CHERYL Dal Pozzo (nee Whaites), a descendant of Captain William Whaites, has gifted the Nambucca Headland Museum a silver tea service presented to her great grandparents by the Nambucca River community in 1889.
The engraved set, which when purchased cost 80 guineas, consists of a large tray, an urn, a teapot, coffee pot and a sugar and creamer.
Also donated is a medical kit belonging to William, which is suitably compact for taking onboard vessels and horseback to treat injuries and perform dentistry.
William, who was born in England in 1844 from a seafaring family, was appointed Pilot of the Nambucca in 1874.
The village of Nambucca Heads had only been declared four years earlier, with William one of the first purchasers of land there.
His role as Pilot included guiding ships in and out of Nambucca Heads with its notorious sand bar, making heroic rescues of shipwrecks and tending to the sick and injured.
He went on to be a valuable supporter of the town’s development.
His first wife, Alice Atherton, is buried at the Rotary Lookout in Nambucca Heads.
His second wife, Emily Bayldon, was a nurse and aided him in his role as well as being the first postmistress.
The tea set had been broken up over time and was in the possession of family both in Australia and overseas.
Cheryl reunited the pieces over the years and recently presented it back to the Nambucca community.
“The set was presented to Captain Whaites and his wife by the people of the Nambucca River and for this reason it was more appropriate to return it to the area,” said Cheryl.
“By being on display at the museum, everyone can see now and, in the future, how much Captain Whaites was appreciated for his services to the community.”
Museum President Margaret Duffus shares Cheryl’s enthusiasm.
“This is a major donation to the museum plucked straight out of early Nambucca Heads history,” Margaret said.
“It will be proudly displayed and cared for. We thank Cheryl and her family for this valuable bequest.”
The tea service and medical kit will be on public display at the museum in the near future. The museum is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2-4pm at 50 Liston Street, Nambucca Heads.
New volunteers are welcome.
By Rachel BURNS
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