Lighthouses of Queensland

The Low Isles tower was constructed on a timber frame with a galvanised sheath in the typical Queensland fashion, however it was the first to have porthole windows.

• Operation
• History
• Keepers
• Access
• Surrounding Area
• Features
• Letters
• Other Low Isles Sites

The Low Isle Lighthouse amongst the tropical vegetation
Photograph: Tina Alderson

The island the tower is now controlled
by Queensland Parks & Wildlife
Photograph: Tina Alderson

History

On Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, the Low Isles (Islets) are 2 small coral cays located 13 kilometres from Port Douglas. They are situated on the western edge of the main shipping channel.

The lighthouse was first recommended by the Chairman of the Queensland Marine Board, Commander George Heath, in a letter to the Colonial Treasurer in February 1876.

The recommendation was accepted with tenders being called and the contract subsequently being awarded for £3,195 to Willeam Peter Clark, who had constructed the Bustard Head lighthouse.

The lightstation, on the flat low lying western island, was completed and exhibited in 1878. The 18 metre tower was constructed on a timber frame with a galvanised sheath in the typical Queensland fashion, however Low Isles was the first to have porthole windows. Attached to the top was a 1.5m diameter lantern manufactured by Chance Bros of Birmingham, England.

A timber staircase gives access to the lantern room. The tower was painted white with a red dome. All the buildings were prefabricated elsewhere and transported and assembled on site.

The final cost of the lightstation was:
capital cost of buildings - £4,090
cost of optical apparatus- £1,389

Keepers

On the western side of the island is an unidentified grave. The headstone and grave have been partially reconstructed in recent times.

Three keepers manned Low Isles, the head keeper and two assistant keepers. Keepers had one month's holiday a year and they always left the island.

Duties during the day included:

• maintenance of the station, i.e. cleaning, raking leaves, painting etc.
• cleaning and polishing the lens and the lantern room windows.
• sanitary duties.

The watch was as follows:

• Head keeper: 4-8pm watch, and
• the two assistant keepers: 8pm-midnight and 12 midnight - 4am shift (alternating every week).

During a shift the clock had to be wound up every hour and the air cylinder pumped up every hour.

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to Web Keeper.

Please include this lighthouse's name, the keepers full name and what years they were keepers. Also include the same information for any other lights they were on.

The headkeeper and Lloyd Williams on right on Low Island supplementing their stores (c1951)
Photograph: David Llewellyn Williams

Keeper Lloyd Williams and family
Photograph: David Llewellyn Williams

Special Thanks to:

• AMSA for Technical Information
• David Llewellyn Williams for Photograph
• Peter Bird for Technical Information
• SC for Photograph
• Tina Alderson for Photographs
• Winsome Bonham for Photograph

Sources:

• From Dusk Till Dawn by Gordon Reid
• Chart AUS 831 Cruising the Coral Coast
• Low Isles Lightstation Queensland by Ron Danvers Architects
• Major Lighthouses of Queensland by JH Thorburn
• Register of the National Estate
• Tina Alderson

Site constructed by: 
Malcolm S Macdonald t/as Lighthouse Computer Training & Development (1997-2001)
Copyright © All rights reserved.
1997-2001 Malcolm S Macdonald and individual contributors as acknowledged.
2002-2007 Lighthouses of Australia Inc (LoA Inc) and individual contributors as acknowledged. & Lighthouses of Australia Inc (2002-2007)