The Restall family on Oak Island

The Restall Family lived on Oak Island in 1963.

The black and white photos are part of D’Arcy O’Connor’s collection and cannot be used without prior permsission.

The colour photos belong to Lee Restall Lamb. She has very kindly shared a collection of photographs from the time her family was working on the island. The detailed captions provide a fascinating insight into the Restall involvement on Oak Island.

The Restall Family – photos of them living on Oak Island in 1963

The Restalls lived on Oak Island in a 12′ x 12′ construction shack.

The A-frame being raised (necessary to keep the weight of the pump off the deteriorating Hedden shaft timbers).

The Money Pit (Hedden and Chappell Shafts) as they appeared in Oct.59 when the Restalls arrived on Oak Island.

Ricky riding fuel tanks from the beach to the Money Pit area. The tanks were loaded on the boat float which was rigged to pull itself up the hill.

Fred Sparham (Dad’s friend and first major investor) with Bobby and my Dad, drilling into the Vertical Shaft (spring 1961).

Bobby inspecting the remains of wooden boxes uncovered when they started one of their beach shafts. Apparently the boxes protected drill holes left by previous treasure-hunters.

Mom and Carney in front of Oak Island’s famous rosebush.

Rick & Mom (wearing bug gear)with Rick pointing to a dome of stones discovered over a shaft approximately 18″ by 31 ft. deep, constructed by whomever did the original work on the Island. This was named The Vertical Shaft by Dad and Bobby. By the way, that’s one of the famous hand-drilled rocks in the left foreground of the picture (discovered by Hedden, I believe).