THE following story tells of the women who bravely endured the challenges and loneliness of living as the wife of a light housekeeper.

The extracts are from a book I wrote back in 2018 titled “The Outer Light”.

While men were the only ones ever paid as lightkeepers, the permanent jobs went predominantly to family men.

The family unit was understood to be cohesive and independent, capable of weathering the isolation of light house posts.

Wives were expected to nurture that unit and thus sustain their lighthouse keeping husbands.

I’m sure every couple would have a differing opinion of that relationship.

The nature of the job however was all encompassing and everyone was expected to play a part.

They worked as a team.

Gendered roles were largely divided between the home and the lighthouse precinct, but there were always overlaps and everyone in the family knew that the Light was the priority.

I am of the opinion, after studying light keeping families, that women were never given the accolades that they rightfully deserved.

Maybe they didn’t expect them.

Between 1862 and 1973 Fingal’s Outer Lighthouse had many Principal Lightkeepers and numerous assistants.

The majority of light keepers were accompanied by their wives – all would have had a story to tell.

The women were often seen as the glue that would sustain life on the Outer Light.

Aside from their domestic duties they were often called on to help in a variety of unpaid roles.

In later years they took phone calls, did weather reports, operated the radios for the small vessels and assisted in emergencies.

While the importance of the role women played was recognised by the Department, whose desire was for married men to take up work as a lightkeeper, their contribution was not well acknowledged.

The lives of women and children were entirely dependent on the men retaining their job.

No woman was ever employed to care for the light and when a lightkeeper died there was no option for the family but to leave the light station.

For many women their role on the light station was all they needed and for others it could be a wearisome and lonely existence.

Some loved the lonely lifestyle, others couldn’t wait to get back to civilization.

As you would expect, life in a lighthouse can be lonely, dangerous and tragic.

Accidents, misery and loss of life appear to be part of the job description.

Considering the misery of most stories it is pleasing to learn the story of a young lady, Cis Berryman, the daughter of J.D.G. Berryman, who was the Head Lightkeeper at the Fingal Outerlight from 1926-27 and again through the 1930s. Cis’ story shines a bright, refreshing light on a sometimes miserable scene.

Cissie Berryman first came to the attention of the media on Tuesday 23 June 1931 when an article appeared in the Sydney Sun under the heading “No Rouge – Lighthouse Girl – Lonely Life”.

“Born in a lighthouse and marooned in lighthouses on little-frequented parts of the rugged New South Wales coast until she was 21 years of age Cis Berryman, the dark, good looking daughter of John Berryman Lighthouse keeper, did not know how to dance until three months ago,” the article read.

“As an only child her friends have been restricted to sea birds, cats and dogs and for the greater part of her life her only companions have been her mother and father.

“Miss Berryman does not know how to use rouge and lipstick.

“She uses a little powder on occasions but her slightly tanned complexion needs no other embellishment.”

The story described Cis as being a “good fisherwoman” and having an “intimate knowledge of lighthouse signals”.

Very rarely does any lighthouse activity make the social column of the local newspaper.

The wedding of a young lady changed all that.

In what became a hot news topic, Cis was to marry William John Arblaster.

In the Newcastle Sun on 1 March 1933 in bold print, the headlines read “Romance of the Sea-Coast”, with a sub heading of “Lighthouse Girl to Marry”.

“After having lived all her life in lighthouses on the coast above the rollers of the Pacific Ocean Miss Cecelia Amelia Berryman 23 is to take the plunge into the seas of matrimony,” the article stated.

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE