Commonwealth lightship CARPENTARIA (CLS4)

CLS4 CARPENTARIA is one of four identical unmanned lightships built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard between 1916 and 1918; the first lightships built in Australia. CLS4 has had a long service record with a close association to the areas around Cape York and North Queensland. It is also an example of a design by the Stevenson family from Scotland who were internationally renowned lighthouse builders for over four generations.

The vessel was built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in 1917. The four lightships were numbered CLS 1–4. CLS4 spent much of its time in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and had the name CARPENTARIA emblazoned along the side, but was last stationed in the Bass Strait oilfields serving as a traffic separator. The lightship was retired from service in 1985. CLS4 was fitted with a Southern Cross diesel engine in 1950 by Evans, Deakin of Brisbane to power the windlass. A welded steel angular deckhouse was fitted at the same time to protect the engine.

Constructed of riveted steel CLS4 is almost 22 metres long and displaces 164 tonnes. Candle power was 1,500 candles and the nominal range of the light was 10 nautical miles. The light on CLS4 was powered by a six-month supply of acetylene gas. The vessel carried four A-300 size acetylene cylinders. The AGA acetylene flashing light was inside a lantern with a 250 mm focal radius drum lens. The flow of gas, which was ignited by a pilot flame, was controlled by an automatic mechanism to produce the characteristic code of flashes. A warning bell tolled with the rolling of the ship.

CLS4 CARPENTARIA was retired from service by the Federal Department of Transport in the 1980s. Later in the decade it became part of the National Maritime Collection at the Australian National Maritime Museum.