Heritage icon nearing completion

Albany's historic Breaksea Island restoration project is almost finished, but further funding is needed if the project is to come to fruition as a maritime heritage tourism icon.

Picture by Laurie Benson

Great Southern Development Commission chief executive Bruce Manning told Parliament late last month initial funding for the restoration and conservation project had run out before final touches had been completed.

The Great Southern Development Commission initiated emergency heritage work with $100,000 which was then supplemented by a $1.3 million Commonwealth Government Job Futures grant in 2009 to repair the island’s 1858 light house extension, 1901 lighthouse, two keeper’s cottages and jetty.

Department of Environment and Conservation Albany district manager Mike Shephard said the original lighthouse extension, jetty and two cottages had been completed according to the project’s original specifications as a heritage conservation project.

But Mr Shephard said expectations had risen that the island would eventually become operational for tourism ventures, which the department was not funded to complete.

Mr Shephard said about $300,000 would be needed to bring the two cottages to operational tourism standard.

But that sum would not cover major works to the now-collapsed and deteriorating 1858 lighthouse.

Mr Shephard said the lighthouse was beyond the limits of simple repair and any work done would be a re-creation of the original structure, rather than a restoration.

But Laura Player, the great-granddaughter of 1887-1894 lighthouse keeper Captain Job Augustus Symonds, has called for funding to save the remains of the historic lighthouse, which is the oldest remaining convict-built lighthouse in Australia.

“This is history crumbling before our eyes,” Ms Player said.

“It’s a major concern and we need some more funding desperately before any more erosion and deterioration takes place to this very important national icon.”

She estimates it will cost about $2 million to bring the old lighthouse back to its former glory.

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