North Reef Light
Encyclopedia
North Reef Light is an active lighthouse
located on North Reef, a 5.6 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi) planar reef, about 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) northeast of Gladstone
, Queensland
, Australia
. The lighthouse was constructed on a migratory patch of sand inside a fringing coral reef, which over the years disappeared and reappeared, as sand was washed away and accumulated, and is now a vegetated sandy island. Its construction is unique, having a hollow concrete base that both gives it resistance to the shifting nature of the sandbar and serves as a fresh water tank. As such, it is considered one of the major achievement in Australian lighthouse construction. It is also notable in that due to the harsh conditions, only bachelors were allowed to serve as lighthouse keepers. At 24 metres (78.7 ft) it is also the tallest of Queensland's timber framed iron clad lighthouses.
cylindrical tower, 12 metres (39.4 ft) in diameter and 15 metres (49.2 ft) tall, which would rest on the coral, penetrating the sand. A hollow base would be formed by pouring concrete into the cylinder, which would also serve as a fresh water tank, and the residence will surround it. Tenders were called in January 1876, and the winning offer was for £7,964 by Walker and Company of Maryborough
. Construction was to be completed in by July 1877 but delays, first in approval of the money and then in construction, delayed the completion until November 1878.
The base of the tower, 13 metres (42.7 ft) in diameter and 4.6 metres (15.1 ft) high, was constructed of bolted cast iron segments. Both the tower and the dwellings were constructed of timber frame, clad in galvanized iron. The original optical apparatus was a second order lens.
Conditions at the lighthouse were harsh. The location is remote, the quarters were cramped, and the shifting sands sometimes left the lighthouse surrounded by water. The lighthouse keeper
s chosen were therefore only single, unmarried men.
The light source was upgraded twice, in 1923 and in 1929. In 1977 the light was converted to electricity and it was demanned in January 1978. The final upgrade was on 28 September 1987 when the light was converted to solar power
and six solar panels were installed on the roof of the quarters, facing north.
on the tower transmits morse code
"Q" (– – • –).
The apparatus is a VRB-25
, rotating at 2 rpm, and the light source is a 12 Volt
35 Watt
Halogen lamp
with an intensity of 35,050 cd
.
with galvanised wrought iron
plates, painted white. On top of the tower is a Chance Brothers
10 in 9 in (3.28 m) diameter lantern, housing the VRB-25 beacon. The dome of the lantern is painted red.
The lighthouse keeper
s' residence surrounds the base of the tower. They comprise a ring of eight rooms, three bed rooms,
two sitting rooms, two kitchens, and a store room. They are constructed of a timber frame with galvanised iron roof. The external walls are covered with corrugated galvanised iron sheets.
. The island is accessible by boat, but both the site and the light are closed to the public.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on North Reef, a 5.6 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi) planar reef, about 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) northeast of Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The lighthouse was constructed on a migratory patch of sand inside a fringing coral reef, which over the years disappeared and reappeared, as sand was washed away and accumulated, and is now a vegetated sandy island. Its construction is unique, having a hollow concrete base that both gives it resistance to the shifting nature of the sandbar and serves as a fresh water tank. As such, it is considered one of the major achievement in Australian lighthouse construction. It is also notable in that due to the harsh conditions, only bachelors were allowed to serve as lighthouse keepers. At 24 metres (78.7 ft) it is also the tallest of Queensland's timber framed iron clad lighthouses.
History
The recommendation to establish a lighthouse on North Reef was made by a select parliamentary committee in 1864. The site was then a small sandbank on a coral reef. The proposal called for a cast ironCast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
cylindrical tower, 12 metres (39.4 ft) in diameter and 15 metres (49.2 ft) tall, which would rest on the coral, penetrating the sand. A hollow base would be formed by pouring concrete into the cylinder, which would also serve as a fresh water tank, and the residence will surround it. Tenders were called in January 1876, and the winning offer was for £7,964 by Walker and Company of Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
. Construction was to be completed in by July 1877 but delays, first in approval of the money and then in construction, delayed the completion until November 1878.
The base of the tower, 13 metres (42.7 ft) in diameter and 4.6 metres (15.1 ft) high, was constructed of bolted cast iron segments. Both the tower and the dwellings were constructed of timber frame, clad in galvanized iron. The original optical apparatus was a second order lens.
Conditions at the lighthouse were harsh. The location is remote, the quarters were cramped, and the shifting sands sometimes left the lighthouse surrounded by water. The lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s chosen were therefore only single, unmarried men.
The light source was upgraded twice, in 1923 and in 1929. In 1977 the light was converted to electricity and it was demanned in January 1978. The final upgrade was on 28 September 1987 when the light was converted to solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
and six solar panels were installed on the roof of the quarters, facing north.
Current display
The current light characteristic is two white flashes, separated by five seconds, every 15 seconds (Fl.(2)W. 15s), visible for 17 nautical miles (31.5 km). A raconRacon
A racon is a radar transponder commonly used to mark maritime navigational hazards. The word is a portmanteau of RAdar and beaCON.When a racon receives a radar pulse, it responds with a signal on the same frequency which puts an image on the radar display...
on the tower transmits morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
"Q" (– – • –).
The apparatus is a VRB-25
VRB-25
The VRB-25 is a lighthouse optical system designed and built by Vega Industries Ltd. in Porirua, New Zealand. It was originally designed in 1993-95 with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard to meet USCG requirements for a robust mechanism requiring minimum maintenance. It has become the...
, rotating at 2 rpm, and the light source is a 12 Volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
35 Watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
Halogen lamp
Halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen lamp, is an incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine. The chemical halogen cycle redeposits evaporated tungsten back on to the filament, extending the life of...
with an intensity of 35,050 cd
Candela
The candela is the SI base unit of luminous intensity; that is, power emitted by a light source in a particular direction, weighted by the luminosity function . A common candle emits light with a luminous intensity of roughly one candela...
.
Structure
As mentioned above, the lighthouse base is made of bolted cast iron segments, 13 metres (42.7 ft) in diameter and 4.6 metres (15.1 ft) high. The tower is 18 metres (59.1 ft) from the base to the lantern, conical in shape, with four intermediate floor levels. It is built of an internal timber frame, cladCladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
with galvanised wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
plates, painted white. On top of the tower is a Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands , in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology....
10 in 9 in (3.28 m) diameter lantern, housing the VRB-25 beacon. The dome of the lantern is painted red.
The lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s' residence surrounds the base of the tower. They comprise a ring of eight rooms, three bed rooms,
two sitting rooms, two kitchens, and a store room. They are constructed of a timber frame with galvanised iron roof. The external walls are covered with corrugated galvanised iron sheets.
Site operation and visiting
The site and the light are operated by the Australian Maritime Safety AuthorityAustralian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations...
. The island is accessible by boat, but both the site and the light are closed to the public.
See also
- List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Australia