To Breaksea Island in a basket

Tweet

Some time back, I read an interesting children's book called 'Light-House Girl' written by Dianne Walfer. Her story was the impetus for the visit to Perth, Western Australia, of the giant French puppets. On Breaksea Island just south of Albany, two lighthouse keepers shared the task of tending the lighthouse there. One keeper, Robert Howe, had a 15-year-old daughter, Fay. His wife had died less than a year previously. Fay not only looked after her father but a niece whose mother had also died. Monthly supply ships were often late because of the bad weather. Fay was a good shot and often supplemented their diet with rabbits. The book is loosely based on the story of Fay. When Australia sent troops to World War I, many left in troop-ships from Albany on the south coast of Western Australia. The ships gathered in King George Sound before heading off under the escort of destroyers. While watching the troop ships at anchor in King George Sound, Fay responded to a semaphore message from one of the ships. After some pleasantries, the soldier asked Fay to send a telegraph message to his family, telling them where he was and that he was safe. Soon, in between her other tasks, Fay was telegraphing more and more semaphored messages from the men to their wives and families. Many of the men were from the Eastern States. For many of the troops, Albany would be their last glimpse of Australia. Thirty-six troopships left plus six warships. They carried 30,000 Australian and New Zealand men, together with medical staff and horses. Dozens of the men sent postcards back to Fay from Egypt and the Middle East. Their cards were addressed to 'The Little Girl on Breaksea Island, Albany, WA. The photo is of the bucket which was used to winch supplies, and people, to and from Breaksea Island. I wouldn’t have fancied that trip, would you?