Close to our back deck is a Litsea tree, also known as a Bollygum, about ten years old. It didn’t fruit until it was about seven, but this year it’s loaded, attracting numerous winged species including Fig Birds, White Headed Pigeons and a Wompoo Fruit Dove who seems to have permanently moved in – a perfect spot for a hungry and enterprising Python to curl up and check what’s on the menu.

The other day there was a noisy kerfuffle going on in the tree and thinking there was probably a goanna about we went out only to find a Diamond Python, not a large one, dangling from a branch, coiled around a newly killed male Fig Bird, upside down with wings spread. From a few feet away we watched in fascination as the predator tightened its grip, savoured its catch and then opened wide – very wide.  Here’s what I caught on camera – sorry about any bits that are out of focus.

John Allen

The largest and most colourful fruit dove of them all, the wompoo.

These birds almost never come to the ground, and usually will settle for weeks in just the one tree either in a pair or singly, as they have done this year at Seal Rocks.

Their head is a pale grey with a red eye and a red beak tipped with yellow. The breast and belly is purple, with their under-parts an egg-yolk yellow. Their wings are green on the outside and yellow underneath, and a broken line of pale yellow splotches decorates their green wing feathers.

In flawless autumn weather, some 250 family and friends gathered on the lawn in front of the log cabins at Treachery Head, on the afternoon of Wednesday 6th April, to celebrate the life of John Henry Brown. A more perfect location for Jack’s farewell could not have been chosen. The marquee and seating were set up on the spot where the original house had stood, looking out to that wonderful view of the Lighthouse on Sugarloaf Point. This was a place that had meant a great deal to Jack, and as his sons Bruce, Graham and Peter spoke in detail of their father’s life, it was clear how many happy family occasions had been enjoyed there.

A well attended memorial in splendid weather.
The formal part of the proceedings were sensitively conducted by Wendy Ballard, and after the loving tributes from family and friends, which included many favourite and humorous anecdotes, Mozart’s Piano Concerto 21 gave those present time to reflect on their personal memories of Jack.
The Memorial concluded with Jack’s granddaughter Sally reading a Banjo Patterson poem Sunrise on the Coast, which vividly evokes a new dawn. Jack had written of this poem:
“I have often watched this magic from my verandah at Treachery. A more beautiful scene is hard to imagine and this poem of Banjo’s says it all.”
Family and friends were then served refreshments and chatted at length, enjoying the balmy weather, the splendid setting, and each other’s company. It was all just as Jack would have wished.

SUNRISE ON THE COAST
by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson

Grey dawn on the sandhills – the night wind has drifted
All night from the rollers a scent of the sea;
With the dawn the grey fog his battalions has lifted,
At the scent of the morning they scatter and flee.

Like mariners calling the roll of their number
The sea fowl put out to the infinite deep.
And far overhead – sinking softly to slumber –
Worn out by their watching, the stars fall asleep.

To eastward where resteth the dome of the skies on
The sea line stirs softly the curtain of night;
And far from behind the enshrouded horizon
Comes the voice of a God saying, “Let there be light.”

An lo, there is light!  Evanescent and tender,
It glows ruby-red where ’twas now ashen grey;
And purple and scarlet and gold in its splendour –
Behold, ’tis that marvel, the birth of a day!

Retired Boat Beach boats set to be refurbished

By Glen Davies

FOR some years now the area opposite the fishing sheds and just to the Eastern side of the boat ramp at Boat Beach has been graced by the “Denise” with her white clinker built hull and red gunwhales. Last worked by Bernie King, resident of the Caravan Park and until some years ago a professional fisherman at Seal Rocks, the “Denise” has seen the last of her working days. She joins 3 other smaller boats in various states of disrepair which dot the same site.

One of these smaller craft, and in the best condition, was built in the fishing sheds by Dave Golby, a manager of the Caravan Park for many years. Found at the back of the sheds by Mark Sheriff, she was done up and removed to the Lighthouse forecourt for some years before being returned to the area in front of the sheds where she was first built.

The other three boats, including the “Denise”, were built by Jos Davies., long time professional fisherman, Manager of the fishing sheds and character in his own right.  Jos first came from Cessnock to fish at Seal Rocks in 1955, and in 1957 was joined by his wife Marie to live in what is still her home, the last house before the headland, perched above the Eastern end of Boat Beach.

Jos’s first boat was the “Marlin”, bought in 1958 from Jack Carmody who worked at the Lighthouse. In 1960 he decided to build his own boat in the shed behind his house.  It was his first so he relied upon the expertise of Tom Palmer, a boat builder in Bungwahl who could neither read nor write. Luckily Tom knew his boats and so soon did Jos. It wasn’t long before the “Dianne” was born, named after Jos and Marie’s first child. She was to be followed over ensuing decades by the “Dianne 2” and the “Dianne 3”.

It is the “Dianne 2” which interests us here. After her time with Jos she was sold to Les Cheers, aka “Coon”, and Bobbie Dee, and was named the “Coondee”.

After that she passed on to Bernie King who renamed her the “Denise”. Upon Jos’s death the oversight of the fishing sheds passed to Bernie, Jos’s present boat the “Dianne 3” was sold to someone on Wallis Lake and the “Denise” became the sole survivor of what had once been up to 8 such boats which stood proudly together on the sands of Boat Beach.

Finally, there are the two net boats floundering amidst the Bitou Bush above the fishing ramp. These were named the “Jill” and the ”Marie” after completion by Jos and, both propelled by oars, have each played their role in abundant years of netting the beach long before the advent of the much zippier motor-propelled net boats of today.

The good news is that all 4 boats are now in the possession of Mark Sheriff, long time resident of the village, former assistant lighthouse keeper and caretaker at Sugarloaf Point, restorer of lighthouses up and down the East coast of Australia and Tasmania, and whose passion it is to collect and care for objects which form part of our maritime history. It is Mark’s intention to lovingly refurbish the boats and to introduce interpretive signage as well as add further examples of objects which will enhance the historical ambience of the site. We wish him well.