Remembering Jeffrey Mostyn How

Remembering Jeffrey Mostyn How Story by Poppy Fitzpatrick.

Port Willunga is famed for its jetty pylons and rugged sandstone caves, but few know the fascinating family history behind their construction. For the long-term locals, these landmarks now stand as a fond memory of the vivacious fisherman Jeffrey Mostyn How, whose permanent fixture upon his cliff-top lookout became a landmark of its own.

Jeff’s passing on 9th November 2020 at ninety years of age closes a chapter in the How family’s long fishing history and marks the sad loss of a kind, exuberant character in the local community.

Jeff’s father Bill began netting fish in the area from the late 19th century. When he returned from World War I as a tunneller in France, Bill burrowed the first of the Port Willunga caves. While his digging is thought to have been triggered by his war trauma, the resulting cave functioned as a handy place to store his boat – an idea soon followed by other locals.

Jeff and his siblings Vin, Brenda, Lockie and Kevin all assisted with the family business as children, taking on various tasks while Bill imparted the skills of the craft. Jeff witnessed the trade’s dramatic evolution; when he first started, they still rolled the boats across the sand using logs, before physically rowing them out to sea. As a boy, Jeff would double his workload by also driving the catch to market by horse and cart.

Spending so much time on the coast as they grew up, it’s not surprising that Jeff met his wife Alma while seaside with his brothers. They lived and worked north of Adelaide, but commuted to Port Willunga nearly every weekend. Together, they had four children named Judy, Dane, Kym and Donna, who enjoyed a childhood underpinned by this same attachment to the Fleurieu coast.

When Bill eventually retired in the 70s and the family business was handed over to Jeff full-time, the couple began spending most of the summer months at Port Willunga in their quaint beachside abode. But in winter, when the Fleurieu became too rough and murky, they’d follow the fish to Balgowan on the west coast of Yorke Peninsula. Those who had the knack for it were ‘employed’ as Jeff’s fish spotters, meaning he had eyes – and friends – covering the whole Fleurieu coast. If a friend called Jeff to alert him to a school of fish, they could be sure they’d get their share of the catch upon his return. In later years when Jeff’s vision degenerated from decades of scanning the sea, his daughter Donna became his most reliable second pair of eyes. Judy says Donna inherited her gift for spotting from Jeff, who could accurately estimate the size of a school by weight from a mere glance at a wave.

But Jeff’s connection to the ocean went far beyond his trade, with a life that revolved around a deep love for the coast. ‘What people didn’t realise is my dad had a passion for the sea and a passion for Port Willunga,’ Judy says. ‘To him, it wasn’t just about fishing.’ Jeff would take his Jeep for a nightly beach patrol at dusk to pick up rubbish, while his familiar furry friends would run along the white sand. All those who knew Jeff knew how much he adored his dog Flossy, and later Blossom, who were permanently at his side wherever he went.

Jeff was loud and good-humoured, with a sometimes indelicate vocabulary. His friendly, open disposition meant Jeff often ended up with unexpected company who took comfort in his presence. It was never surprising to the family if Jeff returned after a day’s work with extra pairs of hands and mouths to feed. ‘What I really appreciated about my dad was the fact that he was generous, he did not judge people and we always knew that he loved us,’ Judy said. ‘And he was just such a character.’

Her father will live on in her memories as a humble, hardworking man who was always unphased by the small things. On one occasion, the family watched as he waded out to retrieve a large shark caught in his net, grabbing it by the tail and dragging it out with his bare hands. But Jeff’s forthright attitude was always backed up by his truly compassionate nature, which Judy says shone through in his final days when he sat with his great grandson Levi, patiently reassuring him that everything was going to be just fine.

A memorial service was held at the Port Willunga lookout Jeff famously occupied, which has become colloquially known by locals as ‘How’s Lookout’. His ashes were returned to the place he spent so many fond years fishing with his brothers, at Jeff’s request. Jeff How will be affectionately remembered as a cheerful local personality, as well as a caring father, grandfather and great-grandfather to his devoted family.