Raine Island Beacon

The limestone beacon rises 12 meters high with a 9-meter base diameter, featuring a cylindrical form that decreases in four steps toward a crenellated parapet.

Convict laborers constructed this navigational structure in 1844 using local materials, including coral limestone and shells burned for mortar from the Martha Ridgway shipwreck.

The entrance displays the inscription VR and the year 1844, while interior walls contain messages left by sailors who used this structure as a shelter.

The beacon remains visible from 13 nautical miles away and contains three internal levels that were originally connected by wooden ladders.

This structure stands as the oldest European building in tropical Australia, constructed to guide ships through the dangerous waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Location: Queensland

GPS coordinates: -11.59050,144.03510

Latest update: March 7, 2025 00:21