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Dear FriendsIts Time Get PassionateLighthouses of Australia Inc. is up and running and it is time get involved. Whether you just join or become an active contributor, now is the time to protect, preserve and promote our Australian Lighthouses. We've had a great response to last month's article on the abolition of the Australian Heritage Commission from Helen Rutley. In a final of a series, read Ian Clifford's article on why you should get involved, followed by Malcolm Macdonald's article on how you can get involved. Lighthouses of the Air Drop in on MalcolmLloyd and Winsome visited Malcolm for a cup of tea and a chat on wednesday. They had arrived in Melbourne after flying down the New South Wales Coast, then across the Eastern Victorian Coast as part of their circumnavigation of Australia. The photos they showed Malcolm of the lighthouses they had flown over were very impressive. For more details of their journey check out Sam Calders report. We are looking forward also to a series of reports on their adventure on the completion of their trip. FeaturesAsk Not What Your Lighthouse Project Can Do[by Ian Clifford <icliffo@tpgi.com.au>]Following on from my article in last month's bulletin about the continuing and constant changes to our lighthouses and the increasing need to demonstrate public interest. I urge you not to rely on the public interest of others, you will, I assure you be very disappointed.
If you are a lighthouse enthusiast, admirer or whatever, let others, particularly you local federal and state members know. I am urging you all to become proactive. I am also urging you to become involved in the project in some capacity. It doesn't have to be in a major role, in fact it's the coalface that always has vacancies.
One of our frustrations within the project has been the difficulty in getting material from states other than NSW and VIC. There continues to be many lighthouses unrepresented from other areas. I know that lots of you reading this probably think that you don't have the skill to offer anything to the project. Let me assure you that you do. If you are reading this you have the only prerequisite required, an interest in lighthouses. That's where we all started !
Distance is no problem, you've got the internet or even the good old post. So it doesn't matter where you are, in Australia or overseas; even steering committee meetings are on the net; you can participate in any capacity. Things like writing articles, proof reading, registering pages with search engines, can all be done from anywhere. Lighthouse preservation is an international issue and much can be learned from overseas experience. We welcome any international contributions and would like to encourage international participation in the project. The more people that can contribute material to the site the richer and more diverse it will become. I know that in NSW alone there is quite a lot happening. If you know of news surrounding a lighthouse, any lighthouse, please forward it to the bulletin editor.
One of the things stopping us getting more lighthouse pages up is often a lack of historical information. It's easy enough to get current photos but it usually requires a bit of work, often at the local historical society level to get the details necessary to put a page together properly. I must admit that research is my weak point, but that's the thing, someone's weakness is another person's strength. I know there are some people out there who specialise in research; we need you! The success of the project to date is solely due to the effort and commitment of the people who have been involved up until now. Imagine what it can become when this effort and commitment is expanded.
What Can You Do ?[Malcolm Macdonald <keeper@lighthouse.net.au>] There has been a steady flow of enquiries to join the new organisation and the move has also increased the amount of people who are already inputing into it's continued success. It still needs all of you to get involved to ensure its ongoing success whether it be contributing simply through financial membership, helping with administration or the putting together stories and other materials to the lighthouse pages and bulletins.
Many of you who have either subscribed to the free Monthly Bulletin or have applied for membership have asked how you can help. Some of you are worried because you are not a computer guru or that because you live on the other side of Australia or overseas you are not physically here to make a contribution. There are heaps of jobs that can be done here or anywhere. Jobs such as:
One simple job that can be done from where you are is periodic registration of pages with the major search engines. We could send you a short list of pages with keywords, description, URLs etc and it just a cut and paste job on each engine. If you are not over experienced you will soon get your head around a computer if you have an job or an interest to persue.
Another is checking pages for dead links or missing pictures. Also finding replacement links for dead links. Updating the World Links page has fallen way behind and is ideal for one individual anywhere in the world. Regarding the Bulletin, the fact is that Ed and I had to put far too many hours into the April Bulletin ourselves and we were very tired. We have done other bulletins where a bit of help has made it a lot easier. For example:
It is important to note that the Monthly Bulletin will still be FREE to all who wish to recieve it, members and non-members. It is far too valuable in it contribution to become an exclusive vassell of a select few. Regarding the Committee and sub-committees we will be having a meeting soon and will be looking for nominations for roles on the Committee and various subcommittees from applicants for membership. Some of the sub-committees and areas of special interest groups that are being suggested are:
Have a look a the following to see if you feel there is anything you can contribute with. Feel happy to email for more information <keeper@lighthouse.net.au> The Main Committee will consist of:
The Bulletin Committee will consist of:
The Fundraising Committee will consist of:
The Keepers Lists Special Interest Group will consist of:
Other Special Interest Groups:
State and Local Groups will consist of:
We also need an Auditor, though this is not a committee position * Position is currently allocated The interim committee is communicating regularly and will soon hold a meeting to start accepting new nominations and set up some of these sub-committes and special interest groups. As you are aware, all the work on this Project has been as a result of the goodwill of all of you who are involved. Many of you have made huge contributions out of your own time and expense and it has all helped to make this project the success it is. The credit belongs to all of you. If you are interested in nominating any of the above positions then send us a detailed list of what your skills and experiences are. Distance and working over the Net is no problem. Don't forget, any participation will be most welcome so join and become a member. Journey To The Light[Miss Andrea Marks <andream@tas.qld.edu.au>] In 1974 my family travelled to Tasmania for the first time. As we set off my grandfather said "go to New Norfolk because that's where my family come from". As we had no particular interest in genealogy at the time, an unsuccessful search through the New Norfolk graveyard sufficed for that trip.In 1995 my mother and I returned to Tasmania with the intent of uncovering where my paternal great grandparents George MARKS and Edith May BEDFORD came from. We were armed with only their birth certificates which provided us with their date and place of birth as well as their parents names and fathers' occupations. Our first port of call was the Archives of Tasmania (AOT) where we asked the person at the desk for some direction as to where to commence our search. To our surprise we discovered that both of George's parents - George MARKS and Mary KELLY along with Edith's father - Joseph BEDFORD were convicts. To go back to where it all began we had to return to Ireland. George MARKS(snr) and Mary KELLY were victims of the potato famine in Ireland. George was convicted for breaking in to a gentleman's house and stealing potatoes and Mary for stealing a cow. Consequently, they were both sentenced and sent to Tasmania. George arrived in Tasmania on 14 August,1852 aboard the Lord Dalhousie and Mary on 1 September, 1852 aboard the Martin Luther. Both were put straight to work, George carrying out work for the Marine Board and Mary for John GILLON (a well known stonemason) in the Hobart area. On 29 September, 1856 after both had been given their Ticket of Leave they married and in June of 1857 Mary gave birth to twin boys - William and Henry MARKS b. 9 June. Their third son George was born on 13 February, 1862 while still living in Hobart. In 1865 George MARKS (senior) took up a position on Goose Island Lighthouse alongside the two other assistants Alex GORRIE and Robert JACKSON and the Superintendent Henry NAPPER.
Goose Island is the most westerly of the Furneaux Group of islands on the North Eastern tip of Tasmania. The lighthouses in this area were a vital link in trade between Tasmania and mainland Australia and as such, required twenty-four hour maintenance by the Superintendents and their teams of 3 assistants. Life on 'the Goose' was difficult due to it's remoteness, poor weather and unreliable food supplies. Violent winds lashed the Island for much of the time often in conjunction with rain for days on end. On one such occasion the damage to the roof on one assistant's house forced two of the families, already working in such close quarters, to live together until repairs could be made on their house. Boredom must have met them at every turn. One wonders if this was on one occasion averted by the superintendent by prolonging chores for the men over several days. In reports gathered from the AOT there are several consecutive days entries which mention polishing the brass on the lighthouse and the surrounding buildings and of repairing wheelbarrows and then painting them!
In times of illness, help was a long way off. Limited supplies meant that the First Aid kit was often low or empty. Rowing out to passing ships in some cases proved fatal and the nearest medical help was in Launceston or Hobart. In 1868 (three years after commencing work on 'The Goose') George MARKS (snr) fell ill with unexplained dizzy spells which took him several hours or days to recover from. He travelled to Hobart for medical advice several times over the next couple of years but on 5 January 1871 he died suddenly on Goose Island. As there was no available timber on Goose Island the other men constructed a makeshift coffin from old doors. He was buried the next day in the small cemetery which was already the resting place of "a major... and a poor black boy" (according to Canon Marcus Brownrigg in the book Mission to the Islands by Stephen Murray-Smith, Foot & Playsted, Launceston 1987).
George's wife Mary (KELLY) MARKS and their three sons moved back to Hobart. George (jnr) working as a stonemason in Tasmania and then in Bowral, NSW at the 'Gib' and William and Henry working on whaling boats in Australia and the South Pacific. Mary died in 1906 and is buried in Cornelian Bay Cemetery in Hobart. I have been able to visit her grave and it is now marked with a memorial headstone but visiting George(snr)'s resting place has been more difficult. I have since visited Flinders Island and seen the Goose Island Lighthouse flashing in the distance and have flown over it twice but my wish to travel to Goose Island has been thwarted by the poor weather I mentioned earlier. This has not dampened my interest in Goose Island, the lighthouse and the people who lived and died on it. I hope to try and create a small but useful index of those who are buried on Goose Island and would love to hear from anyone who has ancestors who lived on Goose Island or are buried there. Letters & NoticesLooking for James Dimond, was Keeper at Queenscliffe
Messenger Pigeons at Lighthouses
Can You Help With Keeper's Badge
Chance Brothers Page
Shoal Bay Lighthouse Keepers Cottages
Lessons in Life at South Solitary
Feel free to post any request, letters, notices here regarding research, events etc for any Australian Lighthouse on this notice board. Department of Scrounge:If anybody has any of this material on any Australian lighthouses including the ones listed at the Department of Scrounge it would appreciated, especially the high priority ones:
Please email <Keeper> New Pages & LinksNew Pages for Australia:
New Links for Australia:
Also, New Links for World:
If your e-mail does not display in HTML these pages can be accessed from the "New Listing for Month Index" at <http://www.lighthouse.net.au/lights/New/Index%20New.htm> Australian News:Response to "Changes to National Heritage Laws"
Let There Be Light[South Coast Register- Monday
April 16 2001 One of Shoalhaven's shining lights is in jeopardy because of vandalism and confusion as to who is responsible for it's status. Despite being an aid for mariners for many years the only body which acknowledges any responsibility is Waterways, and that basically stops with the globe.
Karen Fowler from the Department of Land and Water Conservation says that because the lighthouse sits on state-owned land, a reserve for lighthouse purposes, Shoalhaven City Council and the Department of Land and Water Conservation don't have any responsibility for it. She says that Waterways use the lighthouse and maintain the light inside it but that is the extent of its upkeep.
The
issue of ownership and maintenance is being negotiated with Council
and it is hoped that they will take over caring for the lighthouse. Council has expressed an interest
in taking the lighthouse should they be given state government funding. A spokesman from the Shoalhaven City Council said that despite the lighthouse was not council responsibility, they do manage the reserve and are currently clearing vegetation to maintain the sight lines to the light. "as a trust manager we're supportive of entering discussions with Waterways and the Department of Land and Water Conservation to determine future management options for the lighthouse and in particular an appropriate hand-over budget for it's upkeep. Lighthouses From the Air[by Sam Calder] In our March Bulletin we mentioned the impending adventure by retired investor / accountant / journalist / photographer Winsome Bonham and her partner, retired accountant / air traffic controller / radio technician Lloyd Rogers.
The trip brings to life yet another adventure in their lives. Having commenced their retirement with a NSW "Big Ride" last year from Tweed Heads to Sydney they decided to go just that little bit further this year, a circumnavigation of the Australian Mainland photographing as many lighthouses as nature will allow them on their 64 day trip.
Their adventure marries two wonderous dreams, Winsome's love of lighthouses and passion for photography with Lloyd's long term love affair with the air. As Winsome puts it:
Lloyd:
The adventure commences and finishes at the Royal Newcastle Aero Club, Maitland, NSW who have provided support and encouragement in the twelve months leading up to the trip. They plan to cover each of the following states on approximately the following dates (they have allowed a few days slack for less than favourable weather)
It is hoped that the progress of the trip will be monitored on an ABC website with daily updates but to date these details are not confirmed. They would love to hear from anyone who would like to contact them either by phone, radio or eMail as follows:
Aircraft identification: Cessna 172 (C172) white with blue markings. Photography will be between 200ft and 500ft AMSL/AFGL. Maximum radius from the lighthouses as they orbit 3 times will be 800m. We will publish any news and updates as they come to hand.
With any luck we will all be able to benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime experience by viewing some of Winsome's work at a later date. Also, they are planning a similar circumnavigation of Tasmania in the near future (definitely in the summer months!). Special Stamp Issue for IALA 2002 Meeting[PRISM - Autumn 2001]
Australia Post is planning to issue a set of four lighthouse stamps to commemorate this meeting to be held at Darling Harbour in March next year. This is good news. We have many overseas requests for Australian Lighthouse Stamps and we have to tell people that they are very uncommon.
The Australian Lighthouse Association have been contacted to suggest suitable lighthouses for the set and we know that one of our photographer members has been in discussions with them. Again, we’ll publish more when we know more. Double Island Point Reunion Mooted[PRISM - Autumn 2001]
Marion Borchett is hoping to arrange a reunion of former keepers at Double Island and Inskip Points next September. The reunion will coincide with long-standing ALA member, Madeleine Leck’s 90th birthday. Marion would be most grateful if former keepers or other people with any relevant information would write to her at:
We hope to publish more in our next issue. Proposed Exhibition on Lighthouse LifeNational Archives of Australia (NAA) has called for submissions of material in various media for a planned exhibition about the people who lived and worked in lighthouses around Australia. The exhibition is planned for some time in 2002. The theme is still quite open and Lisa would be interested to hear your ideas and also any material, stories etc that you may have or know of. This could include:
The exhibition is being organised by the Curator of the NAA - Lisa Williams <lisaw@naa.gov.au> and it is suggested that you contact her if you have any ideas or contributions. If you know of any news or event effecting an Australian Lighthouse please forward it to us so we can publish in the Monthly Bulletin.Thanks to the Following People for Their Help in April:
Thanks to all the people who have put links to the site Thanks to those who let me use their photos for thumbnails. Regards until
the June 2001 Bulletin
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The
MAY 01 BULLETIN was published on: 6/5/01
Lighthouses of Australia Web Site First Published: 3/12/97 Photographs & Contributions:
Site Constructed and Maintained by: Lighthouse Computer Training & Development Contact: Lighthouse Keeper Copyright:
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![The Burned Out Cottages at Point Stephens as a Result of Vandalism [Photograph: Brian Lord]](../../NSW/Point%20Stephens/Point%20Stephens%20bl%201a.jpg)
![Point Gellibrand Being Burned After Being Struck by The Melbourne Trader [Photograph: The Haven Gallery]](../../VIC/Point%20Gellibrand/Point%20Gellibrand%20Fire%201a.jpg)
![Point Cloates Lighthouse in the Outback of Western Australia [Photograph: John O'Brien]](../../WA/Pt%20Cloates/Pt%20Cloates%20jo%201a.jpg)
![The Abandonded Penguin Island Lighthouse [Photograph: Grant Maizels]](../../SA/Penguin%20Island/Pengiun%20Is%20gm%202a.jpg)
![Ian Clifford <icliffo@tpgi.com.au> has provided many of the photographs that have been used in the Project [Photograph: Richard Jermyn]](../../About/Ian%20Clifford%20at%20Cape%20Green%20ic%202a.jpg)
![The Barren Goose Island and It's Lighthouse [Photograph: AMSA]](../../TAS/Goose%20Island/Goose%20Is%20From%20Air%20amsa%2010a.jpg)
![The Goose Island Lighthouse [Photograph: AMSA]](../../TAS/Goose%20Island/Goose%20Island%20amsa%2014a.jpg)
![The Goose Island Graveyard Where George Marks (snr) is Buried [Photograph: AMSA]](../../TAS/Goose%20Island/Goose%20Graveyard%20amsa%2016.jpg)
![My Great great grandfather James Dimond was keeper at Queenscliffe listed as being there in 1870 [Photo Courtesy: Margaret Bull]](../../VIC/Queenscliff%20Black/Jim%20Dimond%201853%20mb%201%20TN.jpg)
Today
I found your Website on the net. Do you have information on
the Lighthouse Keepers. My Great great grandfather James Dimond
was keeper at ![The Point Stephens (Shoal Bay Lighthouse) Keepers Cottage Before They Were Destroyed [Photograph: Susan Dietrich]](../../NSW/Point%20Stephens/Shoal%20Bay%20Keepers%20Cottage%201980%20sd.jpg)
![The Sorry State of the Lighthouse Structure [Photograph: South Coast Register]](../../NSW/Crookhaven/Let%20There%20Be%20Light%20scr%202a.jpg)
![The Only Official Maintenance Considered Necessary for the Crookhaven Lighthouse is Changing the Globe [Photograph: South Coast Register]](../../NSW/Crookhaven/Let%20There%20Be%20Light%20scr%201a.jpg)
![Lloyd and Winsome with their Cessna 172 [Photograph: Winsome Bonham]](Lloyd%20and%20Winsome%20With%20Cessna%20lr%201.jpg)
![Green Cape Lighthouse From the Air. Note the New Meccano Set Tower to the Left [Photograph: Marguerite Stephen]](../../NSW/Green%20Cape/Cape%20Green%20from%20Air%20ms%201a.jpg)
![The Dent Island Lighthstation From the Air [Photograph: Current Occupant]](../../QLD/Dent%20Island/Dent%20Island%20jw%201a.jpg)
![Tasman Island From The Air [Photograph: Ed Kavaliunas]](../../TAS/Tasman%20Island/Tasman%20and%20Pillar%20ek%206.jpg)
![A Sample Produced in 1999 for Australia Post
Featuring the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse [Designed by: Cathy Collins, Visual Identity Pty Ltd]](Sample%20Stamp%20ap%201.gif)
![The Only Other Dedicated Lighthouse Stamp Was issued in 1968 to Commemorate the 150th Anniverasry of Australia's First Lighthouse [Stamp: Australia Post]](../../NSW/Macquarie/Macquarie%20150th%20Stamp.jpg)
![The Double Island Point Lighthouse [Photograph: Denise Shultz]](../../QLD/Double%20Island%20Point/Eastern%20View%20ds%207.jpg)
