'The Club for Sea Canoeists'
 
 

(This was the introduction about Maatsuyker Island and surrounding area - produced by the club when it was first formed in 1984)

When sea-loving people leave an island home and travel half-way around the world to settle in some other strange, wild island in the antipodes, tales of heroism and tales of disaster will not be wanting.

Many stories have been told of the courage, initiative and endurance of our Tasmanian settlers as they founded their homes and farms amid the mountains and forests of the new land.  But even more courage, initiative and endurance were needed by those who, in the tiny ships of the day, fetched and carried around the dangerous and often unchartered coasts of Van Diemen's Land.  The Island lies in the track of the "Roaring Forties" with thousands of miles of unbroken seas rolling in from the Argentine.  Hazards were created by the smaller islands which cluster around our Tasmanian shores and by the rocks and reefs of the Furneaux Group.  An additional danger for small sailing ships lurked in the strong tide that set through Banks Strait.

In 1883 steamers on the England-New Zealand run started calling at Hobart.  It was the captains of the splendid vessels of the New Zealand Shipping Company and the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company who stressed the need of a light on the South Coast.  So the lighthouse was erected on the lonely MAATSUYKER ISLAND, in 1891.

Many a skipper of the gallant little coastal steamers, struggling and wallowing around South West Cape, plimsoll deep, with salted funnel, was cheered when he caught the wink of Maatsuyker light.

THE MAATSUYKER CANOE CLUB was formed to carry on the traditions of the early settlers, and bring a little bit of the pioneering spirit back to a world that is largely devoid of adventure.  The aim of the club is to bring members standards up to a stage where they would be considered safe to lead trips to Maatsuyker Island.  Once you have a basic understanding of the sea, and the weather, this is not as difficult as it may appear to the non-sea canoeist.

Proposed Office Bearers - 1984

Commodore - John Wilde
Secretary/Treasurer - Jeff Jennings
Magazine Editor/Mould Manager - Laurie Ford
 

HISTORY OF MAATSUYKER ISLAND

Before 1830 – Regular visits by Tasmanian Aboriginals who came in search of shellfish and to catch seals.

1642 – Dutch explorer Abel Tasman named Maatsuyker and De Witt Islands after two members of the Dutch Council of India.

1887 – Consideration was given to the erection of a lighthouse on the Mewstone or South West Cape, but both sites were unsatisfactory.

May 1888 – Maatsuyker Island was chosen as a site for a light station following the visit of Hobart engineer, Meech.

1st Jan 1890 – J & R Duff of Hobart began construction of the lightstation to be completed in 18 months at a contract price of 8473 pounds.  Works included 400 yards of double haulage way, 400 yards of single trolley line, 75 chains of road cut and benched in hard rock, cutting of house sites, erection of three houses and a tower from brick shipped from Oyster Cove.

1st June 1891 – Official opening of the light station by Captain T.M. Fisher, Master Warden of the Marine Board of Hobart, in the presence of a party of about 30 Hobart dignitaries, who came to Maatsuyker for the event aboard S.S. Flora.  The first head keeper was R.W. Garroway.  The light was a six wick oil burner.  Records of weather observations go back to this date.

1907 – Because passing steamers sometimes ignored or did not see the flags raised by keepers as a means of sending urgent messages, a pigeon post was instituted.  Hobart pigeon fanciers provided the birds, and were paid a fee for each message received in Hobart.  The pigeon post proved an effective way of sending emergency messages, and the birds usually made the journey from Maatsuyker to Hobart in three hours.

October 1907 – Shipwreck of S.S. Alfhild near Port Davey.  Survivors rowed to Maatsuyker where they were cared for and the alarm was raised.

About 1917 – Control of lightstation was transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia.

1924 – Conversion of the light from an oil burner to a kerosene mantle.

1938 – Pedal wireless installed on the island.

13th October 1973 – Sinking of M.V. Blyth Star off South West Cape.  Keepers reported the passage of the ship, but the search was concentrated in other areas.

May 1975 – Fortnightly mail and supplies run by fishing boat discontinued.  Use of helicopter began.

June 1976 – Light source changed from kerosene mantle to 1000 watt electric bulb, run from diesel generators providing 240 volt power.

11th August 1977 – Means of rotating the prisms of the light changed from clockwork to electric motor.  (clockwork mechanism is still in position)  Manning of the station changed from 3 man “continuous watch” to 2 man “non-watch keeping”.

1980 – 1981 – Complete automation of the light.