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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001153A
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00:38 Cape Otway light station is the oldest surviving and most 00:41 important lighthouse in mainland Australia. Built in 1848, the 00:46 lighthouse perches on towering sea cliffs 90 meters above the 00:51 Shipwreck Coast where Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean 00:55 collide. This is one of the most treacherous stretches of coast 01:02 line anywhere in the world. Littered with the wrecks of 01:05 hundreds of ships many lives were lost in these shipwrecks 01:09 off Cope Otway, a sad but fascinating history that led to 01:14 the building of the light station. But there's more than 01:19 just a lighthouse here at Cape Otway. Hidden away behind the 01:23 lighthouse is a World War II secret bunker. So secret that 01:29 there are only three photographs of it from the war. When it was 01:33 built in 1942 it played a significant role in Australian 01:37 and American war history. There's an amazing story to be 01:42 told here. Don't miss it. 01:45 ♪ ♪ 02:24 The drama and beauty and wilderness of this part of 02:26 Victoria's coastline is breath taking. Here the land doesn't 02:31 gently slope down to meet the sea. Rather the sea repeatedly 02:35 attacks the cliffs carving chunks of rock away until the 02:40 land is left a solitary pillar of rock. Eventually the pillar 02:46 gives in to the repeated pummeling of the waves and 02:49 crumbles to join the reefs below reefs that seethe with foam and 02:55 salt spray in storms and give this area it's other name, The 02:59 Shipwreck Coast. At the heart of the fabled Shipwreck Coast which 03:06 has claimed more ships than any other stretch of coastline in 03:10 this country stands Australia's most significant lighthouse, 03:14 Cape Otway. From the observation deck at the top of the 03:21 lighthouse there are breathtaking views of 03:24 the dramatic coastal waters where you get the feel for the 03:28 weather of the roaring 40s. Those strong westerly winds in 03:32 the southern hemisphere found between 40 to 50 degrees 03:37 latitude that were a major aid to ships sailing from Europe to 03:41 Australia which made this light house essential for the safety 03:45 of these ships and their passengers. But it wasn't just 03:50 the winds, waves and rocks that were a threat to ships here. 03:55 There were more sinister dangers A year before the Japanese 03:59 attack on Pearl Harbor changed the course of World War II 04:04 Adolph Hitler's forces claimed one of the first American war 04:07 casualties. Here in the waters off Cape Otway, the German's sank 04:13 the first American vessel in World War II. The American ship 04:18 S.S. City of Rayville steamed into Bass Strait after departing 04:22 Port Pirie, South Australia, with a cargo of lead bound for 04:30 New York. It hit a German land mine early on the evening of the 04:32 8th of November 1940. World War II had exploded into Australian 04:39 waters. Few people realized the Germans came down this far south 04:45 or that they successfully sank three ships in Bass Strait. They 04:51 pirated a Norwegian merchant trading vessel called The 04:55 Storstad off Australia's north west coast and converted it into 04:59 a minelayer and renamed it the Pesak. They used it to lay about 05:04 40 mines in the waters off Cape Otway. One of them was washed up 05:09 on the rock and gives us an idea as to the size of these mines. 05:15 The City of Rayville sank quickly after hitting one of the 05:20 mines. A lighthouse keeper saw and heard the explosion and 05:24 raised the alarm. Three rescue boats were dispatched from 05:28 Apollo Bay and rushed to the ship's aid. Thirty-seven crew 05:33 members were saved, but one returned to the ship and was 05:36 drowned, becoming the first U.S. Merchant Navy casualty of 05:42 World War II. Australian finally had a real sense of being at war 05:47 with Nazi Germany. The war was no longer a remote event in 05:51 Europe. The enemy was now on our very shores. The sinking of the 06:00 City of Rayville was followed in 1942 by the launch of an 06:05 observation aircraft from a Japanese submarine just off Cape 06:09 Otway. The aircraft flew over the lighthouse and on to 06:13 Melbourne to take photos before returning to the submarine. Both 06:18 the submarine and the German mine were kept secret to avoid 06:22 panic and maintain morale and ensure the public weren't 06:26 frightened that the Germans and Japanese were this far south. 06:31 But these incidents galvanized the authorities into action and 06:36 they built four radar bunkers along the coastline including 06:42 this one at Cape Otway. Built under a veil of secrecy these 06:47 bunkers were built for one reason, the detection and 06:51 interception of the enemy. Up to 50 service men were stationed 06:56 here to keep a lookout for Japanese and German submarines. 07:00 The data they collected was sent by wireless telegraphy to the 07:06 top secret defense headquarters in Melbourne. The information 07:09 was then plotted on a main operations board so aircraft 07:13 could be dispatched to investigate or engage 07:16 unidentified or hostile aircraft ships or submarines. 07:21 The Cape Otway 07:23 radar bunker was one of the best kept secrets of the war. But as 07:29 fascinating as this World War II intrigue and bunker are the Cape 07:33 Otway lighthouse provides an intriguing window into much more 07:38 of Australia's past. It's the oldest surviving lighthouse on 07:44 mainland Australia with the light in continuous operation 07:48 since 1848. Before Bass Strait was discovered by Matthew 07:59 Flinders around 1799, ships had to sail around Tasmania, Van 08:06 Diemen's Land back then, taking an extra week to 10 days. Then 08:10 Lieutenant James Grant discovered a shortcut through 08:13 Bass Strait. This new route shaved off nearly 1200 km or up 08:19 to a week from the journey and quickly became the popular 08:22 approach to the colony of Port Jackson, later Sydney, from the 08:27 early 1800s. There was only one problem with the new route. The 08:32 narrow gap between Cape Otway and King Island at the mouth of 08:36 Bass Strait. It's only 90 km wide but became an infamous 08:42 graveyard for many a sailing ship. It caught out even the 08:46 most experienced mariners who likened this perilous stretch of 08:51 water to threading the Eye of the Needle. In the Bass Strait 09:07 the mighty Southern Ocean is forced through a passage nearly 09:10 90 km wide and up onto the continental shelf where the sea 09:15 bottom becomes relatively shallow. In these parts, the 09:21 wind blows and swells of 10 to 20 meters aren't rare. On a 09:26 typical day the swell is about six meters. Imagine after three 09:38 long dreary months of traversing the wide ocean sailing ships 09:43 faced the delicate navigational task of threading the Eye of the 09:47 Needle. There was nothing to guide and direct the ship 09:51 through what was considered the most dangerous stretch of water 09:55 in the world. One mistake could have the ship tragically wrecked 09:59 on the rocks and reefs of the Shipwreck Coast and sadly there 10:05 were many mistakes. After a series of tragic shipwrecks off 10:10 the coast here that claimed hundreds of lives, a lighthouse 10:14 was eventually commissioned. In 1835 almost 250 lives were lost 10:23 and there were very few survivors 10:27 floundered off King Island while trying to enter Bass Strait. 10:30 One hundred and thirty-five 10:32 female convicts with 55 children 30 male convicts and all the 10:38 crew perished. Rose Ann Highland was one of only a handful of 10:45 survivors of the Neva tragedy. Three of her children perished. 10:50 Rose showed great courage in giving testimony to a government 10:54 inquiry into the need for a lighthouse at the entrance to 10:58 Bass Strait. She gave a dramatic account of the night the Neva 11:02 was wrecked as well as some insight into the perilous 11:06 conditions faced by single women on the long journey to the new 11:10 colonies both at the hands of the elements and at the hands of 11:15 the sometimes unscrupulous sailors. But it took another 11:20 major shipping disaster almost 10 years later before action was 11:25 take to overcome the deadly entrance to Bass Strait. The 11:30 entire nation of Australia was left reeling after the Cataraqui 11:35 was wrecked on the west coast of King Island on August 3, 1845 11:40 claiming the lives of over 400 people. It remains to this day 11:46 Australia's worst peacetime maritime disaster. These 11:53 shipping tragedies were of great concern to Charles La Trobe, the 11:58 superintendent of Port Phillip, now Melbourne. News of these 12:02 shipwreck tragedies and the great loss of life spread to 12:06 London and immigrants became reluctant to board Australian 12:11 bound ships. They preferred safer passages to the colonies 12:14 of America, Canada and Africa. This was a disaster for La Trobe 12:19 because it hindered the young colonies' efforts to attract 12:24 immigrant families and labor. He presented a summation and a 12:28 power final argument to the select committee of light 12:32 houses established to determine the location of a lighthouse at 12:36 the entrance to Bass Strait. La Trobe's passionate plea and 12:42 the public outrage and widespread condemnation 12:45 following these tragic shipwrecks forced the New South 12:48 Wales government to finally commission a lighthouse at the 12:52 entrance to Bass Strait. Its task was to warn ships of danger 12:58 and guide them safely on their way and so prevent any further 13:02 loss of life. Charles La Trobe who considered himself an 13:07 amateur explorer made three overland attempts at reaching 13:10 Cape Otway before finding success in 1846 thanks to the 13:16 help of aborigines and settlers. It had taken him a whole year, 13:20 but he finally marked the proposed site for a lighthouse 13:24 at the most southerly point in the region. To endure the storms 13:30 and harsh conditions the lighthouse had to be built on a 13:34 rock solid foundation. It had to be steadfast, sturdy and 13:39 reliable. The construction of the lighthouse was an amazing 13:44 feat. Stone used to build the lighthouse was sought and cut 13:48 at Park River five kilometers away and transported by Oxen. 13:53 Seventy men worked for 10 months to shape the sand stone 13:58 to such perfect and exacting proportions no cement was 14:03 required to assemble the tower. It's 21 meters high and stands 14:09 91 meters above sea level. The lamp was finally lit on the 29th 14:19 of August 1848. It was manufactured in London and was 14:24 brought ashore at Cape Otway through crashing surf in small 14:28 boats. The light mechanism consisted of 21 polished 14:33 reflectors and lamps mounted on a frame. Originally it was 14:38 fueled by whale oil, then kerosene and later electricity. 14:44 The light showed nearly 50 km out to sea and gave a really 14:50 bright light. It's brightness is equivalent to one million 14:56 candles. Cape Otway lighthouse had a scandalous start. The first 15:03 lighthouse keeper, Captain James Lawrence, was a drunken rogue 15:08 who failed to keep a light shining. He was dismissed only 15:12 a month into his posting. Subsequent lighthouse keepers 15:21 were charged with maintaining the light, shining a beacon of 15:25 hope onto Bass Strait to prevent any further loss of life. The 15:29 light must be kept shining. But life wasn't easy for lighthouse 15:35 keepers and their families. Cape Otway was a wild and isolated 15:41 place. It was a lonely and difficult existence. Working 15:45 conditions were challenging and the pay was low. They also 15:49 struggled with limited food provisions and infrequent 15:53 deliveries. The situation was especially difficult for the 15:58 second light keeper at Cape Otway, Henry Bales Ford and his 16:02 wife Mary. This was also true of Kathrine Evans, the wife of 16:08 long serving assistant keeper William Evans. They lost two 16:12 young children at the Cape, a son Cornelius in 1867 and an 16:17 11-month-old daughter Kathrine in 1868. There's a headstone at 16:23 the graves of the children at the nearby Cape Otway Cemetery. 16:28 William Evans served longer than any other assistant keeper at 16:33 Cape Otway, for well over 20 years. About 30 ships were 16:42 wrecked off the coast just out from Cape Otway from the 16:47 lighthouse. Two of the most significant of these ships were 16:52 Jenny and Eric the Red. Jenny was sunk in 1854. Now just a few 17:00 years after this lighthouse was completed in 1848 gold was 17:06 discovered in Ballarat and workers throughout Australia 17:11 went AWOL as they searched for their fortune at Ballarat. They 17:16 left their jobs and even some of the assistant lighthouse keepers 17:21 here at Cape Otway left their positions, left their posts, and 17:25 made their way to Ballarat. Now it was during this time that the 17:30 head lighthouse keeper had taken full responsibility for keeping 17:35 the lamp burning. And during this time, one morning while 17:39 walking on the nearby beach, he found a large section of fresh 17:44 mast and he knew that a ship had sunk. He then went searching and 17:49 sure enough at a beach not far from here he discovered the 17:52 survivors of the Jenny. He brought them back here to the 17:57 lighthouse station in Cape Otway and cared for them using his own 18:02 supplies until help was provided In 1851 Victoria had a 18:15 population of 77,000 people. By 1861, just 10 years later, the 18:21 population of Victoria was 540,000 people, which was half 18:26 the total population of Australia. Most of them arrived 18:31 by sea with ships carrying people and ships carrying the 18:35 supplies they'd ordered in from overseas and ships carrying the 18:39 gold they dug up and sent back to England. Each of these ships 18:45 faced the same treacherous conditions along the Shipwreck 18:52 Coast. Each of the passengers and crew knew all about the 18:53 tragic shipwrecks but they had no other option for travel so 18:57 continued their journey placing their faith in the captain and 19:02 hoping that the weather would be mild and they would make it 19:05 through the dangerous waters safely. When the weather was 19:09 rough every person on board would strain their eyes to see 19:14 the light shining from the Cape Otway lighthouse along the 19:17 Shipwreck Coast. The long awaited sighting of the Cape 19:29 Otway lighthouse brought great relief to ship captains and 19:33 attempt of the dangerous maneuver of threading the Eye 19:36 of the Needle and entering Bass Strait. You can imagine what it 19:40 was like to newcomers to this land. For many thousands of 19:45 early migrants Cape Otway was their first sight of land after 19:49 leaving Europe or North America and many months at sea. They'd 19:54 sailed more than 20,000 km and had spent more than three, four 19:59 or five months at sea. It was the longest journey an immigrant 20:04 could take. As an immigrant you couldn't take a longer journey 20:07 anywhere in the world. They just experienced the storms and 20:12 trials of this long and arduous journey without seeing land. 20:17 And then they saw the lighthouse This was their first landfall, 20:27 their first sight of land in a long time. When they saw the 20:31 lighthouse they knew they had safe passage into Bass Strait. 20:35 They knew they could negotiate the Eye of the Needle. They were 20:40 safe. The lighthouse would guide them to their new home. So to 20:53 many passengers and crew the Cape Otway lighthouse became 20:58 known as the beacon of hope. Today the Cape Otway lighthouse 21:02 stands here as a reminder of the storms and challenges 21:06 experienced by sailors and migrants coming to Australia. 21:11 It's also a reminder that we've all experienced storms and 21:16 challenges in our lives. Maybe you're currently in the midst of 21:19 a raging storm, maybe multiple storms. You many even think 21:24 they're going to totally overwhelm you. Storms are 21:28 a certainty but you don't have to fight life's huge storms alone. 21:32 God is always ready to be your lighthouse in the storms of life 21:39 He has the power to either calm the storm or carry you through 21:43 it. He's like the lighthouse, your beacon of hope, your place 21:49 of refuge from the enormous storms that try to engulf and 21:54 destroy you. Listen to Psalm 107 verses 28 to 30: 22:22 God has the real power to keep you safe. You don't have to 22:27 fight the storms by yourself any longer. He promises to protect 22:31 you and guide you to safety. He will lead you to a place of 22:35 refuge, a place of shelter to endure the storm. Notice this 22:41 encouraging promise in Psalm chapter 91 verses 1 to 3: 23:05 Isn't that reassuring. God promises to protect you and 23:12 deliver you but there's more. Listen as God's promise 23:16 continues in Psalm 91 verses 14 and 15: 23:35 If you would like that assurance that protection, if you would 23:39 like God to be your personal lighthouse and to provide you 23:43 with peace, guidance and safety, then why not ask him right now 23:49 as we pray. 23:52 Dear heavenly Father, we pray that you will illuminate our 23:57 path and guide us on our journey through life. Thank you for 24:02 being our lighthouse, our beacon of hope during the storms 24:08 of life. We are grateful that we don't have to fight these storms 24:13 alone. May we always remember that you are with us, that we 24:16 are never alone in the midst of these storms. I pray that you 24:21 will send each one of us your peace today, the peace that 24:26 passes all understanding. And thank you that during all of 24:31 life's storms you provide a perfect place of safety and 24:37 refuge for us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 24:43 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and impressed 24:53 you with a desire to learn more about Jesus Christ and how he 24:58 can be your lighthouse, your protector and provider. Would 25:02 you like to learn more about the most popular man in history? 25:07 We have a wonderful resource that can help you discover so 25:11 much about the light of Jesus Christ. It's called Finding 25:17 Treasure: A Beginners Guide. This easy-to-read booklet should 25:21 be yours and is absolutely free with no cost and no obligation 25:27 whatsoever. So don't miss this wonderful opportunity. Here's 25:31 the information you need: Phone or text us at 0436333555 or 25:41 visit our website www.tij.tv to request today's free offer and 25:49 we'll send it to you totally free of charge and with no 25:52 obligation. So don't delay. Call or text 0436333555 in 26:01 Australia or 0204222042 in New Zealand or visit our website 26:09 www.tij.tv to request today's offer. Write to us at: 26:35 Don't delay. Phone or text 0436333555 in Australia or 26:42 0204222042 in New Zealand or visit our website www.tij.tv to 26:55 request today's free offer. Call or text us now. 27:01 If you've enjoyed today's journey be sure to join us again 27:05 next week when we will share another of life's journey's 27:09 together and experience another new and thought provoking 27:12 perspective on the peace, insight, understanding and hope 27:17 that only the Bible can give us. The Incredible Journey truly is 27:23 television that changes lives. Until next week remember the 27:28 ultimate destination of life's journey. Now I saw a new heaven 27:32 and a new earth. And God will wipe away every tear from their 27:36 eyes. There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying. 27:40 There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed 27:45 away. 27:46 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2021-02-08