Fingal Head (New South Wales)

Fingal Head was first sighted by James Cook about (17.15 EST 15 May)-16 May 1770 (Log date). The area and sall town is often just called Fingal. It is located on the Far North Coast of New South Wales in TheTweed Shire, about 5 kl. South of the New South Wales and Queensland border, and south of the Gold Coast.

Geography

The Tweed River,(Discovered by John Oxley in October 1823)on the north coast of New South Wales runs northwards close to the coast for about 6km before reaching its mouth just south of present day Point Danger. (NSW/Queensland) A spit (landform) about 500-800 metres wide Called "Letitia Spit" (first ship to enter the river in July 1840)runs south for one and a half miles to Fingal Head.

The headland itself was made form the magma flow from the extinct volcano,Mount Warning.There are walking tracks all over this area. Directly offshore (about 500 metres) from the headland is a rocky uninhabited island (Cook Island) first charted by James Cook in 1770. The stretch of water to the Island is called the "Giants Causeway". Cook Island was made a marine reserve in 1998 (fishing is prohibited in the waters nearby.

History

For over 40 years now there has been controversy over the naming of this point, by James Cook in May 1770. However, Indisputable evidence confirms that Fingal Head was the point named Point Danger, by Cook. There has never been feasible evidence that would support the theory that Cook ever saw the point, now named Point Danger.

In 1823 John Oxley took shelter from Southerly winds."...under the lee of the Island in 7 fms. sany Bottom. [Before anchoring we] ... passed close to a Bold Headland about 3 Miles North of Pt.D. [Point Danger] On the South Side of this headland we had the satisfation to discover a considerable river..." [The Tweed River]

John Uniack and later Oxley went onto the island, where they found some sea turtlls and called the island "Turtle Island". In 1828 Henry John Rous (Captain of HMS Rainbow)surveyed Oxley's Tweed River. (the name used today) A chart published in 1831 by the Master of the "Rainbow" showing the island as "Cook's Isle" and the river named the "Clarance River" - the unnamed headland, North of the river was named Point Danger. However the off-shore reefs East of the Island where not marked.

The local aboriginal people were the Minjungbal, but the impact of white settlement meant they were almost wiped out by 1900. [James Cook's hand-written manuscript dated 16 may 1770 held at the National Library ] [John Oxley's hand-written note book, dated Fri.31 Oct [1823] (Archives Office of NSW location 2/8093)]

Lighthouse

Infobox_Lighthouse
name = Fingal Head Lighthouse


caption =
location = Fingal Head, NSW
coordinates =
yearbuilt =
yearlit = 1878
automated = 1920
yeardeactivated =
foundation =
construction = Sandstone
shape = Cylindrical
marking = White
height = 7 m
elevation = 24 m
lens =
currentlens =
intensity =
range =
characteristic = Fl. 5 s
fogsignal =
admiralty =K2844
NGA =5872
ARLHS =AUS-073| A provisional light station was established on the head in 1872 and in 1878 a proper lighthouse, built as a sandstone construction in a round design, was inaugurated. It was part of a series of five such lighthouses established between 1878 and 1880. The tower only stands 7 metres high, but that suffices since the headland itself adds additional height. Thus the focal plane of the lightsource is situated at 24 m above sea level. In 1920 the lightsource was changed from kerosene to acetylene and became automated. It was electrified in 1980. The light characteristic is a single flash every five seconds. Depending on the bearing, red light is shown in the east sector while the other sectors show white.

urfing

Since 1996 Fingal has hosted an annual surfing competition for indigenous surfers. The first year attracted 90 surfers from across Australia. In 1999, SBS television commissioned a documentary called "Surfing the Healing Wave" about that competition, as part of an "Unfinished Business - Reconciling the Nation" series. It won Best Australian Documentary at the 2000 Real Life on Film Festival.

Fingal is not particularly noted as a surf spot as such. The headland does not form a point break on either side, so it is just beach breaks that occur there, but the southern side is one of the few places near the Gold Coast with any protection from northerly winds.

References

* [http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazd01?rec=109151 Fingal Head page] at Geoscience Australia
* UBD Brisbane Street Directory, 1992, ISBN 0-7319-0415-X.
*
*cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/nsw.htm|author=Rowlett, Russ|title=The Lighthouse Directory
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/new-south-wales/fingal-head/2005/02/17/1108500193540.html Fingal Head travel] , in The Age newspaper 8 February 2004
* [http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/marine_protected_areas/aquatic-reserves/ar_cook_island.htm Cook Island Aquatic Reserve page] at NSW Dept of Primary industries
* [http://www.vibe.com.au/vibe/corporate/celebrity_vibe/showceleb.asp?id=161 VIBE article on Kevin Slabb]
* [http://www.afc.gov.au/filmsandawards/filmdbsearch.aspx?view=title&title=BOARDS&area=title&type=Documentary&genre=Indigenous+People+-+Australia "Surfing the Healing Wave"] at the Australian Film Commission
* [http://www.roninfilms.com.au/video/1886985/0/1832322.html "Surfing the Healing Wave" at Ronin Films]
* [http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve2/1000sbs.html "Unfinished Business" review] in "The Guardian" newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia, 17 May 2000