Black Point Progress Association Newsletters

AUTUMN 2013 NEWSLETTER PAGE 13

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? TAKE 2! District Council of Yorke Peninsula Black Point Licences (as at 1-7-1977)

Vol. 2008, No 1, Autumn

MEMORIES OF THE PAST, BLACK POINT & ENVIRONS

(This will be a new series, very kindly compiled by Keith George.)

Until 1940 Pine Point was known as “Muloowurtie”, an aboriginal word meaning “native rat hole” or “rat burrow”. Billy Goat Flat got it’s name from a heard of goats owned by Mr. Cadd who settled in the area in the 1870’s, and Black Point was originally known as “Koolywurtie Point”. It was an aboriginal camping ground and Koolywurtie meant “dirty tail”.

(Extract from a talk given by the late Mr. Allan Davey, 1991).

My mother arrived at Black Point with her parents in September, 1889. The Davey family purchased the property “Clifton Park” in 1889. This farm is situated just north of Pine Point and has a frontage to St. Vincents Gulf of about 6 km’s.

Sections 1 & 2, Hd. of Muloowurtie, were the first sections actually purchased from the Crown on Yorke Peninsula, 8th July, 1847, by Messrs. Hart & Weaver. They had hopes of mining copper on the property, but realised the price they had to pay for this purpose would be far too high, so they made application to acquire the land for grazing and a whaling station. The little bay certainly never saw many whales!

However, it certainly proved a safe anchorage for small ketches. Many tons of stumps were shipped from here over the ensuing years. The farmers had to pick up the stumps, unload them on the tops of the cliffs, 12 trim them to size, roll them over the edge where they would be again loaded into drays and carted through the shallow water to the waiting ketches, all of this for 6 shillings a ton.

Unfortunately, although copper was found, there was not sufficient to be viable. What was to become Yorke Peninsula’s first mine was history. Much better copper was found some time latter in the “Hillside” mine about 2km’s to the northwest.

Another area of interest on the same property is known as the “Pine Point Thrust”. This is a raised and folded piece of ground forced up by some subterranean pressure. This created extreme heat which altered the texture of some stones, and also brought to the surface many specimens that normally would have been buried many metres under the ground. Many date back to pre-cambrian times. In the late 1920’s Mr. Richardson, the S.A. Minister of Mines, stated that this was one of the most interesting geological areas he had ever visited. There are many mineral specimens, but unfortunately most are not in commercial quantities.

I must say that from working in the paddocks overlooking the Gulf it was always a thrill to watch the ketches, known as the Mosquito fleet, setting sail with their cargoes of bagged wheat or barley, usually in the afternoon, when the tide was running out. My cousin, Max Davey, and I shared a contract with the Wheat & Barley Boards for the loading of these vessels immediately after World War II. We provided our own trucks, carted from the grain stacks at Pine Point down to the wharf, and slid each bag down a shute into the holds, all for one penny per bag.

(TO BE CONTINUED NEXT EDITION).

WINTER 2008 NEWLETTER PAGE 7

EARLY DAYS AT BLACKPOINT

by Keith George

My first recollections of a trip to BP. was when my dad, Reg George, borrowed my Grandfather‟s Essex Tourer and having saved enough petrol ration tickets, dad and mum, “Gwenny” George, brother Robert and myself undertook the five hour “expedition” to Blackpoint. It was summer,1949.

The road, from the turn off just out of Port Wakefield was known as the Coastal summer “track”, rough and corrugated. On this occasion, recent heavy rains had covered the road and the old Essex, with water to the running boards, fully loaded with our canvas army tent and gear, ploughed through the water with only the fence posts to guide us.

Going past the “cliffs”,(where we now have a passing lane on the bitumen road), we stopped and dad shot a few rabbits to cook in a stew. We also used some of them for crab bait.

The track between Ardrossan and Pine Point followed the contours of the land and we felt like we were on the big dipper at Loona Park as we raced down the hills and struggled up the other side.

Blackpoint in those days consisted of low scrub, with a rough track that led to the “point”. The only buildings on the beach were Napman‟s, the fisherman had two little sheds, where he kept nets. There were no other buildings at Blackpoint except the farm house and a small stone cottage that stood in the paddock opposite where the caravan park is now situated.

Living in the army tent, with a primus stove for cooking and a Hessian safe for perishables, and a camp stretcher for sleeping on, was a challenge to say the least.

Big moths, about three inches long, would invade the tent at night and fly around the hurricane lamp. Often they would end up in my dinner. Yuk!

“They‟re good for you!” Dad said. Well! Blowed if I was going to eat them. The hard times, and hot weather, were compensated by the time we spent on the beach and in the water. Sand castles to hold back the tide, for a while. Throwing, a long piece of twine with a piece of rabbit at the end, out into the water at high tide and watching the big blue crabs follow the bait into the shallow water, were we would flick them up onto the beach with a stick and then shovel them into a kero can of boiling salt water.

Crabs would be seen every two meters in the water at high tide, in those days, and you learnt to swim above them very quickly.

Next time, I‟ll share how Reggy George, got the doctor and his secretary into trouble, when in 1957, he went to inspect, our newly acquired shack, (No.1).

SPRING 2008 NEWSLETTER PAGE 11

EARLY DAYS AT BLACKPOINT

by Keith George

We must have been camping at Black Point for about 8 years, on and off From 1949-1957, when dad had the opportunity to buy shack No.1. Reggy George had a small radio manufacturing and repair business in Austin Street, just off North Terrace in Adelaide where he made and sold 32 volt radios especially built for farms that used Dunlite wind generated power systems. (Wind power generation is not new.) So dad knew the Peninsula well and took every opportunity to install radios in farm houses and do a bit of fishing at Black Point at the same time.

A bloke who was a bit hard up for cash came into dad‟s shop in Adelaide and asked him if he knew of anybody who wanted to buy a shack at Black Point. The man wanted 500 pounds. Unbeknown to the man, dad knew about the corrugated iron shack, so dad offered him 300 pounds ($600) which the man gladly accepted.

(A scene on the beach with our shack in the background and our bondwood dinghy in the foreground).

The following weekend, eager to check out his new purchase, Dad drove to the shack, knocked on the door and asked for a Doctor S---- who had borrowed it for the weekend. A rather attractive blonde lass came to the door and said, that the good Doctor was out fishing. So dad went home.

The following day he rang the Doctor‟s home still eager to follow up his purchase. A woman answered the phone and dad said, “Mrs. S--- I was pleased to meet you at the shack on the weekend. Is the Doctor home?” Mrs. S ----- said, “What did you say!!!! It was not me at the shack!!!! Wait till he gets home!!!”.

Now I don‟t know what happened to the „Good‟ Doctor, probably took a position in Botswana for all I know, but the story became part of our family folk lore. So for those present shack owners who want to dally with a damsel when they should be wacking the whiting, beware the Spirit of Reggy George. (When he died dad asked for his ashes to be scattered at the Pole off the Black Point spit). So he is not too far away.

The shack dad bought was no mansion, there was no lining inside, a sand floor and 11 wire beds were made into bunks. When the wind blew the sand came in and settled on the table and all over the food. Yuk! And then there were the mice that seemed to have a habit of sleeping in your pillowcase.

My brother and I, the first Black Point lifesavers rescuing some little damsel. (Notice the sexy woollen bathers that did not half itch and had a bad habit of falling off!!!!)

Next time: How my Uncle Max tied himself to the Pole overnight during a storm.

SUMMER 2008 NEWSLETTER PAGE 11

EARLY DAYS AT BLACKPOINT

by Keith George

FLOUNDER FISHING AT NIGHT

Off the end of the spit on a warm night, when the tide was low and when there was no moon in the sky, we used to take two hurricane lamps, a spear and an old galvanized washing tub and look for flounder. One hurricane lamp was left on the shore to guide us, because there were no house or streetlights in those days and the area was pitch black. Uncle Max carried the spear and lamp and I walked behind him with the tub tied to my waist. I was about 11 years old at the time.

After tramping around in the mud and up and over the rocky ledges for an hour we had speared a couple flounder so we were pleased with our catch.

But all of sudden things changed. I don‟t know what it was that Uncle Max trod on but there was a hell of a commotion in the water, he stumbled, the lamp did a spectacular summersault and sputtered out. To protect myself from the nasties of the deep, I jumped strait up on to Uncle Max‟s back and hung on for dear life. There we were, with no light, and no idea what was lurking below. Our only reference point was the lantern on the beach, the rest was pitch black. Two hours later we staggered into our campsite with a great story that became part of the George folklore. Did we disturb a fidler, a stingray or a carpet shark, who knows?

THE DREADED POLE

In the 1950‟s most campers had small dinghies which you cartered across the sand and used mainly in the bay. To go to “the Pole” which was a great place for whiting, but a risky business only undertaken in calm weather. However my Uncle Max, wanting to impress a couple of his fellow work mates from ETSA, got his gear together, started up the small Australian built Britannia Outboard and headed for the pole. In the late afternoon after a good day‟s fishing they tried to start the motor to return home, to no avail. There were no other boats in the area. So they managed to row to the pole and tied the anchor rope around it.

The wind had changed from the east around to the west and the swell was beginning to build. In those days they had no flares, no tools or radio.

They stayed tied to the pole all night, using a bucket to bale out seawater and luckily were rescued the next day.

Uncle Max never ever went fishing off Black Point again.

AUTUMN 2009 NEWSLETTER PAGE 8

EARLY DAYS AT BLACKPOINT

This postcard supplied by Keith George shows the boat ramp in the foreground and in the top right corner, the Kiosk. Note the lack of boats and mooring buoys. The Kiosk was the hub of BP in the 70‟s and 80‟s. It was run by the owners of the Pine Point General Store and stocked essentials, (Golden North Giant Twins and mixed lollies including snakes), or the bread and paper could be ordered. Remember in these times, we had a corrugated dirt road and very few phones. It became a great way to meet everybody as people mostly walked to the kiosk and socialised along the way. A few drove, others came by boat, especially children. The sand hill to the top built many a calf muscle.

The BPPA takes this opportunity to thank Keith for his interesting articles on his family‟s recollections and contribution to Black Point. They have been great reading. I therefore encourage any others to share their thoughts with our members and contribute as Keith did. Just contact Kym.

WINTER 2009 NEWSLETTER PAGE 6

BLACK POINT IMPRESSIONS

by Kate Van Schaik

It is indeed an honour to be considered as chairman of the Progress Association and I know I have huge “boots to fill” once I commence in this role in June, respecially given the talent, commitment and achievements of immediate and former chairmen.

Recently I was approached by a year 12 student to answer some questions about my impressions of Black Point for an assignment. By way of a sort of introduction- I thought it a good time to share my response to one of the questions I was asked!

Question: What do you love about Black Point?

“As you drive along a long stretch of the coast road bordered on one side by the coastline and the sea and the other is an expanse of paddocks and open land - you could be forgiven for not noticing a little sign that humbly points to a road which says “Black Point”.

When you turn off the main drag, follow the little road and turn through the first bend- it feels like you have just jumped into a postcard – (a bit like Mary Poppins jumping into chalk drawings!) You are presented with a view of a small bay, lined with homes right on the beach, an expanse of white sand, a sea of vivid blue hues that hugs the cliffs and arcs the beach. Most of all, you experience a feeling that this place brings peace, allows you to breathe rest and simply enjoy being there.

I think it is a place that represents „friendship‟ for me we came to first visit Black Point to share in days with friends which was so much fun. This is a feature of every time we spend here. Now that we have a home of our own at “Blackie”... it also lets me enjoy time on my own, in a place which feels secluded, private and beautiful.

I love to walk and for much of the year at Blackie, you can head off through the walking trail behind the settlement of homes and enjoy trooping past trees and paddocks, get to the end of the trail and walk the length of the bay along the beach. You can feel like you “own‟ the beach - especially at those times when you do not see anyone else for the entire walk.

In contrast - the times when the place is full of friends and alive with people - you can arrive at someone‟s home at any time, enjoy a meal or a drink, have a laugh and everyone wants to share in a party atmosphere. “let‟s go dabbing...get out the Bocce‟ balls, go crabbing, fishing put on music and dance or cruise along the bay and go visiting by boat!... the choice is yours and there is a strong desire for everyone to share in a good time.

It is a place that brings many people together from the very young to very old and from all sorts of places and contrasting backgrounds. The common factor between everyone is that they love Black Point as a place to be. What a wonderful way to meet new people!

There is much to love about this place and I feel very privileged to be able to spend a large part of my life here. If that little road sign read...”secluded paradise 1 km”...perhaps that would best describe it!

Question: What would you like to see improved in Black Point?

I would love to see the woodlot grow to be full of tall, lush trees and add to the backdrop of this beautiful place. This will happen with the grace of time and rain and our wonderful committee and volunteers! As I live along the road of Black Point drive, sadly some people continue the rush and scurry of life in their cars- and speed along the roadway. This is simply too dangerous when the free and relaxed nature of this place encourages children to walk freely to the beach, there are people jogging, walking, riding bikes etc. This is such a thoughtless act to race along without any consideration for others. So to stop people speeding would be a big improvement. As a committee member of our progress association, I know our committee and members are always looking for ways to improve our little community and some of these things include- upgrade the boat ramp, ensure people have access and treasure our water supply and lots of other improvements to preserve the naturally beautiful place that it is. The vision for our association is “That Black Point is a small, unique tourist and holiday destination, which offers the range of community members a quiet, non-commercial, relaxing, recreational and naturally beautiful location that is respected and protected by all.” So perhaps this vision sums it up....to improve it is really reinforcing “less is best” and “do little bits extremely well.“

Keep it small, not allow it to expand too much and maintain what we have, so it lasts for my lifetime and for many years beyond.

SUMMER 2009 NEWSLETTER PAGE 10

BP RECOLLECTIONS

by Rita Glaetzer (nee Knapman)

In 1924/5 Bertie Knapman built in the paddock next to his first house at number 29 Parr Street, Largs Bay, a 35 foot long boat he called the “Adventuress”. This boat was the start of the Knapman family going to Black Point. Bertie took friends away in this boat as often as possible, leaving his wife, Frieda and family at home. Black Point became a much visited spot where eventually a boat shed was built on the beach and a clinker built wooden boat with a Chapman Pup engine left there. They used to camp in a green and white tent that was pitched on the beach. Percy Knapman, at this time, used to fly over to Black Point and land in the paddocks behind the then existing sand hills and scrub.

Percy‟s engine died one day in mid gulf, (that may have been the origin of Long Spit, spelt differently). He made it to Gawler beach and back to Parafield on a brickyard lorry after calling Bertie for help to come and get him. He always went up past Ardrossan before crossing after that!

For family interest, there is one of Percy Knapman‟s aeroplanes in the Wangaratta Air Museum in Victoria with the history of it being bought and shipped to Australia from England and who owned it after Percy donated it to the Museum.

In 1930, as Bertie was the only carpenter in the family and Willy had the money, Willy, with Bertie‟s assistance, erected a shed on the site, now number 50, and several years later Percy had Bertie build his at site number 47. At that time, all materials were taken over in the ketch, Annie Watt, and landed at Pine Point where the Annie Watt used to call regularly with supplies for the town and load bagged barley and wheat for Port Adelaide. These I think were the first two shacks at Black Point and number 47, the tan and green shed, is still standing 70 odd years later.

Frieda Knapman outside Shack 47, 1952. Present day picture of this shack in the current edition of “SA Life” magazine.

To house the boats at 47 and 50, a wooden slat like box shed was built in front of the shack into which the boats were floated into at high tide and out again on the tide – there were no ramps in those days. Knapman‟s were not fishermen by trade, but they did have nets, as did a lot of other people years ago.

We were supposed to have the use of Willy‟s shack in school holidays etc. but somehow Willy was always in residence there when we, as a family, could go. I do not remember going there very often but my brother, Max, spent quite a bit of time there, living mostly on fish, rabbits and pigeons (topknots), as Willy believed in living off the land and not spending money. Also in those years, game was plentiful and the bay full of fish, crabs, etc. There is a story of how Bertie caught a lot of fish and gave them to a local farmer, Mr Wheare, who had a large family, thinking to help feed the children. Being the thrifty type, Mr Wheare went along the beach to where some of the locals were picnicking (around where the boat ramp is now) and sold them!

On Max‟s first visit, anchored off number 50, he would get in the dinghy and, holding about 20 feet of snook line with his foot in the transom, row around the “big boat” as we called it. The snook practically jumped into the boat. They were scaled, filleted and put into the pan on the rear deck – and had to be held down with the egg slicer!

In the early days, on the evening tide, a broom handle with a sharpened piece of fencing wire wound on the end was enough to walk along the water‟s edge and get “blueys” that would be museum pieces today. In earlier years, ketches used to come into Black Point beach and load bagged wheat and barley, a very hard and heavy job for the “lumpers” as the men that carried the bags on the shoulders, were known. Ketches had to be loaded according to the tide, and for years the row of posts could be seen on the beach where the boats tied up. The posts were put in by fishermen to scrub their bottoms (the boat‟s that is). This way both sides could be scrubbed and painted on one tide.

(Continued next issue)

AUTUMN 2010 NEWSLETTER PAGE 11

BP RECOLLECTIONS

by Rita Glaetzer (nee Knapman) Part 2

One day the loading was late, the tide came in and the last load was taken out with the water too deep for safety. Redge Wheare, who was a very large strong man, practically hoisted the horses and wagon back onto the beach. His main concern was what his father would do to him if he drowned the horses!

The ketches were beached in front of Harvey‟s with a slot in the cliff where the 3 planked shute was. This was used to shoot the barley bags from the horse wagons on top onto the ketches‟ deck at shoulder height for the lucky bloke who lumped it to the hold and dropped it onto the shoulder of the even luckier bloke who had to stuff the hold from keel to deck. The top row was the hardest.

As the sandhills joined the beach in a gentle slope, it was then a job of digging out the sand for the shack site by hand – no machines in those days! This was done in November. It was a hot, dry job, and the nearest fresh water was at Percy and Willy‟s shack where they (Bertie and co.) were staying. Of course, a few beers thrown in at the end of the day were appreciated. First the main shack – just the one room was built, 22‟ x 13‟. In those days it was quite common for the timber used on overseas cargo ships in the packing of cargo to be thown overboard after leaving the port. This timber was called “dunnage”. Bertie, being a thrifty person (waste not, want not), used to pick up all this timber while out fishing, hence the very rough unplaned timber in parts of the shack. The concrete for the floors etc. was all mixed by hand using beach sand, shell grit and seawater. The boatshed and the workshed were then added. Flat roofs were built on both, but later altered to a gable and half gable.

Editors note; The 1952 photo of the shack in the last Newsletter was labelled as number 47, but in fact it may have been shack 26 which has since been removed. Next edition we find out who may have been the first of many to run aground on the spit at Black Point.

WINTER 2010 NEWSLETTER PAGE 13

BP RECOLLECTIONS

by Rita Glaetzer (nee Knapman) Part 3

The first boat kept at Black Point was a 15‟ wooden clinker – powered by a twin Blaxland inboard motor. This was floated onto the cradle first and then hauled up the beach on planks and into the shed by hand winch and muscle! Later this task was made somewhat easier when an electric motor was installed to drive the winch, but it still required muscle and with explicit language from Bert to get it all together. The boats changed over the years, all built by Bertie in the shed at Parr Street. Being wooden boats and housed in an iron shed, they used to dry out which caused the planks to shrink, so that on arriving at the shack and putting the boat in the water at high tide, it had to be watched so that it didn‟t sink!

One trip coming back from Little Point in a hurry with a good catch at low tide, Bertie hit the spit at full bore, throwing him against the engine cover and breaking two ribs. His arm was blue and he was not good company – we arrived to find him all strapped up and not very happy.

Many a story can be told like the shark that followed a snapper up, taking a bite and leaving several teeth in the stern of the boat. Also the one that leapt out of the water after a snapper and knocked Jim Stewart over in the boat. There have been some sightings, years ago, of some very large sharks around these waters.

Many people went and stayed in number 26 over the years, and a lot of fun was had by all – and a lot of fish, crabs and scallops were caught along the beach just in front of the shack. You didn‟t have to go far to get a good bucket full in those days and there was no catch limit on anything!

Editor‟s note; Next month we will indulge in the “luxuries” associated with shack life in the early days.

This early Black Point picture is gratefully supplied by Malcolm Wheare whose family name is synonymous with Black Point and the surrounding area. Note the absence of shacks, boats and boat moorings. Also that the tree line behind the shacks, is really a tree line! I also enjoyed how the children are having such a great time with just a piece of rope. Those were the days!

SPRING 2010 NEWSLETTER PAGE 8

BP RECOLLECTIONS

by Rita Glaetzer (nee Knapman) Part 4 and last

The lighting in the shack was a Tilley lamp hung from a nail, wood stove for cooking (hot in summer) and primus stove. For keeping food and beer cold, there was a kerosene fridge which on arrival had to be filled and lit. This was a very ticklish job, as the wick had to be just right or it went out, and if it was too high you had everything frozen.

The tanks were built inside the shacks as the shooters and local aborigines would put holes in them if they were outside, so it was in the back corner and painted red, blue and green – very colourful! The shelves were made mainly from dunnage and the dishes were washed up in bowl on the table. Showers – you didn’t have as it used too much water. It was a swim and a dipper full of fresh water over you afterwards. The first shower was one you had to heat the water first, pour this into a bucket with holes in the bottom, and be very quick washing.

The septic arrangements were quite unique, called a Sandpan, which when full or on leaving, you had to dig a hole down the beach and empty the contents into it. The trick was not to dif in the same place next time, very hygienic. The next addition was a little better but was still only a square cement hole with no bottom and a solid top. As we all know, this has caused problems in the past, having to be pumped out serveral times, and a lid made for access. The shower was improved, this being done by Norm in later years and the bathroom was also improved. It as still not up to Hilton standard, but much better than the 1960 model (very cold in winter and quite breezy at times).

Roy Mayfield, who was a friend of Bertie’s spent a lot of time over there, as did Matters. They, with the help of Carl Hermann built shacks 27 and 59, which have since been sold several times. If you look at them they are all along the same style. Willly gave his number 50 to Max Knapman, and he moved into Percy’s number 47. Number 50 was sold by Max to Ruth Day (nee Knapman) and she in turn sold to Ron Hammond. Billy Knapman Jones built number 45 and on his death, it was sold to Wally Taylor. Ian Derrington built further back on the block that Willy had taken over after Percy’s death, as the original shack was so low down. At the moment, number 26 is the only shack still in the Knapman family descendants.

AUTUMN 2011 NEWSLETTER PAGE 9

EARLY BLACK POINT courtesy of Malcolm Wheare

It is with great honour the BPPA are able to bring you some more photos supplied by Malcolm Wheare and his family, who have a long association with the Black Point area.

In the background you will see the old, open-topped male and female change sheds and further around the bay, the old creek/cutting. Also note the roof of the old kiosk protruding from the boat shed!

The following photo is of the area near the present boat ramp and shows the great family atmosphere at a “boat shed” of which there were many, as seen in the second photo looking eastward.

WINTER 2011 NEWSLETTER PAGE 9

EARLY BLACK POINT courtesy of Malcolm Wheare

It is with great honour the BPPA are able to bring you some more photos supplied by Malcolm Wheare and his family, who have a long association with the Black Point area. Can you pick the shacks?

SUMMER 2011 NEWSLETTER PAGE 11

DAYS GONE BY

Thank you to Bob Perry for contributions to a new section in the Newsletter containing letters to the Editor from the Advertiser in days gone by.

Memories Of Black Point Date: October 1934

RED Wurm, Port Pirie, writes: - “Dear Vox – I note there have been several comments on my item re old time ketches and their masts. "Elizabeth‟ mentions the great fire and other matters. I knew Stephen Goldsworthy of Black Point. He had a very nice daughter named Elizabeth. They grew fine black mulberries which I enjoyed with cream. Black Point, called "Moo-lawurtee‟ by the indigenous people, meaning Big Point, was held by Mr Stephen Goldsworthy for many years. He exchanged with the Government, about 1877, for land at the 12 mile Hut, in the hundred of Curramulka. The Government intended to put the quarantine station there but Torrens Island was retained and Black Point was leased by Mr Harry Bartlett, who for several years was in the House of Assembly and was known as the member for Nul-arbor Plains, because of his persistence advocacy of the cutting up of the lands on the West Coast from Port Lincoln to the Nul-arbor (no trees) Plains. Harry Bartlett established a pig farm at Black Point. He had an idea that they would go on the beach and eat cockles. The pigs did not thrive, but fleas did. The place was swarming with them; they would hop on the table at meal time, and often drown themselves in your cup of tea. Mr Bartlett sold out to Morris Brothers, from Anlaby, and they were still farming there when I left the district.

Caught Shag For Bait Date: May 1936

E.T. Wheare, of Ardrossan, tells me about a novel way of getting fish bait.

“As we did not have any for snook on one of our trips to Black point and we were not able to catch a squid.” he says. “A. Clift, one of the party, suggested shooting a shag to see if it held anything suitable for bait.

“Clift brought down the first shag to come within range of his repeater and on opening it, we found two leather jackets, seven piped fish up to eight inches long, and a distant relation to a seahorse.

“We caught our first snook with one of the leather jackets, and so had plenty of bait for the rest of the day.”

WINTER 2012 NEWSLETTER PAGE 11

DAYS GONE BY

Thank you to Bob Perry for contributions to a new section in the Newsletter containing letters to the Editor from the Advertiser in days gone by.

Opposed To Net Fishing

Date: Thursday 17th November 1932

Les Good, Port Vincent, writes: - “Dear Rufus – May I, on behalf of the fishermen and residents of Stansbury, Port Vincent and Black Point enlist your help in an endeavour to get the whiting grounds along these shores closed against the use of nets from low water to three miles eastward. These grounds, I understand were closed in about the year 1904 and remains so until about four or five years ago. Then there was a living for all the men who use to fish, but some people were not satisfied, and the grounds were thrown open. Owing to the continual netting it is practically impossible to make a living. Some time ago we sent a petition to the Chief Inspector, but Port Adelaide fishermen put in a counter- petition which evidently baulked us. Why should the officials take notice of people living over 30 miles away from the ground’s. I feel sure that if the Chief Secretary (Mr Whitford) knew the facts he would not lose anytime in having these grounds closed. If this is not done the fishing industry along these shores will soon be a thing of the past. During the summer months countless scores of dozen of whiting may be caught with the line in the shallows along the spit in the bay. Residents, visitors and yachtsmen can easily go out and hook a feed of nice whiting, but let the nets be dragged over it a few times and there will be no more fish to hook.”

POINTS FROM LETTERS

Gulf Fisheries

Date: Thursday 13th September 1934

From R.T. Berk, Port Vincent: - I must contradict a misleading statement by “Dinkum” Stansbury. He states that there were fewer whiting when the fishing grounds were closed for netting. When the grounds were closed the presence of a fishing cutter at Sheaoak Flat was an uncommon sight. Since the closing of the grounds there are ten cutters getting a living there, and three of them are from Stansbury where the grounds are opened for nets. When we got up a petition to have the grounds closed form Stansbury to Black Point, the majority of Stansbury fishermen would not sign it. Now they can net the Stansbury grounds and come up here and hook on the closed grounds. If nets improve the ground, as “Dinkum” would like us to believe, why leave Stansbury after netting it?

FISH SCARCITY CAUSES CONCERN Enquiry Soon: More Areas Closed To Netting

Date: Thursday 28th June 1934

An increasing scarcity of fish in South Australian waters has been causing concern to fishermen throughout the State, and there have been repeated requests for the Government to institute an enquiry to discover the best means of meeting the situation. The Premier (Mr Butler) said yesterday that he was now going into the matter of appointing a committee to undertake the investigation and hoped to be able to make an announcement within a week or two.

In the meantime the Minister controlling the Fisheries Department (Mr Blesing) has been doing his best to safe guard the position by closing further areas to net fishing, the centre most recently placed under thin ban being Franklin Harbour. Other places which have been closed to net fishing during the past 12 or 18 months comprise the coast between Port Vincent and Black Point, the waters adjacent to Edithburgh and the whole of Hardwieke Bay on Yorke Peninsula.

Many other places along the coast have been closed to netting during the past 20 years, and there are two places in South Australia – both at Kangaroo Island – which are regarded as breeding grounds, and are permanently closed against the taking of fish by any means whatever. They are the Bay of Shoals near Kingscote, and American River, inland from the steamer landing.

The scarcity of fish has been particularly noticeable recently in waters adjacent to Wallaroo in Spencer Gulf and on the western shores of St Vincent Gulf, between Troubridge Island and Ardrossan.

FISHERMEN’S VIEWS ON PROTECTION OF INDUSTRY

Opinions On Use Of Nets

Date: Wednesday 3rd April 1935

More witnesses were examined by the Fishing Commission at the Port Adelaide Town Hall yesterday.

Edwin Thomas Smith of Wattle avenue, Royal Park who has been working on crayfish cutters round Kangaroo Island during the past eight years said that crayfish supplies were becoming less, and more cutters were at work. The crayfish were not decreasing in size. Asked whether the close season for female crayfish covered the right period for the protection of the fish he stated that the season could be begun about a month earlier, making it from July to October.

Albert John Swayne of Russell street, Alberton, who has had eight years experience of fishing said that from November to April when hauling nets were prohibited, regulations were being broken on all the grounds from the Outer Harbor to Port Wakefield. The use of Seine nets did not affect whiting if the nets were used properly. Dragging on a white bottom should be stopped, as that was where small whiting were caught. Many fishermen dragged their nets into their boats without emptying the pocket out in the water, a proceeding which took about one hour. He suggested that the grounds around Black Point should be opened.

William Unwin Potter, fisherman of Anson road, Woodville Gardens, attributed the falling off in supplies of fish to the use of nets. He said that an increase of the minimum size of whiting would kill the West Coast fishing industry.

As long as a hauling net was properly used it could be utilised at any time of the year without doing damage to small fish said Joseph Swayne of Exmouth road, Glanville. He suggested closing the coast against Seine nets to low water mark. All along the beaches damage was being done by amateurs.

John William Waters, fisherman of Exmouth road, Exeter, said that a good man with a good boat could put a stop in two years to the practice of hauling nets onto the beach provided a heavy penalty were imposed. He estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 dozen small whiting were killed every year. The taking of small whiting could be prevented by one man in St Vincent’s Gulf. Perhaps two men would be needed in Spencer Gulf. If all waters above 6 ft at high water were closed to net fishermen it would be satisfactory. The hook fishermen should have the say above 6 ft... and the net fishermen they say below 6 ft. It would be a good thing to prohibit the use of sunken nets as it would stop a lot of jealousy. In August or September last year barb wire and boxthorn had been thrown into the grounds where he had been fishing.

BLACK POINT IN THE BEGINNING

Originally known as “kudlaworti” meaning lonely man, this was adopted by the first leaseholder on the 10th of October, 1854. Lease number 384 was granted to Mr. Stephen Goldsworthy, (c. 1826- 1897).

On the 28th of January, 1861, a mineral discovery was made. Subsequently, on the 4th of December, 1861, the “Advertiser” reported the establishment of the “Goldsworthy Mining Co”.

In 1877, the Government of the day proposed the establishment of a quarantine station and subsequently reserved some land at Black Point. (See below).

The “Advertiser” also reported the discovery of a new oyster bed in the area on the 19th of August, 1886.

More on the proposed quarantine station.

It is not only from the islands of the Pacific and from India that the danger of disease threatened, for in July 1873 the colony was informed by telegraph that the smallpox in a virulent form had appeared in England. Therefore, it was considered by many at the time that if the ministry had erected quarantine quarters on Torrens Island without delay, their foresight would have been appreciated.

However, it was not until 1877 that a commission, appointed by the government, made inquiries into the best site for a permanent quarantine station. Among the sites examined were Black Point, Wedge Island, Wauraltee or Wardang Island, Althorpe Island, a peninsula at the mouth of the American River, a promontory at Kingscote, and Point Marsden. Their strong recommendation was Black Point on the eastern shore of Yorke Peninsula and 30 miles from Semaphore.

In June 1877 the Colton government decided on Wardang Island as the preferred site but, heeding the advice of the Surveyor-General as to the lack of available water there and its isolation from Adelaide, Torrens Island was approved in 1878.

By mid-1879 it was established and proclaimed by a notice that appeared in the Government Gazette on 15 September 1881 and comprised the whole of the island with the exception of 15 sections.