From dusk till dawn: A history of Australian lighthouses

by Gordon Reid

264 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1988

About the author

A recluse and private scholar, Dr Gordon Reid has had four histories and one work in the field of literary theory published. At present, he is working on the ontological status of fictional characters.

He has two PhDs: the first in History, awarded by the ANU in 1987, and the other in English, awarded by the UNSW in 1998.

Gordon wrote ‘Evelyn Crowley’ as a form of light relief while working on the ontological topic and to test a theory that fictional characters do have a reality of their own.

Other novels and books
‘That Unhappy Race : Queensland and the Aboriginal Problem 1838-1901’
‘Against the Grain’ published by W.H. Allen in London in 1967,
‘A Flower in Cathonia’

Dr Gordon Reid should not be confused with the Gordon Reid who authors fantasy fiction titles.

Reviews

[Rozanna Lilley]

Definitely one for the pharology boffins - loads of impressive detail about light technology, navaids, construction materials and so on. Buried within this exhausting amassing of facts (and meticulous research) is an interesting history of the priorities of colonial society, the importance of shipping routes and the difficulties federalism posed for a coherent policy promoting maritime safety. I loved the social history and would have liked to have known more about keepers and their families. Stunning colour plates kept me turning the pages. I don't know if I've ever read a book before by someone with two PhDs - funnily enough, I also have, as I like to say, one PhD too many.