43DA/AUS-300, North Head Islet Lighthouse

Lighthouse On The Air (LOTA) fanatics will be on the edge of their shack chairs when 43DA020 Geoff commences his LOTA activation of the North Head Islet Lighthouse on 8 January 2012.

The callsign for this exciting activity will be 43DA/AUS-300, with the unique AUS-300 suffix being the reference for this historically categorised light according to the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) World List of Lights (See http://wlol.arlhs.com/lighthouse/AUS300.html). 

The North Head Islet Lighthouse (See above) is located a few hundred meters off the coast of Bowen, on a small rocky islet of the Great Barrier Reef which shares the same name as the light.  A six-sided wooden tower 9 meters in height with a red cupola, this light has never been activated on any band according to all known databases.

The nearby town of Bowen on the north-east coast of Australia, half way between Townsville and Mackay, has a rich maritime history with several shipwrecks occurring nearby including the steamship Gothenburg which sank off Bowen in 1875 with a loss of more than 100 lives.  Lighthouses such as the one at North Head, therefore, played a significant role in promoting safety at sea.

Geoff will be active on weekends from within visual sight and 1000m of the lighthouse, in accordance with guidelines outlined by the ARLHS.  Recon missions undertaken by one of DA-RC’s big gun DX Hunters indicate that his location will have beautiful 360-degree views of ocean and islands in the Queensland State (South Coast) North group, as well as the North Head Islet Lighthouse itself.

A special QSL card will be available from the OC QSM 43DA001 Darren to confirm contacts made with this LOTA activity.

Complete Infos

  • QRZ: 43DA/AUS-300
  • Type of Activity: Lighthouse On The Air (LOTA)
  • Name of Lighthouse: North Head Islet (Port Denison)
  • Reference Number: AUS-300
  • Status: Historical
  • Longitude/Latitude: 19.95S – 23S / 148.17E – 152.67E
  • QSL Manager: 43DA001 Darren (See http://www.delta-alfa.com/about/manager/ )
  • Contribution: Standard (1 x IRC + SAE or 2 x $1 US + SAE) (1 x SSAE + $1 US /AUD is suffice for local contacts)