Flat Top Island Light, Timber-framed lighthouse on Flat Top Island, Queensland.
Flat Top Island Light is a conical tower on a small island about 6.5 kilometres east of Mackay, at the mouth of the Pioneer River. It has an internal timber frame clad in galvanized iron plates, a stone and concrete foundation 1.2 metres deep and 5.2 metres wide, and a diameter of 3.43 metres at the base narrowing to 2.1 metres at the top. The tower measures 6 metres from the ground to the balcony, the shortest of Queensland's timber-framed iron-clad lighthouses, and is painted white with a red dome.
Construction started in December 1877, and after the lighting equipment was installed, the lighthouse became operational on December 27, 1879. It served maritime traffic in the region for many decades.
The light showed white toward directions clear of danger and red over hazards, with an extra red sector added later for further dangerous spots. It also marked the shoals at Shoalwater Point and a reef off Hay Point, guiding ships toward the Pioneer River entrance.
The lighthouse sits about 6.5 kilometers east of Mackay on an island and can only be reached by boat from the mainland. Visitors planning to see it should arrange boat access in advance and check weather conditions before going out.
In January 1918 the lighthouse was the only structure on Flat Top Island and the only aid to navigation to survive the Mackay cyclone. Its light was automated around 1920, and in 1991 the source was still an open-flame acetylene gas burner. The light was discontinued in March 2007 and the tower is conserved on site.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,178 contributors worldwide.