In 1999, a caretaker moved to an Australian island with a major little penguin colony; he spent 25 years maintaining its lighthouse and environment

In 1999, Leo op den Brouw began what became a 25-year association with Gabo Island, a remote granite island off Victoria’s far-eastern coast. For the next quarter century, op den Brouw worked as part of a dual-caretaker system in month-on, month-off shifts, spending half of each year looking after the lighthouse and surrounding environment. When his segment of the rotation concluded for the final time in 2024, his position was transitioned over to Sandy Duthie to continue the specific rotating role, ending one caretaker’s long chapter while continuing a team tradition that stretches back more than 160 years.

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