Lens cleaning cloths and Tulk family cookbook, 1930s

Donated by Mercedes Sauerstein

Wilfred and Jess Tulk and their family were lightkeepers at South Solitary in the 1930s. The family had been living in a tent settlement in the sand hills of Coffs Harbour in the early years of the Depression when Wilf, who was a signalman in the First World War, was offered a job as assistant lightkeeper. He remained in the Lighthouse Service for over 30 years. Jess Tulk was very resourceful; she had chooks, grew root vegetables, even petunias and carnations under the hessian shade structure Wilf constructed to keep the salt off. Her hand-written recipe book is full of favourite cakes and puddings and she recorded the eggs laid by the island hens on its inside cover.

Cream cleaning cloth, slightly stretchy, loose weave, in tubular form. For brass, glass and optic lens polishing and, in emergencies, for lamp wicking.