rotating mechanism. The original apparatus now resides in the Thursday Island Museum. The battery banks were installed in the ground floor of the tower. The light characteristic was changed to the current, one white flash every ten seconds (Fl.W. 10s), and it is visible for . The light was fully automated and demanned in 1992. Structures The lighthouse is conical, high, made of timber frame clad with galvanised iron. The tower is topped by the original diameter Chance Brothers lantern. It is painted white, with red dome of sheet copper. The dome is topped by a rounded knob and a weather vane. The residences include four cottages, three for the resident lighthouse keepers and an additional relief quarters. The resident keeper residences were built in 1890, and then renovated twice, in the 1920s and 1960s. They are timber-framed, clad with weatherboards and fibre cement. Also associated with these quarters is a glasshouse, timber-framed with external concrete block walls and a corrugated asbestos cement roof. The relief quarters, built in the late 1960s or early 1970s, are timber-framed with external walls of asbestos sheeting and a roof of corrugated asbestos cement. Other buildings in the station include a radio equipment building that doubles as an office, a powerhouse with a fuel store, the tide gauge hut, the radio beacon transmitter building and a workshop. The radio equipment building is timber-framed with external painted concrete block walls and corrugated asbestos cement roof. The powerhouse and the fuel store are constructed of concrete blocks with a corrugated zinc sheeted roof. The powerhouse houses three diesel alternators which provide power to the station. The tide gauge hut, constructed in 1970, is timber-framed with fibre cement sheeting, a galvanised metal deck and an aluminium louvre mechanism. The radio beacon transmitter building, constructed in 1961, is built of concrete blocks with timber framed doors and aluminium hopper windows. Finally, the workshop is timber-framed with fibre cement walls and corrugated asbestos cement roof. Site operation and visiting The light is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The site is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. The location is accessible only by boat, and a special permit is required for landing. Both the tower and the location are closed to the public. Heritage listing The lighthouse was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1998. See also List of lighthouses in Australia Notes References External