Old Caloundra Light, construction in 1896, was the first to serve the purpose of marking the entrance to the North West Channel.

Changes in the shipping industry in the 1960s necessitated the construction of a modern signal and radar station, and thus New Caloundra Light was erected in 1967.

[3] The light characteristic shown is three flashes every fifteen seconds, Red at 088°-180°, visible for 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) and White at 180°-345°, visible for 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi)[5] The red sector provides guidance into the Mooloolaba Harbour, while the white sector serves the original purpose of marking the entrance to the North West Channel.

[3] The light source is a 200 Watt sealed beam array, fed from the mains electricity, with a diesel generator and batteries for backup.

[3] The site and the light are operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.