland Light. Both lighthouses were recommended, approved, tendered and finally, in December 1879, constructed together. The light had two upgrades in the 1920s, replacing both the oil lamp and fourth-order lens with an incandescent gas mantle and a new lens. In 1983, it was converted to solar power; and was demanned in 1987.
The lighthouse is a typical for Queensland, made of a timber frame clad with galvanized iron plates. It is topped by a Chance Brothers lantern room, and painted white with a red dome. A modern ML-300 lantern replaced the original lens.
Location
Dent Island Light is located in Queensland at approximately -20.36925278°, 148.92893611°. 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 Dent Island 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.