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February 20, 2022 |
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Newsletter for the
Offshore Residents of Pittwater, Australia - Volume 23,
Issue 1171
We acknowledge and pay our
respects to the Traditional Custodians of
Pittwater, as well as our indigenous readers
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ContentsA Brief History of Scotland Island Fire BrigadePart VI: a new shedRoy Baker
Drawing mainly on SI
News archives, Part VI looks at the building of the
current fire station.
By the 1980s the island’s burgeoning population had thoroughly outgrown the old fire shed, which was located down by the water’s edge at Tennis Court Wharf. Until the opening of the community hall in 1982, that humble structure had served as the island’s sole communal space, hosting not only the brigade but also public meetings, a play school, dance classes and more.
But others favoured relocating the brigade’s HQ further up the hill. A proponent of this new site was Bob Blackwood, who served as president for many years. Bob made a persuasive case for a new site: if the brigade stayed where it was then it would take far longer to get a new shed. In the end, Bob and his supporters won the day, and the brigade’s current site was selected. One story, perhaps apocryphal, is that the position of the shed was due to the substandard vehicles operated by the brigade at the time: it was felt that they needed to be kept at the top of a hill so that they could be clutch started in the event of a flat battery.
In 1985 long-serving captain Bruce Lane announced that construction would start soon. But three years later the site still lay empty; the delay partly related to the need to rezone the site, which formed part of Catherine Park. By then Richard Williamson had seemingly been replaced as architect by islander Geoff Breen. According to some brigade members around at the time, Geoff came up with an interesting concept for the shed, but in the end the council selected a more ‘prosaic’ design by another islander, John Parker.
The new shed formally opened on 15 June 1991. Warringah Shire was represented by its president, John Caputo, with three other councillors attending. This prompted Bob Blackwood to wryly note in his ‘vastly amusing’ speech the ‘remarkable coincidence’ of so many councillors appearing offshore. At the time Pittwater was voting on whether to secede from Warringah to form its own council. The shed was to outlast both Warringah and Pittwater Councils. But not without changes, all of which are testament to the brigade’s continuing growth. First, the entire structure has now been taken over by the brigade. The original plan was for the firies to occupy only the front of the station. One rear room was to be used by council workers, while the other was intended for Sydney County Council, then responsible for providing electricity to offshore Pittwater. This explains why, until recently, there were no connecting doors between the building’s two rear rooms and the rest of the station. To this day Ausgrid has a store cupboard in one back room. Internal and external changes have also been implemented by brigade members. These include construction of the radio room, mezzanine, bar and the outside paved patio. Much of this work was done by present-day islanders, including Bob Blackwood, John Travers, Steve Yorke, Geoff Leeson and John Christie, among others. The late Bruce Healey also played an important role in the shed’s improvement and upkeep.
The other major alteration was when the entire front wall was pushed out by several metres, thus allowing more space for vehicles and construction of a workshop. The extension was opened in 2002 by Steve Yorke, by then a superintendent in the RFS. Even though the building now belongs to Northern Beaches Council and basic firefighting equipment is supplied by the RFS, much of its maintenance and running costs are met by the brigade. For instance, the brigade paid for the recent redecoration of the shed, as well as its phone and internet connections and kitchen equipment. That’s why the brigade relies on the support of you, the residents, if the shed is to remain an integral part of island social and community life.  The Two Catherines Café The Two Catherines Café has become a regular part of Scotland Island life. In this article Robyn Iredale, co-ordinator of the Recreation Club, explains how it all began, where the money goes and some changes that are being trialled.
To this end, the Recreation Club was established in 2019 and table tennis and international folk dancing commenced. The equipment and rent were funded by the grant, which was also used to purchase a second-hand coffee machine and coffee grinder. The Two Catherines Café was started in July 2020, and since then has operated on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, COVID permitting. The café commenced with Jasmine Hall as the barista, plus a team of volunteers to organise café supplies, set up and put away the furniture, and to serve. Soon after, Melinda Ham commenced working with Jasmine and between them they managed the café, putting posters up around the island, doing the inventory and purchasing, organising the bakers, hiring and training the staff and running the café. Melinda and Jasmine were assisted by volunteers, including Cathy Shelley, CB Floyd, Sharon Kinnison and Antonia Swift. Since Jasmine left for Brisbane in July 2021, Melinda has continued to manage the café and CB Floyd has assisted. Maddy Banfield has taken over as chief barista.
The cakes and savoury items are all baked by a team of 20 bakers. Some cakes are donated and some bakers receive a percentage of the profits to cover their costs. In the meantime, three young islanders were offered a training workshop by a master barista who visited the island. Other young people have been hired to assist with food and coffee sales, as well as setting up and packing down the café. In all, the café has offered employment to approximately 10 young people. The cafe uses Square, an automated inventory and payment system, and the profits are all handed over to the Treasurer of SIRA. The funds raised by the café amounted to $6,000 in the financial year 2020/21. Where does the money go?
The café has grown, and is now a more professionally managed enterprise than when it began. We have new aprons for the staff and a new poster. To provide welcome shade we have new awnings around the verandah of the community hall, thanks to a grant from the NSW Government. We also have another cappuccino machine, donated by Luigi Anselmi, which we shall put into operation as soon as possible. A meeting with a number of islanders to gain input into the operation of the café was held recently. One suggestion that came out of this meeting was to reduce the frequency of the café in its current format to once a month. There are several reasons for this: (1) to put more energy into a once-a-month café and to work on offering more events for the community, and (2) to take some pressure off the small volunteer team who manage the café at the moment. The Recreation Club has decided to implement this change, starting 27 March. In coming months we’ll work on streamlining the operations and getting more volunteers to help us with specific tasks. So please watch out for opportunities to participate in the café’s operation.
All in all, there will still be a chance for the community to gather on a fortnightly basis. Watch this space and Facebook for more news about the café and the BBQs! We are indebted to the many people who have supported the café by baking, volunteering to help in some way and turning up to support us. Robyn Iredale (rriredale@gmail.com) Graeme Crayford MemorialCatherine Park, Scotland IslandSaturday 26 February, 4:00 - 6:30 pm Graeme Crayford, former
resident of Scotland Island, fire brigade president and
community vehicle co-ordinator, died recently.
A memorial function will be
held for Graeme in Catherine Park, Scotland Island on
Saturday, 26 February from 4pm. During the function
members of Graeme's family and the local community will
share their memories of this much-admired islander, and
talk about the contribution he made to our community.
At 6pm the Scotland Island
fire boat will take Graeme's family out onto Pittwater
to scatter his ashes.
Members of the brigade and
the community are invited to join us in Catherine Park
from 4pm and to accompany the fire boat onto Pittwater
at 6pm. A BBQ and drinks will be available in Catherine
Park.
Members of the brigade are encouraged to arrive early and help with setting up and running the BBQ. Anyone available to help should contact Peter Lalor on 0401 716194. To help with planning,
please register here: http://sirfb.org.au/event-4704076
International Folk DancingScotland Island Community HallSaturday 26 February, 7 - 9 pm Scotland Island CaféCatherine ParkSunday 27 February, 10 - 12 noonOur month of celebrating love at the Two Catherines Café continues as we're right in the middle of Mardi Gras season. Join us wearing rainbows and eating rainbow coloured savouries and sweets. Support our all-local talented bakers, baristas and servers. See you there. Melinda Ham  Clean Up Australia Day, 2022Scotland IslandSunday 6 March, 9 - 12 noon
Scotland Island is registered to participate once again! Clean Up Australia Day inspires and empowers
communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our
environment. Feast for FreedomScotland Island Community HallSaturday 19 March Link for booking and donating: https://feastforfreedom.org.au/page/Scotland-IslandCommunitysFeast Markus Plattner ConcertScotland Island Community HallSunday 20 March, 2 - 4 pm To book,click here.
For sale: various items in Coasters RetreatFor sale:
Home phone: 9974 1119 Mobile: 0409 974141 Email: candy.leguay@aol.com Missed out on a previous newsletter? Past newsletters,
beginning May 2000, can be found and read at https://ymlp.com/archive_gesgjgm.php.
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