[6] The separation of the colony of Queensland from New South Wale took place with the signing of Letters Patent by Queen Victoria in 1859.

The lighthouse, a typical Queensland timber-framed and iron clad structure, was to be prefabricated and built in Brisbane.

The construction was completed sometime in October 1874, and an additional contract was granted to Midson for the erection of the structures on the site for the sum of £753.

[4] An 1895 survey also reports two additional auxiliary lights on Cape Capricorn, to the north and southeast of the main lighthouse.

Supplies were brought to the base of the hill by steamboat and then manually winched up over 91 metres (299 ft) on a tramway.

However, in July 1915 the lighthouse was transferred to the control of the federal government, and it took eight more years until in 1923 the light source was finally replaced with a 55 millimetres (2.2 in) incandescent vapourised kerosene mantle.

[7] In 1936 the Commonwealth government decided to replace the tower with a new concrete block lighthouse, and plans were prepared in September 1937.

[7] On 8 December 1983, the House Standing Committee on Expenditure tabled its report on the inquiry into lightstations entitled "Lighthouses: Do we keep the keepers?".

[4] The current tower is 6.4 metres (21 ft) high, constructed of concrete blocks in a square plan with chamfered corners, with a small porch at the base.

[7] The keeper's residence includes two cottages, timber-framed, clad with asbestos cement sheets and timber battens, painted white.

Other similarly constructed structures at the premises include a store, the old powerhouse and a winch house, all mounted on high concrete foundations.

It includes a large main room and an adjoined porch, both with projecting flat concrete roofs.

The remains of the previous lighthouses are in a gully north of the station[7] The light is operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.