Morse signal lamp

This signal lamp is made of wood, brass, glass and has been converted to internal electrical fittings and light bulb. Used on South Solitary Island for communications at night.

In the early days of the 1900s, the South Solitary Island Lighthouse was one of the most isolated places on earth, and, for a young lighthouse keeper named Harry, it was no doubt one of the loneliest. That is, until he met Maud, by way of Morse code messages being flashed across the open sea, late into the night. The romance by Morse code between a Harry Fisher and Maud Damerell has long been part of the history and folklore of the Coffs coast, around the beachside villages of Emerald, Sandy and Moonee.

The little portable Morse lamp, that Harry assembled for Maud, is now one of the few remaining relics of the signaling station that was constructed on Damerell Headland, and which the Damerell family operated from 1887 till about 1918. The station was commissioned to be a 24-hour link with the lighthouse, to improve communications following the tragic loss of 48 lives with the collision of the Helen Nicoll and the Keilawarra in December 1886.

Local landowner, George Damerell, was appointed signal master in charge of managing the station, which was equipped with a set of semaphore flags, a flagstaff with a weather vane mounted to the top, a telescope, a Morse code box, a code book and log book, and writing desk, all housed in a small shed, or ‘flaghouse’ . This was also home to a set of semaphore flags each with its own pigeonhole. While George maintained the equipment, by all accounts, most of the signaling fell upon three of his daughters, each of whom, took on the role of signaler, till it came to the youngest Maud. Harry and Maud were known to conduct long conversations deep into the night, messaging at such a speed and with great proficiency that any casual observers, with a rudimentary knowledge of Morse, were barely able to interpret their loving exchanges.

The Morse code lamp is a modest piece of equipment, whose construction would have required some practical skills, not uncommon for lighthouse keepers of that day, but it holds great significance, in that it points back to a time when vital communications between the lighthouse and the mainland relied on visual signals. It was also a time when civilians all along the coastline were called upon to help ensure the safety of those at sea. While there are many instances reported of Morse codes lamps being use by sailors and others, to communicate with their loved ones ashore, the case of Maud and Harry, is by far the most celebrated.

Different versions of the story have been passed down over generations of locals, and recorded in local histories. In this regard, the lamp is quite unique in that it remains a material artefact that played a central part in these historic events. It has also emerged that the late night courtship conducted by Harry and Maud, by Morse code, was not an isolated case. There are numerous of reports, and no doubt many more unreported cases, of Morse lamps being used for private chats, and especially between lovers. However, there are few, if any known artefacts, providing material evidence. What is exceptional in the Morse lamp held in the CHRM is that it is part of rich maritime history with a fascinating social element.

After their courtship and marriage, Harry and Maud spent the rest of their working lives on lighthouse stations. Harry rose to the position of First Assistant Lighthouse Keeper, a position he held till retiring in 1949. The last station at which he served was at Norah Head, as Head Keeper. The couple spent their final years of retirement in Toukley. Prior to his death, Harry was awarded the Imperial Service Medal by the Queen in recognition of his ‘long and faithful service’, which had extended over more than 44 years. He died in 1965, aged 80, and Maud, passed away in 1968, aged 87. They had no children, but their romance has now become forever embedded in the history and folklore of the northern Coffs coast, and it represents perhaps one of the very earliest cases of ‘remote dating’.

[Written by Peter Quiddington, 6 April 2022]

Wood, glass and brass Morse signaling lamp with carry handle. Wooden case with brass handle. Converted to internal electrical fittings and light bulb. Adapted to fit Dolphin battery.

This lamp was used on South Solitary Island to communicate with the signal station at Emerald Beach. Maud Damerell, one of the Signal Master George Damerell's daughters, would exchange fond messages at night with one of the lighthouse keepers, Mr Harry Fisher around 1909. Harry would row a boat from South Solitary Island to Damerell's Point, Emerald Beach, to visit Maud. They married on 18th September, 1912. 

"Latest Museum relic has romantic history", 28 August 1970, The Coffs Harbour Advocate, p.6.

There are multiple variations of the name 'Damerell'. It is also spelled Dammerel, Dammerell, or Demeral. It seems that Dammerel is the preferred spelling locally.