Lorne William Lindsay

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

In the late 1840s William Lindsay, Master of the cutter William was searching for coal along the Otway coastline. We are not certain of the results of his endeavours, however he did discover important locations with valuable timber between Apollo Bay and Louttit Bay. In 1849 he was granted what was known then as a splitters licence to cut timber. He was put ashore from the schooner Margaret with his wife and children plus food and tools of his trade. The Margaret was purchased specifically for the transportation of the timber to satisfy a growing demand in the newly established colony of Port Phillip, today’s Melbourne. Apart from normal timber- split palings, wattle bark and short roof shingles were also loaded for the thirty hour sailing journey back to Corio Bay at present day Geelong.

Unfortunately on 28 January 1850 tragedy struck. The Lindsays’ two small sons had burrowed a tunnel into a sand cutting while playing near the mouth of the river. The tunnel collapsed and smothered them. Their grave can still be seen on the high ground near the Swing Bridge, suggesting quicksand was the cause of then children’s death.

Grave of Lindsay children

Unable to remain at the site of such a painful tragedy the Lindsays moved to Canada where they were blessed with a family of girls.

Sources:

  • Lorne A Living History by Doug Stirling