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August 1, 2025

Newsletter for the Offshore Residents of Pittwater, Australia - Volume 26, Issue 1228

We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of Pittwater, as well as our Indigenous readers

Are We Idiots?

The stories we tell ourselves

Roy Baker

A fountain in Schildau, Germany, celebrating the mythical Schildbürger

It’s often said that a community is built on the stories it tells about itself. That’s probably because it’s true.

My village in England was known as the place where they put a pig on a wall so that it could watch a band go by. No one knows where this story comes from. Was my village once home to a music-loving pig? Was the local band so bad that it would take whatever audience it could get? Or do I come from a village of idiots?

The last explanation is surely closest to the truth. It’s not that the people I grew up with were stupid, rather that Gornal, a Black Country community, is well used to the massive condescension heaped on the industrial working class. Why wouldn’t people mock us with made-up stories? Gornal was long considered a cultural backwater, to the extent that the Norman invasion seemed to pass us by—as a child I was aware that my community spoke a Saxonic dialect barely discernible as modern English. We were, to put it mildly, a bit backward and a little bit odd.

A postcard, date and origin unknown, revelling in the aprocryphal Gornal 'pig on the wall' story

I was fascinated, then, to discover an unexpected cultural tie with another Saxony, namely the German state that lies to the south of Berlin. Saxony is reputed home to the Schildbürger, inhabitants of the fictional village of Schilda. The Schildbürger are known in German folklore for their silliness.

One story is that there was grass growing on a town wall, so the villagers hoisted a cow up onto the wall so that it could graze there. Sadly, the rope was tied around the cow’s neck, so the poor bovine was effectively lynched.

The similarity between the stories is striking, but almost certainly coincidental. No one knows the origin of the Gornal story, but the Schildbürger stories first appeared in published form in 1597. This was in the later stages of the Reformation, and one theory is that the Catholic Church created—or at least weaponised—these stories to mock Lutheran communities in Saxony. If so, the stories reveal, respectively, religious friction and class tension.

There are other differences between the stories, not least that no harm came to the Gornal pig, except that it presumably ended up on a plate. But what interests me is how modern communities have embraced these stories. In my childhood, the people of Gornal were very proud of their pig on the wall—to the extent that a local pub came to bear the name.

A sign in Schildau, Germany. Translated, it reads: 'how the Schildbürger pulled a cow up onto the wall.'

While in Saxony I stayed in the village of Schildau. Because of the similarity of their village’s name to that of the fictional Schilda, the residents of Schildau have likewise fully embraced the Schildbürger myths, almost claiming them as their own and celebrating them with statues and signs around the village.

Stories of communities of fools are not uncommon. Besides Gornal and the Schildbürger we find the ‘Wise Men’ of Gotham (England), of Chelm (Poland), of Hoshiarpur (Punjab), and of Mornac (France). Do we residents of Pittwater fulfil a similar role in Sydney? After all, choosing to live in a community accessible only by boat is not everyone’s definition of sanity.

If we are the butts of ribaldry, let us follow the examples of Gornal and Schildau and embrace our fate. In doing so, we quietly triumph over adversity, a hallmark of off-shore living. After all, isn’t self-effacement among the most endearing of human qualities?

We can’t choose the stories they tell about us, but we can choose the ones we tell. ‘A people are as healthy and confident as the stories they tell themselves,’ said Nigerian poet and novelist Ben Okri. As offshore residents, we might not pride ourselves on having chosen conveniently sited homes. But let us honour what we have, and endeavour to tell ourselves stories that replace rancour with reconciliation, division with dialogue, and acrimony with acceptance.

Scotland Island's Emergency Water Supply

A history

Scotland Island’s emergency water system consists of over 3 km of polyethylene pipe, about 140 standpipes, countless valves and connectors, a sophisticated water pump system, and a custom-automated booking system. How did it get here? Who paid for it? Who maintains it? What do they mean by non-potable? And if Sydney Water charges $2.67 per kilolitre, why do we pay $6.43?

In this article, the first of two, SIRA’s accountant Boyd Attwell examines the system’s history. In next month’s PON he’ll tell us more about the current financials.

Celebrating nearly 50 years of emergency water on Scotland Island

Boyd Attwell

It may come as a surprise to newcomers to the island, and perhaps to some older residents, that the set of black plastic tubes you often step (or drive) over came into being by a rather complicated set of events, as well as the work of many island residents over a period of over 40 years.

In 1977 Warringah Shire Council installed a small diameter submarine pipeline from Church Point to a modest steel tank on Richard Road. The water was expressly for the purpose of fighting fires and 'washing down fire fighting equipment'. For the 20 years that followed, there were modifications to the supply line and storage tanks and there was an unofficial shift of the service to supplying households that had run out of rainwater or were tired of lugging water containers home: it was not uncommon in the early days to see ferry passengers with 20 litre jerry cans of drinking water at their feet. Unfortunately, the unauthorised connections to the system were not always well thought through, risking contamination of the system.

This resident's tank, photographed in the 1990s, has the supply line inserted into the overflow outlet, risking backflow contamination of neighbours' tanks.

In 1993 Pittwater Council replaced Warringah Shire. There followed ongoing negotiations between the residents’ association, Pittwater Council, the Water Board and the NSW Minister for Land and Water Conservation.

For its own reasons, perhaps relating to health risks and a wish not to be exposed to legal action, Pittwater Council declared that its single supply line of water to the island would cease to operate on 30 June 2002.

SIRA’s 2002 submission to Council included the sobering statement; 'houses would be rendered uninhabitable, with its potentially catastrophic financial impact on the families concerned and consequent diminution of house and land values'.

Meanwhile, Sydney Water actively sought to withdraw itself from the situation. They chose not to recognise SIRA or any island residents as customers, as if we were outside their geographic responsibility, even though the island was a mere 500m from a Sydney Water main supply valve.

What was the residents’ association to do? Well, one thing SIRA knows how to do well is meet. It met, lobbied, wrote submissions, made phone calls, and created endless documents, spreadsheets and proposals.

SIRA and all Scotland Island residents were victorious. An arrangement was struck that allowed Sydney Water to supply the local authority, for the local authority to supply SIRA, and for SIRA to supply island residents. Complicated, yes, but Sydney Water would not allow any other formula. Council stipulated that SIRA should charge water buyers an amount that covered reasonable costs, including for maintenance of its water supply network, plus a 20% service commission. The initial price to residents in 2002 was $4 per kL (kilolitre), plus a $10 booking fee. With no history or expertise in selling water, these prices were simply those recommended by senior managers within Pittwater Council.

A typical standpipe, used to supply emergency water to households

How did SIRA use the money it charged customers?

Back in 2002, when SIRA was charging customers $4 per kL of water, SIRA paid Council 94 cents out of that $4 for the water. SIRA then paid water monitors 80 cents out of the $4, plus the full booking fee charged to customers. That left SIRA with $2.26 per kL it sold.

Remember that SIRA faced set-up costs, as well as ongoing expenses arising from maintaining the lines and clearing the vegetation that grew over them. Fortunately there was an enormous amount of time volunteered by many to initiate the system. An additional plus was that some government grants were secured. Then, people like Cass Gye spent uncountable hours on maintenance.

Perhaps the initial pricing of $4 per kL was a little over the mark, or perhaps it was simply the input of so many unpaid hours of work, but the early years of SIRA’s trade in water proved profitable. Over the ensuing decade it accumulated approximately $90,000 in reserves. It was understood at the outset that SIRA would be responsible for replacing the water infrastructure when the time came, so the reserve was set aside for that purpose.

Note that SIRA chose not to increase its prices with inflation. The price SIRA charged for water was frozen at $4 per kL until July 2016, even though during the same period other costs went up by 42%, according to the CPI. But by 2016 it had become clear that the water that had previously been sold at a profit was now being sold at a loss, and that that was unsustainable, especially if SIRA was to retain the reserve to replace the water line at the end of its useful life.

In 2016 the price per kL was increased to $5 and since then there has been a practice of increasing the water price and the booking fee annually by CPI.

The emergency water system console, located at the top of Bell steps

Who paid for the Emergency Water infrastructure, eg lines, connections and pump?

The initial outlays to establish these assets were mainly via state and local government funding, plus the large volunteer effort already mentioned. But buyers of emergency water effectively paid, and continue to pay, for the maintenance of the system.

In 2019 the organisation received funding of $39,800 to create a customised automated water booking system. In 2021 a further $30,000 in funding was secured to acquire a water pump, so that good pressure was available to all properties at all times.

Who actually carries out the maintenance?

SIRA! And SIRA has many people to thank for their tireless efforts over the years. The current water manager is John Courmadias, and the water monitor is Rowena Dubberley. Steve Valenti does a lot of the maintenance and line clearing. Thanks go also to the Men’s Shed for their work helping to upgrade the standpipes. Marie Minslow serves as the Emergency Water team leader on the SIRA committee.

Finally, what do they mean by non-potable?

Its not a snooker term. On the mainland the water that comes out of the tap is considered by Sydney Water to be ‘potable’, ie suitable for drinking. Sydney Water has no direct relationship with SIRA or the residents of Scotland Island. They make no warranty of the water that has left their assets and been delivered through polyethylene pipes. They consider it ‘non-potable’.

In the next PON I shall answer some other questions you might have, such as how SIRA accounts for the price it currently charges. I'll talk about whether SIRA makes a profit or loss on sales, and what most residents think of the service.

To find out more about the island's emergency water system, click here.

Island Fire Brigade AGM

Another busy year of active service

Cat Heller receiving her CFU Member of the Year award, with Snr Deputy Captain Ian White & representatives from RFS District Office

Scotland Island’s fire brigade held its AGM on 6 July—an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the women and men of our community who give so generously of their time and effort. The meeting was attended by representatives of RFS district office, who are themselves volunteers and kindly gave up their Sunday mornings to help our brigade.

The meeting began by welcoming as full members those who have completed their probationary period: Jeremy Sala, Maria Burke, Emma Ives, Ian Hancock, Nicholas Kelly, Chris Garland, Chris Canty, Tim Pines, Jamie Ives and Andrew Shields.
Also welcomed were five new recruits, drawn from across the generations—showing that any islander can contribute: Emile Attewell, Jordon Robertson-Towner, John Courmadias, Robert Fox and Robyn Iredale.

Indeed, we really do need everyone’s support. Captain Peter Lalor reported a total of 38 emergency incidents attended during the last year—almost one per week. Many were medical call-outs, which draw on the care and expertise of our community first responders, led by Ian White.

Alongside emergency responses, the brigade completed hazard reduction work in Catherine and Elizabeth Parks, ran regular training sessions (including joint drills with mainland brigades), and held a range of community events, including the annual Santa Run and Easter Egg Hunt.

Ian White reported that the new all-terrain vehicle is helping with reponses to medical emergencies

Continuing a developing tradition at island AGMs, Peter Lalor once again expressed disappointment at the ongoing absence of a new fire boat. We’ve been hoping for a new boat for about 10 years now, and there’s still no clear arrival date.

Most of the executive committee was re-elected, but two have stepped down. Lara Hasell retired after 10 years as treasurer, and her diligence was warmly acknowledged. Vanessa Barry also resigned as secretary and is similarly thanked for her contribution.

In their place, we welcome two new committee members. Robyn Iredale—former SIRA president—continues her sterling community service as our new secretary, having already acted in the role in recent months. Robert Fox is our new treasurer, and we’re grateful to him for his time and accountancy expertise. Thanks also to David Sutherland, who retired after many years as our auditor. Jennette Davidson has kindly agreed to take on that important role.

In other good news, Emmie Collins and Janet Lambie agreed to share the role of social secretary—raising hopes that our long fire shed dinner fast may soon be over.

Three awards were announced. Jamie Ives is our Member of the Year, Cat Heller is CFU Member of the Year, and Ross Hardy CFR Member of Year. Their dedication is greatly appreciated, as is that of all our members.

On a personal note, I thank Steve Yorke for covering for the brigade’s recalcitrant president as I once again winter in Europe, and Peter Lalor for sorting out the paperwork after the AGM. He, as always, has gone above and beyond as captain.

Finally, the meeting resolved to retain the annual subscription at $20 per year (life members exempt). Payment for 2025-26 is now due:

Account name: Scotland Island Rural Fire Brigade

BSB: 082 294

Account: 509351401

Roy Baker
President