The Last Lighthouse Keeper – Web Quest

by Marianne Watson

Introduction · Question · Background Info · Individual Roles · Group Process

Real World Feedback · Conclusion  · Teacher Plan · Knowledge Hunt

Introduction

It is 1996 and Australia's only remaining official lighthouse keeper is employed on a small and remote island off the southern coast of Tasmania.

In this Web Quest, you will decide the fate of the last Lighthouse Keeper.

Should the Keeper remain or should the light be automated?

The Question

Who wins from automation?

Background Information

The treacherous seas around the island state of Tasmania have claimed about 1,000 ships and many more lives. Many ships foundered as they sank or ran aground in Bass Strait in their attempt to shorten the time needed to reach Sydney. The Cataraqui, wrecked in 1845 off King Island, is still Australia's worst peacetime disaster with the loss of 402 lives.

 

Lighthouses were built to improve safety at sea, becoming refuges for the survivors of shipwrecks and all too often the final resting place for victims. Lighthouse Keepers and their families experienced a unique lifestyle; small communities living a lonely existence usually in a very remote place. Visitors were few and far between.

Although communication with the outside world improved over the years, lighthouses remained isolated. The more recent change to automated lighting systems that no longer need staff to maintain them changed forever the lives of many 'lighthouse families'.

Completion of the associated Knowledge Hunt will give participants more background knowledge about Tasmanian lighthouses and the role of Lighthouse Keepers.

In this Web Quest, you will decide the fate of the last Lighthouse Keeper, but there are a lot of things to be considered along the way . . .

The first consideration is the island itself. Thought to have been named by a Dutch explorer, scholars still argue today as to its origins as they do over another island in the region (idea one; idea two).

The class needs to decide on your island's name. You might like to use an English/Dutch translation site to help find a name for your island.

The class will also need to have a common understanding of the island itself. After settling on the island's name, you must decide the location of several important features such as the lighthouse and associated buildings, the seal colony, and the access (how will you decide whether it is a helicopter landing pad or a trip up the cliff face by crane!). The map provided with this web quest could be printed out, enlarged and used, or the class could develop its own map. The class could add other features such as an old whaling station. The map of Deal Island is an example of a real 'lighthouse island'.

Individual Roles

Many people have an interest in the outcome of the decision about the future of the last Lighthouse Keeper. As you take on the role of one of these people, you must consider things from their point of view. Some web-based resources as well as books and videos will be recommended to help you fulfill your role. In response to the key question (ie What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself?) should be able to identify at least two options as possibilities. When making your recommendation, remember to provide supporting information about why you have decided that this is the best option and to mention other options that you considered. 

 
Lighthouse Keeper & family

Lighthouse Keeping is in this family's veins; grandfather was a Keeper too. It is the Lighthouse Keeper's duty to keep the light burning! The Keeper's family shares the unique lifestyle and even some parts of the job such as taking weather readings for the Bureau of Meteorology.

  • Why is your job important?

  • Why is it important to maintain a human presence on the island?

  • What could happen to the lighthouse and the historic buildings if they were abandoned?

  • What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself?

Cape Bruny Lightstation
Tourist information, including history, decommissioning, and current use.
Keepers of the Light
Information about an episode from the ABC's A Big Country about John Crook, former Lighthouse Keeper on Maatsuyker Island.
Tasmanian Images 1
Search the State Library's image collection for "lighthouse", "Eddystone", "Maatsuyker".
Tasmanian Images 2
Search the image collection of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
Cape Leveque Lighthouse WA
An ABC spoken word interview (2003) with Max Nethery, last Lighthouse Keeper at Cape Leveque, 1979-85. (Real Audio Player required - site has a download link)
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse Vic
An ABC spoken word interview with Ted Peers, one of Australia's last Lighthouse Keepers. (Real Audio Player or Windows Media Player required - site has download links)
Being a Lighthouse Kid
John Kernot describes his childhood on 2 lighthouses in Bass Strait, Cliffy Island and Deal Island during the 1940's and 50's. Click on the title to access the story.
Tasmanian Lighthouses
Photographs and information about each lighthouse, including its history, keepers and access. Links to more detailed stories about each lighthouse are at the bottom of the page.
Cut off from the World in Bass Strait
The story of events in 1924 following the death of the Lighthouse Keeper on Deal Island.
A Caretaker's Day on Maatsuyker
Events by time throughout a typical day in the life of a voluntary caretaker at the Maatsuyker lightstation. Many of these duties were formerly performed by the Lighthouse Keeper and other family members.
Deal Island 1933
Transcript of a radio talk by Roderick Johnston, the Lighthouse Keeper of the day, includes the then-recent change in communication from carrier pigeons to radio.
Oma's Story
A woman describes her family’s migration to Australia after WW II to join the Lighthouse Service and life at Eddystone Point. (1999 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin)
It's lights out for keepers of the Prom (Vic)
Following the automation of the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse in 1993, Parks Victoria employed ‘lightstation keepers’. Scroll down to this article in a 2000 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin.
Tourism Developers

Always on the lookout for a new tourism venture, whether it be a lush resort or a remote wilderness experience, the tourism developers have plans for the island and its historic buildings.

  • What would draw tourists to this island?

  • How could the existing buildings be used in a tourism venture?

  • What services would you need to be provide for them?

  • What additional buildings and infrastructure would have to be added to the island?

  • What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself?

Cape Bruny Lightstation
Tourist information, including history, decommissioning, and current use.
Point Hicks Lighthouse Vic
Transcript of an ABC interview with people living there in 2004.
Point Hicks Lighthouse Vic
Tourist information.
Drawings and Plans of Tasmanian Lighthouses
View online copies of the originals, from the collection held by the National Archives of Australia.
Tasmanian Lighthouses
Photographs and information about each lighthouse, including its history, keepers and access. Links to more detailed stories about each lighthouse are at the bottom of the page.
The Future of Maatsuyker Island
In this 2003 letter from a caretaker at the Maatsuyker Island lightstation, several proposals for its future are discussed.
Salvaged Light a Beacon for Tourism
The story of the lantern room from a NSW lighthouse. Salvaged from the tip, it is now the focal point of a tourism venture.
Swan Island for Sale
Discusses the 2004 sale of Swan Island, which included its historic lighthouse and related buildings.
Auction Results - Split Point Lightkeepers' Cottages and Swan Island
Includes a report on the sale of Swan Island and the plans of the new owners for its future.
Removal of Caretakers Threatens Maatsuyker Lighthouse
Includes paragraphs about the option of private sector tourism on the island.
South Channel Pile Light Restoration and Relocation Vic
Find out how an abandoned and rotting building was saved. The next two articles are on the same topic (ie South Channel Pile Light Relocation Opposed by ALA and Trust and Tours for South Channel Pile Light).
Swan Island is for Sale (January 2004)
An ABC spoken word interview (2004) with Jill Harris, who lived on Swan Island for five years (1991-96) and built up a tourism business there. (Real Audio Player required - site has a download link)
Erika Johnson, Swan Island, Tasmania
Erika describes island life, managing the tourism venture on Swan Island (February 2004).
Swan Island Retreat
Advertisement for holidays on Swan Island.
Swan Island Retreat
Another advertisement for holidays on Swan Island.
Environmentalists

Rare orchids and unique lizards, breeding grounds for endangered species and Aboriginal sacred sites are all of interest to the environmentalists.

  • What is special about this island?

  • How has past human activity impacted on the island's ecology and landscape?

  • How should each special feature be protected?

  • What immediate steps should be taken to preserve the environment?

  • What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself?

Heritage Listed Lighthouses
Search for the place name "lighthouse" in "Tas" then follow the links to find out why each has historic cultural heritage significance.
Kent Group National Park Management Plan 2003
The focus of pages 34 to 41 of this PDF is the Deal Island Lightstation.
Island Caretakers
Find out about this WildCare volunteer program which operates at the lightstations on Deal and Maatsuyker Islands. Click on Special Programs then choose Island Caretakers from the list on the left hand side.
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse
A factsheet from the ABC about the caretakers' garden 2003.
Wildcare Kent Group Working Bee
In 2003, a group of volunteers went to Deal Island to do work on the lightstation buildings and to the surrounding natural environment.
Action to Resolve the Future of Deal Island
Scroll down to this article in a 1998 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin to read about the change over from Commonwealth to Tasmanian Government control.
Challenge to Leasing of Eddystone Point
Aboriginal cultural heritage values of the land on which the Eddystone Point Lighthouse stands.
Aboriginal Land Claim:   24 October 2001   14 March 2002   10 February 2003  &  8 August 2003
Series of ABC news reports about an Aboriginal land rights claim at Eddystone Point.
Life on Maatsuyker Island
An ABC Spoken word interview with Jill Theile who was a caretaker at Maatsuyker island in 2001. (Real Audio Player required - site has a download link)
Conservation Efforts Rewarded with Discovery of Rare Bird
2002 report from the ABC about the discovery of 6 breeding pairs of a rare petrel on Maatsuyker Island.
Plenty to Squark About
Scroll down and click on the title to see a 2002 video clip from the ABC showing Maatsuyker Island and the rare soft plumaged petrels.
IslandCare
Descriptions of Tasmanian islands, including Ironpot and Maatsuyker.
Search Parks and Wildlife
Need more details about a place or animal? This is the place to look!
Islands in the Strait
The efforts of the Tasmanian Conservation Trust's campaign to retain Lighthouse Keepers at Deal Island in 1991. (1999 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin)
Employer Representatives

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible for the last Lighthouse Keeper. There are supplies to deliver, technical support to provide, and relief Keepers to be employed.

  • How is the lighthouse currently serviced?

  • How could the expense of maintaining the lighthouse be reduced while still retaining the Lighthouse Keeper?

  • What value is there in maintaining a Keeper on the island?

  • How could the same services be provided without a Lighthouse Keeper on the island?

  • What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself?

Update on Deal Island
Report from 2003 by voluntary caretakers on Deal Island.
Friends of Maatsuyker Island Wildcare
Find out how this group of volunteers assists the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service in managing the island and its lighthouse.
A Caretaker's Day on Maatsuyker
Events by time throughout a typical day in the life of a voluntary caretaker at the Maatsuyker lightstation. Many of these duties were formerly performed by the Lighthouse Keeper and other family members.
Removal of Caretakers Threatens Maatsuyker Lighthouse
Includes paragraphs about the option of private sector tourism on the island.
Efforts to Keep Maatsuyker Manned
Scroll down to this article in a 1998 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin to read about the change over from Commonwealth to Tasmanian Government control.
Action to Resolve the Future of Deal Island
Scroll down to this article in a 1998 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin to read about the change over from Commonwealth to Tasmanian Government control.
Dick O'Neil's Tasman Island Tour of Inspection
A report and photographs from a tour of inspection on the Lighthouse Service Ship of the East Coast of Tasmania for the Public Works Dept in 1963.
Deal Island Superintendent's Residence Museum Inc Established
2002 article from Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin detailing changes in management of the Deal Island Lightstation as well as maintenance issues.
Lighthouses Act 1911
If you need to check the laws relating to lighthouses, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority can help.
It's lights out for keepers of the Prom (Vic)
Following the automation of the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse in 1993, Parks Victoria employed ‘lightstation keepers’. Scroll down to this article in a 2000 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin.
Yachting Disaster Survivors

Saved ten years ago through the actions of the Lighthouse Keeper, these people want to influence the decision too!

  • What role did the Lighthouse Keeper play in your rescue?

  • How are search and rescue activities at sea managed?

  • How could your situation and chances of survival have been improved?

  • What services should be made available on the island for people in your situation in the future?

  • What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself?

Tasmanian Lighthouses
Photographs and information about each lighthouse, including its history, keepers and access. Links to more detailed stories about each lighthouse are at the bottom of the page.
Shipwrecks and Safe Havens
King Island's lighthouses (at Cape Wickham and Currie) and 7 shipwrecks.
Lighthouse to the Rescue
A 2003 article about the role of a communications officer at a Lighthouse in rescuing a yachtsman.
A Caretaker's Day on Maatsuyker
Events by time throughout a typical day in the life of a voluntary caretaker at the Maatsuyker lightstation. Many of these duties were formerly performed by the Lighthouse Keeper and other family members.
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - Unmanned Tasman Island Light Failure
Scroll down to this article in a 1999 Lighthouses of Australia Bulletin to find out what could happen when automated lights break down.
Tas Police Responding to Emergency Beacon
Report from the ABC about an EPIRB being activated near Maatsuyker Island.
Search and Rescue in Australia
Describes how the search and rescue service is coordinated covering almost 53 million square kilometres of oceans around Australia.
Equipment for Safe Boating
Covers distress beacons, life jackets, and each state's requirements for equipment on different vessels.
Lawyers

You are the ones with all the information about what is and is not allowed under Australian and Tasmanian law. Your clients will need to know about the law as it relates to issues that are of concern to them, from endangered species to historic buildings. By becoming familiar with these laws, you will be able to give advice to the Lighthouse Keeper, employer, tourism developer, environmentalist and even to the survivor of the yachting disaster. It is important that you let your clients know how you can help them so they can ask for your advice. As a group, you will also assist your clients to draw up one management plan for the island.

  • Which laws relate to each of your clients?

  • How will you inform them of your role?

  • What advice have you given each client?

  • How do you know whether your clients were satisfied with the service you provided?

  • How will you be able to help your clients to draw up one management plan for the island?

Basic Principles for Working with Heritage Places
The "do's and don't's" of repairing, renovating and demolishing historic buildings from the Tasmanian Heritage Council.
Heritage Listed Lighthouses
Search for the place name "lighthouse" in "Tas" then follow the links to find out why each has historic cultural heritage significance.
Lighthouses Act 1911
If you need to check the laws relating to lighthouses, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority can help.
Aboriginal Land Claim:   24 October 2001   14 March 2002   10 February 2003  &  8 August 2003
Series of ABC news reports about an Aboriginal land rights claim at Eddystone Point.
Threatened Species List – Vertebrate Animals
A table listing all vertebrate animal species (as at 1 July 2003) under on Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995.
Threatened Species Protection Act 1995
The law regarding Tasmania’s threatened species.
Threatened Species List – Vascular Plants
A table listing vascular plant species under on Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995.
Aboriginal Relics Act 1975
The law regarding Aboriginal sites in Tasmania.
Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995
The law regarding historic places and shipwrecks in Tasmania.
Nature Conservation Act 2002
The law relating to the management of national parks and other reserved land in Tasmania.
Complete National Parks and Reserves Listing
From the Parks and Wildlife Service; includes descriptions of the different classifications and the lists of historic sites etc.
Kent Group National Park Management Plan 2003
Lord Howe Island Management Plan
Macquarie Island Management Plan
These are all examples of Management Plans for islands.  Some Management Plans are presented as summaries, such as the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan.
Building Consensus
Each group will bring their own recommendations forward relating to the future of the Lighthouse Keeper and the island itself.  They might all want different things!  This process guide might help you to work with the other groups to draw up the management plan.

Group Synthesis

Each group (except the Lawyers) has their own answer to the key question What is your recommendation about the future management of the lighthouse and of the island itself? Each group needs to present their recommendation before a class discussion or debate is held to try to resolve the future of the last Lighthouse Keeper.

The lawyers have an important role in this process. They have been considering how they can help the other groups to come up with one recommendation about the future of the Lighthouse Keeper, the lighthouse and the island. After each group has presented their recommendation, the Lawyers will explain how the class will proceed in developing the management plan for the future of the lighthouse and the island.

In doing this, you will decide the fate of the last Lighthouse Keeper - will they stay or go? Or is the solution more complicated than this? The progressive automation of lighthouses around Australia resulted in many changes, most of which you have explored during this web quest.

Real World Feedback
     Lighthouse Keeper's Son

Don was at Low Head, Cape Sorell, Maatsuyker Island, Eddystone Point and Cape Bruny Lighthouses where his father was a Lighthouse Keeper.  Keith's father was a Lighthouse Keeper at Cape Jaffa, Kingston, in South Australia.

Your group can email one question for Don or Keith to answer.

     Australian Maritime Safety Authority

If your class has a question about lighthouses that has not been answered through the internet sites provided, use the form on this page.

Note that the response time is up to 20 days.

    Management Plan Review Committee

Your final management plan can be sent to this email address for comment.  Please ensure that a copy of your island's map is included.  Although response time is dependent on the availability of Committee Members, the Chairperson will acknowledge the receipt of your plan.  This acknowledgement email will confirm a date by which you can expect a full response (generally one to two weeks during Tasmanian school term dates).

Conclusion

After the class has completed their group research, presented their recommendations, and the lawyers have helped in the development of an overall management plan, the class could do a community of inquiry exploring the question of Who do you think wins from automation?

 

For those wondering . . . Chris Richter, the last official Lighthouse Keeper employed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, retired from Maatsuyker Island on 27th August 1996.

Back to the top
Created by Marianne Watson
LABQuest
E-mail: Marianne.Watson@education.tas.gov.au

Website: www.maritimetas.org/schools.htm

This page was last updated 12 October 2004