Point Cartwright Light
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox lighthouse
| name = Point Cartwright Light
| image = Point Cartwright Light.jpg
| caption = Point Cartwright Light, 2007
| location = Point Cartwright
Queensland
Australia
| coordinates = {{coord|26|40|46.94|S|153|08|18.45|E|display=inline,title}}
| yearbuilt = 1978{{harvnb|Rowlett}}, {{harvnb|Lighthouses of Australia Inc}}. {{harvnb|Searle}} states 1979.
| yearlit =
| automated = 1978
| yeardeactivated =
| foundation =
| construction = reinforced concrete
| shape = pentagonal tower
| marking = white tower and lantern
| height = {{convert|105|ft}}
| focalheight = {{convert|174|ft}}
| lens =
| currentlens =
| intensity = white: 310,000 cd
red: 2,100 cd
| range = white: {{convert|23|nmi|km|abbr=on}}
red: {{convert|11|nmi|km|abbr=on}}
| characteristic = Fl (3) WR 15s.
| fogsignal =
| racon =
| managingagent = Australian Maritime Safety Authority
}}
Point Cartwright Light is an active lighthouse located on Point Cartwright, a point near the mouth of the Mooloolah River, in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia. It marks the entrance to the North West Channel, a deep water channel into Moreton Bay and the Port of Brisbane, and provides guidance into the Mooloolaba Harbour.
History
Old Caloundra Light, construction in 1896, was the first to serve the purpose of marking the entrance to the North West Channel. Changes in the shipping industry in the 1960s necessitated the construction of a modern signal and radar station, and thus New Caloundra Light was erected in 1967. However, New Caloundra Light was to have a short lifespan as a coastal light. By 1978 the buildings in Caloundra had grown in height, obscuring it from some angles.{{sfn|QHR31351}}{{sfn|Lighthouses of Australia Inc}}
Point Cartwright Light was built in 1978.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-12 |title=Kawana Island, Sunshine Coast |url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/kawana-island-sunshine-coast |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=State Library of Queensland |language=en}} It was the sixth of a group of seven concrete towers erected by the Commonwealth between 1964 and 1979, by order of construction, Cape Capricorn Light, New Caloundra Light, Point Danger Light, New Burnett Heads Light, Fitzroy Island Light, itself and Archer Point Light.{{sfn|QHR31351}} The light was automatic from its construction and was never staffed.{{sfn|Lighthouses of Australia Inc}}
Current display
The light characteristic shown is three flashes every fifteen seconds, Red at 088°-180°, visible for {{convert|11|nmi}} and White at 180°-345°, visible for {{convert|23|nmi}}List of Lights The red sector provides guidance into the Mooloolaba Harbour, while the white sector serves the original purpose of marking the entrance to the North West Channel.{{sfn|Lighthouses of Australia Inc}} The light source is a 200 Watt sealed beam array, fed from the mains electricity, with a diesel generator and batteries for backup. The intensity of the white flashes is 310,000 cd, while that of the red flashes is only 2,100 cd. This is achieved by a filter and a red plexiglas screen.{{sfn|Lighthouses of Australia Inc}}
Site operation and visiting
The site and the light are operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The site is open to the public, but the tower is closed.{{sfn|Rowlett}}
See also
{{Portal|Queensland|Engineering}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite ngall|111|2009|114}} Listed as "Point Carwright"
- {{cite rowlett|qld|accessdate=14 November 2010}}
- {{cite loa|QLD|Point%20Cartwright|The Point Cartwright Lighthouse}}
- {{cite QHR|31351|Caloundra Lighthouses|602746|accessdate=13 July 2015}}
- {{cite sslidx|QLD}}
{{Refend}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.maizels.nu/lights/qld/point_cartwright/ Grant and Tracey's Lighthouse Pages - Point Cartwright]
{{Lighthouses of Queensland}}
{{Authority control}}