To mark International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on 17-18 August, AMSA is encouraging Queenslanders to visit Bustard Head Lighthouse, which is accessible by LARC from the town of 1770.
The Bustard Head lighthouse is located approximately 115km north-west of Bundaberg and 55km southeast of Gladstone.
Bustard Head was named by Captain Cook in 1770 after a shore party successfully hunted the bustard birds (a type of bush turkey) in the area.
The complex housing the lighthouse was completed in 1868, and also includes two residences, two residences, associated sheds and a cemetery.
The lighthouse was automated in 1986 and was demanned shortly after.
The lighthouse at Bustard Head is also fitted with an Automatic Identification System (AIS). This is a ship and shore based broadcast system, which is capable of sending and receiving ship information such as identity, position, course, speed, ship particulars and cargo information to and from other ships, suitably equipped aircraft and shore stations.
AMSA Chief Executive Officer Graham Peachey said International Lighthouse Day was held annually across the globe to celebrate the significant role of lighthouses in our history.
“Lighthouses have been used as an aid to navigation for hundreds of years and are a unique part of Australia’s history and coastline,” Mr Peachey said.
“Australia’s coastline has more than 350 lighthouses which have been erected over the past 200 years on islands, beaches and in harbours to improve safety at sea.
“All Australian lighthouses are now automated and continue to play an important role in shipping safety,” Mr Peachey said.
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend was initiated in 1998 by the Ayr Amateur Radio Group in Scotland to promote public awareness of lighthouses and other aids to navigation and their need for preservation and restoration, as well as encouraging amateur radio operators to practice their craft. The Association of Lighthouse Keepers joined the event a few years later to add an open day element to the event.
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