DECADES after the Tacking Point Lighthouse became automated, the legacy of one of its former keepers is being kept alive through his descendants, who continue to call Port Macquarie home.
Albert Charles Lindman was born in the Pilot’s Station at Harrington and moved to Port Macquarie in 1901 with his wife Elizabeth Sheather, who was originally from Coopernook.
Though lighthouse keepers no longer exist, Lindman’s dedication to his role remains a cherished part of his family’s history.
The memory of his service is preserved through his granddaughter Janelle Higgins, 76, along with his great-grandson Greg Higgins, 52, and great-great-grandsons Jeremy Wall, 30, Stephen Wall, 24, Adam Wall, 22, Benjamin Higgins, 19, and Liam Higgins, 14.
They all live in Port Macquarie, ensuring that Lindman’s story continues to be passed down through the generations.
Lindman’s daughter Irene Thelma Lindman, Janelle’s mother, spent much of her childhood at the lighthouse, making the journey from Town Beach to the lighthouse by horse and sulky.
Though the cottage where Irene spent many months as a child is now reduced to foundations at the centre of the headland, the stories of her visits to her father’s workplace remain vivid.
“My mother loved visiting my grandfather at the lighthouse,” Janelle said.
“She always spoke of it with such pride, telling us how his work was more than just a job.
“It was his mission to keep people safe, and that sense of duty within the Maritime Services was a big part of our family’s history, with my great-grandfather serving as a pilot and boat crew member who went to Harrington from Sydney.”
Irene was born in 1904 on William Street, where the Maritime Museum now stands.
“That was their family home until she married my father, Keith Edmands, in 1929.”
“I donated many of my mother’s beautiful embroideries, which are now part of the Museum’s collection.”
Albert Lindman died in 1948, and his wife Elizabeth in 1934.
They are buried in Port Macquarie’s Historical Cemetery.
By Sis HIGGINS
