Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953)(about) |
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Thursday 12 July 1951
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(By B. E:. CARTHEW.) , --On July, 7th;, 1854,'. the `Cape, Nelsons. Lighthiouse ; was officiarlly 'openedi. and, three was quite a good :deal of excitement: over -such an 1 event:? The .structure :is 79 ...feet igh and .built of "stone, painted. white, andi the : light:- is. 250 feet I above sea level, and is visible in clear weathleri : from ablout":: 19' nautical t miles:. ', A clipping, from an old scrapbool in the posisessioti of - Mr: Frank ' Row, and which contains almo the life :history of :'that:; grand :lj citizen, William Pile?; while : he4 wras: Mayor of Portland, gives 'the following ex , tracts of the opening da: "The event of such :importance in the history of: the colony as the opening of, the latest ..:and pirobably, most powerful :light .',-erected, along ouir coasts should 'hiave' h'pened to : occur. so close to .,our:.town was',.in 1 itself siufficient reason for u"nusual stir and bustle:.l` But when we re- i member that -the work had been a source-.of much anxiety and>, .agita tion for. a number of years, and that its happy completion was niainly due to the. persistency and dogged de-. termination:-:of the Borough Council; 1 we,. shoulr be m ore: :'than mortal should we esch~ew: cakes and ale add refuse to hold high .jinks.. Consider-. ing the vast :importance :of this light-: house; toi the world ;of ;;comimerce. abroad, the meicantilen communitiep' of Australasia, and its influence: on our own , port, it is a' wonder the piblic' kept within 'bounds as they did. and refrained• from making the 7th_ July a day of public' rejoicing, and orgahising a good picnic on' the. wild: but picturesque, heath on which 'this wonderful . structure ? stands.. But'there are those who regard. a" lighthouse as one '-night" a- street ,lamp, only "on' a-:larger, scale-just "a' light and nothing more.. A light= house on a-dreary : coast sending -its cheery message- or warning ray further" than eye can reach, As ". no street. lantern, but 'a stupendous work, filling: the soul .with ' thoughts of indescribable grandeur, 'and fan cies for which no name will come.. With 'feelings such as these, we re garded with- some wonder 'the small: concourse of people gathered .at the Cape : on.' Monday.: Tli' weather' was the perfection of - spring': loveliness, and nothing could exceed 'the beauty of the scene as viewed, along the line. 'of coast on the journey out.' Most- of the :excursionists - took. the old road byj Chinnery's farm, .while a few -on horseback and in.- buggy chose 'the cliff: road, said.. by some to 'be absolutely dangerous in places, and were well repaid for a risk which is no risk at' all if you are careful..' The sea as calm as a':pond'hundreds of, feet beneath; bay' after" bay, a end' jutting' promontories, each: present-: 'ing some new and startling phase of beauty, bursting on the sight at each turn of. the track; the wild looking heath behind' and on either hand, and above . all, a sky' of. azure served to :complete the picture, ' " or rather a succession :of., panoramic views that ,.would.: have driven' a painter crazy;. but to us and our' sympathetic- driver, :, and , assuredly. his pretty ponies, was, simply ravish ing:.--' "Without doubt,: .. the cliff road will become the popular' one between' the Town - and the. Cape.. - A. few chains of. fejcing along the cliff. in one' or 'two places` where . the track runs 'within a few feet of a. preci pice some 300 feet' down 'plumb,' and' a little ..extraction of. cube; square and 'othier roots will make this road' the attraction for visitors next summer and : for .ever. after 'wards..' This the Borough Council should look'to in course of time, and the-selectors alonig the line talk to the. Shire about.." ' "(A' d scription w?as given of the old kerosene 'lamp, etc..,' "but' of course this has' been, superceded by an. electric' light ' some- -17 'or '18 years ago.. To. be able to say they had' seen it alight for the first time, 1000 people. should havev been there -instead of 0). . "The sunr went down 'over Cape Bridgewater,; and- the' 'nearly-full moon was well up in the ''eastern sky,' as though resenting the intro duction of. a light, so inferior to her own, and: yet the lamp and 'fixings' were not. quite ready. The. Mayor, -Mr.. P.. :W.. Shevill; , had been de puted..by the Minister of Custome to apply the official "light, and after a brief repast and refresher in the quiarters of Mr.;, Fish, the hospitable lighthouse .keeper, :a quarter. past five saw -a crush. up the tortuous winding 'stair, and everyone ready for the .im'psing ceremony grou0ped' :Sever' ian?es were present, ;iand <when the ;Mayor :and Mr.. Pile en tered thle 'liantein, cheer after cheer rose from the-top of the tower, and seemed to shake :its sturdy massive. form.. . Silence being obtlained, the Mayor struck a light, and said, 'Wq h·ave' been looking forward for many years to .isee ,the accomplishment' of this. great-w ork, gand (appl ing. the light): I 'now declare the .Cape Nelson -LightUhousei to' be duly., lighted..' Mr: ::W.. T.. Pile followed by lighting the other:: wici~; :and :said, 'For tihe pro* tection .of: life and:' property at sea.' The National . Anthem .- and Auld • La.na...S.:nefor od.. !That ,Cape Neldon mus t'ecorn a popular resort for' visitors ..for the years to coime, there can:be no man-. ner .of doiub.. ~Its iriagifficent: scen ery, its c'dlose'prOximnity' to the town -and last of all, 'its wonderful bea con, will attract thousands upon thousands of- sight-seers.. The mis sion- a ;lighthouse fulfils is emphatic lly: a high and. holy one; and may tliose, who have had the honour of showing, so to speak, the mustard seed in.the form of a tiny 'spark ap' plied to this particular lamp, ''as well as those who witnessed the •ceremony so fraught with interest and almost awe to the far-seeing aind poetic eye, live. to watch the •growth and expansiton of the tree that shall for ts and all the world brfing forth the good. ?. ~it of pro-i t.ctioanto the mariner, sate guidance
of the trackless waste of waters, and increased commercial prosperity and happiness.."' h n At a subsequent banquet at Mac's Hotel, the. Mayor gave a vivid his tory. of events leading. up ?to the es fablishpient of tie lighthouse, which dated lback 'to 1850, when. a German vessel' wa lost. at tCape, Bridgewater with the losse of many} Iiyea i.;.The first attempt was made. by Governor` Latrobe, but in 1855, the project was abandoned... Agitations .were re newed from time to time, up.-till 1882.. Despite a telegram. that it was utterly useless to 'serid a depu-' tation to Commissioner Young of the O'Loughlin ministry, Mr.. Pile moved -and carried a' resolution that the then Mayor Trangmar, 'and' Mr..' Pettifer, be sent" awaIy on. thele mission; The result was a'- definite p'romise" 'that the- work should be carried oiut and' tenders called in March;, and Mr.. :Horn's tender was accepted on' May 4th..'. - The present"'ighthou'le keeper, Mr. C.. Huxley;; kindly. ssupplied the fol lowing list" of keepers from ;191T.. Recordsqprlort tothat date w'eo all forwarded to Canberra --ý,Barden,: H.. Stafford, R.; Baker,. C.: Smitht, - Garlic, H..- Dickson; N.. Jensen, E. Delacour, H.. Dickson,.H.. Cox, C..:. Huxley:. Brian Honeymoon' is assist ant to Mr., Huxley.. , Many- of the older residents will relember others. no doubt-men who, lived a lonely' life'until 'the ad vent. of the motor, which is now sup plied to the. station, "so ,that, ..their children may attend jahool ,in. Port land, six milesd? ,way ; ; 17c0.?:,eeve, supplies. if .necessa, every. school day.. All we'want' 1is':good motor' road 'toCap Nelson aiit? :Cjie"?Ne:: son will really beiotif map:?';I