Wyborn Reef Light facts for kids
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| Wyborn Reef Light aerial view | |
 Wyborn Reef Light
Location in Queensland
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| Location | Albany Island Queensland Australia |
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| Coordinates | 10°49′08.88″S 142°46′30.02″E / 10.8191333°S 142.7750056°E |
| Year first constructed | 1938 |
| Foundation | concrete piles |
| Construction | stainless steel skeletal tower |
| Tower shape | square tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower and lantern |
| Height | 69 feet (21 m) |
| Focal height | 70 feet (21 m) |
| Current lens | Chance Brothers 375 mm catadioptric |
| Intensity | white: 3,300 cd red: 660 cd |
| Range | white: 11 nmi (20 km) red: 8 nmi (15 km) |
| Characteristic | Fl (4) WR 20s. |
| Admiralty number | K3252 |
| NGA number | 111-9732 |
| ARLHS number | AUS-283 |
The Wyborn Reef Light is a working lighthouse in Queensland, Australia. It stands on Wyborn Reef, which used to be called Y Reef. This lighthouse is about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southeast of Albany Island. It helps ships find their way into the Albany Passage.
The lighthouse was built in 1938. It was later updated in 1991 and again in 1995. The structure is a strong tower made of stainless steel. Inside, there's a special hut made of fiberglass that holds the light.
Contents
Building the Lighthouse
Building the Wyborn Reef Light was approved on August 18, 1937. It was a bit confusing because there was another light nearby called Wye Reef. But eventually, the Public Works Department started building the Wyborn Reef Light in late 1938.
The workers faced tough conditions. There were 14 of them, and they lived in tents. These tents were on a wooden platform, which was only about 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) above water. The water was known to have tiger sharks! There was no shelter from the hot sun.
The light finally started shining around December 10, 1938. It was designed to work by itself, without anyone needing to be there all the time. It showed a group of flashing white lights.
Updates Over Time
In 1957, a list of lights showed that the Wyborn Reef Light was still working by itself. It had a white light with a red section. The light flashed four times every twenty seconds. This is the same way it flashes today!
The light was made even better in 1991 when it started using solar power. This means it uses energy from the sun to work. It was updated again in 1995. You can still see some old parts from a previous lighthouse next to the current one.
How the Lighthouse Works
The Wyborn Reef Light is a stainless steel tower. It stands on strong concrete poles. The tower is about 17.5 meters (57 feet) tall up to its main platform. On top of the platform is a special room called a gallery. This room holds a white fiberglass lantern. The total height of the lighthouse is about 21 meters (69 feet). Inside the tower, there's a white fiberglass hut that holds the machinery.
The special light inside the lantern room is called a Chance Brothers 375 mm catadioptric Fresnel lens. This type of lens helps make the light very bright and focused.
Light Signals
The light flashes four times every twenty seconds. It shows a white light, but there's a red section that covers a specific area (from 133 to 143 degrees). The white flashes can be seen from about 11 nautical miles (20 kilometers) away. The red flashes can be seen from about 8 nautical miles (15 kilometers) away.
The light uses solar power and a 12 Volt 35 Watt Halogen lamp. The white light is very bright, and the red light is also strong.
Visiting the Lighthouse
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority manages the Wyborn Reef Light. The lighthouse is on a reef, so you can only get there by boat. The area around the lighthouse and the tower itself are not open to the public.
