Lighthouses of Australia Inc. Bulletin

The lighthouse tender MV Cape Moreton underway off the coast of Queensland. It was one of three ships all built to the same design in Newcastle, NSW, in 1963. The logo of the Department of Transport (the owner in the 1980s) appears on the funnel.

by Michael Pitcher, former employee Commonwealth Lighthouse Service.
All photographers by Mike Pitcher.

The Great Barrier Reef, stretching 2,300kms along the Queensland coast, is the world's largest coral structure and is listed as a National World Heritage Area. It forms an almost impenetrable barrier between the coast line and the outer Coral Sea and south Pacific Ocean. As such it has long been the dream of mariners and merchants since the days of Cook and Flinders to find a deep water passage through this morass of coral which would be suitable and safe for the use of all maritime traffic. It would be another natural phenomenon, coal, which would prove to form the catalyst which would ultimately make the dream a reality.

The Royal Australian Navy hydrographic survey vessel, HMAS Flinders played an integral part in finding the best way to light the passage.

Huge deposits of this mineral were discovered in the Bowen Basin of central Queensland, but it wasn't until as late as 1971 that the first Japanese bulk carrier departed Hay Point, south of Mackay, with the first shipment of Australian coking coal extracted from the mine at Goonyella. There had long been rumours among local fishermen and charter boat owners that a deep water passage through the Reef off Mackay did exist and in 1975 the Royal Australian Navy was called upon to launch an official search. This and all subsequent surveys are covered in detail in a well documented and illustrated book, 'Coral Gateway' written by Capt. John C.H. Foley of the Queensland Coast and Torres Strait Pilot Service.

The surveyor takes final measurements to ensure that the black rail mark is exactly placed in the position for the future lighthouse to be placed there.

The final, and most successful, of these surveys commenced in August 1981, when HMAS Flinders, the RAN hydrographic vessel departed Mackay under the command of Lt. Commander Bond of the Royal Australian Navy. The results of this survey motivated Federal Government agencies to seriously consider the construction and erection of beacons to mark the channel for shipping.

A jack hammer powered by compressed air drives the steel rail marker spike securely into the coral. On the horizon, Cape Moreton remains quietly at anchor.

The name, Hydrographer's Passage, was already being used as a tribute to all marine surveyors and chart makers. In 1984, when the first Admiralty Chart of the Passage was released there appeared several new names which related to this final survey. Bond Reef reflects the officer commanding HMAS Flinders at that time, Lt.Cmdr. G.J. Bond. Blossom Bank, Sharon Shoal and James Reef his wife, daughter and son. White Tip Reef derives its name from an incident involving one of the survey officers, Lt. Thompson after whom a shoal is named, and Scribes Shoal for Leading Seaman Gill for his work in transcribing the survey data.

My involvement in the 'dream' commenced on Thursday, 3 February 1983 when as A.B. I was one of the relieving crew joining the Department of Transport lighthouse tender Cape Moreton in Mackay harbour under the command of Capt. Henry Foreman. Moored across from us was HMAS Flinders under the command of Lt.Cmdr. Bolger. After embarking several marine surveyors and other personnel we departed Mackay at 06.00 the following day in company with Fenders for Hydrographers Passage. Over the next eight days we would assist the surveyors to pin point and mark the positions for two beacons on White Tip Reef, one each on Little Bugatti and Creal Reefs and a day marker on Bond Reef.

To enable this to be done, temporary towers of scaffolding were erected on the coral, and stabilised by lines secured to star pickets at each comer. This allowed the tower to be inched around in different positions under the directions of the surveyor, perched precariously on top with his theodolite. When the surveyor was satisfied with his measurements the tower was extended to allow a compressed air jack hammer operated from the LARC to drive a long length of rail deep into the coral to mark the future position of the light beacon. The tower was then dismantled and relocated to position the next marker. These are wet reefs and the sailors of Cape Moreton were working at all times in water up to their chests. A constant watch was kept for the presence of sharks.

None were sighted. The weather was good, the work went well and on the night of Thursday 10 February before returning to Mackay we invited the officers and crew of Flinders to join us for a BBQ on Cape Moreton while at anchor in Little Bugatti Lagoon. In my diary I have made the following notation:

"...coloured lights were strung from the spars which supported the canvas awnings around the after deck. On a warm, tropic night, riding quietly at anchor in a remote part of the coral reef, the moonlight reflected like a million diamonds on the ruffled surface of the sea, the atmosphere was nothing less than magic. A smorgasbord of salads, cold meats, fish and prawns prepared by our cooks and stewards that would do justice to any Hilton hotel was laid on two tables in the centre of the deck space. Ample supplies of steak, fresh fish, sausages and eggs would keep the BBQ busy well into the night. There was great fellowship between men from differing Services but sharing a common lifestyle and the satisfaction of knowing that we were all involved in creating maritime history."