January
The year commenced with where 2019 finished; in walls of flame being confronted by all our resident NSW RFS Brigades and a rush, in between times, of all our resident Sydney Wildlife savers and Life Saving Clubs' Life Savers racing in to do anything and everything they could to help.The first two Profiles of the Week for 2020 were Mark Trollope: New South Wales Rural Fire Service Volunteer - January 2020 Local NSW RFS Volunteers Tribute and the Sydney Wildlife Mobile Clinic's Inaugural Run Into The New South Wales Firegrounds Has Been Supported By The World's Leading Wildlife Organisations and Carers: January 2020 - some Extracts;
When Mark Trollope agreed to provide a few insights into his deployments as a Tumbledown Dick Rural Fire Brigade volunteer during the 2019-2020 bushfire season, which commenced for many Firies on July 1st 2019 and is still going, while the 2018-2019 fire season closed on April 30th 2019, the proviso was we include insights into what every other of the 17 NSW RFS Brigades in our area have been doing and ensure Readers understand they have been backed up by every other emergency service agency and many others - their fellow NSW RFS Brigades across the state, NSW Police and Ambulances services, Fire & Rescue units, the SES, Marine Rescue NSW and Surf Life Saving NSW, all of which have sent trained people and equipment into fire zones, the Wildlife Carers and those who have been making pouches for injured animals, the people in the towns they have been to providing food and shelter, the fundraisers that have sent food and water into firegrounds for people and animals, the family members waiting anxiously at home, the Australian Defence Forces.
It is often said of our fire fighters that when everyone else is running away from danger, they run into it. By Christmas 2019 NSW RFS Strike Teams in the East Region had 'run towards danger' 792 times.
'Sometimes a small save is just as important.... near Nowra' Lars and that echidna - Tumbledown Dick RFB photo
On Saturday January 11th the Sydney Wildlife Mobile Care Unit drove down Booralie Rd in Terrey Hills bound for the South Coast to provide veterinary assistance to fire-affected and burnt wildlife.
This was the van’s ‘maiden voyage’ so it was very special for the wildlife carers and veterinarians travelling with them to enjoy some community spirit with a great send off. There was a convoy as along with the van, 6 volunteer veterinarians, 3 volunteer rescuers, 3 kangaroo joeys and a few media crews went with them. The wonderful veterinarians volunteering on this trip were:
Dr Margot Horder, Dr Caroline Woods and Dr Nandita Kataria - all from Collaroy Plateau Veterinary Hospital; Dr Izi Sladakovic from NVS/AVES in Terrey Hills; Dr Kathleen Graham from Kellyville Veterinary Clinic; and Dr John Thirlwell and Kimberley Moore from Belrose Veterinary Hospital.
The vets who kindly volunteered their time to help the Sydney Wildlife volunteers: Kimberley, Dr John, Joan, Dr Margot, Lynleigh, Dr Izi, Dr Kathleen, Dr Lewis, and Toni. - heading south on January 11th, 2020 - Sydney Wildlife photo
Being in the fire grounds has been gobsmackingly sobering. The sheer scale of devastation, desolation and decimation is beyond description.
We were invited onto people’s properties to assess the kangaroos at their places and - even ‘though they have lost absolutely everything themselves - they are still putting out food and water for the wildlife. We just want to throw our arms around the entire community.
Our contribution is puny compared to what needs doing but we are so grateful to Wildlife Rescue South Coast for allowing us to be part of the team on the ground.
The volunteer vets have been working hard inside the van, outside the van and out in the field, with the help and love knowledge of the rescuers and carers down south.
Together in solidarity - for the wild ones - Lynleigh Greig, January 14, 2020
At Lake Conola, January 17 - Lynleigh Greig photo
This is the rescue that broke us...
The love this man had for this little kanga on his property made us all cry.
Her feet were so badly charred that she could not be saved - Lynleigh Greig, January 19th, 2020
The rescue that broke hearts
Thought I was doing well today - only cried a couple of times - but this got me - Ash cuddling Flame and letting her know she's not alone and he loves her and to hang on and keep fighting - you gotta look after your mates right?!?! - Sonja Elwood, January 21, 2020
Doing more ‘black walks’ but we are now based in a totally different area - Lynleigh Greig, January 21, 2020
When the fire grounds are opened up to wildlife rescuers, they do what they call a 'black-walk'. Any injured animals that can be treated are usually ‘darted’ with a tranquilliser, if mobile still, and brought straight into care. Lynleigh has shared a video and photos this week of Australian Army men and Reservists helping them move the larger, heavier kangaroos to where they can be treated.
What is most apparent from those videos taken by Sydney Wildlife carers in these areas is the silence; no animals, no birdsong - their photographs, when they find an animal - show how much our wildlife are suffering; hungry, sick and injured and alone.
Yesterday our Search & Rescue was hampered by the dust storms and today we arrived on a rescue site and were greeted by a sudden torrential downpour followed by mudslides! All the ash was dumped into the dams, so the wildlife will have to depend on the watering stations set up by volunteers and members of the public. ARC volunteers and local WIRES volunteers have been doing food drops to properties, as well as replenishing water stations. - Sydney Wildlife Mobile Care Unit, January 24th, 2020
We have spent the better part of the past 3 weeks covered in ash, mud, blood, tears, bugs and the suffering of animals. Nature really tested us - fires, storms, flash-flooding, mud-slides.
But we are meeting some wondrous creatures and some saintly humans – Lynleigh Grieg, January 24th, 2020
We had some help lifting mum kanga into the transportation vehicle, bound for the field clinic. - Sydney Wildlife Mobile Care Unit, January 25th, 2020:
A few weeks on those residents living in the fire areas have been sharing ‘photos of hope’ that feature everything from wombats they knew coming home, baby waddling behind, to vastly diminished groups of wallabies and kangaroos returning to areas where they used to feed or find water, to images and videos of wildlife carers doing 2am and 3am feedings for babies after already putting in a 12 hour day/night.
Bottle time for this baby - Sonja Elwood photo
Bottle time for this baby too - Sonja Elwood photo
Trying to keep focused on what we can do has been the universal response.
Scientists estimate, conservatively, that around three billion animals, including 61, 000 koalas, were lost in the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires.
Pittwater, along with the rest of NSW, was filled with dense smoke from these fires for months with those with respiratory problems confined to living indoors for the duration - but at least they didn't lose their lives.
Cakes For Koalas Raises Over $400
Avalon Beach SLSC Sends Waves Of Care To South Coast
- - An estimated 360 cubic metres of goods delivered to communities in need.
- - An estimated $14,000 of gift cards distributed.
- - An estimated 250+ volunteers from the Avalon community and beyond sorted, packed, loaded and transported.
- - 1000s of people donated goods and offered help.
- - A Foodbank NSW semi-trailer delivered our goods to the Narooma Evacuation Centre.
- - 28 volunteer drivers delivered 21 loads early in the crisis and directly into communities including Nelligen, Cobargo, Mossy Point, Bimbimbie and Batemans Bay. All came back moved by what they saw and people they met.
- - 2 x 3000w Briggs & Stratton generators donated to families in need
- - Provided 64,000 litres of water to refill water tanks for the residents of Nelligen.
- - Multiple other donations at a more personal level to affected families.
Modus Operandi Brewing Co. Busfire Fundraiser: 15k Realised
Rotary Club Of Upper Northern Beaches Bucket Filled With Funds For Firies
Bilpin Bushfire Relief Raffle
To alleviate the horror, we all went to the beach or ran to the bush to check all was still intact there:
Robey, along with father Johnny Carter, has been conducting swim classes at Palm Beach Rock Pool over the past weeks - a school holiday program that always gets the big splash of Summer fun spreading among youngsters. Each year they hold an Ironman-Ironwoman Competition at the close of the their Swim season. Photo by Bernadette Kelly - who was at Palm Beach early on the morning of Wednesday, January 22nd and sent in these photos of Robey Carter’s Swim Squad and Ironman Comp with the children there.
A cicada on a Sydney Red Gum in Elanora - what could be more Pittwater in Summer than that? Photo by Pittwater Natural Heritage Association (PNHA)
Sunshower through the valley - South Avalon Beach. January 20, 2020 - photos by Adriaan van der Wallen
Hail at Careel Bay. January 20, 2020 - A J Guesdon photo
The Terrific Trio at Newport SLSC's Pool to Peak 2020 - On the beach at Newport this year was the lovely Michelle Myers, who was bookshelved by two nice gentlemen visiting here from the good old US of A and doing their first Aussie Ocean Swim even though one was flying out home just after the swim. Michelle explained that she met Peter Crosby (from NYC) and Ken Parstenek (San Francisco) at the Modern Elder Academy in Mexico this time last year.! - A J Guesdon photos
February
The work of helping others continued - even as February 2020 brought its own challenges with local storms wreaking havoc:
Shark On Station Beach: NSW DPI
Pittwater Online contacted the department of Primary Industries (DPI) this week in relation to the shark on Station Beach - found Saturday February 8th, 2020. "NSWDPI fisheries officers were advised of one shark washed up on Palm Beach on Saturday." a NSWDPI Spokesperson said. "The shark is a 2.9m female bull shark. The cause of death is unknown. A necropsy will be done at a later date to try and determine the possible cause of death." the NSWDPI Spokesperson stated.
Pittwater Online has requested the results of that necropsy be forwarded when the report is available.
More Bull Sharks Seen In Pittwater This Morning: Saturday February 15th, 2020
Pittwater residents might like to think twice about taking a dip at Clareville or off boats at this time. Apparently a paddle boarder at Paradise Beach was harassed by 4 Bull Sharks this morning. This report comes from a source we trust.
A dead Goat on Long Reef Beach, two cows on Patonga Beach with bite marks and a dead Bull Shark on Station Beach suggests that everything up the river has flushed out to Pittwater and Broken Bay.
Shark Sightings In Narrabeen Lagoon Reported
Garden St, North Narrabeen - Ingleside Rural Fire Brigade photo
Warriewood wetlands on Tuesday February 11 2020 - photos by Margaret G Woods
Roads flooded, powerlines down across roads, 24 trees down from Whaley to Nth Av. My kids counted them. Long drive home. - caption and photos by Adriaan van der Wallen, February 9, 2020
Palm Beach February 9, 2020 - photo by Geraldene Dalby-Ball
A forest on the beach. Surf looks good: Palm Beach. - caption and photos by Adriaan van der Wallen, February 14, 2020
Pittwater Estuary
A big thanks to the crews of BB20 and BB30 of Marine Rescue Broken Bay, for all their help looking after our Pittwater and Broken Bay waterways across last weekend - February 9 -10. Marine Rescue Broken Bay vessels were kept busy with multiple assists, including helping retrieve lost dinghies.
February 9, 2020: MRNSW crews are reporting 4-5 metre breaking waves inside Broken Bay and 3-4 metre waves at Parsley Bay on the Hawkesbury River.
Crews from Marine Rescue Broken Bay, Marine Rescue Cottage Point and Marine Rescue Hawkesbury have responded to numerous house boats, large cruisers and yachts that broke their moorings and were adrift in the Pittwater, Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River area.
A luxury bed and breakfast houseboat came adrift from near Sand Point on the eastern side of Pittwater, drifting to the western side before taking its own anchor again. A tug followed rescue vessel Broken Bay 30 from its Rowland Reserve base and is assisting, after some difficult manoeuvring, getting the houseboat back on its mooring. A big thanks to the Tug boat Kiera for their support.
MR Hawkesbury took a yacht reported adrift on the Hawkesbury River between the rail and road bridges near Brooklyn under tow, placing it on a mooring, while Port Jackson investigated a barge with a crane that hit the shoreline near Hunters Hill.
Palm Beach - Sunday February 16th, 2020 - photo by Joanne Seve
All the rest of the time Pittwater residents got on with the business of living the best life that you can by improving your skills, empowering yourself and finding out all you can:
Australia has won the 2020 Trans-Tasman Surf Boat Test Series winning 11 of 12 races and including local U23 Trans-Tasman Male Crew from South Curl Curl of Brady Holland, Sam Lowery, Kris Martyn, Owen Sheather and Rob Lowery. This makes the eighth straight Trans-Tasman Surf Boat Championship title for Australian Surf Boat Teams.
brilliant photos courtesy of Malcolm Trees who kindly volunteers his time to take these incredible shots, have showed those not at Mollymook, or Long Beach, where Saturday's racing was moved to for safety, how local crews are going - and the live streaming - available here - has given those who want to follow all the action an opportunity to do so.
More next Issue. In the meantime - two great captures by Mr. Trees:
A Safe Time Had By All
Mona Vale Road East - Out Of Hours Work
Out of hours work will continue along Mona Vale Road and at the Samuel Street, Ponderosa Parade and Mona Vale Road roundabout. We will work between 8pm and 5am on the following dates, weather permitting:
- Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Friday 21 February
- Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 February
If work is delayed due to wet weather, we will try and work a different night within the same week. We will notify residents living closest to the work if the dates change from the above.
At the Samuel Street, Ponderosa Parade and Mona Vale Road roundabout we will:
- hammer and excavate the concrete islands located around the roundabout
- remove the inside raised kerb and vegetation within the roundabout - the roundabout will function as normal
- saw cut and trench across the road to do utility work
- investigate existing utilities and take sample cores of existing road
- deliver materials for construction work.
Between Manor Road and Mona Vale Cemetery we will:
- remove rock material from the top of the existing rock cuttings
- install temporary concrete barriers and screening
- install temporary support for future drainage work
- continue ongoing road maintenance.
We will use excavators with buckets and hammers, coring machine, bobcats, saw cutters, grinder, sweepers, lighting, rollers and light vehicles. A stop/slow arrangement will be in place with traffic controllers and signage directing traffic.
To minimise the impact of night work on residents, we do not work for more than two consecutive nights in the same area and will work only 10 days within the same month. If you are eligible for Alternative Accommodation you will be advised within 24 hours of the work.
Enquiries and registering for work updates
Please contact the community team for enquiries, feedback or any concerns you may have about the work.
Call: 1800 413 640 (24 hour number).
Email: monavaleroad@georgiou.com.au
For more information: rms.work/mvreast
If you need help understanding this information, please contact the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to call us on 1800 413 640.
Use of drone
A drone will be used during the last week of each month to take progress photos and assist with surveying the project. The drone will remain within the project area.
Pittwater Online News' most recent photos of the MVR East Upgrade, taken on Sunday February 16th 2020, run as this week's Pictorial - commencing from Kimbriki end to Pittwater RSL end.
Also Available:
- Roads To Pittwater: The Mona Vale Road - History page
- Reducing Roadkill On Mona Vale Road - September 2017
- Sydney's First Fauna Overpass To Be Installed On Mona Vale Road - March 2018
- Contract Awarded For Mona Vale Road Upgrade - November 2018
- Upgrade Of Mona Vale Road East To Commence This Month - February 2019
- Mona Vale Road Upgrade - Changed Traffic Conditions Reminder - from Office of Rob Stokes, MP for Pittwater, March 2019
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: Some Progress Photos - May 2019 Record
- Mona Vale Road Upgrade Update: Fauna Fencing To Be Installed During Construction + June Night Works
- Mona Vale Road Truck Arrestor Bed Miscalculation? - report by Phil Walker and John Illingsworth/Pittwater Pathways
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: September 2019 Update - and Pictorial Record Of Works
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: Photo Record - October 2019
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: Update and Photographic Record Of Works - January 2020
March
At the end of February, commencement of March 2020 Pittwater Online, alarmed at a perceived lack of action over a disease that was suddenly running rampant elsewhere and killing thousands daily, to the point of some nations medical systems collapsing, posted the following on the PON Facebook platform - the post was seen by over 160,000 people and shared thousands of times.
To ram home the message we concurrently ran a History page, stating without varnish that early Europeans to this country brought diseases with them that wiped out much of the then present indigenous population in Pittwater and the Sydney Harbour basin, all of these brought in on SHIPS, the only way t then reach these shores. The sadness experienced when researching this page at the loss of a baby, just six months old, a child of Governor Darling, communicated facts already known. Visit North Head Quarantine Station, Manly: Some History - Governor Ralph Darling Saved Australians Saved Australia
THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
Statement From The NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian
The Firefighter Family Day on the Water initiative was created by Above and Beyond Boating to provide a way for the boating community to give back to the dedicated fire fighters that have spent countless hours working to protect our homes, families, wilderness and wildlife from the terrible bush fires of 2019/2020.
Last weekend, Sunday March 15th, hundreds of volunteer firefighters and their families from brigades around Australia turned out for a fantastic day on the water with members of the boating community. Families arrived at event hubs for a BBQ in the morning before they stepped onboard a variety of boats, including active and cruising sailing vessels, and motor cruisers.
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay, at Newport, were both involved with members taking firefighters and their families out on the Pittwater estuary and bays for an enjoyable sail. On Pittwater, 45 boats were connected with firefighters and families to head out for a day on the water.
At the RMYC BB only 4 boats with 4 fire fighter families ended going out on Sunday due to the weather forecast. There was 22 families registered to go out on 20 different boats. Anyone that cancelled will be rescheduling with their fire fighter families at a later date. The boat owners took them to a sheltered bay. Mostly the Basin & America Bay. RPAYC members and boats also took families out.
The Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay, at Newport, stated this week;
"When Above and Beyond Boating reached out to the club to ask if they would assist with the with the day by acting as a HUB, we were more than happy too. The fire fighters have worked hard to battle the catastrophic bushfires which impacted Australia in late 2019 and early 2020. It was a great initiative by Above and Beyond Boating as not only was it a thank you to the Fire Fighters, but a great bonding experience with their families. "
Through the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, other guests enjoyed Pittwater. Mike Selbie, the owner of 'D-Euphoria' said this week;
"We had the opportunity to meet Ben and Amanda who joined us on D'Euphoria. Both are in Yerrinbool brigade and drove up from the Southern Highlands. Our day on the water was great fun, sailing to Barrenjoey headland, followed by a calm, sunny lunch in the Basin.”
Their guests, Ben and Amanda Todd, from the Yerrinbool brigade had this to say about the day:
"We can't be more thankful for the firefighter family day on the water. Thank you to all involved. It means a lot. We had so much fun. Last Sunday we were taken out with Mike and his wife, Lisa, on D'Euphoria leaving from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Thank you all involved and also to Neil for organising it."
Ben and Amanda Todd (guests), with Lisa Selbie (host) on the right. Photo by and courtesy Mike Selbie
Neil Driscoll, the Founder and Managing Director of Above and Beyond Boating, who established this charity event said it was amazing to see the boating community and volunteer firefighters come together for this day after months of preparation and discussions with multiple organisations to make it happen.
“My wife and I started talking about this event after seeing the devastating fires and the impact it had upon the firefighters. We came to the conclusion that although people signed up to be firefighters, no one signed up for the fire events we’ve seen over the last summer. It must have just been horrendous for the families and our idea was to organise a day on the water to give the families a chance to reconnect”.
The pristine waterways of Northhaven (South Australia), Sydney Harbour and Pittwater (New South Wales), provided a perfect environment for a day of reconnection and relaxation for all involved.
“Today almost makes up for all the days fighting fires” said Ravick Gomes, one of the firefighters.
Darren Vaux, President of the Boating Industry Association, said "A great day out on the water can make a positive and lasting difference to people’s lives and it was an excellent and appropriate way for our industry and boaters to show our thanks and support to firefighters and their families".
"We have no doubt that this will become a tradition as boaters continue to share the joy of the boating lifestyle to those who volunteer their time to protect their communities.”
Peter Lewis, the commodore of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, commented on the importance of this event to their club.
“Its our little way of thanking those who do so much for us and we need to be supportive of this group of people who volunteer and save lives and property for everyone around Australia. We look forward to continuing this program.”
Boat owner Jon Linton was one of the first people to sign up to this initiative after it was first announced. He welcomed a family of three onboard his boat Llama 2 for the day.
“Today was a fantastic opportunity for boat owners across Australia to show their appreciation for everything the Firefighters and their families sacrificed to keep us safe. A fun filled day on the water for all has created a link between the two communities that will continue in the future. Thank you to Above and Beyond Boating for giving us the opportunity to show how grateful we all are to the real heroes”.
We were also able to organise a day for some entire brigades, Tina Courtenay was the (voluntary) project manager for the Brigades on Boats. Sea Sydney Harbour, Hoochie Mumma, Ozcat, Perfect Day Charters, Platinum Cruises, Sydney by Boat, Karisma Cruises, Charter Boat Central, Seabird Seven and Pete Johnson all generously provided their vessels and time for these complimentary charters.
The Balmoral Boat Shed also sponsored their entire facility for the day. The Telfords Bus & Coach company and CDC NSW kindly assisted some of the brigades attending the event with transportation to and from the event locations.
This support allowed us to invite up to 400 additional firefighters to attend!
Some event Hubs decided to postpone their events ahead of the weekend, due to potentially unfavourable weather conditions, and not cause long travel distances for some families. However, the structure of the wider Firefighter family day event has allowed for the majority of the connected boats and families to arrange an alternative date to still meet up for a great day on the water.
Above & Beyond Boating would like to extend their thanks to all of the boat owners and charter vessel operators that have provided their boats, to the event Hubs, supporting businesses and all of the volunteers involved for their organisational support to make this event happen.
The Firefighter Family Day in numbers:
- 1,200 PEOPLE CONNECTED
- 550 FIREFIGHTERS
- 150 FAMILIES
- 122 BRIGADES
- 10 EVENT HUBS
Families on boats
We are very pleased that volunteers and their families joined us from RFS and CFS brigades around Australia:
Albion Park, Aldinga Beach, Alpine/Aylmerton, Arkell, Awaba, Beacon Hill, Beechwood, Belrose, Berowra, Birdwood, Blackwood, Blaxland, Blyth, Brookfield, Burnside, Cambewarra, Camden West, Carey Gully, Casula, Catherine field, Cawdor, Chambers Flat, Cherrybrook, Clagiraba, Coal & Candle, Cobbitty, Concordia, Coomera valley, Cumberland Communications, Dalkeith, Davidson, Diamond Beach, Dora Creek, Duffys Forest, Edinglassie, Edithburgh, Engadine, Farmborough Heights, Glenhaven, Goulburn Mulwaree, Greta, Grose Wold, Hawkesbury, Hermitage, Hornsby, Ingleside, Jervois, Katoomba, Kellyville, Killara, Ku-ring-gai, Kurrajong Heights, Laguna Brigade, Lake Macquarie, lobethal, Lochinvar, Loftus, Logan, Londonderry, Lyndoch, Lynwood Park, Mangoola, Marulan, Medlow Bath, Merriwa River, Middle Dural, Mittagong, Morphett Vale, Mount Riverview, Mt Pleasant, Mulgoa, Mylor, Narara, Narellan, Oak Flats, Otford, Picton, Pumicestone, Roma Street, Rothbury, RFS Communications, Round Corner, Sandy Point, Schofields, Seaford, Snowtown, South Katoomba, Summertown, Tailem Bend, Tea Tree Gully, Terrey Hills, Thirlmere, Tilligerry, Toorbul, Tumbledown Dick, Two Wells, Valley Heights, Virginia, Wallacia, Wallarah, Warnervale, Wasp creek, Wentworth Falls, West Nowra, Westleigh, Willunga, Wingello, Wongarbon, Wyee Point, Yankalilla, Yerrinbool.
Photos, taken by Mike Selbie, show some of the boats that met up in Coasters Retreat. Thanks Mike!
Figure 5: ‘View in Broken Bay New South Wales. March 1788'. Courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales. IE number: IE1113857. This is the earliest European depiction of Pittwater.
A Day To Remember And Celebrate In Pittwater
By Richard Pearse
Late in a cold wet and stormy evening on the 5th of March 1788, 232 years ago, Governor Arthur Phillip and Lieutenant William Bradley, with a party of marines and boatmen, rounded West Head, entered into the Southern Arm of Broken Bay and sought shelter from the wind and rain.
They had left Sydney Cove on the 2nd March to investigate the place that appeared to be a broken bay that was marked by Captain James Cook in 1770. They had found the bay that evening, named it Broken Bay, and began to assess its waters as a harbour and its land as a place for cultivation to support settlers..
As they sought shelter on the 5th in the Southern Arm they were welcomed by an old Aboriginal man and a boy. The man offered them a fire stick, then showed them water and a large cave in which they could be sheltered. Phillip decided the party would camp the night on ground near the beach which the old man helped them to clear.
Resolute Beach - Image: Richard Pearse
On the next day the party continued their examination of the Southern Arm in their cutter and longboat. They observed several of the coves on the Western shore where they found a good supply of water in streams which flowed into the bay and also observed some waterfalls. They then crossed to the Eastern shore where they found many canoes with women and men fishing. Here they landed and were shown how women fashioned fish hooks by cutting and grinding shells. Here the members of the party - officers and marines - held hands with Aboriginal people on the shore and there was a careful examination by each of the other. William Bradley recorded these greetings and the view of the bay from where he stood on the shore in his painting in his painting of the scene
Governor Phillip observed that the Southern arm, which he named Pittwater ,was “.. the finest piece of Water I ever saw ..” and judged “.. there are some good situations where the land might be cultivated.”
The next day the party continued to examine other arms of Broken Bay and then returned to Sydney Cove on the 9th March.
This year in 2020, 232 years later, Richard Pearse and Roberta Conroy, local residents and members of the Bayview Church Point Residents Association, retraced the movement of the party in Pittwater on the 6th March , the anniversary of the exploration of 1788. They report -
“”The weather was similar to that in 1788. The temperature was 24 degrees, the same as Bradley recorded in Fahrenheit on the same day in 1788..
As in 1788 the days before had seen gales and heavy rain . but on the 6th it was as sunny as it had been in the scene recorded by Bradley.
We travelled slowly under motor down the Western shore from Resolute Beach to Longnose Point. Much had changed! At Resolute Beach there were no Guringai people present but a party of teenagers swimming. The coves they saw are now the settlement on Mackerel Beach, the cabins at Currawong and the reserve and settlement at Coasters Retreat. But much thankfully is still the same. The hills and Portuguese Beach are as they were in 1788 thanks to the establishment of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
We crossed to the Eastern shore in search of the place which Bradley had recorded in his painting in 1788.
Roberta comparing Bradley's Painting March 1788 with the scene March 2020 - Image: Richard Pearse
There were no canoes or fishing people to be seen on this occasion, but we wove between moored yachts to the shore and met friendly local residents who were interested to know that Phillip and Bradley had visited this location two hundred and thirty-two years ago. They helped us to confirm that the scene Bradley had recorded in his painting was indeed created at the place now called Long Beach - the foreshore between Taylors Point and the Southern part of Clareville Beach. They felt happy to be living at the site where the first depiction of Pittwater was made.
The residents agreed with us too that this indeed was a day on which the people of Pittwater should remember and celebrate the first explorations of 232 years ago.
The account of the 1788 exploration is from Champion S., and Champion G. Journey to Broken Bay by Water: 2nd to 9th March, 1788, The painting by William Bradley is from Bradley, William, A Voyage to New South Wales, facsimile edition,1969, Ure Smith, Sydney.
It was a different kind of a year for our Pygmy Possum Project. More nesting boxes went up around the Bays and Northern Beaches, however, many were different homes for a greater range of fauna.
JANUARY 2019
Once again it was our Feathertail Gliders in their regular boxes who kicked off the year. The residents of Rocky Point’s Box 17 remained in situ in January and never left again all year.
And Box 11 in South West Lovett Bay showed us just how cosy they can get in there!
But action in other areas was brewing…
NESTS FOR BEES
Native bees pollinate our bushland. Most are solitary, however the stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria, is the only social bee found in the Sydney area.
For some time now a few Western Shores residents had been providing homes for these sugarbag bees with the Beaumont, Hoffman-Mace, James and Stevens-Didsbury households all supporting hives.
Last year renewed interest in these tiny social bees saw more native beehives going up in the Stidwill, Bulpitt and Cooney backyards.
Stidwill Beehive left and Cooney Beehive right
Now there is a move on to start a Beehive Carpentry Collective to develop a beehive that better mimics the wild hives and ensures that any hive split is able to be done with minimal damage to the bees and hive structure. We’ll keep you posted on developments in this area.
NESTS FOR OWLS
In March PPP Nesting Boxer and Balgowlah resident, Emily Fewster, kept watch over a Powerful Owls nest as part of the Birds of Australia owl monitoring program. To her great joy she both heard the 2 new chicks and then watched them fledge.
NESTING BOXES IN MOSMAN
In May we hosted 3 committee members from the Mosman Parks and Bushland Society, Kate Eccles, Janice Haworth and Marg Woodforth, on Rocky Point and then gave a PPP presentation at the Society’s AGM. They had been successful in attracting a grant for their own nesting box project and were coming to grips with all the issues regarding placement, inspection and safety issues. The nesting boxes in Wyargine Reserve are now up and survived the recent storm, as did the bat flats at Sirius Cove. The Society is still considering the use of infrared cameras to detect movement as the boxes are all in public reserves where cameras may prove just too tempting. However they do have an inspection camera!
NESTING BOXES GO TO SCHOOL…
Local Newport Primary teacher, Mrs Rosser, had a problem. She wanted her Year 4 class to engage in a practical project but she needed some ideas. 9 year old Mali Stidwill smartly volunteered her father Ryan.
Local builder Ryan and his work mate Dominic Walker decided to develop a Build your own Nesting Box Kit for the kids to put together boxes and place them in the school grounds.
The guys thought through the issues of skill levels, safety, and engagement, and then cut raw plywood into the pieces needed; cut the entrances, drilled the holes and assembled the six boxes. Then they disassembled the boxes and set off for Newport Primary with their ‘IKEA’ pack, a big power drill, 6 screwdrivers, screws and protective resin.
The class was divided into 6 groups all tasked with building a nesting box. Every student had a turn on the tools including the power drill. The end of Day 1 saw 6 complete nesting boxes awaiting the final touches.
On Day 2 they glued paper leaves to the boxes and put a protective timber stain over the top. Once dry the students peeled off the paper leaves revealing the glowing plywood underneath, which was further coloured according to personal tastes.
On Day 3 stick ladders, made from twigs the student had collected, were installed both inside and outside the boxes and the 6 finished boxes were put up in the trees inside the school grounds.
The kids were ecstatic. The teacher was thrilled. And the school was extremely proud of the achievement. A big congratulations to Ryan and Dom for this wonderful nesting box initiative. But they wouldn’t be the last…
NESTING BOX? WHY NOT USE A WHOLE TREE?
In April Towlers Bay resident Bronwyn Gould noticed a dying tree on her property. Rather than cut it down she decided to have it re-shaped as a Habitat Tree.
The finished tree now sits comfortably within her front garden and houses a fascinating array of homes for owls, other birds big and small, possums, gliders, antechinus, microbats and an army of wood-loving invertebrates.
The homes include hollows carved out of the trunk with entrances for smaller fauna
Ladders up and down the tree, and boxes with perches and large entrances.
NESTING BOXES IN A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Watching on was her neighbour Edwina Dusseldorp. With a dead tree on the public reserve boundary next door to her cabin Edwina rang Northern Beaches Council, discussed the public liability issues, and suggested they use the opportunity to create another habitat tree. And they did! A big tick to our Northern Beaches Council.
After commissioning a few nesting boxes Edwina decided that the rest should ideally be sourced locally so she went to talk to neighbour and shipwright Mick Cardiff. Mick’s 16 year old passed on the opportunity but not twelve year old Tom.
Congratulations to Tom for his work and we will be watching his future moves with interest.
THE NESTING BOX YOU DON’T REALISE IS A NESTING BOX
On May 1 Jennifer Cook opened the hatch of her yacht, Waltzing Matilda, and out flew a microbat. The tiny bat flew to the next boat and seemed to find its cabin just as suitable!
THE NESTING BOX YOU WISH WAS A LITTLE BIGGER
Box 4 in Elvina Bay seemed to attract a lot of hopefuls
As did Box 17 on Rocky Point
But this hopeful just had to be dreaming…
AND FINALLY A NESTING BOX STORY FOR ADULTS ONLY
Not only did Box 11 provide us with the cutest photo of the year it has also provided us with an eye-wateringly frank account of the sex life of Freddy (not his real name) the Feathertail Glider.
If you feel these pictures might offend you - return to your desktop now. We don’t want any complaints about sending sexually explicit material over the Internet.
For those of you who remain interested - this is a visual record of 66 days of activity captured by our cameras around Box 11. The star of the show, Freddy has provided us with a personal and at times emotional account of this time in his life.
FREDDY’S DIARY
DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 24
There was something in the air that night So I thought I’d check in…
…a little further Too soon apparently.
DAY 3: SEPTEMBER 26
It was early days but always worth a shot So I yoohooed
We could become endangered any day… They said it was still too early
DAY 5: SEPTEMBER 28
There was a lovely moon outside this night So I invited them all to have a look…
…in person They didn’t have to shout
DAY 8: OCTOBER 1
I thought I heard someone calling me Naturally I quickly responded
But still not permitted inside They were really quite technical about it
DAY 10: OCTOBER 3
This day I had a brainwave I should have thought of this before
Not even a thank you They said I was puffing and should exercise
DAY 14: OCTOBER 7
Crouching Tiger Downward Dog
Caterpillar Crawl Goanna Leaping
A pretty impressive routine actually But not according to those inside that box
DAY 16: OCTOBER 9
So I went back and offered more leaves Yes! Leaves coming up
Inside the box! And out again in less than 2 seconds
I ask myself - is it worth it?
DAY 19: OCTOBER 12
More leaves? You can never have enough leaves
DAY 22: OCTOBER 15
Actually I think you can have enough leaves It’s getting difficult to squash them in
DAY 27: OCTOBER 20
Mustn’t forget my exercises Noisy Miner swinging
Scary Cockatoo Moon-walking
DAY 30: OCTOBER 23
It’s been days since I last asked Oh my! The language!
DAY 34: OCTOBER 27
Just checking in again I don’t think they know what they want
DAY 37: OCTOBER 30
The Glider with the moves is back I’m doing The Frisk…
I’m doing The Stretch But still no reaction…
DAY 48: NOVEMBER 10
At this stage I have completely run out of ideas
DAY 66: NOVEMBER 28 - 3.32am - 4.02am
Just for old times sake I asked one more time And all of a sudden it happened
One minute it’s a twosome Then a threesome
Twosome again On the move
On the wire Acrobates pygmaeus living the dream!
Could have been a foursome. Who knew? On the move again
And then all of a sudden it was over. But gee it was fun…..
And that’s the Nesting Box News for the last year - sensible, sober, and scientific as always!
A big thank you to all our Nesting Boxers who continue to provide homes for fauna delivering essential ecological services to the bushland; and to those who support us.
Until next year…
Lesley Stevens and Judy James
April
In April, apart from running the local news, a series of what else you can do was commenced, example: Collector's Corner Stargazing In Pittwater: An End Of Daylight Savings Pastime - The 2020 CWAS David Malin Photography Awards Are Now Open and Artists of the Month April 2020: Australia's Great Online Collections In State Art Galleries, Museums And Libraries With local and national galleries, museums and libraries, along with the great exhibitions they curate and then host closed at present an online tour of the great Art within these institutions is one way we can keep supporting and celebrating all they seek to share with Australians. As many of these have invested in sharing their works online, all digitised, many are available for people to take a virtual tour of. This month a little about these with links to where you can spend happy hours dwelling in their wonderful collections, and Pittwater COVID- 19 Food Outlets Restriction Responses: Take Away from Restaurants and Cafes and Grocers and Food Available From Local Outlets Local food suppliers and cafes and restaurants are currently adapting to social-distancing requirements and the closure of public spaces to large gatherings. Listed this week are those that have food you can order for take away or delivery and also those who supplied these outlets who also have food available to purchase and Birding at Home in Pittwater: April 2020 and Children's Rainbow Trail in Pittwater: April 2020
As well as continuing the Pittwater Online News 'History Project' in its broad swathes as well as commencing filling in some details - example; Harold Tristram Squire: October 28, 1868 - May 16,1938; Artist of Mona Vale.
April 1st 2020 also signalled the commencement of our 10th year of operations; not bad for a little community digital Notice Board run on hope, fortitude and coffee fumes alone. As more and more events shifted to an online format we were well placed to share information on how to do that!
The Profiles of the Week commenced a series of local community people rolling out what those of us not severely impacted through losing a job or put at risk by poor health could do for others, and included, as examples:
- #ViralKindness Northern Beaches Teams Up With #MyStreetSupport Northern Beaches; MyStreetSupport a strategic ‘street by street’ social safety net initiative which has been rolling out throughout the Northern Beaches in Sydney, is available as a free national resource for people all over Australia to help them set up their own street support network during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Sydney Wildlife Waratah Park Rehabilitation Facility: 2020 Update - NB: During the current COVID-19 'stay at home' safety measures volunteers are still working to rescue, care for and rehabilitate our wildlife. If you find any animal needing help please call the Rescue/Advice line on 9413 4300.
- Profile The Link Community Food Care Programs: Care Hamper, Lunch Box and Food Care
It is interesting to note, from the middle of December 2020, that when Pittwater Online News gives 99.9% of any income generated back into the community it is usually allocated to current projects such as youth focused initiatives, surf clubs, environment volunteer works etc. In 2020 the bulk of all funds raised was spent on FOOD for those in our local communities who were going HUNGRY. May, June, July and August were peak months with, literally, thousands of dollars of basics being sent into various places via online shops, but every month since has been big in need too, especially as we head towards Christmas.
And of course, we are blessed to live in a beautiful place. As one friend remarked as we went to press with this last Issue for 2020; 'I started 2020 thinking of all I wanted - I end 2020 being thankful for all I already have.'
A few snippets:
NSW Police Marine Area Command Coordinates Five Cruise Ship Operation
RFS Commissioner Fitzsimmons To Lead New Resilience NSW Agency
Be A Lifesaver - Stay Home This Easter
- Avoid rock fishing and water activities on exposed beaches/rock-shelves
- Don't swim at unpatrolled beaches. See the Beachsafe Website for patrolled locations/times
- Check the official Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecast before undertaking rock fishing and water activities
- Boaties should seek advice from Marine Rescue NSW and always wear a lifejacket
- If witnessing an in-water emergency dial Triple Zero – Police
Ross River Fever Alert
Giving Our Dog A Bath
This story is about giving our dog a bath. Her name is Matilda Mae BooseBop Gumley-Guesdon. She is a Sydney Silky Terrier, born December 2nd, 2016, which makes her 3 years and 4 months old now.
Matilda was only very little when we first saw her, on Boxing Day 2016, so we had to wait until the middle of January 2017 before we could bring her home - and then she still needed lots and lots of puppy milk for months to grow up big and strong.
Silky Terriers are usually quite dark when babies and they get lighter in colour as they grow up.
This is her the morning after we first brought her home:
This is her as a puppy with one of her first toys:
This is her chewing on my fingers as a puppy:
This is the first time we took her out to eat - she had a burger, down at the Beach House on Avalon Beach, and loved it - as you can see, she was still only one handful then:
This is her around 16 weeks of age - she likes playing 'chasings' with leaves - a gum leaf, a Norfolk pine leaf - any old leaf will do - whatever falls into our yard!:
This is Matilda on her first birthday in 2017 - we did all the things she likes, a run in the park, a nice breakfast, lots of cuddles and tummy rubs, a long game of chasings, a burger for dinner - we let her just be a dog and do dog things, even rolling around in mud are ok because we can give her... a bath!:
Matilda ('Tilly') is a very social dog and likes to come along to any story we're covering for Pittwater Online News. This is Tilly among the Avalon Bulldogs A Grade team as they try to do their warm-ups; she is giving as many as possible a good luck lick - and yes, that day and that match they won!:
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This is Tilly with The Green Team - they said I could take their photograph as long as they could give Matilda a cuddle - she'd already given them all a lovely puppy kiss:
She's pretty involved in everything going on around here - when she gets the chance - and LOVES little boys and girls, who she also makes smile and laugh!
So, to give her a bath, we take off her collar and put the water on into the bathtub.
This is the look Matilda gives when I tell her she's going to 'have a bath' - although she looks a bit upset, after the bath she feels so much better with all that dirt and mud she has rolled in lately washed off:
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'Are you sure you need to give me a bath?' - you can almost hear her saying:
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When we're giving her a bath we have a special washcloth that is hers to sponge her with - this is also good for wiping around her eyes as it gets the muck off that builds up around there and also you're unlikely to scratch your puppy dog with your fingernails if you use a washcloth or sponge. We also make sure the water temperature is just tepid - not too cold, not too hot, and not too deep - just over her furry little knees is ample for depth:
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Her specialist dog doctor (called a 'Veterinarian') also spoke about using a good shampoo that won't irritate her skin when she was very little - soap and shampoo for humans can irritate your dog's skin, so we buy this one - it takes us about a year to get through the whole tube and most importantly, Matilda likes it as it isn't highly perfumed. We did try another type to start with but it reeked of something sweet and she would go out and roll in the mud immediately to 'get that stink off'.
While Tilly is having her bath it's a perfect opportunity to give the hairs which grow longer around her eyes a bit of a trim to stop them bothering her or hurting her eyes:
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As you can see her expressive look of 'get me out of here' persists through the dog washing process:
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Once she has been shampooed and conditioner added then rinsed out, we give her a good towel dry and put a heater on for a little while for her to sit in front of so she doesn't get a chill. We also give her a few treats to get her to sit there for a little bit:
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Tilly likes running around after that, will jump up onto the couch so she can rub her fur and roll around in cloth to dry herself off even more - even rolling around in her dog bed beside my desk here:
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And then she's ready for a brush to get some tangles out - just like we give her a brush after rolling in leaves to get them out - and then it's back to her usual dog occupations - sitting by my side, sniffing around the garden or telling us it must be getting near time for her dinner:
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A Message From The Kelly Sisters:
Photo by Joanne Seve
The Great Hat Parade By Tamara Sloper Harding OAM On Social Media - Just To Cheer Everyone Up!
Photos by whichever child is closest at 'The Hat Lady' hat post time of day/night - NB: Tamara does not have an endless amount of hats, hers is a creative life and many are changed with band colours and flowers being interchanged on good basics - a few examples of those that have been giving everyone a lovely smile and a few giggles - and no, her thousands of friends haven't seen the 2020 Easter Bonnet....yet....;
The Hat of the Day is a Burgundy Cloche made of felt with a velvet band and rosette. It was purchased when I was 20 ( a very very long time ago) as I jogged past David Jones in the City on my way home from work.
The Hat of the Day is a Camel Felt. This one was discovered in the Vinnies shop in Nelson Bay!
The Hat of the Day is an extremely unattractive yet protective helmet style head dress. Could do with some flowers or feathers but it is pretty heavy to wear as it is. Definitely not one for wearing outside the house but perfect for iso.
Some School Work Online Art
Petronella van der Wallen's inspiration for a Lino print; she copied the headland her dad Adriaan's painted with his interpretation of "Indian Head" North Avalon, as part of a work set from Barrenjoey High School Online Learning. Wonderful stuff!
Great Skies And Serene Bays
Photos by Adriaan van der Wallen
Along The Many Flowered Bush Tracks
Photos by Selena Griffith
Thousands of families paid their respects to those who have served and serve still at dawn and in 9am and 11am street events for Anzac Day 2020.
Plans to mark the day despite the closure of public spaces and bans against gatherings commenced in March with RSL NSW encouraging all Australians to honour the service and sacrifice of our brave servicemen and women past and present, but in a different way than we are used to.
“Traditional dawn services and marches are just not possible this year” said RSL NSW Acting State President, Ray James. “But during these difficult and uncertain times, it is vital that we stay true to our values of mateship and camaraderie; that we honour our service personnel and show our ANZAC Spirit.”
In support of these qualities, RSL NSW joined other State Branches of the RSL in encouraging Australians to stand together even though we’re apart, by taking part in a collective Dawn Service, standing at the end of your driveway or on your balcony at 6am on ANZAC Day and ’Light Up the Dawn’, while Pittwater’s own James Morrison called on all musicians to sound their bugles, trumpets, cornets, horns, saxaphones, flutes and drums with the Last Post and Reveille.
This initiative saw children making Anzac Day themed art to place on their homes and fences, Lisa Hewitt of Avalon Beach was helped by a team of people to make white crosses to place at driveways, and ended up making 927, those helping including Therese Rushby, of Mater Maria Warriewood for the first 150 crosses, then all her cross makers; Michael Dick, Ian Squires, Daniel Elliott and Chris Elliott, Marty, Eli, Hugh and Rachel Mulholland, Craig, Samantha Womersley, and Mishy, Kelly Lee Schott Ryder, Sonny and Tex, Annie Finn, Dianne Cutrie and Eliza Cutrie and Rebecca Billing painting, and her daughter Ellie Woollard for nailing over 200 crosses together for.
Attached to these were knitted and crocheted poppies knitted by people from all over our area with Tamara Sloper Harding OAM, of Avalon Beach RSL Sub-Branch organising the sound of many crochet and knitting needles flying and getting these to Lisa.
These crosses were then distributed through her own home, Cocoa Bar at Newport and the Bilgola Delicatessen, with Lisa asking for a $10 donation to be put towards PTSD Veterans. Some even went to rural areas where Lisa, supported by our community, had done a Christmas Hampers Food Drive in December 2019:
Cumnock RSL Gates lined with the beautiful crosses sent from the amazing Lisa Hewitt and her community- We cannot thank you enough an we love and appreciate the time and effort put into this project.. a million Thank you's from Cumnock - photo by Rhonda Watt
The Johnson family of Johnson Bros Mitre 10, partnered with the Avalon Beach and Pittwater RSL Sub Branch’s to get local households to light up the dawn this ANZAC Day by providing over twenty thousand free candles available to pick up from their Mona Vale and Avalon Beach stores.
Looking at a way to show his respect this Anzac Day and to participate in the RSL’s “Light Up The Dawn” campaign, Michael Jonson was initially looking at personally supplying candles to his street in Mona Vale.
“In the end, it didn’t feel like I was doing enough” said Mr Johnson, a Director of Johnson Brothers Mitre 10. After speaking with his brothers, the family agreed to the business providing a more substantial amount free to the community – 20 thousand candles. To make sure that it was done in a respectful way, Michael reached out to the Avalon Beach and Pittwater RSL Sub-Branches.
Michael Johnson, Director of Johnson Brothers Mitre 10
In addition to their support, the sub-branches also generously volunteered some of their funds. The candles were distributed across the Northern Beaches by the sub-branches and available for free pick up from Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Avalon and Mona Vale and came with a flyer detailing how to participate in the RSL’s “Light Up The Dawn” campaign.
The result was that over twenty thousand candles could be lit up on Saturday morning from this distribution alone.
At 9am in Warriewood a lone bagpiper marched through the suburb, bringing families to within cooee of each other.
The Scotland Island and offshore community Anzac Day service that has been running for more than 40 years went ahead with Ian White MCing an Anzac Day Service at 11am that was live streamed. Local trumpeter Harley Ratcliff played The Last Post and Reveille.
Also at 11am WWII Veteran and Pittwater RSL ‘Living Treasure’ Tommy Knox of Bangalow Avenue Mona Vale jumped aboard his motorised scooter to do a one man parade down the street for the residents, with bagpipe player Toby Forde, playing. Organised by his grandchildren, the 95 year old was cheered and thanked from the kerbside by residents.
A little about Tommy from the 'Pittwater RSL 'Living Treasures' booklet and photos from his Bangalow Street Mona Vale Parade - organised by his granddaughters : - photos by Michael Mannington.
TOMMY KNOX –
Born February 9, 1925
Service No. 1823036
Royal Air Force - Warrant Officer.
Bomber Command, Parachute Instructor
1939-1945 Star with Bomber Command Clasp; France and Germany Star;
1939-1945 War Medal; GSM Palestine; Legion of Honour (France)
I was born in Scotland, and at the age of 18 years, enlisted in the Air Force in 1943. I served in the UK and Palestine. I trained as a flight engineer at 4 School of Technical training in South Wales. I joined the crew at 1657 Conversion Unit at Stradishall, Suffolk. The crew consisted of two Australians, two Canadians, two English and me. We moved to 149 Sqn Lakenheath, Suffolk on 15 March 1944.
We were flying Stirlings on special duties. First op was on 31 March 1944, mining Frisian Islands, subsequent ops included bombing, more mining and low level moonlit trips to supply the French Resistance fighters. I transferred to 199 Sqn in September 1944 when 149 converted to Lancasters. 199 did diversionary raids over Germany – we took on another crew member to operate the special radio jamming gear. We did our last op on 11 November 1944, having completed a tour of 40 trips. The crew split up. Posted to 30 M.U. at Sealand, Cheshire as a Draughtsman. The war in Europe finished when I was there and I decided to have a go at parachuting, so after doing a PTIS course, I did my first jump from a balloon in February 1946 and finished up training paratroopers in Palestine. I demobilised on 23 February 1947.
With son Tom
With Piper Toby Forde
Tommy passing the Twinami family (on ute)
From Narrabeen Lagoon to Elanora and Bilgola Heights and out to the Palm Beach, candles, poppies, wreaths laid at all RSL cenotaphs and crosses as well as original made tributes demonstrate that Pittwater Remembers them.
Calls for photos to be sent in to be part of this years coverage have been accompanied by comments such as:
Thank you to whomever it was playing the last post - heard Heath St MV
The echoing last post from the neighbours houses! Hauntingly beautiful! Careel Bay
I was on a boat moored at Paradise beach and there was a bugler on the wharf was so beautiful with people standing outside their homes. Very special
The turn out this morning on Ocean Street Narrabeen was so heartening to see
To the trumpet player on Kalang Road this morning – you were outstanding, thank you!
Quite haunting waking this morning to the sounds of the birds then to many locals playing the last post. It echoed around our hillside like a round (Elanora Heights). Different players slightly out of synch. I heard cornets, trumpets, clarinet, bugle, sax, trombone, and a bagpipe! I love when community displays creativity and solidarity and this morning was one of those magical moments. Lest we forget.
It is one we will talk about forever.
At Clareville - photo by Janet Forrester
At Lisle Street, Narrabeen - photo by Sandra Lee Walsh
Roger Sayers' grandson Josh played the Last Post at 6am Newport - photo sent in by his very proud grandfather
At Palm Beach - photo by Sally Akehurst
Driveway Light Up the Dawn at Mona Vale - Mark Horton - 'On my chest to the left of the other medals is the Greek Commemorative medal awarded to my father Pat Horton'
Nullaburra Rd Newport Memorial - photo by Sue Evers
Neil Evers giving Welcome to Country, Nullaburra Rd Newport Memorial - photo by Sue Evers
Reading The Ode, Nullaburra Rd Newport Memorial - photo by Sue Evers
Neighbour recounting her father's war experience, Nullaburra Rd Newport Memorial - photo by Sue Evers
Avalon Beach SLSC members, Bilgola Plateau- photo sent in by Roger Sayers
''Neighbours from 3 households on Barrenjoey Rd Newport'' - photo by and courtesy of the Ealbers family.
Donna of Avalon Beach, Anzac Day 2020 - photo by Joanne Seve
So strong an impact has the Light the Dawn and Sound the Last Post, and Reveille throughout all streets been that many have expressed a wish for a similar Marking of Respect at driveways and outside homes next year as well, even with a return to Commemorative Services at Dawn and 11am.
Our state and federal representatives have marked the occasion too - from The Hon. Rob Stokes:
Anzac Day will be very different this year – but the Anzac spirit is as important as ever.
The world is in a struggle, and communities across Australia are united in an effort to combat COVID-19.
As we pause to reflect, we remember the sacrifice of all those, past and present, who have put themselves at risk to protect our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy.
Anzac Day is always a special day where we can thank our veterans, and it’s also an opportunity for veterans to stay connected with each other.
Whilst this will be more difficult this Anzac Day, always remember how valued you are, and how grateful our community is.
Lest we forget.
Rob Stokes MP
Member for Pittwater
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Jason Falinski – MP for Mackellar:
ANZAC DAY SPEECH
We join together today to commemorate and pay tribute to those who have loyally and devotedly sacrificed their lives in all the conflicts of war, to preserve the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Never in the 105 years since the Allied forces landed at Gallipoli on what is now known as Anzac Cove, have Australians been asked to summon the stoic resolve, courage and fortitude displayed by these soldiers in our current fight with an unseen enemy.
It is well known that the Allied mission to capture Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany, was tragically met with failure. With an underestimation of the Ottoman military potential and a sense of superiority among the Allies, just before dawn on this day, in 1915, Australian and New Zealand forces landed on the shores of Gallipoli.
The half-light of dawn was favoured, a time when troops were awake, alert and manning their weapons, known as the ‘stand to’. What began as a bold strike ended in a devastating and bloody stalemate that lasted for eight long months.
56,707 Allied troops lost their lives, including 8,709 from Australia and 2,721 from New Zealand, with 302,000 Allied casualties and 250,000 from the Ottoman Empire.
This was the first campaign of the First World War that led to major casualties for our troops, and the defeat had a profound effect on people at home, becoming a symbolic day on which we remember and commemorate our war dead. It has been considered that this event was the beginning of Australian and New Zealand national consciousness.
Nowadays, ANZAC Day goes well beyond the anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli in 1915. It is a day on which we remember and pay tribute to all Australians who have served and died in the various theatres of war, past and present. It has become a symbol for values which Australians so highly treasure; those of mate ship, courage, sacrifice and stoic duty.
Our commemorative services date back to the first Anzac Day in 1916, organised by Queensland Canon David Garland as a non-denominational commemoration by the whole of society, and the date 25th April was then etched in our history. Despite interest waning in the 1960’s and 70’s, Prime Minister’s Hawke and Howard were staunch supporters of the importance of remembrance, and today we are particularly pleased to see younger Australians embrace with reverence and respect, those who have paved the way before us, defending the life we so highly cherish.
Dawn services, the playing of the Last Post and two minutes of silence are a powerful moment for Australians of all cultures and age groups to reflect on the strength and values of those who served. Marches allow troops and later generations to wear the medals of service and bravery and to honour family who so selflessly protected our freedoms.
Lieutenant Colonel and later Turkish President Kemul Ataturk, who oversaw the Ottoman forces at Gallipoli, delivered these words at a memorial in 1934, to the first Australians, New Zealanders and British to visit the battlefields.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries, Wipe away your tears.
Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace
after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.
Today we stop and turn off our busy lives, reflect on the sacrifice of others, pause to consider those around us and how we can serve, and find within ourselves the stoic strength of character to endure our current crisis.
The inscription on the wall of the Sir John Monash Centre in the grounds of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery in northern France perfectly sums up the heritage of ANZAC.
It reads,
Anzac is not merely about loss.
It is about courage and endurance, and duty, and love of country,
and mateship, and good humour, and the survival of a
sense of self worth and decency in the face of dreadful odds.
To all the men and women who have served our nation, there is little we can say that fully reflects our gratitude and our debt to you, because of you we live in a free and fair nation. In a world where right is might, not the other way round, and so instead we simply say: Lest we Forget.
Delivered via video posted online on ANZAC Day – screenshot from video of Mackellar MP Jason Falinski
Avalon Beach RSL Sub Branch also organised an online Service for Dawn, prefaced by:
We cannot be with each other this year for Anzac Day so the Sub Branch put together this service with some beautiful memories of years past in Avalon. Thank you to Michael Maley, Robbie Adams, Ryan Carmichael, Lynn Murphy, Sam Shaw, Phil Ivey, Sacred Heart Primary School, Lisa Hewitt and all the ladies who made the poppies.
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John street, Avalon Beach – Brian Friend OAM wearing his Uncles (my father's brother who was in Changi prison) medals. ‘’They were given to me by the family as he could not have children. I wear them with pride for a man who died too young.’’
Photo by and Courtesy Debbie Tiernan
May
This is a story about the road-building machines we included in last Issues’ Pictorial. Some of our younger Readers have asked us ‘but what’s that one and what is it used for?’ so it seems best to put it all in a page for you. We didn’t get ALL the machines being used – but here’s some insights into those we did, and a bit more, for those who want to know more.
The contractors doing the work state, via regular updates to the community, they are using excavators with rock hammers, backhoes, tipper trucks, small cranes, hammer drills, a roller, street sweepers, chainsaws, light vehicles and light towers.
First, as we know you may not be interested in the History page series currently being put together and near completion on Pittwater Roads and Street Names (and where they came from as part of roads being built to homes when all this area was changing from being paddocks and bush into suburbs), a little about the History of roads themselves.
Some believe that some roads originated from following animal trails – animals that may have been moving in large herds to and from places where they ate, for instance, grass during Summer and then moved across a large tract of land to eat berries, elsewhere, during Winter. The Icknield Way may exemplify this type of road origination, where human and animal both selected the same natural line.
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern and eastern England that goes from Norfolk to Wiltshire.
By about 10,000 BC human travellers used rough roads/pathways. The world's oldest known paved road was constructed in Egypt some time between 2600 and 2200 BC, however Stone- paved streets appear in the city of Ur in the Middle East dating back to 4000 BC and Corduroy roads (log roads) are found dating to 4000 BC in Glastonbury, England.
Another ancient road is the Sweet Track, a timber track causeway in England, stated by many to be one of the oldest engineered roads discovered and the oldest timber trackway discovered in Northern Europe. Built in winter 3807 BC or spring 3806 BC, (tree-ring dating – dendrochronology – enabled very precise dating), it was claimed to be the oldest road in the world until the 2009 discovery of a 6,000-year-old trackway in Plumstead, London.
The proverb ‘all roads lead to Rome’ makes us think about all the roads Romans (Italians) built as from about 312 BC, the Roman Empire built straight strong stone Roman roads throughout Europe and North Africa, in support of its military campaigns. At its peak the Roman Empire was connected by 29 major roads moving out from Rome and covering 78,000 kilometers or 52,964 Roman miles of paved roads. So, as you can see, all roads did, literally, lead to Rome.
In the 8th century AD, many roads were built throughout the Arab Empire. The most sophisticated roads were those in Baghdad, which were paved with tar. Tar was derived from petroleum, accessed from oil fields in the region, through the chemical process of destructive distillation.
The Highways Act 1555 in Britain transferred responsibility for maintaining roads from government to local parishes. This resulted in a poor and variable state of roads. To remedy this, the first of the turnpike trusts was established around 1706, to build good roads and collect tolls from passing vehicles. Eventually there were approximately 1,100 trusts in Britain and some 36,800 km (22,870 miles) of engineered roads. The Rebecca Riots in Carmarthenshire and Rhayader from 1839 to 1844 contributed to a Royal Commission that led to the demise of the system in 1844, which coincided with the development of the UK railway system.
The Great North Road near Highgate on the approach to London before turnpiking. The highway was deeply rutted and spread onto adjoining land.
In the late-19th century road engineers began to cater for cyclists by building separate lanes alongside roadways, and to install fauna bridges for wildlife - which will occur on the Mona Vale road as well.
Road design is part of highway engineering. Structural road design is designing a road for its environment in order to extend its longevity and reduce maintenance. The Shell pavement design method is used in many countries for the design of new asphalt roadsides. In structural road design, the main considerations consist of soil parameters, parameters (thickness and stiffness) for the other road foundation materials, and the expected number of times a standard load will pass over. The output of the calculation is the thickness of the asphalt layer.
Road construction requires the creation of an engineered continuous right-of-way or roadbed, overcoming geographic obstacles and having grades low enough to permit vehicle or foot travel, and may be required to meet standards set by law or official guidelines. The process is often begun with the removal of earth and rock by digging or blasting, construction of embankments, bridges and tunnels, and removal of vegetation (this may involve deforestation) and followed by the laying of pavement material.
Example: Layers in the construction of a mortarless pavement: A.) Subgrade B.) Subbase C.) Base course D.) Paver base E.) Pavers F.) Fine-grained sand – diagram by and courtesy KDS444
Processes during earthwork include excavation, removal of material to spoil, filling, compacting, construction and trimming. If rock or other unsuitable material is discovered it is removed, moisture content is managed and replaced with standard fill compacted to meet the design requirements (generally 90–95% relative compaction). Blasting is not frequently used to excavate the roadbed as the intact rock structure forms an ideal road base. When a depression must be filled to come up to the road grade the native bed is compacted after the topsoil has been removed. The fill is made by the "compacted layer method" where a layer of fill is spread then compacted to specifications, under saturated conditions. The process is repeated until the desired grade is reached.
All that means a variety of road building equipment is employed in road building to do the different kinds of work involved. As stated above, they are using excavators with rock hammers, backhoes, tipper trucks, small cranes, hammer drills, a roller, street sweepers, chainsaws, light vehicles and light towers. We’ve also seen some bulldozers, some of which have been adapted from tractors!
Here are some you may spot while driving up the Mona Vale road while it's being made wider and bigger, 'upgraded', at present.
Excavator With Rock Hammer Attachment
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An excavator is a hydraulic machine used in construction mainly used for digging holes, foundations, and trenches. It is more powerful and efficient than any other diesel-powered heavy construction equipment.
Because they are versatile, they come in different sizes: standard, midi, and mini. Standard excavators are used for bulk transportation and heavy lifting. Midi excavators are used for heavy workloads in an isolated area. Mini excavators are compact, making them great for smaller job areas that require trench-digging, stump removal, and light demolition.
The excavator is not only used in the construction industry but also in forestry and mining as it is quite versatile. If given the right attachments, this machine can be used for demolition, dredging rivers, handling materials, and lifting. Most of you would have seen one of these with what's called a 'bucket' - although these buckets don't look like those we may use in the garden fort watering plants or when washing the car. these ones look like this:
The rock breaker attachment is used to break concrete, rock, or asphalt. Sometimes called a hydraulic hammer attachment, this is like a larger jackhammer. It is used for road repairs, demolitions, landscaping, and trenching. It breaks hard surfaces with the use of 1,000 pounds of impact energy. The 'flushing', 'cooling' and 'lubrication' applied by water for the surface of the bit is very important to ensure the normal working of the bit during the drill bit running.
You can also see that this excavator has what is called a 'track' wheel base instead of tyres, a bit like a tank. Tracks instead of wheels allow the machine to move over all kinds of terrain, some of which would be difficult for a machine with wheels to negotiate.
Excavator With Bucket
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Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, dipper (or stick), bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the "house". The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. They are a natural progression from the steam shovels and often mistakenly called power shovels.
A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. Steam shovels played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads and the Panama Canal. The development of simpler, cheaper diesel-powered shovels caused steam shovels to fall out of favor in the 1930s.
Otis excavator, 1841
All movement and functions of a hydraulic excavator are accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid, with hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors. Hydraulic excavator capabilities have expanded far beyond excavation tasks with buckets. With the advent of hydraulic-powered attachments such as a breaker, a grapple or an auger, the excavator is frequently used in many applications other than excavation. Many excavators feature a quick coupler for simplified attachment mounting, increasing the machine's utilisation on the jobsite. Excavators are usually employed together with loaders and bulldozers. Most wheeled, compact and some medium-sized (11 to 18-tonne) excavators have a backfill (or dozer) blade. This is a horizontal bulldozer-like blade attached to the undercarriage and is used for levelling and pushing removed material back into a hole.
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This one can be seen moving 'buckets' of dirt
Water Truck
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Water trucks are made especially for use in the civil, councils and landscaping industries. The water truck works by being a water storage unit that can hold water for dust control, cleaning and wetting purposes on construction sites through spraying the ground with water canons and cab operated batter sprays. Water can also be used in different applications through hose reels attached to the water truck.
Water trucks are a vital part of most big construction operations. Water trucks come in a range of sizes and designs, with larger trucks able to haul as much as 36,000 litres!
Grid Roller
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This type of roller is generally a towed unit, and provides high contact pressure but minimal kneading action. They are typically used for the compaction of well-graded coarse soils and weathered rocks, often in subgrade and sub-base road projects.
Grader
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Graders are commonly used in the construction and maintenance of dirt roads and gravel roads. In the construction of paved roads, they are used to prepare the base course to create a wide flat surface upon which to place the road surface.
A road grader or a motor grader, is a construction machine with a long blade used to create a flat surface during the grading process. Although the earliest models were towed behind horses or other powered equipment, most modern graders contain an engine, so are known, technically erroneously, as "motor graders". Typical models have three axles, with the engine and cab situated above the rear axles at one end of the vehicle and a third axle at the front end of the vehicle, with the blade in between. Most motor graders drive the rear axles in tandem, but some also add front wheel drive to improve grading capability. Many graders also have optional attachments for the rear of the machine which can be ripper, scarifier, blade, or compactor. In certain countries, for example in Finland, almost every grader is equipped with a second blade that is placed in front of the front axle. For snowplowing and some dirt grading operations, a side blade can also be mounted. Some construction personnel refer to the entire machine as "the blade". Capacities range from a blade width of 2.50 to 7.30 m (8 to 24 ft) and engines from 93–373 kW (125–500 hp). Certain graders can operate multiple attachments, or be designed for specialized tasks like underground mining.
In civil engineering, the grader's purpose is to "finish grade" (to refine or set precisely). The angle, tilt (or pitch) and height of the grader's blade can be adjusted to achieve precision grading of a surface. The "rough grading" is performed by heavy equipment or engineering vehicles such as scrapers and bulldozers.
Graders are commonly used in the construction and maintenance of dirt roads and gravel roads. In the construction of paved roads, they are used to prepare the base course to create a wide flat surface upon which to place the road surface.
Front End Loader
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A front-end loader is a tractor with a large, hinged bucket mounted on the front at the end of a pair of jointed arms, for scooping and loading earth, gravel, debris, etc. Front end wheel loaders are one of the most versatile machines in use today, having a diverse application across agriculture and construction industries - such as in building a road.
They are used to move materials into or onto another type of machinery (such as a dump truck, conveyor belt, feed-hopper, or railroad car). There are many types of loader, which, depending on design and application, are called by various names, including bucket loader, front loader, front-end loader, payloader, scoop, shovel, skip loader, wheel loader, or skid-steer.
The major components included in a loader are the engine (diesel in almost all cases), the hydraulic components (such as pumps, motors and valves) and the transmission components (gearbox, axles, wheels/tracks, pumps, motors, etc.). The engine runs both the hydraulics and the transmission, and these in turn move the front attachment (a bucket, forks, sweeper, etc.) to manipulate the material which we are handling (sand, gravel, cereal, manure or anything else) and the wheels or tracks to move the machine around the jobsite.
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So that's a few of the big machines doing all that work along Mona Vale road at present - very interesting stuff, and we'll bring you more as the project develops; a page or pages of before and after photos to do comparisons would be interesting, as would some more of those machines or how they're doing all the work to build a road. There's also a wealth of information you can find to see how roads were built in the past. The New South Wales Department of State Archives and Records has thousands of old photos of road building done here from the past, one example from their files:
There is also the NSW Roads and Maritime Department has some great videos of past road builds as well.
Roads And Maritime's YouTube Channel
Finally, it’s good to know we’re not the only ones interested in all this road-building, landscape changing information,. Did you know the the NSW Roads and Maritime holds an extensive archive of historic films related to road building projects.They are in the process of digitising this archive, and publish the films on our YouTube channel as they become available. Visit: https://www.youtube.com/user/RMSRoadProjects
Here’s a few old examples that we think you may like – the Construction of the Great Northern Highway from Hornsby to Hawkesbury River (1928) and Testing of Bascule Span for Spit Bridge over Middle Harbour (1958). There is a Pittwater Online History page on Roads To Pittwater: The Sandspit Punt and Spit Bridge as part of that Pittwater Roads series, which shares some insights as well.
This first is a silent film but it shows you how much has changed around here and gives you views of the terrain around that wonderful old bridge up the Hawkesbury. A few years ago a Pittwater Online News History page on the Hawkesbury Bridge was run to celebrate the 70 year anniversary of he second Hawkesbury Bridge, and there's a video on that embedded as well on that page.
Also Available:
History Insights
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your name - Scotland Island
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Newport Beach
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Clareville
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Avalon Beach
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Warriewood
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Elanora Heights, Green Hills and Ingleside
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Mona Vale
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Bungan
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Bilgola
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Coaster's Retreat and The Basin
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Great Mackerel Beach
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Whale Beach
- Pittwater Roads II: Where the Streets Have Your Name - Palm Beach
- Roads In Pittwater: The Bay View Road
- Roads In Pittwater - The Barrenjoey Road
- Motor Car Tours To And In Pittwater Show Us The Way This Place Once Was
- Roads To Pittwater: The Wakehurst Parkway Along Old Oxford Falls Track
- Roads To Pittwater: The Pittwater Road
- Roads To Pittwater: The Sandspit Punt and Spit Bridge
- Roads To Pittwater: The Mona Vale Road
- My Holiday by Charles de Boos – 1861
Mona Vale Road Upgrade
- Delivering Infrastructure - Upgrading Mona Vale Road - April 2014
- Upgrades To Start on Mona Vale Road - July 2014
- Once Was Barrenjoey - Can Community Reduce Fauna Road Deaths - August 2014 - Community Consultation on stage 2 (between Mona Vale and Ingleside) for Mona Vale Road upgrades is expected to begin later this year and will also include fauna connectivity options.
- Community Feedback Sought On Mona Vale Road Upgrade - October 2014
- Angus's Onion Orchid at Ingleside?? by David Palmer, PNHA - October 2015
- Bill To Facilitate Mona Vale Road Upgrades Passes: Vital Fauna Bridge Discussed - Stage 3, Mona Vale Road Upgrade- West, one step closer - June 2016
- NSW Government Funding To Commence $90M Upgrade Of Mona Vale Road East - June 2016
- Funding Secured To Commence Mona Vale Road Upgrade - from Office of Hon. Rob Stokes, MP for Pittwater - June 2017
- Reducing Roadkill On Mona Vale Road by David Palmer, Pittwater Natural Heritage Association - September 2017
- Front Page Issue 330: Jumping For Joy: Fauna Crossing For Mona Vale Road Confirmed - September 2017
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: Proposed Lease Of Land To Roads And Maritime Services (RMS) - Council Invites You to Have Your Say - November 2017
- Plans Accelerate For Mona Vale Road East Upgrade - from Office of The Hon. Rob Stokes, MP for Pittwater - March 2018
- Sydney's First Fauna Overpass To Be Installed On Mona Vale Road + RMS March 2018 Mona Vale Road update
- Roads To Pittwater: The Mona Vale Road (History page) - September 2018
- Contract Awarded For Mona Vale Road Upgrade - from Office of the Hon. Rob Stokes, MP for Pittwater - November 2018
- Upgrade Of Mona Vale Road East To Commence This Month - an overview of what to expect - January 2019
- Mona Vale Road Upgrade - Changed Traffic Conditions Reminder - from Office of Rob Stokes, MP for Pittwater - March 2019
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: Some Progress Photos - May 2019 Record
- Mona Vale Road Truck Arrestor Bed Miscalculation? - report by Phil Walker and John Illingsworth/Pittwater Pathways - June 2019
- Mona Vale Road Upgrade Update: Fauna Fencing To Be Installed During Construction + June Night Works - June 2019
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: September 2019 Update - and Pictorial Record Of Works - September 2019
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: October 2019 Update In Pictures
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade Calls In Sydney Wildlife Volunteer To Relocate Lapwing Plovers Nest: Eggs Hatch! - October 2019
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade Update - To December 2019: Our last day of work for 2019 will be Friday 20 December and we will return to work on Monday 6 January 2020
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: January 2020 Update and Photographic Record Of Works
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: Mid to Late February Notice and Pictorial Record of Works and Changes - February 2020
- Mona Vale Road East Upgrade: May 2020 Pictures Record
Front Page Photos
At the base of the Front Page each Issue is an image from the Pittwater environment, a way to remind all where we are and why we're here. Through the generous sharing of places and times of year captured by Readers a continuous visual reminder of what remains the same and how each Season differs is provided. Throughout 2020 these beautiful captures have enriched all. Some May 2020 examples:
Turimetta Morning, May 6th, 2020 - photo by Joe Mills
Bayview & Mona Vale Walks: B&W Challenge - Photos By Maureen Darcy-Smith, May 2020
June
Museums, Galleries And Libraries To Reopen From 1 June 2020
- exclusion of staff and visitors who are unwell
- limiting the number of guests to allow for 4 square metres per person
- providing distance markers for people queuing at service points
- ensuring adequate handwashing facilities and/or sanitiser
- online ticketing systems for museums and galleries
- no groups and tours
- enhanced cleaning
- 24 hour quarantine of returns for libraries.
An involvement with the BirdLife Australia Powerful Owl project for years led to meeting Sydney Wildlife volunteers and her daughter becoming involved as a volunteer at 18 years of age and herself and her husband becoming a 'Sydney Wildlife Carer Family' as a result, with Margaret undertaking the training to become a Carer for Wildlife too in 2018.
Her dedication to the Warriewood Wetlands, the Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment (her son has been a guide on some of the Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Night Walks) and a passion for saving our wildlife - in our area, on the South Coast during the recent bushfires, and as part of the Sydney Wildlife members who organised to send supplies and equipment to the RSPCA team on Kangaroo Island in South Australia in February 2020 can be seen in an earlier childhood love of Australian wildlife.
An interest in Photography in High School, followed and developed ever since, has led to Margaret capturing and creating the most amazing images. Her portraits of wildlife, of landscapes and of people support and enrich the work of these local organisations she is a part of. Not only that, they are placing on the record what wildlife is where and when it is there.
These are wonderful photos - they allow people to see up close birds they may have only heard, or see the individual characters of wildlife rescued. Her landscapes allow viewers to dwell among dawn mists, see sunrises and sunsets reflected on water or trees. They allow you to immerse yourself because Margaret has not stood outside looking in, her self is present.
Margaret is also among the many thousands of residents in our area with a love for our birds and for bird photography.
When asked how she does it, Marg replied
'the trick is the angle and to look for... to see the art in the photo'
Her works in this field are more than that too though...
For June 2020 it is a real privilege to share some of her works and her other 'mission' to enrich our understanding of the wonderful place we live in through all that lives in it with us.
Powerful Owl huge talons (our largest owl and Apex predator)
Noel
I’m Noel Kessel and my wife is Kate. We have two beautiful children, Liorah and Avishai. I am a volunteer fireman with the NSW Rural Fire Service, attached to Cottage Point Brigade. My wife Kate is a Registered Nurse with 27 years’ experience.
During the past Summer I was actively involved with the bushfires that ravaged most of the State. During this period my crew and myself were deployed to fight fires throughout various parts of the state. We spent shifts battling the mammoth Gospers Mountain Fire to the North of Sydney, as well as fires at Bilpin and The Blue Mountains and the ill-fated deadly Buxton Fire South of Sydney. I also did a multi-day deployment at the Creewah Fire near the NSW/Victoria border.
Cottage Point RFB Members on the firegrounds - CPRFB photo
Cottage Point RFB Members on the firegrounds - CPRFB photo
There are a lot of challenges out on the fireground. Naturally, you always have in the back of your mind that it is a very dangerous activity and that things can go wrong very quickly. One of the most dangerous part of fighting fires is falling trees. Out in the field we call them “widow makers”. On a number of occasions we had near misses with falling trees both on main roads and on dirt tracks. After the main firefront would pass, the fire gets into the trunk of the trees and every now and then without warning you would hear a loud crack and then a loud boom as a large tree crashes to the ground. That’s probably one of the scariest parts of the job. Especially at night. It’s comforting to know that you are working with a bunch of competent and highly skilled guys and girls on the truck and everyone looks after each other. You very quickly form a close bond with your colleagues who become your extended family.
Cottage Point RFB Members - CPRFB photo
Cottage Point RFB Members - CPRFB photo
After we were involved in a fire overrun at Buxton, I tried to keep it quiet from my children. This didn’t last long as it was all over the news the next day along with the tragic details of the 5 fireman who suffered serious burns and the two who died when a tree fell onto their firetruck. Not only did it send a shiver up my spine, but it really spooked my son Avishai. He became very attached and clingy and was very anxious and emotional whenever I would head off to the fire station. On one occasion he grabbed me and whilst crying refused to let go. Clearly this was all having an effect on him. On the upside, whenever I would return he would always greet me with a huge embrace and a hug.
My daughter Liorah seemed to be handling it all pretty well, even to the point that she has joined the Northern Beaches Rural Fire Service Cadet Program. Obviously it was also a challenging time for my wife when I was away. Often I would return home in the early hours of the morning and attempt to creep into bed without waking her. I didn’t always succeed. Being alone with the kids and having to do almost everything single handed was not easy. This while having to work full time. Thankfully my parents were also invaluable in helping us all out both physically and emotionally.
In March things started to settle down but then we were faced with heavy storms and days of attending storm related incidents all around Sydney.
And just when you thought normality was returning, we were hit with the Corona Virus Pandemic. It was now time for me to hand over the baton to Kate as she was now about to enter this new deadly battle.
Kate
I’m Kate and I’m a registered nurse at one of Sydney’s largest hospitals - St. Vincent Hospital.
As the Covid -19 pandemic began to escalate, the daily routine at the hospital began to change. Within days, certain wards were being shut down and transformed into Intensive Care wards in preparation for the influx of the predicted thousands of Covid cases. As the number of cases climbed, so too did our preparedness. Staff were being shuffled around the hospital and strict treatment procedures and protocols were being implemented.
We were instructed to treat every patient as if they were carrying the Covid-19 virus, which meant wearing full PPE attire including surgical gowns, masks, gloves and eye/face protection. Every person who entered the hospital was also required to answer a few questions and have their temperature checked. It was all crazy. The health department estimated that around 45000 people would contract the virus. Thankfully this has not happened and we have been extremely lucky so far and I pray that things will remain this way. This especially in comparison to the rest of the world.
As the virus took hold around the world, the picture looked very dark and gloomy. As we entered into the lockdown phase, school was suspended for my children and we all had to adapt to home schooling. This was challenging at times but fortunately Noel was able to stay at home with the children., and soon enough the kids began to enjoy this new education concept.
The lockdown also meant that the children couldn’t see their grandparents who they are very close to. The occasional visit was had but with them on their balcony and us down below. Noel also took the children on a number of bushwalks which was a great thing from a mental health perspective. The children also experimented in the kitchen and hot fluffy scones soon became a regular item on the breakfast menu.
Now that life is slowly returning to a somewhat normal routine, it is important not to be complacent but to continue to maintain social distancing. The last thing we need is a second wave of this terrible deadly virus.
North Mona Vale Headland
Has excellent views of Mona Vale Basin Beach and Mona Vale Beach, Warriewood and Turimetta headland to the south, Mona Vale Valley to the west and Bungan Beach to the north, with a trail access down to Mona Vale Beach. A great place to watch for whales - we saw a calf and mum and several other - also watching for whales were the Taylors - spotted them again at Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 at Mona Vale later on the same morning.
The whales were a fair way out but some came closer - you may need some good binoculars to whale watch with:
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July
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The silvereyes were happy the grass trees were in flower. These birds are so small and so fast.
Early morning light:
August
The Newport Breakers have had a massive return to Porter Reserve on Saturday July 25th with a 4-0 clean sweep of all 4 Grades against Beecroft.
1sts: 45 - 10
2nds: 27 - 5
Colts: 22 - 0
3rds: 36 - 10
The Breakers first ‘at home’ games were well supported by the Newport faithful who loved watching 1st Grade play under the newly installed field lights.
Also new was how the time away has been well used to renovate both the exterior and the interior of the clubhouse. The Newport Breakers friends and sponsors at Landscapes By Linton (Adam Linton) have overseen the addition of a concreted, sandstone and landscaped patio area and stairs, replacing what was a well loved but barren earthen patch and some old wood and paved stairs. Locally sourced materials were provided by the club’s sponsors Australian Native Landscapes ANL. Interior works had been done too with new floorboards, a girls change room and new storage organised by the junior Newport Club.
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers welcomed the first new rescue vessel to be delivered on Sydney’s waterways for two years – and applauded their local community for helping them secure the $500,000 asset for their work to save lives on the water.
Marine Rescue Broken Bay’s new 10 metre Naiad rescue vessel, Broken Bay 30, arrived Wednesday morning, July 29th, after it was trucked down the Pacific Highway from Yamba, where it was built, and lowered into the water at Church Point.
Unit Commander Jimmy Arteaga said the new boat was an investment in the safety of boaters on Pittwater and the waters of Broken Bay.
“Over the past year, our volunteers have launched 89 rescue missions, including seven in response to life-threatening emergencies. This new boat means we can be on the scene even more rapidly, which is crucial when every minute can mean the difference between life and death on the water,” he said.
UC Arteaga thanked the local community for its heartwarming support in helping to fund the new boat.
“The State Government last year gave residents the opportunity to vote for the projects they wanted to see funded in their local area through the My Community Projects grants program,” he said.
“The fantastic community in the Pittwater electorate really got behind our volunteers and voted for our new rescue vessel. As a result, we received a $200,000 grant towards the cost of this new boat, which will help us help our local boaters.
“That’s an awful lot of sausage sandwiches and raffle tickets that our members now don’t have to sell.”
Unit Commander Jimmy Arteaga - at The Quays as BB30 arrives
MRNSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said the volunteers from Marine Rescue Broken Bay were now better equipped than ever to respond to boaters in trouble on the water.
He said the new vessel replaced an older boat reaching the end of its operational life, also Broken Bay 30, which was the first boat to wear the new MRNSW livery when the single unified service was established in 2009.
The old BB30 was given the honorary name of Peter E Weston, and was named after a prominent member of the Broken Bay Unit, Peter Weston. Peter also held executive positions within the then Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol.
“We have since invested more than $24.5 million to equip our volunteers with modern, safe and reliable vessels,” MRNSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said.
Commissioner Tannos thanked the boating community for its ongoing support for MRNSW and the State Government for its $37.6 million, four-year financial injection to fund upgraded volunteer resources and operational facilities.
“This support means we are able to ensure our volunteers have high quality, professionally-equipped vessels like this one for their work to assist and protect NSW boaters,” he said.
Powered by twin 300hp Suzuki outboards, Broken Bay 30 will operate on Pittwater, Broken Bay and up to 30 nautical miles off the coastline. It is equipped with a full suite of search and rescue, navigation, communication and advanced first aid equipment, including a cardiac defibrillator and oxygen kit.
Over 500 surf club members will take part in this year’s 24 Hour Row for mental health supporting Gotcha4Life and One Eighty.
After the success of the Avalon Beach 24 Hour Row over the past two years, the event is expanding in 2020 with a total of 14 Surf Life Saving Clubs signing on to row and raise money and awareness for mental health charities Gotcha4Life and One Eighty this August.
The brainchild of one of the country’s top surf boat coaches Nathan Wellings and his wife Mel, the event began in 2018 after a tragic spate of youth suicides in the Northern Beaches area.
“Our local community was struggling to come to terms with the loss of a number of our young people and our team of surf boat rowers wanted to do something positive to help,” said 24 Hour Row founder Mel Wellings.
“We set up a couple of rowing machines at the club and rostered everyone to row for an hour each, over 24 hours. It was such a great event, with great support from all the community, not just our club members. We even had the local member Rob Stokes jump on a machine and row for an hour with us. He didn’t do too bad a time either,” said Mel Wellings.
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AVSLSC President Ashley Cardiff, Ben Wilson*, Leanne Westlake, Rob Stokes*, Beck Lock*, Mel and Nathan Wellings. *First rowers in 2018 - A J Guesdon photo.
This year the word is out and with 14 clubs from NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria signing up. “We expect there to be some healthy rivalry between clubs this year with both the fundraising side and the total distances that each can row in the 24 hour period,” said Mel.
For the first time 24 Hour Row team will link up each of the locations via Zoom and broadcast live through Facebook for the entire event so everyone is connected and anyone can tune in to see the progress and donate.
All funds raised are shared between two mental health organisations who are making a difference through outreach and community programs with the aim of reducing suicide deaths.
Local youth mental health charity One Eighty is leading the way for peer-to-peer models of community support with a vision for future free of youth suicide through prevention and early intervention. While Gus Worland’s Gotcha4Life works with and funds sustainable educational workshops, training programs and products to build mental fitness right across Australia to create strong, open and binding relationships.
Surf Life Saving NSW have also come onboard as a partner to help promote the event through its Memorandum of Understanding with Gotcha4Life.
“We love the 24 Hour Row, now in its third year,” said Gus Worland. “It’s a great opportunity for the community to come together, raise funds to build mental fitness and have fun along the way! Our educational workshops & training are needed now more than ever, and funds raised will allow us to work with individuals and communities to reduce instances of poor mental health and build stronger connections.” Worland said.
“We’re are thrilled that the 24 Hour Row is going ahead again this year despite the challenges of COVID-19. It’s such an amazing community-led initiative, and it is particularly important this year to find opportunities for people to keep active and stay connected.” said Maddie Walsh of One Eighty. “The funds raised by Northern Beaches clubs will allow us to continue running our Open Up peer support program and train our volunteer facilitators. Funding will also go towards our Community Support Program that includes free Accidental Counsellor and Mental Health First Aid training for members of the public,” she said
The 24 Hour Row has also been a great way to keep surf boat rowers motivated, fit and connected in the off-season and 2020 is no exception. A training program designed to get crews in shape for the row has been promoted by Surf Life Saving NSW, getting top rowers and boat coaches to offer training tips and programs to inspire and motivate via videos released each week in the lead up to the event.
EVENT INFORMATION
Official Name: 24 Hour Row for Mental Health supporting Gotcha4Life and One Eighty
Register at: www.24hourrow.com.au
DONATE | NORTHERN BEACHES DONATE | AUSTRALIA WIDE
Start: 12 Noon, Saturday 22 August 2020
Finish: 12 Noon, Sunday 23 August 2020
Each club will have one or more rowing machines set up at their own location. Each location will follow strict COVID-19 guidelines based on restrictions at the time of event.
Goal: To raise funds and awareness for mental health charities Gotcha4Life and One Eighty by keeping people connected and active through winter by encouraging them to train for both an individual and team goal, through a mental and physical challenge – row for one hour and keep your club’s machine moving for a full 24 Hour period.
Watch Live: Each location will be linked through Zoom and the Zoom will be broadcast live through Facebook via www.facebook.com/24HrRow for the 24 hour period of the row with interviews and live distance updates to keep the rivalry and energy up and encourage donations.
Participating Surf Life Saving Clubs (so far):
Avalon Beach, Newport, Collaroy, North Curl Curl, South Curl Curl, Maroubra, Elouera, Wanda, North Cronulla, Sawtell and Wauchope Bonny Hills, Tallebudgera (QLD), Victorian Surf Boat Rowers (VIC), Moana (SA)
SLSNSW is supporting this event through a partnership with Gotcha4Life to raise awareness and funds for mental health resilience programs in coastal communities.
In May the NSWRL announced it was working towards a plan for Rugby League to re-start full contact training from July 1st and competitions from July 18 for junior and senior football in line with government and medical advice over the coronavirus protocols.
In the Manly Warringah JRFLC's competition will go for 10 rounds, finishing with the grand finals on 26/27 September.
On July 15 the NSWRL announced a two-week delay to the planned July 18 start of community football competitions in south-western Sydney due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in the area.
NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden said the health and safety of participants, officials, spectators and the wider community remained the primary concern, with the competitions for under 6s to A-grade in these areas only now delayed until August 1st. The competitions affected were within the Wests Tigers Macarthur and Canterbury Districts and Group 6 Region.
“We have always maintained through this pandemic that we would remain flexible in our approach and fall in line with the most up-to-date information from the Government and health experts at that time,” Mr. Trodden said.
“While everyone has worked hard to get footy re-started and we would love to be kicking off across the entire state this weekend, it is important we remain vigilant to stop any potential avoidable spreading of the coronavirus.”
Individual teams (from those areas) playing in Combined Conference competitions would not be able to participate for two weeks, but those competitions would continue under rule changes implemented by the NSWRL to adhere to government COVID-19 guidelines. The matches missed will be registered as a draw for both teams.
The announcement impacted on the Round 1 game for the U20's Bulldogs team against the Mascot Juniors on July 19th, both teams recording a 'drawn' in the ladder for the 10 teams in the U20's Sydney Metropolitan Rugby League competition for 2020.
Their first competition game was then played on the Sunday, August 2nd, at their home ground, Hitchcock Park, Careel Bay and meaning that at a time during the season when most teams have hit their stride and are fully warmed up, this team was starting cold and their first game would be against a team that had already had a start, the Coogee Randwick Wombats having played the Ryde Eastwood Hawks on July 26th with the Wombats coming home with 34 to the Hawks 6.
The visitors were first to score at Hitchcock Park on August 2nd in Round 3 of the 2020 competition, with the Bulldogs fighting back and keeping on keeping on throughout the game. The Wombats came home strong in the second half, scoring successive tries in the final quarter with the Bulldogs fighting every step of the way, with the southside team winning this match up, 20 to 14.
Then on Thursday August 6th, the Avalon U20's team had to play their Round 2 match with a win to the Bulldogs against the Doonside Roos at Riverstone Park - final score being 18-16 with the Bulldogs victors.
This Sunday, August 9th, they're scheduled to play the Liverpool Catholic Club on their home ground, making it 3 games in one week for the Bulldogs U20's - Rounds 3, 2 and 4.
The game prior to the home team on their home paddock was current ladder leaders the Narrabeen Sharks match up with the Ryde Eastwood Hawks. This was a game of two contrasting halves with the Hawks obviously out to redeem the margin between themselves on their opponents during their Round 2 game from the outset. The second half of the match was dominated by the Sharks who finished 34 to the Hawks 22. They host the Mascot Juniors on their home field for their Round 4 match.
Narrabeens' Round 1 game was against the Earlwood Saints JRFC U20s - the team that defeated Narrabeen 28-24 to become the Premiers 2019. The first game for 2020 for the Sharks was forfeited by the Saints - meaning a strong affirmative start for the Sharks after 2019.
Bulldogs Life Members Paul Collins and Brian Friend OAM along with the great backbone team always front and centre at Hitchcock park from the early am Under 6's games on Saturdays through to the senior divisions matches on Sundays were front and centre again last Sunday and yesterday, August 8th. Like the Newport Breakers Rugby Union support team, the grounds had been set up to meet NSW Government current protocols, including visitors being required to register attending a match.
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These local Suburban Rugby League clubs, Avalon Bulldogs, Beacon Hill Bears, Belrose Eagles, Cromer Kingfishers, Forestville Ferrets, Harbord United Devils, Harbord United Devils, Manly Brothers, Manly Cove Rebels, Mona Vale Raiders, Narrabeen Sharks, Narraweena Hawks and North Curl Curl Knights, are all clubs within the Manly Warringah District JRLFC and part of the over 100, 000 boys, girls, men and women who are involved in this sport statewide.
That's a VERY big family.
When they're not on the field, pushing each other to go harder, or clapping each other on the back after another great game, they're looking out for each other in any other way they can.
This week the NSWRL was thrilled to announce a partnership with Score Zone that will see free football boots worth $250,000 donated to junior players aged 12 and under from clubs and towns across the NSW South Coast that were affected by the bushfires last summer.
True Blues Paul Sironen and Shaun Timmins, NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden, and Score Zone Chief Executive Patrick Molihan and Managing Director Greg Parker took part in a trip south to see boots handed out at Sussex Inlet and Moruya on August 6th and Nowra on August 7th.
The goodwill gesture is part of a wider relief package devised by the NSWRL in February to assist regional Rugby League Clubs affected by the bushfires and comes after competitions resumed across the state on 18 July after being suspended over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This has been a tough season for everyone and particularly for the communities and local clubs across NSW that are still coping with the effects of the bushfires,” Mr. Trodden said on Thursday.
“The NSWRL wanted to help out wherever we could and I’d like to thank Score Zone for supplying the new range of blue football boots so we can get kids back on the field playing footy.
“I hope they enjoy wearing them as much as we have in handing them out and I wish them all the very best for the rest of the season.”
Score Zone Managing Director Greg Parker, who along with Mr. Molihan boast long and distinguished careers in Rugby League having covered it for the Seven Network, said the boots included a unique ‘red dot’ design which teaches junior players the correct way to kick a ball.
“Boys and girls in all codes need to know how to get the basics right - right from the start - and Score Zone helps them from their first kick,” Mr Parker said this week.
“Having spent so much time with the Blues it was the perfect way to launch Score Zone boots which are for all boys and girls and all codes.''
How cool is that?
The results for the two local U20's teams so far this season run below - further down some photos from their Hitchcock Park 'Doggie Dome' games.
Two Pittwater Online News albums are available for those who want some photos for their own Family Albums.
Photo Albums
The Narrabeen Sharks - Ryde Eastwood Hawks match is HERE
The Avalon Bulldogs - Coogee Randwick Wombats match is HERE
Avalon Bulldogs U/20's
SUNDAY 19TH JULY: Round 1
Avalon Bulldogs U/20 V. Mascot Juniors U/20 was cancelled.
THURSDAY 6TH AUGUST: Round 2
Doonside Roos U/20 Scored 16 points away Team Avalon Bulldogs U/20 Scored 18 points
Venue:Basil Andrews Playing Fields RIVERSTONE PARK - Field 0
SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST: Round 3
home Team Avalon Bulldogs U/20 Scored 14 points away Team Coogee Randwick Wombats U/20 Scored 20 points. Venue:Hitchcock Park
SUNDAY 9TH AUGUST: Round 4 Kick off: 10:00am
home team Liverpool Catholic Club U/20 (2) Vs. away Team Avalon Bulldogs U/20
Venue:Liverpool Catholic Club Sporting Complex - Field 1
Narrabeen Sharks U/20's
SUNDAY 19TH JULY Round 1
FORFEIT Earlwood Saints U/20 Scored 0 points away Team Narrabeen Sharks U/20 Scored 17 points at Bexley Oval - Field 0
SUNDAY 26TH JULY: Round 2
home Team Narrabeen Sharks U/20 Scored 28 points away Team Newtown Junior Jets U/20 Scored 4 points at Lake Park - Field 0
SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST: Round 3
home Team Narrabeen Sharks U/20 Scored 34 points away Team Ryde Eastwood Hawks U/20 (2) Scored 22 points at Hitchcock Park
SUNDAY 9TH AUGUST: Round 4 Kick off: 1:50pm at Narrabeen Sharks U/20
Position away Team Mascot Juniors U/20 - Venue: Lake Park - Field 0
2020 COMBINED UNDER 20 SILVER LADDER - as at August 6, 2020
- Narrabeen Sharks U/20 - played 3 games 9 points
- Coogee Randwick U/20 - played 3 games 8 points
- Avalon Bulldogs U/20 - played 3 games (1 drawn) 6 points
- Mascot Juniors U/20- played 2 games 5 points
- Liverpool Catholic Club U/20 (2) played 1 game 5 points
- Ryde Eastwood Hawks U/20 (2) played 2 games 5 points
- Doonside Roos U/20 played 2 games 4 points
- Newtown Junior Jets U/20 played 3 games 4 points
U20's Teams for 2020
- Avalon Bulldogs U/20
- Coogee Randwick U/20
- Doonside Roos U/20
- Earlwood Saints U/20
- Liverpool Catholic Club U/20 (2)
- Mascot Juniors U/20
- Narrabeen Sharks U/20
- Newtown Junior Jets U/20
- Ryde Eastwood Hawks U/20 (2)
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Narrabeen Sharks 90th Year
Profile 75 Years Since The End Of The Second World War: Honouring Three Local Ladies Who Served - Dorothy Curtis, Mavis Wheeler, Eugenie AllenAlmost one million Australians served during the Second World War, fighting in theatres of war across the globe, from Europe and the Middle East through South East Asia to the Pacific. Keep in mind, this was at a time when the total population of Australia was around 7 million.
Over 39,000 died and some 30,000 Australian service men and women were made prisoners of war.
Australian women played a vital role, serving as nurses overseas, in auxiliary services in Australia and overseas and as workers throughout the war, maintaining our agricultural and manufacturing interests at home.
''We should never forget that this was a war not only fought on foreign lands, but one that came to the Australian mainland. From air raids on Darwin, Broome and across Northern Australia, to midget submarine attacks on Sydney Harbour, there were hundreds of Australians killed.'' The Hon Darren Chester MP, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, said this week
''The fear of an all-out attack on Australia by Japanese forces was very real.
September
Waratah (Telopea Speciosissima)
photos by Selena Griffith - photographed in our area.
Waratah (Telopea) is an Australian-endemic genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the southeastern parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania). The most well-known species in this genus is Telopea speciosissima, which has bright red flowers and is the NSW state emblem.
Bush Iris (Patersonia Longifolia)
The genus Patersonia includes about twenty species of small strap-leaf plants resembling the exotic iris whose family, Iridaceae, is not well represented in Australia. As a result members of the genus Patersonia are frequently referred to as native iris or flag. P. longifolia occurs on the coast and adjacent sandstone plateaus from near Sydney to eastern Victoria. It forms a small clump with flower stalks only 15 cm long and is useful as a rockery plant for damp, semi-shaded situations. - Australian National Herbarium.
Some more Purple and Purple-Pink Gloriousness:
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In August 2019 Penny Gleen of the Church Point Ferry Service shared some wonderful images of the flowers spotted in this place on the verge of Spring. In September a full flourish of every colour
Starting at the Elvina Track car park, you follow a fairly level fire management trail, before descending steeply through she oaks and large eucalyptus to the coast and houses. At Elvina Bay Park there's picnic areas and a fabulous rope swing. There are optional side trips to aboriginal rock engravings and the historic grave site of Frederick, one of the Oliver family members.
The rock carvings are quite famous and represent one of the biggest examples of petroglyphs in Australia. The CSIRO states this is an enormous site with many different types of engraving. As you come in from the main Elvina Track, the path forks into two, both of which lead to the engraving site.
The CSIRO webpage on Indigenous Astrology provides:
If you take the left-hand fork you will encounter a pair of wallabies engraved in a rock across the path, which, it is said, is a warning that you are approaching a male initiation site. If you take the right fork, then when you reach the main site, you will see a giant whale to your right, and an emu and the Baime/Daramulan creator spirit, together with his emu-wife, to your left. Walking down the sheet of rock, look for shields, wallabies, fish, eels, and other shapes that are not easily classified.
On your left, you will also see a line of rock a few centimetres wide, which is presumably natural, crossed by several lines, which appear to be man made. It has been suggested that this is a lunar calendar.
Notice too how the surface of the rock is pitted with thousands of tiny holes, or cup-marks. Are these man-made or natural? The answer is unclear. Consider the following factors:
- Such holes can be made by natural geological process (e.g. by a small pebble being moved by wind and rain). But go to the West of the site and you will see these cup-marks on steeply sloping surfaces, where no pebble could sit, and no pool of water could accumulate.
- In places (see photo below) there are arrangements of these holes in straight lines which are obviously man made.
- On the other hand, there are holes in places which merge imperceptibly into the obvious erosion patterns, and so are presumably natural.
- How could so many holes be man made? Consider this: Suppose, as part of the initiation ritual, each boy made one hole. If this site was in use for 5000 years, and each year a few dozen boys were initiated, then there would be about 200000 holes.
The answer may be a combination of natural and man-made. In some places they are obviously man-made, and in some places obviously naturally eroded, so perhaps humans enlarged and deepened existing hollows, and erosion took over where humans left off. It has been suggested by Hugh Cairns and others that some of these patterns of holes represent constellations in the sky. The jury is still out on this hypothesis.
The Elvina Bay 'Loop' is a 3km, grade 4 Circuit hike and takes around two and a half hours to do - longer if you're going to study the rock art, visit the waterfall, or take a picnic.
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Elvina Bay itself was named by Herbert Fitzpatrick to honour the lady who introduced him to his wife when they were both at Manly, a long time ago now. Insights on this can be accessed in one of the Pittwater Online Summer Houses series and in the Pittwater Regattas series:
- Pittwater Summer Houses: Rocky Point and Elvina Bay Peninsula - A Place Of Holiday Songs and Operas In Ventnor, Fairhaven, Trincomalee and Maritana
- The First Scotland Island Cup, Trophy and Race and The Gentleman Who Loved Elvina Bay
Our thanks to Joe for championing this 2020 Spring series for those who cannot get to these trails themselves - thank you Joe - just beautiful.
This week's stroll:
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October
The Lilypad Will Be Rebuilt
Customers, friends and partners,We are so devastated that our life’s work and passion, Lilypad has been irreparably damaged by a fire on-board.Lilypad has brought such joy and wonderment to its guests over the past 18 months and many beautiful memories have been made on board.We are still coming to terms with the news and devastation of the fire, however we want all of our guests who have future bookings to know that they will be in touch as soon as possible. We also want all of our past, future and potential guests to know that we will be back.We will rebuild and we will create another unique, world class concept that we hope everyone will love as much as the first. This year has been so hard on so many and we had found ourselves very fortunate to be able to keep going through COVID-19, adapting to the restrictions and bouncing back when they eased. And that’s the beauty of being a small, family run business. We are agile and adaptable and our passion and determination can not be matched.We’ve got a long journey ahead but we will bring Lilypad back to life so that we can keep delighting guests with the experience and offering that is like no other.If you would like to be kept in the loop with the progress of Lilypad 2.0, please sign up here and we will keep you informed of the rebuild journey and when you will again be able to come and stay with us.Thank you for your support and we hope to see you in the not too distant future.
Commissioner Rob Rogers AFSM
On Saturday September 19th a few hours with Marita Macrae OAM (The Queen's Birthday 2004 Honours List; ''For service to the environment through a number of organisations, particularly the Pittwater Natural Heritage Association and the Avalon Preservation Trust.'') brings home why it is so important that we all look after these places and how rich the biodiversity in these reserves is - you may think you're just looking at some trees, ferns and grasses - but this place is far richer than that. A field survey of the Park was undertaken in May and June 1994 and a Plant Species List and Fauna Species List for Stapleton Park was compiled, showing almost 200 plant species particular to this unique Park and a long list of resident animals and birds that live here or frequent Stapleton as annual migratory birds. Butterflies recorded from South Corner of Stapleton Reserve by Bart Hacobian in 1993 and 1994 showed at least six species present as well. The extensive list of plants found in this Park runs below - and this is just one place, one Park, and one example.
When you get to visit a reserve with someone who knows the plant species, and what they do, who knows the different calls the many birds make, a whole world opens for you and what was prior to then 'a bunch of trees, ferns and grasses' is revealed as so much more, so much so that it is worth putting a few insights here for you all of this wonderland we are all carers or, to use an old word, Keepers of.
The Pittwater Natural Heritage Association offer regular Plant and Bird Walks during each year, all free. If you 'like' or follow their Facebook page, or become a member, you will know when one is coming up and enjoy finding out more about what's in our area. Visit: www.facebook.com/PNHAaus
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Marita Macrae in Stapleton Park
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A magnificent Grey Gum (E. punctata) example on the hill heading down Riviera Avenue with a Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata) growing alongside it.
Surf Life Saving Squad At The Basin
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Avalon Bulldogs held their 59th Annual Presentation Day at Hitchcock Park, Avalon Beach on Saturday 17th of October, 2020.
The club conducted the 'presentation' under the strict Covid guidelines and all attendees completed the 'register' prior to meeting at the area adjacent to the club house. Trophies were presented to many players and 'Premiership Jackets' awarded to the Under 13 Premiership winning side.
Club Person of the Year : was Virginia Leigh
Mum of the Year : was Emma Wake
Club Coach of the Year : was Bjorn Wolthers.
SPECIAL THANKS must go to our 'Guest of Honour' Sam Verrills (Sydney Roosters Premiership winning hooker 2019) who first played for the club in the Under 6's in 2003 and 2004. He won the Under 17 Grand Final on Brooky Oval in 2017 for the Mighty Avalon Bulldogs, was selected in the Sea Eagles Representative sides before signing with the Roosters. We thank the Roosters Staff for allowing Sam to present trophies which he then had photos taken with players, parents and old coaches. As he had other commitments, Sam graciously said farewell and thanked all the crowd for their efforts during this Covid effected season. He is a credit to the NRL, The Sydney Roosters and his family and we are all proud of how he presents himself as a gentleman and Rugby League player.
Brian Friend OAM
Avalon Bulldogs Life Member
Part of this October 2020 'tour' encompassed visiting one of the largest indigenous engraving sites in Australia. You will notice in the images that Joe, Glenys and Kevin are careful to not step on this site even though they took some wonderful images. This platform is still a sacred site, even if not in continuous current use by the current relations of these ancestors.
Glenys and Kevin Murray - photo by Joe Mills
In January 2020 Conny Harris, in sharing some news about a site at Cromer, showed everyone with shoes off and a proper 'welcome to country' ceremony by an elder in going near or onto these places.
CSIRO's ATNF has shared some insights into this very special site, well worth reading, here, along with guidelines that also recommend not going onto the rock platforms as this can cause them to deteriorate further.
The Elvina-Lovetts' Loop is around 4.5 kilometres and will take a least three to four hours, depending on how long you pause to smell the wildflowers or enjoy the views. It encompasses Elvina Bay, Fredericks Track and Lovett Bay Falls and pools. Truly a spectacular Pittwater 'verge' that has been photographed for over a century and captured through fresh eyes by Joe and Kevin for you this Spring.
Lovett Bay Falls by Joe Mills
For those who like to do a comparison, a few insights are available in 'Pittwater Summer Houses: 'Rocky Point And Elvina Bay Peninsula - A Place Of Holiday Songs And Operas In Ventnor, Fairhaven, Trincomalee and Maritana' and Flagstaff Hill – Lovett Bay.
November
Wandering trad (Tradescantia fluminensis) has become a significant environmental weed in parts of eastern Australia where it forms dense carpets on forest floors, smothering native vegetation and clogging waterways. Many residents will have seen it around Pittwater.
healthy Trad has white flowers. Both Trad and the leaf fungus are native to Brazil
CSIRO senior research scientist Dr Louise Morin said weeds like wandering trad had a significant economic, environmental and social impact in Australia.
“Weeds are one of the biggest threats to Australia’s unique environment – in many areas across Australia they are damaging native vegetation, which threatens whole ecosystems including native wildlife,” Dr Morin said.
“Last year Australia spent almost $30 million protecting the natural environment from weeds. In the agriculture sector, weeds cost the industry more than $4.8 billion per year.”
“The fungus is spread through spores and needs the leaves of the wandering trad to survive – if there is no wandering trad to infect, the fungus dies,” Dr Morin said. “We know from decades of research in this field, that specialised fungi, like the leaf smut, have specific genes that enable them to successfully infect and cause disease only on single or a narrow range of plant species. “So we look at plants that are related to wandering trad including native plants to make sure the fungus will only infect the weed.”
Wandering trad has infested native forests across eastern Australia, from eastern parts of NSW and south-east Queensland, to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria where the biocontrol agent was first released in 2019.
CSIRO field biologist Dr Ben Gooden, who is coordinating the rollout of the biocontrol program across Australia, said highly targeted and tested biocontrol agents like the fungus were a more environmentally sustainable option than other available tools.
“Scientifically tested biocontrol agents like this fungus provide a longer term, environmentally sustainable way of controlling weeds like wandering trad, without harming Australian plants or animals,” Dr Gooden said.
“Currently, the only tools available to the community and local councils against the weed are hand-pulling and chemical herbicides, which only bring short-term control and have the unintended consequence of killing native plants and disrupting complex rainforest ecosystems.”
Release of biocontrol agents are approved by the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water.
Wandering Trad, is a nightmare weed of bush and gardens. Its thick growth smothers other plants and its brittle stems defy the attempts of weeders to remove it, as the tiniest broken piece can regrow.
Last Wednesday, October 28th, 2020, members of PNHA placed pieces of Trad infected with the fungus Kordiana were planted among healthy Trad beside the track to the Irrawong waterfall at Narrabeen, in McCarrs Creek Reserve Church Point and in Bangalley Head Reserve near the track on Whale Beach Rd.
The fungus may take a while to spread to healthy Trad. The effect will be to suppress its growth by damaging its leaves rather than kill it completely. This release is just the first of many to come.
Don't worry, it's not another Cane Toad. It has been carefully tested by the CSIRO and only infects Trad and not its close native relative Commelina which has blue flowers.
Background
The leaf-smut fungus Kordyana brasiliensis was first released in the field in Australia for the biological control (biocontrol) of wandering trad in March 2019.
This agent was discovered on wandering trad during surveys in Brazil performed by researchers at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa. This exploratory research was part of the biocontrol program for this weed in New Zealand, led by Landcare Research.
CSIRO has been involved in research on wandering trad biocontrol since 2014. The risk assessment that was the basis of the application to seek permission for the release of the leaf-smut fungus in Australia was financially supported by CSIRO and the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Programme administered by the Department of the Environment and Energy.
Research to develop optimal protocols for field release of the fungus and subsequent releases in the Dandenong Ranges region of Victoria in partnership with the community have been co-funded by CSIRO and the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and supported by the Community Weeds Alliance of the Dandenongs. These activities have been part of a broader project seeking biocontrol solutions for sustainable management of environmental weeds, which also includes Cape ivy (Delairea odorata) and angled onion (Allium triquetrum) and ends in October 2020.
A new project from July 2020 to June 2023, co-funded by CSIRO and the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust, will be facilitating stakeholders’ releases of the fungus across the range of wandering trad in New South Wales. The project will also monitor the impact of the fungus on the weed and flow-on indirect impact on other vegetation at several sites during that period.
Contact Dr Ben Gooden, Ben.Gooden@csiro.au if you would like to join the war against Trad.
You can read about how this area became a Pittwater Reserve in A History Of The Campaign For Preservation Of The Warriewood Escarpment by Angus Gordon and David Palmer, some of the Restoration works in Irrawong Reserve – Big Bushcare Day Out and Grant Announcement (September 2012), Rare Frog Spotted in Pittwater (March 2013) and Mullet Creek Bush Care Project Update – May 2013 as well as Bush Regeneration Near Creeks In The Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment with some Historical insights available in Eeling In Warriewood's Creeks and Yabbying In Warriewood's Creeks and Pittwater Roads II: Where The Streets Have Your Name - Warriewood, Pittwater Roads II: Where The Streets Have Your Name - 'Green Hills', Elanora Heights, and Ingleside, Waratah Farm: Ingleside, The Narrabeen Plum and Ingleside Powder Mill: Pittwater Fields Of Dreams I.
The Mullet Creek bushcare group (also known as Irrawong Bushcare) meets on the third Saturday afternoon of each month.
Warriewood Wetland is the largest remaining sandplain wetland in the northern Sydney region. Around 6,000 years ago the wetlands were flooded during sea level rise and were rapidly filled with sand under relatively wet conditions. There is pollen evidence that indicates a freshwater swamp developed in the area at least 1,500 years ago (Dodson 1995 in Water Resources Consulting Services 1997).
Mullet Creek is the primary surface water input to Warriewood Wetland (Manly Hydraulics Laboratory 1998). This waterway flows along the south-western boundary of the wetlands, resulting in high flows associated with heavy rainfall bypassing the majority of the wetland area. Fern Creek provides a lesser input from the north of the catchment and other minor drains enter from developed areas around the wetlands.
Surface water inputs from Narrabeen Creek may have been significant in the past but are now apparently limited to flood events which cause infrequent overbank flow into the north-east of the wetlands. Extensive urban development in the catchment has also increased impervious surface areas leading to accelerated runoff rates which have changed the nature of surface flows and flood events in the lower catchment.
The wetland also provides very important habitat for a number of threatened species and migratory birds. It forms the lowland end of a significant biodiversity corridor running from the Ingleside Escarpment through Irrawong Reserve to the Warriewood Wetland.
There are tracks beyond the waterfall but as these are steep and has many steps, you need to exercise caution and this is not suitable as a walking track unless you have a good level of fitness. To the falls and around Warriewood wetlands is a level walk though via a series on installed boardwalks, and wheelchair accessible. So everyone can take a stroll and see the birds here, especially at this time of year when so many are nesting or returning as seasonal visitors.
Joe's trek:
We thank Joe for providing a pictorial insight for those who may be unable to access this area. Certainly is a beautiful place and a wonderful way to celebrate Spring 2020:
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The waterways of the northern beaches will be safer after the official commissioning of a new $613,000 rescue vessel for Marine Rescue NSW, ahead of the busy summer season.
NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott joined Member for Pittwater Rob Stokes and Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos to officially welcome the new vessel, Broken Bay 30, to the MRNSW fleet, on Saturday November 14th at the Compass Terrace of the Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay. Unit Commander Jimmy Arteaga announced the vessel would be named after long-time member Michael Seale, who had committed 30,880 days or 38 years' service to MRNSW and the RVCP.
He said the naming was richly deserved, recognising Mr Seale's record of service and input in many roles, including as a vessel Master, a Director and Chair of the RVCP, his involvement in the purchase of the unit's vessels, a Director on the initial Board and Fleet Committee of MRNSW, Deputy Unit Commander and Administration Officer.
Pittwater MP Rob Stokes added further celebration to the Naming Ceremony when he announced 100 thousand dollars would be provided to upgrade the club rooms and base for the Marine Rescue Broken Bay unit through the state government's Community Building Partnerships.
Newport resident and Garigal man Neil Evers gave the Welcome to Country, specifically speaking of the place where all were meeting on the shores of Pittwater, provided insights into the theme for NAIDOC Week 2020 - Always Was, Always Will Be - of the oldest continuous culture in the world, from his perspective. His Welcome was rich with his own family history, connection to this Country, and stands as its own page this Issue.
Mr. Stokes spoke after Neil. Rob served as a 19 year old in the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, and recalls a small room in the Royal Motor Yacht Club at Newport where training sessions were held and so continued Neil's theme by sharing some of the history that had been shared with him from then. He thanked Marine Rescue Broken Bay Unit Commander Jimmy Arteaga for his greeting of all present and Neil for his very thoughtful and appropriate Welcome to Country, continuing;
'‘Neil told us a lot about the Aboriginal history of this rich environment which we are the inheritors of. It brought to mind one of the earliest drawings of this place, made from either Taylor’s Point or near the current Bayview Baths, ‘View in Broken Bay New South Wales. March 1788', made by naval officer and diarist, William Bradley for his journal `A Voyage to New South Wales'. One of the features of that etching was some Aboriginal women in a dug out canoes, which bears testimony that this has always been a maritime port. The Pittwater of today is the largest recreational port in the nation. So ensuring that Marine Rescue has the capability to keep people safe on the water is obviously very very important.'' Rob said
''With that in mind I want to acknowledge all of the volunteers who are with us today and all of the Directors and everyone who serves in Marine Rescue NSW and makes it the successful unified organisation it is today.
Reflecting a little bit on the history of the Broken Bay unit – this unit has a history dating back more than 80 years, commencing in the 1930’s. The antecedent of Marine Rescue Broken Bay was the Volunteer Coastal Patrol. I remember from many many years ago the flagship of the unit, or the division as it was called then, was The Krait, which was the vessel on which Z Force raided Singapore Harbour during the Second World War.
The Krait was later, from 1964, a rescue vessel with the then Volunteer Coastal Patrol and so BB30, Broken Bay 30, certainly follows in some very proud footsteps. It speaks further to the rich maritime history of this area when you find out that Z Force trained for that mission in the bays in and around Pittwater and Broken Bay. Rohan Walter, who is here today, reminds me that it was his work along with the West Head Awareness team that cleared away the bush at West Head to reveal the WWII Fortifications that stood at the entry of the Pittwater during the Second World War to prevent any risk of Japanese invasion. In fact, if you go up the Hawkesbury River, you will see embedded in the mud flats, the remnants of the HMAS Parramatta that saw service in the First World War. So there is all sorts of history around here of our proud maritime traditions and this is in many ways a historic day as it recognises where the Marine Rescue has come from and where it is going. It is also very good to be here today and see Mike Seale here with his family as it was Mike who put me through, many years ago, my Coxswain’s, which speaks to the legacy of Marine Rescue in the legacy it provides but also the education that it provides to local seamen and seawomen.
I wanted to make one further announcement today in stating that the unit has been successful in securing a 100 thousand dollar grant towards the new base at Rowland Reserve which I know is something that has been long worked for – that will go some way towards ensuring that you haver the capability to provide the volunteer service that we all depend on.
My final point is to thank the Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott for his being here today – he won’t tell you but I will, that after a very busy week in parliament with sittings that went into the early a.m., David has come all the way this morning from the North Coast because that is the respect with which he regards all of you and I’d like to thank him on all of our behalf’s.''
Member for Pittwater Rob Stokes said the 10 metre Naiad vessel is fully-equipped with a suite of search and rescue, communications and navigation technology and advanced first aid equipment, including a cardiac defibrillator and oxygen.
“The incredible Broken Bay volunteers are now better equipped than ever to respond to emergencies and save lives on Pittwater, Broken Bay, the Hawkesbury River, Brisbane Waters and up to 30 nautical miles offshore,” Mr Stokes said.
“Being on our waterways is a great way to spend the Summer months and it’s pleasing to know that our communities will be protected by this impressive new vessel and the volunteers of Marine Rescue NSW.”
Mr Elliott said the vessel will be an asset ahead of what is expected to be a very busy Summer on the waterways.
“The NSW Government is committed to ensuring our volunteers have the safe, fit-for-purpose equipment they need for their life-saving work,” Mr Elliott said. “This modern new vessel is a significant investment in boating safety on Sydney’s northern waterways, which are a magnet for local and visiting boaters.”
“The NSW Government is a proud supporter of Marine Rescue volunteers, which is why we have invested an additional $37.6 million to deliver 38 new rescue vessels, improve volunteer operating facilities and enhance the marine radio network.”
‘'It has been a busy couple of days and a busy couple of days for Marine Rescue NSW as well – yesterday I attended the opening of the new 1.7 million dollar headquarters for Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie.
Rob and Neil are quite right in what they have said – the traditions of the maritime heritage predate the European history and the use of the bay and the sea and river system is entwined with the indigenous history as well.
I have a genuine respect for the work that Commissioner Tannos does and I thank both Rob Stokes and Jason Falinski for being such advocates for the Marine Rescue units in their electorates.'' Mr Elliott said.
''We have a record budget through our the Emergency Services into Marine Rescue, it’s the largest investment into emergency services ever made. This has been a unique opportunity for Marine Rescue NSW to move into a new generation with its facilities, with its training, with it capabilities, as instanced today with BB30, but it also gives us, the public servants in uniform, an opportunity to say to you, the volunteers of Marine Rescue, and in fact the volunteers throughout the entire volunteer emergency services, that the government doesn’t just consider you, because you’re volunteers, as not being professional – the reality is, whether you’re salaried or volunteers, our emergency services are all professionals.
The least we can do is ensure that this record investment goes into the capabilities, the structure and the technology that will see you, as volunteer professionals, be given professional kit. I’m delighted, as I join the Commissioner from one end of the state to the other, seeing that new kit get rolled out.
I think, after the 18 months that we’ve seen, with bushfire, with Covid, with storms and floods, we are seeing the modern emergency services volunteer acquire the sort of legendary status that we traditionally reserved for the ANZACs, and for that I’m very very grateful – we certainly would not have been able to do and get done what we’ve gone through as a nation without the nearly 200 thousand people that volunteer with our combat agencies – whether it be the RFS, the SES, St. John Ambulance, Marine Rescue, or Surf Life Saving.
To the team in the local Marine Rescue Broken Bay unit; I’m handing you over the keys to this new vessel – don’t break it! – I have a great deal of faith that you will put it to good use, that you will treat it as your own. I know through speaking to the Police Commissioner and Marine Rescue Commissioner Tannos that this will be an extremely busy Summer as Australians try to enjoy their backyards with staycations and that this will become the new norm as we evolve over the next 12 months out from the effects of Covid-19. This will put more pressure on our waterways and will put more pressure on you and I’m very grateful. I think Australians are reassured that you’re out there. Thank you once again.''
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said Broken Bay 30 was one of 103 vessels, worth more than $25 million, delivered to volunteers over the past decade. He said the service was expecting this summer to be one of its busiest yet, with more boaters heading to the coastline for local holidays and pushing the boat out more often.
"We take great pride in building all our boats in NSW, supporting regional jobs and the regional industry," he said.
“Our volunteers are well trained and rescue-ready for a busy few months. They’ll be on duty at our 45 units throughout the summer to rescue boaters who find themselves in trouble on the water,” Commissioner Tannos said.
MR Broken Bay Unit Commander Jimmy Arteaga thanked the State Government and the local community for its support in helping to fund the vessel, which is named after long-standing unit member Michael Seale.
“The State Government last year gave residents the opportunity to vote for the projects they wanted to see funded in their local area through the My Community Projects grants program,” he said.
“The fantastic community in the Pittwater electorate really got behind our volunteers and voted for our new rescue vessel. As a result, we received a $200,000 grant towards the cost of the boat.
“It’s powerful and highly-manoeuvrable and means we can be on the scene of an emergency faster than ever, which is vital when minutes can be the difference between life and death on the water.”
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1st Bayview Sea Scouts
The down to earth wonderful example Ex-NSW Fire Commissioner and leader of Resilience NSW, Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM has been for much of this year continued this week. Named ‘Father of the Year for NSW in September, on Monday he received the state’s highest honour in being named the 2021 NSW Australian of the Year.
In accepting the award Commissioner Fitzsimmons AFSM was asked what positives he took away from what has happened during 2019/2020. He stated there were so many positives he took away from this difficult year, all of them reminding us of the strength of community;
‘‘For a lot of NSW they were on their knees, with drought, then absolutely devastated by the bushfires, then we saw the wash away in many areas by rains and floods in a denuded landscape, and then we’ve all been responding to and managing the implications of a global pandemic.
In the backdrop of such adversity we’ve seen extraordinary human spirit right across this great nation and off our shores, a humanity that brought together love and compassion and care as we genuinely pulled together.’’
Signalling out volunteers Commissioner Fitzsimons – ‘’day after day we saw tens of thousands of people pulling together to help out and help each other, the vast majority of which were volunteers, men and women simply making a difference in their community, for the want of nothing in return, working to save lives and save as much as they could. As we’ve gone on in the last few months we’ve seen that extraordinary commitment globally in generosity and support in funding, in opening one’s door, in all manner of aid and assistance.
For me, that human spirit, that volunteerism, that’s what inspires me and inspires me every day, to know that our communities are so much better because we have people who give so generously of themselves.’’
A truly humbling honour - thank you to all who nominated. May we never forget all those affected by the fires and especially their loss and sacrifice.’’
Commissioner of Resilience NSW Shane Fitzsimmons was appointed as the inaugural Commissioner for Resilience NSW and Deputy Secretary, Emergency Management with the Department of Premier and Cabinet from 1 May 2020.
This appointment followed a distinguished career with the NSW Rural Fire Service of over 35 years, which commenced at Duffy’s Forest RFS while he was still attending Pittwater High School. By age 19 he was the youngest-ever member elected captain of his brigade.
Bob Mitchell, ?, ?, Ron Castle, Keith Simpson, Jan Bennett, Craig Geddes, ?, Peter Owens, Laurie Bagnall, Shane Fitzsimmons, Ingleside Captain in 1989 Rex Mitchell in light blue on the far right behind Shane - Patrick Williams front right. Mackerel Beach RFB photo.
CRONULLA BEACH, SYDNEY
Monday, 9 November 2020
by Surfing NSW
Kalani Ball (Stanwell Park) and Cedar Leigh-Jones (Avalon) have taken top honours at the Volkswagen Cronulla Open, the first NSW stop on the 2020 Australian Open Surf series after an array of exciting heats in playful two-foot conditions.
Kalani Ball (Stanwell Park) capitalised on his opening day momentum taking out the Open Men’s division. The lightning-fast natural footer shone over the entirety of the event, eliminating top seed and fellow Scarborough Boardriders member Nic Squires (Corrimal) in his opening heat and then backed it up with massive scores in his following heats. Ball finished the final with a gigantic 18.04 two-wave heat total to sneak ahead of event standout Dylan Moffat (Narrabeen) in the dying moments of the heat.
“This is the first event I’ve done this year so to get the win feels awesome,” said Ball. “I think the win ahead of Nic yesterday helped give me the confidence to keep getting through heats. That final came right down to the wire but I knew I had to get those rare waves that would dish up two steep sections. I’m stoked I found them.”
Cedar Leigh-Jones (Avalon) surfed a smart heat en route to her victory, striking in the final minute of the heat with an 8.33 to get the jump on Sarah Baum (Wallsend) who held down the lead for a giant portion of the final. The 16-year-old natural-footer nailed an array of beautiful snaps and carves to claim the win ahead of some fancied opposition.
“I’m so stoked to have won this, especially against some of the girls in this final,” said Leigh-Jones. “I look up to all the girls in the final so much, so to get a win against them feels incredible. It was quite hard to find a good wave out there, but my whole game plan was to just find the best wave I possibly could and hope it would link right through to the inside shorebreak.”
All scores and results can be seen on liveheats.com
The next event on the 2020 Australian Open of Surfing series will take place at Port Macquarie this coming weekend.
The Volkswagen Cronulla Open was the first of six NSW based Australian Open of Surfing events.
The entirety of all surfing action were broadcast via the Surfing NSW webpage and Facebook page.
The Volkswagen Cronulla Open saw a total $7000 prize purse, with $1500 going to the winner of the Men’s and Women’s divisions.
The 2020 Australian Open of Surfing events were created for Australia’s best surfers in iconic Australian surf locations.
The events will take place in the latter months of 2020 and provide professional and aspiring surfers with the opportunity to win prize money and gain momentum going into 2021.
The NSW leg of the 2020 Australian Open of Surfing will see events in:
- Cronulla – 8th – 9th November, 2020
- Port Macquarie – 14th – 15th November, 2020
- Kiama – 22nd – 23rd November, 2020
- Coffs Harbour – 29th – 30th November, 2020
- Far South Coast – 5th – 6th December 2020
- Northern Beaches – 13th – 14th December, 2020
All events adhered to strict COVID-19 policies and regulations outlined by the NSW Government and council protocols.
The NSW leg of the 2020 Australian Open of Surfing series is proudly supported Destination Kiama, Coffs Harbour City Council, Sutherland Shire Council, Port Macquarie Hastings Council, Eurobodalla Shire Council and Northern Beaches Council.
Kalani Ball - photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
RESULTS:
Open Men
1 – Kalani Ball (Stanwell Park)
2 – Dylan Moffatt (Narrabeen)
3 – Aidan Lewand-Parsons (Ulladulla)
4 – Joel Vaughan (Bateau Bay)
photo by Josh Brown / Surfing NSW
Open Women
1 – Cedar Leigh-Jones (Avalon)
2 – Sarah Baum (Wallsend)
3 – Philippa Anderson (Merewether)
4 – Tru Starling (Narrabeen)
photo by Josh Brown / Surfing NSW
Slow Down For Turtles: Presently Out And About - Please Take Care On Our Roads
The Private Sessions 2020-2021
It's no secret that our Australian Musicians have been hit hard by the loss of work this year. One way residents can help out is to employ them for private events in your own home. Simply ask about availability and give a local a go. These photos are of Past Artists of the Month and Pittwater Musicians Chris Raggatt and Kelvin Anton, who represented Australia in the 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and played for a staff members birthday celebrations. Remember to keep your audience small, stick to Covid Safety requirements, and have a great Private Session to support our local creatives!
Photos by A J Guesdon
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December
Beryl Driver OAM commenced her 22nd Variety Children’s Charity Bash on Sunday November 15th, and her 23rd Bash overall. Joining her were first-timers in Scotland Island’s Neelica Raffel and Elanora's Indy Leigh Griffiths who, together, were the ‘Outback Mermaids’ as part of the Variety Resurrection Run, a six-day charity car event that raised $330,000.00.
This was a tour de force of rural New South Wales - with 40% of the journey on true car bash dirt roads.
The Variety Resurrection Run wasn't just about fun (although it was definitely that) it was also about working together to support kids in need. Last year Variety (in Australia) made a difference in the lives of over 85 thousand children.
When we started planning this event we weren't even sure it was going to be allowed to go ahead but this incredible result for kids made all the work by entrants, officials and staff worth it.
On Sunday 15 November 84 Bashers and 4WD Adventurers left Newcastle on the Resurrection Run. This one-off event was established as an opportunity for enthusiasts to still get out there for a drive with their mates. Variety organisers were ecstatic with the enthusiasm with which the car touring community responded. It was incredibly clear at the start line Variety staff weren’t the only ones excited to be back out on the road, taking much-needed tourism dollars into regional NSW and raising funds for Variety.
Beryl spoke this week about the Resurrection Run sharing that one her favourite experiences along the way were the dinner on the lawn at the 'Back O'Bourke Exhibition and Conference Centre' at sunset because that sunset, overarching those below, was spectacular.
A Race Day held at Bourke was another favourite as it was so much fun. Held on a dirt track, Bashers either dressed and ran as horses or entered the 'Fashions on the Field' competition, with is being won by John and Mel Redwin in their 101 Dalmatians outfits.
''Mel and John also won the Spirit of the Bash for the Resurrection Run,'' Beryl said, ''Every day Mel dressed in a themed 'Cruella' outfit with John as her able sidekick - they were a scream all week - and just wonderful.''
''The Horse Race was so funny too - there were three horses in the centre enclosure and these followed the 'human horses' and raced alongside them down the track and then even went back t run beside the stragglers. Hilarious.''
Race Day was held at the track the Back O’ Bourke Picnic Race Club re-established in 2014, holding their first race meeting on Easter Sunday 5th April 2015 after more than a decade of no racing in the small outback town and was the first Picnic meet since 1969. The race day was held in honour of racing identity Harry Hart and was aptly named the Harry Hart Memorial Cup Race Day. The day was a huge success for the club and has been described as one of the best race days in Bourke.
The Club was awarded Best Picnic Race Club of the year and Most Outstanding Race Meeting in 2015 by the Western Racing Association (WRA) and was a finalist in the Country & Provincial Racing Awards. This was a huge feat for a brand new committee who put together a fantastic day in only a few short months. The Club cemented their success by hosting another successful race day in 2016. The races coincide with the Back to Bourke Reunion held over the Easter Long weekend which draws many visitors to the town and includes various activities such as wool bale rolling in the main street, mud run, long table dinner and a ball on the eve of the races, which has now become a regular annual event.
As to whether Neelica and Indy enjoyed it, it seems they are now hoping to do more 'B to B's, and, even though Beryl had to do some of the driving on the real dirt roads that comprised much of the core of this Variety run until the girls were used to it, but they then took to driving in all that dust. The littlies met along the way were a favourite of Neelicas':
photo by Sallymae Baily
Mark Barlow and Marc Christowski with their car, The Jungle Brothers, and a few car-enthusiastic students!
Indy was thrilled to find that John Williamson was part of the Resurrection Run in his 'True Blue' car. Just before the RR commenced the National Film and Sound Archives announced that 'True Blue' has been inducted into the Sounds of Australia of the National Film and Sound Archives. What a great tribute to this song that has made such a significant contribution to Australia and become a favourite of Australians young and old, both at home and overseas. Performed at many of Australia’s most important events, it’s a well-deserved recognition in John's 50th year and coincides with the release of the new lyric video of ‘True Blue’, produced by Warner Music, along with other lyric videos of his most popular songs, to celebrate the milestone of John’s 50 years in the industry starting with when he wrote his first song, the all-time favourite, ‘Old Man Emu’ and the June 19 2020 release of JW 50 - Winding Back 1970-2020.
John Williamson AM sang this and other songs at the closing night festivities and Indy went from getting a photo with his True Blue car to one with the Australian icon himself.
''Such a lovely man and a long-term supporter of Variety,'' Beryl said this week, ''He talked about how this year has affected Variety and also a song he'd penned at Springbrook (south-east Queensland) while in isolation earlier this year that's all about Covid.''
''Indy was thrilled to meet him.''
Outback Mermaids with True Blue, the car, at start
Indy and the man himself at the final night dinner
Mr. Williamson's Winding Back Tour, with some dates postponed this year, reconvenes in 2021 across the country, and with some Sydney dates, although we notice August 2021 is 'empty'. People may not realise that John, AM, has been a part of the B to B Variety car runs for a long time now and 'True Blue', the car, is likely to be spinning along a dirt track all the way from New South Wales to Queensland in the first 10 days of August 2021.
The 2021 Variety Bungarribee (Cowra) to Bakers Creek (Mackay) Bash is not a race or a rally, it will be a drive in the Outback with 300 new mates. The original Aussie motoring event will run August 1st to 10th, 2021 and take Bashers all around this beautiful country, exploring dirt roads, bush tracks and visiting parts of Australia most people never get to see.
And yes, our Palm Beach Mermaid, recently an Outback Mermaid, is planning to go - more on that next year!
Readers Love these annual Pictorials run at the end of each Variety car event, it gives them insights into places far from here and what is happening in rural New South Wales and Queensland.
“I didn’t think anyone was coming.”
Lachlan Arnold says it chills him to the bone to recall those words, spoken by the teenage girl lying on the beach waiting for the Ambulance to arrive.
Luckily for the young schoolie from Taree, Lachlan and his son Max happened to be on the unpatrolled Boomerang Beach that day and had the courage and the skills to save her life, reaching the drowning girl with just seconds to spare.
Max Arnold is just 16 years-old but has been involved with his local surf club since he was a six-year old Nipper and is a member of North Avalon Surfriders Association. Completing his Bronze Medallion just a year ago, he has been actively patrolling at Avalon Beach, yet his deep understanding of the ocean and ability to act quickly under pressure is a tribute to himself, his club and his family.
On Thursday 26 November Max and his dad Lachie were surfing and enjoying the sunshine at the southern end of Boomerang Beach on the NSW lower-north coast. The beach is a popular tourist destination – even more so in 2020 with traditional schoolies destinations out of reach due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Lachlan recalls the beach being busy that day with people on the sand and in the water right along the unpatrolled 1500m stretch.
South Boomerang Beach looking North, photo by Lachlan Arnold
“We were sitting on the beach and this young guy came running up yelling, ‘my girlfriend has been pulled out in a rip, can you help?’”.
When the boy pointed out his girlfriend, Lachlan was shocked to see she was over 150 metres from shore. In the rough conditions, the boyfriend recognised he was unable to help by attempting to rescue her himself.
“We watched as he ran towards us, asking people if they could help as he made his way down the beach,” said Lachlan “but no one he asked could help.”
Lachlan and Max were staying at a house just a couple of hundred metres from where they were sitting on the beach. Immediately Max ran up to the house to grab a foam surfboard. A strong swimmer and surf lifesaver himself, Lachlan began to swim out towards the girl.
“Max and I got to the girl at about the same time. I was holding her up in the water and she was gone. She was probably 30 seconds from going under,” said Lachlan. “She was in the worst condition I’d ever seen anyone out in the water.”
Max had done an incredible job to sprint to get the board and complete the long paddle out so quickly to meet his dad. The pair were able to get the girl onto the board and Lachlan began paddling the girl back to shore while Max swam alongside.
“Miraculously we caught this wave that took us all the way to the beach – it really was the magic wave and the most welcome one I’ve ever caught,” recalls Lachlan.
Back on shore, the girl was completely exhausted so Max and Lachlan carried her up the beach where they called an Ambulance and performed checks of her condition.
“She could barely talk,” said Lachlan “and she said to me when she got her breath back, that she felt like she was breathing water.”
The proud dad said he had complete confidence in his young son throughout the rescue effort. “He knew exactly what to do and when to do it. He’s only 16 and he was just so calm and just having done his Bronze Medallion, it’s amazing.”
Lachlan said the surf life saving training and the family’s love of the ocean meant he wasn’t once worried for his son’s safety. “Max paddled out on the board and the surf was rough, but I didn’t once think he couldn’t do it,” he said.
“I know he’s a strong swimmer and a good lifesaver. He’s done all the right training. I think it’s a really powerful thing that I was able to bring the girl in on the board and not have to worry about him still out there.”
The launch of a great new book, The Dog Project - Community Enrichment Through the Love of Dogs' took place at Avalon Bowling Club, on the front green, on Saturday December 5th. There was music, stalls, lots of doggie fun and waggy tails.
The goal was to photograph and interview 100 people and their dogs. This is a project from the heart of the community for a good cause. The book is now for sale. Funds are being raised to support the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and Monika's Doggie Rescue.
Learn more through their website: www.thedogprojectcpa.com
