Cooktown Lighthouse Grassy Hill

Grassy Hill Lighthouse. Cooktown was established in 1873, but no beacon guided ships through the reef until the lighthouse was built in 1886. Grassy Hill Light, also known as Cooktown Light, is an active lighthouse located on Grassy Hill above Cooktown, Queensland, Australia, on the south side of the entrance to Endeavour River. Wikipedia

Cooktown was established in October 1873 to accommodate for the Palmer River Gold Rush, and became a thriving port in the 1880s. The first lights in and out of the port were leading lights set on sheds on the wharves. A signal staff was erected on Grassy Hill in 1874 to announce incoming ships, and a cottage was constructed for the signal staff operator in 1878–79. By 1882 a temporary light was set on the hill. In 1883 and 1884.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassy_Hill_Light

During World War II, from early 1942 to February 1945, a radar station was operated by the 56 Radar Unit, RAAF near the lighthouse. An imitation lighthouse keeper’s cottage was constructed for camouflage purposes, and the defensive installations surrounded the station. All structures were removed after the war. In 1970 a sandstone cairn was placed at the summit of the hill to commemorate the bi-centenary of Cook’s survey from the summit.

There are two lookout points..one looks down into Cooktown and the other, the top, looks out to the ocean.

Control of the lighthouse remained in the hands of the Commonwealth until November 1987, when it was transferred back to the Queensland government, with the Department of Transport operating the light, Cook Shire Council as trustees for the reserve, and local volunteers maintaining the tower