Dent Island Light

The Dent Island Light is an active lighthouse located on Dent Island, a small island off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1879 and is part of the Whitsunday Group of the Whitsunday Islands. The lighthouse is situated on the southwest tip of the island and guides ships navigating the Whitsunday Passage. It marks the Dent Island Passage and is an important aid to navigation for ships in the area.

The lighthouse is a typical Queensland design, made of a timber frame clad with galvanized iron plates. It has a conical tower with a balcony and lantern, and is painted white with a red dome. The light has undergone several upgrades over the years, including the replacement of the original oil lamp with an incandescent gas mantle and a new lens in the 1920s. In 1983, it was converted to solar power and was demanned in 1987. The current light is a modern ML-300 lantern with an intensity of 1785 cd and a range of 10 nautical miles.

The Dent Island Light has an interesting history, having been closely connected to the Cape Cleveland Light since its inception. The construction of both lighthouses was recommended by Commander George Poynter Heath in 1878, and they were formally approved and constructed together in 1879. The lighthouse was originally equipped with a fourth-order lens and an oil wick burner, and used a clockwork mechanism with weights that had to be wound periodically. Today, the Dent Island Light remains an important aid to navigation and a significant part of Australia's maritime history.

Light and tower

It has a conical tower with balcony and lantern tower. The tower is built of timber frame [[cladding (construction)|clad]] with galvanized iron. Its daymark is white tower and lantern, red lantern dome. Its light characteristic is Fl.W. 5s. It carries a 4th order (original), [[ML-300]] (current) lens. It was automated in 1987. It is managed by Australian Maritime Safety Authority.