Sandy Cape

Geography

To the south the next two ocean headlands are Waddy Point and Indian Head (the latter was also named by Cook noting "...on which a number of Natives were assembled..." and is also known as Tukkee in the Badtjala language, meaning stone or stone knife).

The cape is protected within the K'gari section of the Great Sandy National Park. BreakSea Spit extends about 30 km north of Sandy Cape. Nesting loggerhead and green turtles use the remote, sandy location as a rookery. Nighttime driving along the beach at Sandy Cape is banned during the nesting season. The vegetation at the cape is stunted and windswept. The foredunes are lightly covered by spinifex grass.

Climate

Sandy Cape has a humid subtropical climate bordering on a tropical monsoon climate and a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Cfa/Am/Aw) with hot, wet summers and very mild, drier winters. On average, the lighthouse recorded 77.7 clear days and 101.2 cloudy days per annum. The wettest recorded day was 27 February 1980 with 432.4 mm of rainfall. Moderated by the warm East Australian Current, Sandy Cape's extreme temperatures ranged from 36.0 C on 22 December 2019 to 5.2 C on 2 July 2007.

|Jan record high C = 34.2 |Feb record high C = 35.8 |Mar record high C = 34.7 |Apr record high C = 31.9 |May record high C = 28.7 |Jun record high C = 27.8 |Jul record high C = 26.5 |Aug record high C = 27.2 |Sep record high C = 29.3 |Oct record high C = 31.8 |Nov record high C = 33.8 |Dec record high C = 36.0 |Jan record low C = 16.7 |Feb record low C = 16.1 |Mar record low C = 14.6 |Apr record low C = 13.3 |May record low C = 9.6 |Jun record low C = 6.7 |Jul record low C = 5.2 |Aug record low C = 5.6 |Sep record low C = 9.4 |Oct record low C = 11.2 |Nov record low C = 13.9 |Dec record low C = 16.0 |Jan dew point C = 20.9 |Feb dew point C = 21.2 |Mar dew point C = 20.1 |Apr dew point C = 18.1 |May dew point C = 15.7 |Jun dew point C = 13.6 |Jul dew point C = 12.0 |Aug dew point C = 12.5 |Sep dew point C = 14.3 |Oct dew point C = 16.4 |Nov dew point C = 18.2 |Dec dew point C = 20.0 |access-date = January 27, 2026}}

History

Matthew Flinders, travelling aboard the Investigator, landed at Sandy Cape in 1802 and noted the desolate landscape. In August 1803, the ships Cato and Porpoise were both sunk off the cape in bad weather.

In late December 1842, HMS Fly anchored behind Sandy Cape where some crewmen and naturalists went ashore and commented on the poor sparse surroundings. The Fly returned in April 1845 and took water from an abundant supply behind the beach and about 7 miles within the Cape.

The Seabelle was wrecked in 1857, the American Bark "Panama" in 1864, and the Chang Chow in 1884 in waters closer to the cape which may contain hidden sandbars. Because of the number of shipwrecks in the vicinity the Sandy Cape Light was constructed in 1870. This marked the first permanent European settlement on Fraser Island.

Sandy Cape Provisional School opened in September 1870, initially to provide schooling for the children of the four lighthouse keepers. By 1878, there were "30 to 40" children in the area. The school closed circa 1918.

The SS Marloo was wrecked in September 1914 on a shoal off Sandy Cape and was beached north of Waddy Point.

Clement Lindley Wragge set up an extensive network of weather stations around Queensland, including one at Sandy Cape in 1891. The cape is still used as a reference point for weather observations; however from May 2015, it has been downgraded to a daily observation, compared with the half-hourly observations at some other weather stations.

Tourism

Vehicle access to Sandy Cape is only available by the eastern beach at low tide. Camping is permitted in the area and it is a popular location with anglers.

References

References

1. {{Cite QPN. 29635. Sandy Cape. cape in the Fraser Coast Region
2. {{Cite QPN. 47533. Fraser Island. island in the Fraser Coast Region
3. Hema Maps. (1997). "Discover Australia's National Parks". [[Random House]] Australia.
4. {{Cite QPN. 36121. Waddy Point. point in the Fraser Coast Region
5. {{Cite QPN. 47541. Indian Head. cape in the Fraser Coast Region
6. Hinchliffe, David. (2006). "Explore Fraser Island". Great Sandy Publications.
7. Jennifer Chapman. (8 February 2010). "Tiny turtles start their journey". APN News & Media.
8. "Climate classification maps: Köppen - all classes". [[Bureau of Meteorology]].
9. "Sandy Cape Lighthouse (1871-2025)". [[Australian Community Media]].
10. "Fraser Coast: History". [[Fraser Coast Regional Council]].
11. "Panama (+1864)". Wrecksite.
12. (19 November 2008). "Fraser Island: Culture and History". Fairfax Media.
13. (7 October 1873). "Sandy Cape Lighthouse School anniversary.". [[Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser]].
14. (7 December 1878). "Maryborough.". [[The Brisbane Courier]].
15. (24 May 1917). "Commonwealth Public Service.". [[Commonwealth of Australia Gazette]].
16. "Queensland schools past and present". [[Queensland Family History Society]].
17. {{cite QHR. 22230. Protected Area - SS Marloo. 800001
18. (23 May 1891). "New Meteorological Stations.". [[The Queenslander]].
19. (1 February 2017). "Latest Coastal Weather Observations for Sandy Cape". [[Australian Bureau of Meteorology]].
20. (1 February 2017). "Latest Coastal Weather Observations for Queensland". [[Australian Bureau of Meteorology]].