Bulletin - Vol 8 No. 5 September/October 2005

"Corrugated Castles" by Margaret Hill - reprinted

by Steve Merson, Chief Editor

Margaret Hill was born in Birkenhead, England, and immigrated to Australia in 1956 with her restless husband under the Commonwealth Assisted Passages scheme (£10 Poms). At 24 years of age, Margaret had three children and was pregnant with a fourth. On arrival in South Australia, they began their new life in a migrant hostel where the conditions were primitive and the food was poor. To escape those conditions, they took a job with the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service (CLS) and were stationed on a remote island. Life was tough, and her marriage failed.

Corrugated Castles describes life in the CLS in South Australia during the 1950s, from a woman's point of view - as an immigrant, a young mother with a family, as the wife of a lighthouse keeper. An authentic, plain-speaking account that provides a rare and touching insight to the times and the place, and essentially her own struggle. It is written with authority and compassion, exhibiting great humour and commonsense.

LoA Inc published extracts from Margaret's book in the August-December 2002 Bulletins.

• Corrugated Lighthouses - Pt 1 - Arriving at Cape Jaffa (Kingston) Lighthouse
• Corrugated Lighthouses - Pt 2 - Leaving Kingston for South Neptune Island Lighthouse
• Corrugated Lighthouses - Pt 3 - Arriving at, and life on Neptune Island
• Corrugated Lighthouses - Pt 4 - Yandra shipwreck on North Neptune Island
• Corrugated Lighthouses - Pt 5 - Leaving the CLS and returning to Adelaide

Margaret Hill has reprinted her book with additional material. She has spoken with Jon Faine on ABC Radio in the "Conversation Hour" and has had her book reviewed in the Melbourne Age. Margaret recently did a broadcast via satellite to the UK, which has boosted her sales there with an appreciative readership. 

The following letter came via LoA Inc. Post Office, from a person who relates to her story.

Hello Margaret,

I would like to thank you for sharing your life with us in "Corrugated Castles". I was close to tears, going back in time with you in your decision making, your arrival in Australia, and stay in Finsbury Hostel.

It was very close to home - our family emigrated to Adelaide in 1961 in very similar circumstances. My parents, now both dead, would also have been touched at the hardships that you and they endured during those early days.

I am the eldest in what was then a family of eight, and soon after became ten children. I now live back in England but most of my brothers & sisters are in Australia. My mother started to write some notes of the problems we had back then, and I am very pleased and proud that they, like you, had the courage to give it a try.

I have shared the book around our family of children and grandchildren to show them how much their forebears struggled to make their lives better.

Thank you so very much for sharing your life with us.

Warmest wishes,

Michael Bonfield
Email Michael Bonfield

To order Margaret's book... email the author or via the publisher's website at http://www.seaviewpress.com.au

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