Bay Rock Light is an inactive

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

which used to be located on Bay Rock, a rocky islet northwest of

Magnetic Island Magnetic Island ( Wulguru: Yunbenun) is an island offshore from the city of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. This mountainous island in Cleveland Bay has effectively become a suburb of Townsville, with 2,335 permanent residents. The island ...

, about north of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. First lit in 1886, it was automated in 1920 and deactivated in the 1980s. It was relocated in 1992 to the

Maritime Museum, where it is now displayed.

History

Bay Rock Light was first lit in 1886. It was originally located on Bay Rock, at location , its main use being assisting vessels into a

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

station on West Point, Magnetic Island. It also assisted passage into

Cleveland Bay The Cleveland Bay is a breed of horse that originated in England during the 17th century, named after its colouring and the Cleveland district of Yorkshire. It is a well-muscled horse, with legs that are strong but short in relation ...

or to a main shipping

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...

age off Bay Rock. The lighthouse was high, made of a

timber frame Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...

clad with

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

- annealed

galvanized Galvanization or galvanizing ( also spelled galvanisation or galvanising) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are submerged ...

corrugated iron Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a bu ...

sheets. It was the fourth in a group of eight lighthouses made of

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

frame clad with

, which included, by order of establishment

Little Sea Hill Light Sea Hill Lighthouse, also known as Sea Hill Point Light or Little Sea Hill Light, is a lighthouse on the northwest point of Curtis Island, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. Its purpose was to mark the east side of the entrance to Keppel ...

, Grassy Hill Light, Goods Island Light, itself,

Old Caloundra Light Old Caloundra Light, also known as Old Caloundra Head Light or Cape Caloundra Light, is an inactive lighthouse located in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in South East Queensland, Australia. It is the oldest surviving building in Caloundra. The ...

North Point Hummock Light North Point Light, also known as North Point Hummock Light, was located on North Point, the most northern point on Moreton Island. North Point Light was constructed in the early 1860s, carrying a large kerosene burner with a reflector. In 1899 ...

(demolished), Gatcombe Head Light (demolished) and

Bulwer Island Light Bulwer Island Light, also known as Bulwer Island Range Rear Light, is an inactive lighthouse that was on Bulwer Island, in the suburb of Pinkenba, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In 1983, it was moved to the Queensland Maritime Museum ...

. The original light source was a

Kerosene Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...

mantle with an intensity of 1,200 cd. Standing at an elevation of , it showed a characteristic of a group of red and white flashes every six seconds (Gr. W.R. 6s) which was visible for for the white flashes and for the red ones. The original lens was a 4th order

dioptric Dioptrics is the branch of optics dealing with refraction, similarly the branch dealing with mirror A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of ...

. The lighthouse was originally manned, and a small cottage accommodated the keeper and his family. The last keeper was John Albert Edward Lawson. In March 1920 John Lawson was lost at sea when a small fishing boat capsized. This led to the decision to automate the operation of the lighthouse, and it was demanned in 1920.There is some confusion about the year. states "The last keeper left in 1920 and the light was automated in 1930." However, at a table above that, it is stated "Automated: 1920". An explanation made by makes sense only if the light was automated in 1920, leaving some presence, and totally demanned in 1930. The light was converted to an automatic

acetylene gas Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure ...

burner (

carbide lamp Carbide lamps, or acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene (C2H2) which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) with water (H2O). Acetylene gas lamps were used to illuminate buildings, as lighthouse b ...

). During the 1980s the lighthouse was deactivated and replaced with a small fiberglass beacon. The beacon has NGA number 111-10030 and

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

number K3117. It is still active, displaying a characteristic of two white flashes, every eight seconds (Fl.(2)W. 8s). In 1992 the lighthouse was relocated to the Townsville Maritime Museum. The top of the lighthouse was transported with an emergency services helicopter. The lighthouse was restored by

Queensland Transport The Department of Transport and Main Roads, known often as TMR, is a department of the Queensland Government, formed in April 2009 with the merger of the Queensland Transport and the Department of Main Roads. The department manages Queensland ...

, and officially opened to the public in September, 2003.

Visiting

The Townsville Maritime Museum is located on the south side of Ross Creek, in Townsville. It is open daily, for a fee.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1886 Lighthouses in Queensland Buildings and structures in Townsville 1886 establishments in Australia

History

Visiting

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography