Location:

On the western side of Dent Island 11km northeast of Shute Harbour, Far North Queensland

GPS: Lat: 20° 22.1’ S : Long: 148° 55.2’ E

First Lit: 1879 (Automated and Demanned 1987)

Tower height: 33′ (10m). Focal height: 121′ (37m) msl

Original Lens: 4th Order Chance Bros. Dioptric

Range: 10 nml (19 km)

Characteristic: One white flash every five seconds: [Fl W 5s]

History:

Dent Island Lighthouse is the twin sister of Cape Cleveland Lighthouse, both were recommended, approved, tendered and constructed contemporaneously in 1879.

They also serve a similar purpose in that they help identify the Whitsunday passage, a narrow and potentially dangerous part of the inside passage of the great barrier reef. Dent Island light, which is the only westward facing light on the east coast, indicates the southern approach and Cape Cleveland the northern end and entrance to Cleveland Bay.

The Lighthouse:

As with most other Queensland lighthouses of the era Dent Island has a hardwood frame clad with riveted wrought iron sheets to form a tapered conical tower, three freestanding keepers cottages and a funicular track linking the jetty and boathouse to the lighthouse compound. The original 4th order Fresnel lens has been upgraded a number of times and the current light is provided by a ML-300 lantern.

Notable Keepers and Visitors:

There doesn’t appear to be a reliable record of the various keepers stationed on Dent Island during it’s time as a manned station but sadly there is the grave site of young Caroline Biss who was the daughter of one of the keepers and passed away aged just 3 1/2 in 1885, only six years after the lighthouse was first lit. Such tradgedies were relatively commonplace in the early days given the isolation and lack of available medical services.

Current Status:

Like all active lighthouses Dent Island is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) but it Dent Island is privately owned (or leased) by Hamilton Island and access is strictly limited.i