Pittwater Offshore Newsletter

History Corner

The whole of the traffic to Pittwater was at first carried through Newport and passengers to the opposite shore had to arrange to be transported by boat across the bay. There was then no Bayview and no road to Church Point, but simply a track which led through farms, generally called by the name of the owner. But, as time went on, Mona Vale and Bayview became more settled than Newport and passengers from Manly were transferred at the Rock Lily Hotel to a smaller coach while
the larger coach carried the majority to Bayview and Church Point.

An interest in the impressive Newport beach then began to take hold and the balance of settlement altered once again. Newport began to grow commercially while Bayview and Church Point established the almost wholly residential pattern that still exists today.

The road to Bayview branched to Cabbage Tree Road past an old farmhouse which stood for many years while the coastal road (now Pittwater Road) wound past Shaw's Creek, the old aboriginal name of which was Winnererremy and is now known as Winji Jimmi Reverve. Because of heavy
mangrove growth nearby it was also known as The Maze.

Further on, on land where the Bayview Post Office once stood, was a farm of 80 acres owned by a Mr. John Collins who moved there from Careel Bay and the road led, in turn, to 200 acres granted to a Mr. MacIntosh and later cut up and sold for residential land in a development called Sunnyside. The road then continued to Cape's Flat where an immense fig tree once stood at the very edge of the tide. Early residents became aware of considerable erosion of the southern edge of the shore and that near the first pier built at Bayview casuarinas once 50 feet from the high water mark were now standing at the high water mark. Many old landmarks were becoming submerged. 20

Next Month: Hymns under the loquat trees.

Leicester Warburton

Annual General Meeting of SIRA
NOTICE

The Annual General Meeting of the Scotland Island Residents’ Association (SIRA) will be held:
ON: Sunday 30 April 2006
AT: 10:00am
IN: The Scotland Island Community Hall,
Catherine Park, Scotland Island

All residents are invited to attend. VOTING is restricted to financial members of SIRA. Current members are eligible to vote. Membership for 2006-2007 ($20) may be paid prior to commencement of the meeting. New 2006-2007 financial members are also eligible to vote.

9:30am Morning Tea and Registration 10:00am Commencement

For further information: Email SIRA at SIRAPittwater@hotmail.com, telephone the current Secretary (Kerry Borthwick) on 9999 4092 or write to SIRA at PO Box 70, Church Point, 2105

Scotland Island Bushfire Management Plan

Pittwater Council will be holding a Stakeholder Meeting for residents to provide input into the Scotland Island Bushfire Management Plan. The meeting will be held in the Scotland Island
Community Centre on the 6th May 2006, beginning at 1:00pm. For further information please contact Mark Beharrell on 02 9970 1368

Environmental Educators Wanted !

With growing demand for high-quality school excursions, the Coastal Environment Centre is seeking people to help fill a casual position. Local environmental knowledge or involvement is desirable, with some teaching experience preferred. Please send your expression of interest and CV to the Coastal Environment Centre, PO Box 522 Narrabeen 2101 or email to CEC@pittwater.nsw.gov.au.

Enquiries: Jo Tulau on 9970 6905

The Fireman's Ball April 2006

Oh - what a success! Fantastic decor, music, food and company combined to make this the bal of the year. Can we do it all again next year please?

Congratulations to the many who contributed to this event. The photos below are a couple of samples from a much larger collection.

Dear All,

Greetings from Broome and Gantheaume Point. If you look at a map of Broome it is the Northern tip of the point jutting out into the Indian Ocean right near the light-house or the right eye of the hammerhead as it is called.

We are fortunate to be able to stay in Cori and John’s house, where we have been experiencing the big wet. Though we haven’t had continual rain, when it rains it is dramatic.

We bought a $160 digital camera and Michael took up the camera as challenge to see what magic he could make of a digital Box Brownie

Luckily we were spared from cyclone Gertrude, though the rains that followed together with enormous tides flooded the streets of Broome.

We came back to Broome from Derby the day after when they were still mopping up.

Our trip to Derby was in order to visit the Mowanjum Community with whom Michael had made films in the 70’s and 80’s.
Unfortunately there are not many of the elders left, but we did see Puja who is now 80 and still painting and an active member of the community. As Michael says, “… if you are going to have an Aboriginal skin aunty then Puja beams with the energy of the old ways and what an aunty she is”. A Community Cultural and Arts Centre is being built and is scheduled to open in July.

Part of the reason Michael wanted to go back and re-establish a relationship is because he has a stone axe that was given to him by Sam Woolagoodja as a thank you for taking them back up to ‘spirit’ country and making the films for generations to come. Times are very difficult in the community as they are elsewhere for Indigenous people. In recent times there have been 7 deaths, 2 of them suicides which is an indication of the problems they are faced with. We are going back up there next week to read a letter Michael, our editor Kathy James and I have developed in the past couple of weeks, which as Michael says, “is a working model” to create new editions of work to be part of their Cultural and Arts Centre.

I will be back in Sydney on 15th April. Michael has been offered a 2 week job in the Pilbara working with Aboriginal film-makers, so there will be more news to follow.

Love

Marion and Michael
Broome 04/08/06

We have removed dinghies within Pittwater, which are currently unclaimed and held at Council’s holding yard at Boondah Depot, 1 Boondah Road, Warriewood. Under the provisions of the

Impounding Act, these dinghies will be offered for sale by tender at 8am on Saturday 6 May 2006 at the above Depot. All items will be available for viewing between 8am and 11am on that day and sold as is.

Sale will be via sealed tender, to be in even dollar amounts. Tenders will be opened at 11.15am on 6 May and the highest tender will be accepted. If there are equal highest tenders, the matter will be settled by a draw out of a hat. Payment is required on the day by cash, cheque or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or Bankcard). Enquiries: Tanya Carmont, Reserves & Recreation Officer- Graphics, Tel 9970 1353.

Under the Community Development and Support Expenditure (CDSE) Scheme, local community organisations are invited to apply for funding from local clubs in Pittwater for community welfare, social services, community development and cultural activities. Application forms are available from Pittwater and Avalon Beach RSL Clubs and Clubs NSW Website www.clubsnsw.com.au

Applications should be submitted directly to your local club - closing date is 28 April 2006.

For Island Long Day Care Centre.
From 2nd May 06, the Island Child Care Centre will be recognised as a Long Day Care Centre and will be authorised to administer Child Care Benefit Subsidies.
Parents interested in claiming Child Care Benefit should quote the ACRN number 407223706H and either: -
a. If already claiming Family Tax Benefit simply call The Family Assistance Office on 136150. b. Otherwise, complete the income estimate form, plus either the Reduce Fees Form or Lump Sum Payment Form. Copies can be obtained from the Long Day Care Centre (02 9979 7856) or www.centrelink.gov.au.
Until 2nd May 06, the community will continue to subsidise the daily fees from $55 for 3 – 5 year olds and $57 for 2 year olds down to $48 per day. Once Child Care Benefit is available the community subsidies will cease.

Long Day Care Centre To Open On Thursdays

From 2nd May 06.
The Centre is currently open from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, however, from 2nd May the Centre will also open on Thursdays from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm.
We will also officially welcome Ariadne Krausman (otherwise known as Tors) to the staff team from 2nd May, as she will be joining the Centre as another Child Care Worker. Tors has been volunteering at the Centre since January and she is currently studying Steiner education methods.
At the moment Wednesdays are full and Tuesday is filling up quickly, make sure that you get your child’s name down for Thursday as soon as possible to ensure a place. Call 02 9979 7856.

Play Group Starting On Monday

1st May 06.
After the Easter break a Play Group will start at the Centre on Mondays from 10 am to 12 noon. Children aged 0 – 5 are most welcome with their parents or carers.
The Play Group will be affiliated to the NSW Play Group Association, and the weekly fee will be $3. The first few visits do not require membership to the Association but eventually, if parents have not already joined through another Play Group elsewhere, the annual Association membership will be payable of $30. Contact Lizzie Hazelwood on 02 9997 8731 for more details.

After School Care With Child Care Benefit

Anticipated In July 06.

It is anticipated that an after school hours service will be available for primary school children later in the year, contact Brigitte Mahler-Mills on 02 9997 2307 for more information.

SIOCS is a community-managed association that provides services
for offshore children aged 0 – 12 years. For more general information about SIOCS, and the services we provide please contact Anne Palmer, the President, on 9999 3478.

From 1 May 2006, the EP&A Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Regulation 2006 comes into effect, which will require smoke (or thermal) alarms to be fitted to all new and existing buildings containing bedrooms. Location, amount and type of alarm depends on the class of building under the Building Code of Australia. Owners of such buildings will have six months within which to implement the requirements. Penalties will apply for non-compliance, and/or tampering with installed alarms. For more information visit www.planning.nsw.gov.au/smokealarms/index.asp

The Easter Jubilee Yacht Regatta was won by well known locals Tania Mottle and Rob Howe, sailing their beautifully restored Jubilee. Don't know what a Jubilee is? This small day racing boat is after a design from the 1930's and very popular still in both Melbourne and Sydney. A number of them are moored on the North West corner of Scotland Island. If you are interested in sailing one of these easy-to-sail boats or would just like some more information, contact Paul (me) by clicking here

Finally:

The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the Scotland Island Residents Association (SIRA), or any of the associated Pittwater Offshore Resident's Committees