Those readers who have been paying close attention to this Blog may recall a visit the crew of the Vulcan Spirit made to the Bustard Head lighthouse on our trip north. On that occasion we slogged up to the site only to find that $10 each was required to view the interior, and we had come penniless. It was so interesting that we just had to revisit on our way south, with money in hand, and we did.

Here is the lighthouse from the outside:

 

 

This was the first lighthouse erected in Queensland, and it is of particular interest because it was made in Bridgewater England in 1866. It is made from cast iron plates bolted together and it came to Australia in pieces as a kit. Here, on the inside, you can see the construction:

 

 

This is all original work, and still in perfect condition. But even more interesting as a piece of history, on display in the keeper’s cottage is a photo of the lighthouse erected in Hennet & Spink’s yard in Bridgewater in 1866, prior to export. They clearly wanted to check that it fitted together to navoid later embarrassment. You can also see some very interesting railway in the photo (despite the glare off the glass) – Brunel’s broadgauge (7 feet) lines, mixed up with standard gauge. A truly fascinating (it may be an acquired taste?) piece of British industrial history, in Australia: