M’Bashe Point Lighthouse Transkei
Latitude 32° 14' 27, 1'' S.
Longitude 28°
55' 00, 9'' E.
P-J Hannabus, Lighthouse Keeper (Ret.,) has a fond attachment to the
M’Bashe Point Lighthouse for it was here that his Lighthouse career commenced.
The Lighthouse overlooks the forest-clad hills of the river mouth and
down onto a beach of rocky outcrops. It is an isolated post, 100 kilometres
from Umtata
P-J’s father Lighthouse Keeper, J.F. Hannabus (Babsie) arrived with his wife
Eunice, P-J and his sister Nerene, in 1969 and took up appointment at M’Bashe
Point. Sadly, Eunice passed away just a few
months after their arrival and lies buried in the Umtata
P-J brings us this amusing story, of how, as a young man of 17 years old,
his Lighthouse career was launched.
“I had just completed my
matriculation and my Dad, Babsie, became very ill with bronchitis. I telephoned
Corky
Bruyns, the Lighthouse Inspector in Cape
Town Umtata
Corky said to me, ‘What are
you doing?’ I told him that I had not chosen any particular career path at this
time. Corky said, ‘so who is running the station at the moment?’ ‘Well sort of
me. Pops is telling me what to do from the bed.’ Corky’s reply was firm and
decisive. ‘That is settled then and saves a lot of bother. You are now appointed
Senior Relief Keeper at M’Bashe! When Pops gets better, you stay on as
Trainee!’
I trained under my Dad and
when competent, the Service posted me to my first Lighthouse at Danger Point as
Relief Keeper.
Danger Point was home to me,
as my Dad had been stationed there from 1961 to 1963 and it is here under a
clump of trees that my infant brother lies buried in a tiny grave.
The first job I was given
as the Relief Keeper was to paint the dome of the tower. With only an
antiquated safety belt to rely on, my nerves were quite raw as I took on this
perilous task!”
A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson
Lovely story. Thank you.
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