Point Danger (Australia)

Infobox_lighthouse|name=Point Danger
location=Gold Coast, Australia


caption=
coordinates =
yearlit= 1971
yeardeactivated=
automated= 1971
intensity=
elevation= 45 metres
range= convert|18|nmi|km|0
foundation=
construction= Concrete
shape= Four rectangular pillars
marking=White with the principal compass directions inscribed on the pillars, bronze sculpture between the pillars
height= 20 meters
lens=
characteristic=Fl.(2) 10s
fogsignal =
admiralty =K2845
NGA =5868
ARLHS =AUS-132

Point Danger is a high steep headland right on the border between Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, at the southern end of the Gold Coast. The headland separates Snapper Rocks/Rainbow Bay to the north, and Duranbah beach and the Tweed River mouth to the south

* A popular park and lookout.
* Captain Cook memorial lighthouse.
* Centaur Memorial and Walk of Remembrance
* The Point Danger Volunteer Marine Rescue.
* The southern end of the Gold Coast Oceanway

The lighthouse/Cook Memorial was finished in 1971,it is an unusual modern style lighthouse and was the first in the world to experiment with lasers to increase its beam. The experiment was unsuccessful and it returned to conventional electric lamps. It emits a double white flash every ten seconds at a focal plane height of 44.5 metres. However there is NO Reefs off, or running East from this point. [Australian Chart AUS-813]

The Centaur Memorial remembers the sinking of Australian Hospital Ship "Centaur" by a Japanese submarine on 14 May 1943. The Walk of Remembrance commemorates other ships lost to Japanese and German action during World War II and takes the form of plaques arranged in a semi-circle around the lookout fence.

History

Captain James Cook while sailing North about 5 pm. on the 16 May 1770 (Log Date) encountered the reefs that run 3 nautical miles East from Fingal Head and Cook Island, to avoid these reefs Cook was forced to change His course to the East.The next morning, (same Log date 16 May) James Cook, although much further out to sea, recorded the location of the reefs and named the point off which the island and reefs lie - Point Danger. [southseas.nla.gov.au/journals/cook/17700516] These reefs are now named Danger Reefs' and comprise of, Inner Reef - South Reef and - Outer Reef. [Australian Hydrographic Chart "AUS 813"]

"Cook could have hardly defined the shoals off his Point Danger with greater accuracy" [Dr. Nigel Erskine’s report -Australian National Maritime Museum 8 March 2007]

For over 40 years now there has been controversy over the naming of Point Danger.However, indisputable evidence confirms that Fingal Head was the point James Cook named Point Danger in May 1770. There is no evidence, to support the fabricated theory that James Cook ever saw/or named the present-day Point Danger.

["Cook's Point Danger" Geographical Names Board of NSW - ISBN o-7313-8831-3] [Minutes-Meeting of Tweed Shire Council Page 432-435 06/09/2000] [www.nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an43194413nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an43194413] [www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20080409009] -- () 03:05, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

References

* [http://www.grahamswebdesign.com/vmrhome.htm Point Danger Volunteer Marine Rescue]
*cite web|url=http://www.lighthouse.net.au/lights/QLD/Point%20Danger/Point%20Danger.htm|title=The Point Danger Lighthouse|publisher=Lighthouses of Australia
*cite web|url=http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/stories/THDHS/#Walk|title=Walk of Remembrance and Centaur Memorial|publisher=Big Volcano® Tourism Marketing & Media|year=2003|accessdate=July 23|accessyear=2008

[James Cook's hand-written manuscript -16May 1770 - held at the National Library ] [Henry Rous' hand-written manuscript log from HMS Rainbow - held at the National Library ] [John Oxley's hand-written manuscript 'Fri.31 Oct [1823] - Archives Office of NSW (location 2/8093)] [Australian Hydrographic Chart "AUS 813"]