Deal , the last twenty plus years –a brief history. Christian Bell and Bob Tyson Christian, the early years.

Christian first visited Deal in 1991, onboard the Redbill, which he had chartered for a kelp survey of the , as part of a proposal for a marine reserve for the Kent Group (a Tasmanian Conservation Trust project).

He met head keeper Stan Gray and his wife Shirley Gray and the assistant keeper Max Lucus and his wife Linda Lucas. It became clear when speaking to them that AMSA would shortly be deactivating the light and removing the keepers.

The Tasmanian ConservationTrust then mounted a campaign to maintain a presence on the island, that caretakers should be appointed (if Deal remained in Commonwealth possession) or transferred to the Tasmanian Government.

In July 1992, AMSA removed its staff and appointed William Hollier as caretaker in the expectation that they would shortly be transferring the property to the Tasmanian Government. This interim period lasted six years! In 1994 a major fire, centred on lighthouse hill, burnt the roof of the oil store, shattered windows in the generator shed and burnt paint and doors, and shattered glass on the light tower. AMSA repaired and repainted the light in 1995.

In 1997 the Australian Bush Heritage Fund (ABHF) purchased the lease for .

In 1998, after the Tasmanian Government took control of the Island and given that the Australian Bush Heritage Fund already had a management presence in the Kent Group, the Parks & Wildlife Service leased Deal to ABHF. They ran a caretaker program, based on one- month duration caretaking period. Caretakers were flown on and off the island (flying direct from Hobart), where the ABFH was based. In 2002, the PWS took over the caretaker role.

Christian established the Wildcare group Friends of the Kent Group in 2000. There were both natural and cultural heritage projects to be undertaken across the entire island group. It had a working relationship with ABHF, Parks, the TCT and the Marine & Coastal Community Network. The group undertook a sea spurge removal project both on Erith and Deal, replaced the Erith Island hut roof, and on Deal restored window frames and replaced floors in the Superintendents’ Residence and carried out repairs to the generator shed up near the light, as well as repairs to tracks (all with Commonwealth or Wildcare funding).

But it became obvious that with the success of the PWS volunteer caretaker program on Deal, another pool of volunteers had developed with a specific interest in concentrating on projects on Deal.So Friends of the Kent Group agreed to fold and was replaced by Friends of .

Bob, Wildcare Friends of Deal

Bob and Penny began their involvement with volunteering on Deal Island began when selected as caretakers for Spring 2004. This was followed by another caretaker stint in winter 2006. The following year they were invited to a meeting in Ross by Ranger Wayne Dick. Others at the meeting were John and Willemina Watts who had been caretakers in 2003-04, and again in spring 2005. Dallas and Shirley Baker, caretakers in summer 02-03, and autumn 04, were on Deal Island on their third caretaking stint at the time of the meeting. John Watts took on the role of President, Dallas was appointed Vice President, Shirley as treasurer, and Bob became secretary. Thus was formed the Friends of Deal Island (FoDI) as a Community Action in Reserves (CARes) group of Wildcare Inc. John stepped down as President later in 2007, with Dallas stepping into the position. The original core members of the committee have continued for the life of the committee, with a variety of other members assisting for various periods. Following the AGM on on 27th October 2018 Bob is President, Dallas is Vice President, , Phillipa Foster is Secretary, and Jo Widdowson is Treasurer. Non office bearing roles are weed co-ordinator Penny Tyson, Dallas is heritage co-ordinator, Shirley Baker is museum and interpretation co-ordinator, and Jo Widdowson membership and facebook and website communications.

There are currently 120 families, couples, and individuals registered as members of FoDI on the Wildcare system.

Since May 2005, the group has run a program of twenty two working bees involving around 80 people..

Grant Funds have come from Australian Government (7), Tasmanian Community Fund (4), NRM North (5), Arts (2), Foundation for National Parks (1), Landcare Tasmania (1), and Wildcare Board of Management (8); a total of $189,985. The sale of calendars, cards, cookbooks, caps and beanies, plus raffles, has added a further $121,691.

FoDIs objectives are: To support and promote the objectives and management prescriptions for the conservation and management of the Deal Island light station as detailed within the Kent Group Management Plan and the Burra Charter. To undertake approved natural and historic heritage maintenance activities as set out in the Volunteer Activity Statement, (signed and witnessed at the AGM) Recruit other community members with particular skill sets into FoDI. To interpret the history of agreed heritage sites in a manner that is in keeping with the objectives and prescriptions of the Kent Group Management Plan. To interpret the natural values of the island with the flora of the uniquely transitional between mainland and Tasmanian floras.

The advice from PWS immediately following the AGM that funding has been allocated over the next 2 years for a number of maintenance programs including repair and painting of the lighthouse is welcome news for FoDI.