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Sandy Duthie, a Scottish man, has achieved his “dream job” as a lighthouse keeper on Gabo Island, a remote island off the coast of Victoria, Australia. Duthie, originally from Aberdeenshire, visited the island five years ago with his partner and fell in love with it, hoping to one day become part of its history. When the previous lighthouse keeper retired earlier this year, after 25 years working on the island, Duthie jumped at the opportunity and landed the job with government organisation Parks Victoria. He now spends six months of the year on Gabo Island, sharing a month-on-month-off rotation with another keeper, and enjoying the company of a colony of penguins.
Gabo Island’s lighthouse has stood for over 160 years and is built from tough pink granite that needed a specific type of stonemason. Records suggest that the person in charge of building the lighthouse handpicked Scottish stonemasons that had worked on Aberdeen and Peterhead’s lighthouses because of their experience working with hard stone. Many of the caretakers on the island since 1859 are also from Scotland’s cities and Highlands. Gabo Island’s remote location comes with the challenge of keeping up with ongoing maintenance and being able to problem-solve without too much planning overwhelm. Duthie finds that the isolation is perfect for him and that the job keeps both his mind and his time fully occupied.
While Gabo Island has abundant wildlife, including large whale populations, the austere conditions on the island can make it feel like a prison. Duthie emphasises that some days it is intimidating going to pubs or events after being alone on the island for weeks without seeing anyone else. Harbor conditions can make leaving the island difficult, and boat supplies bring his link to the mainland. Despite these challenges, Duthie believes that he is in the right place at the right time and that his job is his ultimate dream come true
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