page_title: Sandy Cape Light
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Sandy Cape Light / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Sandy Cape lighthouse seen from the front of the lighthouse keepers' cottages, Fraser Island, 1907 Lighthouse assistants' cottages in the foreground and the superintendent's house behind.
context_page_description: Sandy Cape Light is a heritage-listed active lighthouse located on Sandy Cape, the most northern point on Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. It stands about 6 kilometres southwest of the northeastern tip of the island. It is the tallest lighthouse in Queensland. Built in 1870, it is the second major lighthouse to be built in Queensland after its formation in 1859. It is one of the first lighthouses in Australia to be constructed using bolted prefabricated segments of cast iron, and one of only two such lighthouses in Queensland, the other being its sibling, Bustard Head Light.
context_section_description: The Government of Queensland was formed in 1859. In 1862, the Queensland government appointed the first Portmaster, Commander George Poynter Heath. However, it was only in 1864 that two committees were appointed to deal with the issue of coastal lighthouses. The only location for which both committees were in clear agreement about the need of a lighthouse was Sandy Cape. The site was also strongly recommended by Joseph Brady, Queensland Engineer for Harbours and Rivers of the time, on a tour of inspection he did in 1865. An order for the prefabricated tower was placed with Kitson & Co. of Leeds, England, the design being done by William Pole of Kitson & Co.
  The lantern and apparatus were ordered from Chance Brothers of Birmingham, England, and by 1867 all the materials have arrived at Brisbane. The winning tender for the construction of the tower was of £4524 by the brothers John and Jacob Rooney of Maryborough, Sandy Cape Light being the first of several lighthouses they constructed, to be followed by Cape Bowling Green Light, Cowan Cowan Point Light, Cape Capricorn Light, Lady Elliot Island Light and Booby Island Light.
  The materials from Brisbane and cement from Sydney were brought by ship, unloaded into barges, and then pulled by horses in trolleys on a 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) wooden rail, rising 50 metres (160 ft). Materials were then raised the final 50 metres (160 ft) by a horse-powered whim. It was originally planned that the light will be the first to be constructed by the new Queensland government. However, it was beaten by Bustard Head Light, constructed in 1868. Sandy Cape light was finally officially lit in May 1870.
  The original apparatus was a revolving first order Chance Brothers apparatus which showed a light characteristic of one white flash every two minutes, visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi). The light source was an Argand lamp fueled by Colza oil or Rapeseed oil. Rotation was achieved by a clockwork mechanism that had to be wound regularly. Also built in the station were quarters for the head keeper and three assistant keepers, and their families, built of timber framed weather board and iron roofs.
  In 1875, the light source was changed to Kerosene. In 1915, the station was transferred to the Commonwealth. The light was upgraded in 1917 and again in 1923. In one of these upgrades when the light source was converted to an incandescent mantle using vaporised kerosene.
  In the 1930s the lens was replaced with a 4th order Chance Brothers lens and the lighthouse was converted to electrical operation. Around that time The keepers' cottages were rebuilt and most of the other buildings at the premises were constructed. Septic tanks were only installed in the 1960s. A boarded roadway was constructed in the 1970s and a brick engine room was built in 1974. The kitchens were renovated in the 1980s.
  In 1995, the lighthouse was converted to solar power and automated, and the 4th order lens was replaced with a VRB-25 apparatus. In 1997, the station was finally demanned, and was transferred back to the Queensland Government, to be administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which employs a ranger in the premises. A remote area power supply (RAPS) for powering the quarters was installed in 2001, with both solar and wind power sources and a diesel generator for backup, though the wind turbine is unused since October 2002.
caption: The lighthouse and the original keepers' cottages.
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