LIFE OF SOLITUDE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22971, 24 February 1938, Page 6

LIFE OF SOLITUDE

WOMEN IN LIGHTHOUSES FEW OUTSIDE CONTACTS INTERVIEWS BY TELEPHONE Surely the most isolated women in tho world aro the wives of lighthouse keepers. Yet many Australian girls have left behind them tho amenities of life in a city to make a now home 011 some lonely headland, or on some windswept rock, cut off from the mainland and every form of transport save a rowing boat, states an Australian writer, who interviewed several wives of lighthouse keepers in her country. Mr. .J. L. Warren, who is now 78, spent 35 years of his life as a lighthouse keeper. During most of this long servico ho had his wile as his companion. Sho spent the last days of her life at Barrenjoey, leaving him, after her death, to carry on alone. 31 r. War ren's oldest son, Fred, having lived on lighthouses as a boy, followed in his father's footsteps'. He took his young wifo to their first lighthouse home on Seal Rocks. Sho was a city girl, and had never been in the country before, "I was in my home for three weeks without furniture," sho said. "Tho weather was very rough, and all our goods had to be taken to tho lighthouse in'a surf boat. While I was at Seal Rocks, I never had to buy scrubbing-brushes or onions, because they were always available 011 the beach —lost overboard from passing ships; All along tho rocks we found tho remains of wrecked ships, and my husband 0110 day picked up a gold scentspray. Frequently 1 used to sit on tho rocks and watch the dolphins shoot the breakers. It was at Seal Rocks, also, that my son, Joseph, was born." Mrs. Warren spent the last years of her husband's servico as a lightkecpcr at Green Cape, a desolate headland north of Gabo Island. "It was here," sho continued, "that I felt completely isolated from the outside world. For nine long months I did not see another woman. Furniture in a Surf Boat "My furniture had to be taken to tho lighthouse by launch, but later on a carrier cut his way through virgin bush and made a track to the light. When I was there it was just a track All we could seo were tall gum trees and glimpses of the blue sky above them. I .shall never forget tho night when 1 was placed in a mail 'car' drawn by bullocks and taken to hospital 17 miles away for the birth of my daughter, Ena. The night was a stormy one, and the creeks were flooded. Tho car lurched over rocks and broken timber for five hours, and it never stopped raining. That was the night the Christina Frazer foundered. "I spent most of tho three years at Green Capo reading and sewing aud looking after tho children. The nights wore terribly lonely, especially when my husband was on watch. In the daytime 1 spent many hours searching tho rocks, finding little treasures from old wrecks. Right under the lighthouse is tho wreck of the Lyeo Moon, on which 60 people were drowned. Half a mild away there is a small cemetery, where many who perished were buried." Mrs. Warren's lighthouse life is now over, though sho lives at the Macquario light. Her home was built in Governor Mucquurie's day, and is 130 years old. At one time it was a courthouse, and 011 Sundays was used as a church. Long Service Rendered Other lighthouse keepers' wives were interviewed by telephone from Sydney at their lonely homes. The first lighthouse called by telephone was Byron Bay, the most easterly capo of tho Australia continent. Mrs. Smith, wife of the keeper, said she had just finished her supper. "We are not so terribly lonely here." she said, "because wo are only two miles from a township. There are seven children here altogether. Four of them are mine and three are tho children of Mrs. Toovey, wife of the assistant keeper. Sydney must be very jolly just now, but*we do not envy you. We go to the pictures once a Aveek, and enjoy the walk of two miles—Good night." Next, Mrs. Fisher, wife of the keeper at Smoky Cape, 011 the northern NewSouth Wales coast, answered the telephone. "The night," she said, is beautifully line. Yes, I was at South Solitary Island when Miss Lydia Gow died of typhoid fever. It was a very lonely island and completely isolated. Wo got our stores through once a fortnight, if we were lucky—that is, if the weather was fair." Port Stephens lighthouse, at the entrance to Port Stephens, was then called. Mrs. Thompson, who answered, said she and her husband had been in the lighthouse service for 36 years. Then her voice became indistinct, and was finally blotted out by what seemed to bo tho roar of tho wind and tho St< Mrs. Cotteo, wife of the lightkecpcr at Norah Head, north of Newcastle, was tho next woman called. "We are about 10 miles from the nearest township," sho said, "and I havo been on lighthouses for 25 years with my husband. If I had my time over again. J would live the samo kind of life. I like reading and gardening, and spend many hours adding to my collection of shells." In Times of Illness "Point Perpendicular (tho northern headland of Jervis Bay) is calling." The voice was that of Mrs. Uhr, who said they had been at tho lighthouse only ten days. "Wo haven't settled down yet, because all our furniture has not arrived. W'e have a cow. My husband is the youngest head keeper 011 the New South Wales coast. Tho great and grave difficulties tho lighthouse servico is faced with in tho event of sickness of the keepers and their families is not generally known. Tho service bears the wholo cost of removing serious cases of sickness to the nearest hospital. In May, 1930. tho destroyer Anzac was sent'from Sydney at full speed to tho Gabo Island lighthouse to remove Mrs. Brodrick. who was lying dangerously ill. She had to be carried a mile to a landing-stage and then conveyed in a small boat through dangerous seas to the destroyer. The Anzac then travelled at full speed to Eden.