Lighthouses of Queensland

The Cape Moreton Lighthouse

• Operation
• History
• Keepers
• Access

The Cape Moreton Lightstation
Photograph: Grant Maizels

History

Cape Moreton was the first lighthouse to be built in Queensland, but was not the first lighthouse built by the Queensland government, indeed it was built as a New South Wales light in 1857 before Queensland became a separate colony.

It was built because of the increasing traffic to the northern coast , but for a long time was the only light on the 3,236 miles of coastline.

The entrance into Moreton Bay, near the island, is scattered with wrecks that attest the the notoriousness of the bay.

The tower is constructed of sandstone quarried on the island. It stands on a rare rocky promontory on a sand island.

The tower was extended in 1928 and is now 23 metres.

The original light source oil wick. It was converted in in 1930 to pressurised acetylene gas. This installation did not continue for long as in 1937 the apparatus was converted to 240v electricity. Solar conversion took place in 1993.

The lighthouse is on the northern point of Moreton Island. On the west side of the island is Tangalooma which was also once home to Queensland's first and only whaling station from 1952 to 1962.

This former whaling station has now been converted to a small resort and caters mainly for day trippers from Brisbane.

On 1 July 1915, Cape Moreton passed from State to Federal control.

Keepers

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.

Access

The sandstone tower is now solar powered
Photograph: Jason Green

The station Landrover at the Cape
Photograph: Ray Hudson

Special Thanks to:

• Grant Maizels for Photographs
• Jason Green for Photograph
• John Ibbotson for Photograph
• Ray Hudson for Photograph
• Winsome Bonham for Photographs

Sources:

• Brian Lord
• Harbours & Marine 1859-1873
• Wolfgang Schippke

Site constructed by: 
Malcolm S Macdonald t/as Lighthouse Computer Training & Development (1997-2001)
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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)