Stinker’s History: The memories of Laurence Gordon

LAURENCE Gordon was born in Ashfield in 1922.

His parents Valentine and Marg were lightkeepers and arrived on the Port Stephens Outer Light in the same year with elder children Rex, Gloria and Trevor.

At the time father Valentine was the assistant keeper to Ted Priest whose wife Nelly was Laurence’s godmother. Lawrence lived on the island for five years before he moved into Nelson Bay to attend school.

His father, Val, remained on the island.

Val got into the lighthouse service because he was a returned serviceman and they had priority work opportunities just after WWI.

Val went into lighthouses as a relieving man with Bill Presbury before he was later made permanent, serving at Smoky Cape, Solitary Island and Byron Bay.

In 1938 Val was sent to Smoky Cape at South West Rocks where he was made permanent and stayed during WWII.

At the time Laurence lived with his aunty Mrs Diemar in Nelson Bay.

Back on the Outer Light Laurence recalls that the lighthouse island had several horses.

One was a beautiful big Clydesdale called Captain.

Laurence could walk under his belly at the age of five.

A beautiful sulky and a sulky horse would travel into Nelson Bay once a fortnight, when the Spit was dry, for supplies from shops owned by Arch Blanch and Mr Cody on the corner.

The return journey was to follow the sand track behind the big swamp at Shoal Bay then head towards Fingal.

Then you would turn on to the beach at what was known as the Dead Trees, which was close to where the surf club is now built.

The tide was not a real concern at the time as the Spit was well built up and you could safely cross at high tide.

In the early years lighthouse keepers were required by the authorities to be married and to be accompanied by their wives at their station.

As was the case, the wives became efficient in all aspects of lightkeeping on top of daily duties to feed the family and educate the children.

They also, on the odd occasion, had to pitch in when tragedy struck.

As was the case in 1923 when survivors from the wreck of the “Wallamba” sought refuge at the Point Stephens Outer Light.

It was reported in the Maitland Weekly Mercury on 21 July 1923 that the coastal steamer “Wallamba” ran aground and hit the rocks off Morna Point.

The bottom was practically torn out of the steamer and she sank in four minutes.

The Wallamba carried a crew of sixteen.

The crash came with startling suddenness, and the vessel began to fill rapidly.

Two boats were lowered and there was barely time for the crew to get into them before the steamer went down. Some of the men were in their bunks when the vessel struck.

No one on board had time to save anything.

Mr Rudder the Chief Engineer fell through the skylight and sustained a cut on his left hand.

It was impossible to land near where the vessel struck and a long pull was begun from the south end of Morna Point to Fly Roads.

In order that the boats should not become separated a rope was passed from the one carrying Captain Anderson to the other.

With a strong south easterly wind blowing, the weather bitterly cold and violent rain squalls to add to their discomfort the men pulled for five hours before they reached the landing place which is leeward of Point Stephens lighthouse. Drenched to the skin the men suffered severely from exposure but recovered under the kindly treatment received from the Priests and the Gordons on the island.

Captain Anderson and members of the crew expressed immense gratitude at the way they were treated at the lighthouse.

Valentine Gordon retired in 1955.

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE