1770

Jun 10 / Lieutenant James Cook, sailing past Low Isles in HMS Endeavour made a note in his log describing a "small low island" about 2 Leagues from the Main.

1819

Jun 24 /  Capt Phillip Parker King on the cutter Mermaid officially named Low Isles and Cooktown, previously Cook’s Town

1842

The first to study the Reef was Prof. Joseph Beete Jukes who came on the survey vessel HMS Fly.

 1860s and 1870s

A beche-de-mer station was established.

 1877

May /   The tender to erect a lighthouse and cottage was approved. The 18-metre tower was constructed on a timber frame with a galvanised sheath in the typical Queensland fashion. Attached to the top was a 1.5m diameter lantern.

1878

Nov /  The light was exhibited for the first time from the new lighthouse, the first keeper being Captain Daniel Owen, previous master of the S.S.Corea.

The original oil wick light was upgraded to kerosene in 1923, to electricity in 1963 and finally converted to solar power in 1993, when the station was de-manned. The original 1878 lens for the light is on display in the Court House Museum.

1887

First official weather observations are recorded.

1902

Mar 19 /  Assistant lighthouse keeper William Hannah, aged 42, his daughter Doris Irene Margaret Wallace Hannah aged 14 and son William Thompson Escar Hannah aged 10 went missing in a dinghy. They disappeared without trace.

Jul /  Hugh Nibloe arrived from Glasgow to be the lighthouse keeper. His wife Agnes, and two daughters Jessie and Alice, followed in 1908. Woody Island then was called Low Woody. The head keeper was Mr Simpson. 

1911

Oct /   Three bodies were found at Cape Flattery. At first they were thought to be missing young men from the Valda who went missing sailing to Green Island, but two of the bodies were children, thought to be the Hannahs.

Mar 11 /  A severe cyclone left the island without trees.

1928

Jul 16 /  The world’s first detailed scientific study of coral reef took place on Low Isles. The European expedition party, led by Dr C. M. Yonge, aimed to study the life processes of coral and of the formation and maintenance of reef.

Aug 8 / John James (Jackie) Carter, passed away aged three years 8 months. Son of Joseph and Mary Carter, Low Island lightkeepers, he died in Port Douglas Hospital and was buried under a mound of coral in Port Douglas Cemetery. When the grave could not be found, the family erected a headstone on January 1, 2014.

Sep 24 /  An RAF ‘amphibian’ flying boat landed at Low Isles and taxied onto the beach, having taken aerial photos.

1929

Jul 28 /   The scientific expedition left Low Isles.

1934

Mar 12 /   A cyclone crossed the coast at Cape Tribulation, destroyed out buildings on the island with 79 lives lost at sea in the area north to Cooktown.

 1951/2  

Lloyd Williams was assistant lighthouse keeper. His son Ian was born there. They were transferred to Low Island by the old lighthouse steamer Cape Leeuwin.

Early 1960s 

The original cottages had been built in a radial arc around the tower. The same arrangement was used when these cottages were replaced in the early 1960s. The new cottages were raised in the tropical style with the area underneath being available for utility areas, workshop and stores. None of the original cottages and buildings remain.

1962

Jan 26 / The first annual Low Isles boat race was held by the Port Douglas Combined Clubs.

1963

The light was upgraded to electric operation. The original buildings were built in a radial arc around the tower. The same arrangement was used when these cottages were replaced. A new fibro boat house was built.

1979

The first daily cruise to Low Isles began with the Martin Cash owned by Jim and Jo Wallace. 

1981

The Great Barrier Reef, one of Australia's first World Heritage Areas, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values. It is the world's largest World Heritage Area extending 2,000 kilometres and covering an area of 35 million hectares, bigger than the entire area of Italy.

1992

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority announced it was removing its lighthouse keepers from Low Isles and automating the lighthouse. The title would be transferred to the Marine Parks.

Low Isles Preservation Society (LIPS) was formed. A Queensland Parks and Wildlife (QPWS) Ranger would be based on the Isles, and an Indigenous ranger at Port Douglas.

1993

The lighthouse was automated. The solar conversion and installation of a 16 nautical miles self-contained beacon was made, and the lighthouse was de-manned.

The title for Low Isles is transferred to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the lighthouse is now controlled by Qld Parks and Wildlife Service.  The local community forms the LIPS to protect Low Isles and to promote reef research and education.

 LIPS first participated in Clean up Australia Day at Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas and Low Isles.

1994

The last lighthouse keeper leaves and a ranger station and University of Queensland Research Centre were established on the island. Only four tour companies had permits to land on the island.

LIPS initiated a volunteer marine ranger position to assist in the day-to-day management of Low Isles.

 Between September and March a large population of pied imperial pigeons live and breed on Woody Island, the mangrove-covered shingle cay next to Low Island. Since 1994 LIPS has assisted the QPWS with the volunteer monthly counting programs to monitor the number of pigeons on the island.

Quicksilver’s sailing catamaran Wavedancer commenced cruises to Low Isles.

1995

An innovative program, supported by LIPS, QPWS, Bamaga Bubu Ngadimunku Corporation and KMKM Aboriginal Corporation, was designed to train Indigenous people to work as Marine Park Rangers in their sea traditional waters.

The first trainee rangers graduated in 1996. Volunteer marine rangers relieved the permanent Low Isles ranger for approximately 100 days per year as well as involvement in other LIPS projects.

1999

Several volunteers dived in the lagoon at Low Isles and collected rubbish including fishing line. LIPS was the regional winner of the 1999-2000 Clean Beach Challenge for the Low Isles beach.

2000

Mar 6 / The Low Isles Heritage Walk was officially opened.

2006

Sep 4 /  Steve Irwin, wildlife conservationist and celebrity, was killed by a stingray on Batt Reef whilst filming. Steve was taken to Low Isles and helicoptered to Port Douglas but he’d died from loss of blood when he pulled the barb out from his heart. 

2008

Low Isles is registered on the Commonwealth Heritage List in recognition of its cultural and Indigenous heritage.

2015

Feb /  Shaolin, a Chinese junk, was bought by Flynn and Skye Bickford, to run daily cruises to Low Isles from Port Douglas.

2017

Jun / Steve Sherwell, owner of Reef Sprinter purchased the former Enterprise mooring at Low Isles from Stargate, for a reported $4 million, giving them 365 days access to the island. Previously their permit only allowed 50 days a year access. The other three 365-day permit holders are Calypso/Aquarius, Quicksilver and Sailaway.

November /  Tropical Journeys was sold to Experience, formerly known as Skydive the Beach.

2018

Aug 16 /   Jane Macdonnell and Peter Nolan, from the Sunshine Coast, won the tender to become new caretakers at Low Isles.

Several commercial tour boats visit Low Isles daily. Woody Island is a protected wildlife sanctuary.

Compiled by Pam Willis Burden with Gail Cockburn  in March 2022.