 The original Pine Islet lighthouse, now at Mackay Marina | |
 | |
| Location | Mackay Queensland Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 21°06′37.8″S 149°13′29.7″E / 21.110500°S 149.224917°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1885 |
| Construction | timber frame clad with galvanized iron |
| Height | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Shape | conical tower with double balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower, red lantern dome |
| Light | |
| Deactivated | 1985 |
| Range | 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) |
Pine Islet Light, also known as Percy Isles Light, is an active lighthouse located at Pine Islet, a small islet belonging to the Percy Isles group of the Northumberland Islands, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast of Mackay, Queensland, Australia. The original lighthouse, established 1885, was active for a hundred years, until it was deactivated in 1985, by then the last kerosene powered lighthouse in Australia.[1] It was relocated to the Mackay Marina in 1985 and restored to full working condition, making it the last fully functional kerosene operated lighthouse in the world.[1] At the original location now stands a modern fiberglass tower.[2]
The light was first proposed in 1881 and again in 1882. Tenders were called in 1883, and the lighthouse was constructed by W. P. Clark in 1885, a typical Queensland lighthouse built of a hardwood frame clad with galvanized iron plates. The light source and the apparatus were upgraded in 1923 and in 1934 respectively. The cottages were replaced in 1927. The station received electricity in 1950, but the light remained kerosene operated until it was decommissioned in 1985. Reconstruction of the lighthouse at Mackay, where it stands today, took from 1989 to 1995. The lighthouse is accessible to the public and tours are available.
The current lighthouse at Pine Islet is a 20 feet (6.1 m) high fiberglass tower without a lamp, which also serves as a daymark. The light source is a solar powered VRB-25 lamp. The site is not accessible to the public.