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Cape Willoughby Lightstation Heritage Walk
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6. The headkeeper’s cottage ‘...amidst a profound solitude’
Next to this underground tank are the
ruins of the headkeeper’s cottage. Early photos of the cottages give the sense of a relaxed lifestyle. In spring you can see flowers that survived from
the gardens, including Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), a yellow-flowering herb that was used for coughs and colds. We get a very different impression from the headkeeper’s son, writing for the
Adelaide Observer January 15th 1853 - Journal of a trip to
Kangaroo Island.
He describes arriving at the headkeeper’s residence ‘amidst a profound solitude, and about half a mile from the
Lighthouse, whose grim aspect added little to the scenery in the way of beauty’. He describes seeing – and variously killing and eating - wildlife such as snakes (one was drinking at the soak), goannas (which ate the keepers’ chickens), Cape Barren Geese (which raided the vegetable garden) and wallabies. Finding time for hunting and fishing was difficult but necessary because provisions were always stretched. At the time of this visit they were using roasted peas for coffee!
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Find_a_Park/Browse_by_region/kangaroo-island/cape-willoughby