AUGUST 2023

THE ILLAWARRA

August 2023

Keeping community news alive

The Matilda Effect Grassroots girls soccer kicks off

F r e e t o 1 1 , 0 0 0 l e t t e r b oxe s / www.thei llawarraflame.com.au

Meet Our Contributors Caitlin Sloan is an Illawarra Flame journalist. She was born and raised in Helensburgh and the fifth generation of her family to attend Helensburgh Public School. Caitlin has a passion for writing, travel and wine, and also works as a bartender at the historic Helensburgh Hotel.

Dr Jeffrey Hall graduated from the University of Sydney in 1995 and worked in regional NSW and the UK before settling in the Illawarra. He joined Bulli Medical Practice in 1999 and became a managing partner in 2001. He supervises students from Wollongong University and general practice registrars from GP Synergy.

Janice Creenaune is a retired English teacher. A wife and mother of three, she sees the life of a retiree as an evolution, something to be cherished, enjoyed. Janice is a volunteer for PKD Australia and her interests include travel, letterpress printing and film study.

Col Bruton was born in Marrickville on 2 June 1934. He lived in a fibro weekender in the middle of Sharky Beach and attended Coledale Public, often going barefooted to school via Sharky Beach and The Menzies. “From an early age, I learnt the difference between high tides and big seas because it determined how I went to school. All up, I have 10 academic and technical qualifications; was the most qualified person on the then Water Board staff of over 12,000; spent most of my time in hydraulic control diagrams and in water investigations.” Col also taught civil engineering at Wollongong Tech. He was active in Surf Life Saving, Illawarra Canoe Club, Illawarra Alpine Club and Kosciuszko Ski Patrol, a Skiing Judge and Honorary Ranger. Col says: “Worked from 1950 to 2008. Retired? Not bloody likely.”

Peter Dawson and his wife Pat emigrated from the UK in 2016. They had been “holidaying” in Australia since 2000, when their eldest daughter on her travels arrived here and never returned home! Then their youngest daughter decided to move here too! Peter and Pat live in Helensburgh and enjoy time with their grandchildren and exploring the region. They value the friendships they’ve made through Probus.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The publishers acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their cultural and spiritual connection to this land. Their stories are written in the land and hold great significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, from the mountains to the sea.

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August

Correction & Apologies Photos of Greg and Stu in the ‘Windfarm Views’ article in the July 2023 edition were labelled incorrectly. This was our mistake and the Illawarra Flame sincerely apologises for the error.

RAELEEN NEEDS A HOME Raeleen, a young mum whose kittens don’t need her any more, is looking for a home. She is now only about nine months old, so still a kitten herself. She has a beautiful fluffy coat, she loves cuddles and is a delightful girl!

For more details, email ccarpetrehoming@tpg.com.au Country Companion Animal Rescue

T H E I L L AWA R R A

NEXT DEADLINE 21 Aug for the Sept edition

EDITORS Genevieve Swart, Marcus Craft CONTACT editor@theillawarraflame.com.au; 0432 612 168; PO Box 248, Helensburgh, 2508.

TheIllawarraFlame ADVERTISING www.theillawarraflame.com.au 0432 612 168 | T&Cs apply DEADLINE 21 August. Contributions welcome.

COVER U6 & U7 girls team at Helensburgh Thistles. Photo: Anthony Warry THE ILLAWARRA FLAME is published by a family business, The Word Bureau, ABN 31 692 723 477 DISCLAIMER: All content and images remain the property of The Illawarra Flame unless otherwise supplied. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission. Views expressed do not reflect those of the publishers.

KANE DOWNIE

Electric transport dreams

By Electrify 2515’s Kristen McDonald

they’re a reality now and it’s a matter of how fast can we speed up the process to reduce the emissions coming from our tailpipes.

We totally understand that EVs are expensive and, for many, still a bit of an enigma. While as a Electrify 2515 community group we can’t do a huge amount to volunteer reduce the price of EVs, there are some things we Stephen at the NRMA Event can do to potentially support your consideration talking about and transition to an EV or other electric transport the benefits of option and we’re currently surveying community electrification. members on their thoughts.

Photo: For instance, would you consider leasing an EV Electrify 2515 for a short-time as a “try before you buy”? Would you be interested in a bulk buy of pre-owned EVs? When we think about electrifying and reducing our Is novated leasing an option for you? (It’s the household’s emissions, our car might not be the first cheapest way to get an EV due to recent changes to thing that comes to mind. Yet, by far, vehicles are the vehicle taxes.) We’re also curious to know if biggest energy users in our homes (69% of our community members would be interested in energy use), costing us an average of $3000 per year owning or leasing an electric bike (the pedalon fuel alone. powered ones, not the throttle ones) as we’re The single biggest impact we could make is to looking into those options too. Please have your not drive a petrol or diesel car. Of course, we say by completing the short survey at the below advocate for that meaning fewer car trips and more URL or QR code. active and public transport use. It also means if you Finally, the wonderful Electrify 2515 volunteers are using a car, consider it to be an electric one. have been attending community events, such as last While regulatory and market conditions haven’t month’s NRMA Drive Day, to talk about the been as favourable for electric vehicles (EVs) in benefits and practicalities of owning or leasing an Australia as they have been in Europe and Asia, EV. We’re working towards a community electric things are starting to change and this year 9% of transport event in a couple of months, so if you car sales were EVs, with the Tesla Model Y taking have ideas of what you’d find useful to include, over from the Ford Ranger as the 2nd most sold we’d love to hear from you as always. car. Prices are starting to fall and companies like NRMA and governments are quickly building Electric transport survey: charging infrastructure to facilitate the transition.

2515transport.paperform.co EVs are no longer a futuristic pipedream but or use QR code.

Last chance to see Singers 40th show

By Bethan Farmer of Stanwell Park Arts Theatre

Congratulations to our Singers on the opening weekend of their 40th anniversary show, especially to musical director Rod Lander and his team who make the magic happen on the night.

There is still a weekend of shows to go, on Friday and Saturday, August 4 and 5, from 6.30pm. So if you’re in the mood for good food, great music and the opportunity to sing along to some music hall classics, go to spat.org.au for tickets.

The dress code is now ‘come as you are’, but if you want to dust off the old tux or bust out some sequins, do it. Keeping warm on the way home is the priority, although we’ve got you covered with mulled wine to wrap your hands around!

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We are two classes into our series of improv acting workshops, ‘Improv Your Mind’ with Nurina Simpson, and while it’s a big squirmy step outside of our comfort zone, it’s also incredibly energising and creative.

The 12-strong cohort is a mixture of ages and genders, life experiences and personalities, each bringing their own unique perspective to the stage.

Starting with listening exercises, word association games and mastering the art of ‘yes, and …’ to build on ideas, these are definitely skills that will come in useful in everyday life!

Find tickets & information at spat.org.au

Helensburgh Considering Downsizing?

Julie York is here to help.

We plan on holding an Information session at the start of September to help downsizers understand the process of selling their home & buying a smaller one.

This has come about because a number of locals have asked for advice in understanding what is involved.

We will have several experts including one of our local conveyancers & brokers as well as a couple who have already made the transition.

To register your interest in attending please email admin@helensburgh.rh.com.au or call our office on 4294 9800.

A retiree’s life for me!

By Pete Dawson, publicity officer at Helensburgh & District Probus Club

We’ve had a good couple of months, the weather has been kind to us! We’ve enjoyed two different “foot and mouth” walks, firstly along the Glebe Foreshore, followed by lunch in the Fish Market, then the Rivendell Walk and lunch at the Concord Hotel. This month we are looking forward to our “Christmas In July” lunch at Panorama House, and a rather different activity, Putt Planet Golf followed by lunch at Taren Point Bowls Club.

Together with our regular monthly bowls days at Wombarra and various golfing days, plus some great

guest speakers at our monthly meetings, we’ve manage to ensure a variety of activities to suit all our members. In the coming few months we have different bus and coach trips, a cruise to Tasmania, more “foot and mouth” days and our regular meetings, with guest speakers, including a representative from the Maritime Museum. So lots of activities planned to keep us as active as possible!

For more information please contact Lilian, our Membership Officer, on 0408 668 987.

National winners at camellia show Family historian Jenny Donohoe and retired fire chief Jim Powell have again won national trophies for their camellias, which are home-grown in Helensburgh.

The NSW Camellia Society’s Show, held at Ravenswood School at Gordon NSW on July 8 and 9, was also the host for the Camellias Australia’s National Show. This year Jim Powell and Jenny Donohoe won two of the six national trophies.

Their bloom of Buttons N’ Bows won the USA trophy for Best USA Bred Camellia and their

bloom of Takanini won the Best New Zealand Bred Camellia. As this was a National Show, there were more than 700 Camellias competing for the six national trophies, making it very competitive.

Out of their 7 boxes of Camellia blooms, apart from the two national trophies, the pair had two Champion NSW Trophies for the Best Single Form Camellia with Saga-Honami and the Best Informal Double Camellia with Mark Alan Variegated along with 36 other 1st and 2nd Class Ribbons. So all in all they had a very successful Camellia show.

At the Camellias Australia Presentation Dinner held on the Monday night, Jim was awarded the Walter Hazlewood Medal of Honour by Camellias Australia for his 48 years of outstanding service to the organisation. Jim has also taken on the president’s role for the second time at Camellias Australia.

Jim and Jenny with their American trophy and the USA trophy winner Camellia hybrid ‘Buttons N’ Bows’

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clubs & community

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Photos: Alex Pike, Jeremy Lasek

Meet John Corker, Wollongong’s no.1 Yes man

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By YES23 supporter Jeremy Lasek

Anyone who’s met retired Thirroul lawyer John Corker will know you could never describe him as a ‘yes man’.

But with the referendum into the Indigenous Voice fast approaching that’s exactly what John is, putting himself forward to spearhead the campaign in Wollongong for the YES vote.

John has dedicated most of his career to fighting for justice and human rights with more than 40 years’ experience working in the private sector, community and government.

He has spent much of his life working with and for Aboriginal people. Living in Alice Springs for 10 years in the 1980s, John worked for Aboriginal Legal Aid and the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association being part of the team that established the Aboriginal-owned Imparja Television service.

“Central Australia is where I learnt about the history and saw first-hand the significant disadvantage that Aboriginal people face,” he said.

“It’s time they were more directly involved in the solutions.”

John was the head lawyer for the Australian Broadcasting Authority and later a board member of the National Indigenous Television Service (NITV) up until the time it became an SBS channel. And he spent the last 15 years of his career as the CEO of the Australian Pro Bono Centre.

For John, it was a no-brainer to throw himself headfirst into a leading role in the YES campaign.

“I believe that as a nation we are overdue to properly recognise Australia’s first peoples in our constitution. As a country we are out of step internationally. This is an historical opportunity for Australia to move forward as a nation.

“The call for this has been going on for a long time and after a very extensive consultation process over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders gave us the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which is an invitation to walk alongside with Australia’s first peoples for a better future in Voice, 8

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Treaty, Truth.

“The Voice is a modest ask from Aboriginal people to take their rightful place in Australia’s foundation document.

“There is nothing to fear from this proposed change. The constitution will say only that the Voice ‘may make representations’ to Parliament and Government. Representations are simply policy submissions which Parliament and Government can choose to accept or reject or adopt in part.

“This must deliver better outcomes for all, better policy making and a positive change from the present approach, which has clearly not been working and that’s because no one has listened to the actual people who are affected.

“I believe the Voice will be run by high-calibre people and make a significant difference to the way taxpayer money is now spent in Aboriginal affairs leading to greater efficiencies and better practical outcomes. We will all benefit from that.”

John said he was excited about the campaign and grateful that in just two weeks nearly 200 people have signed on to join the Wollongong campaign.

“At our campaign launch at UOW a few weeks ago, our Wollongong Citizen of the Year, Sally Stevenson, challenged us to rally support from across the entire city, so Wollongong achieves the highest YES vote in the nation.

“That’s a big ask, but I reckon we’re up for it.”

When John isn’t campaigning for the Voice, he dedicates his ‘spare time’ as the chair for Tender Funerals Australia based in Port Kembla and secretary of the Coledale Oysters Swimming Club, while also providing other pro bono legal work.

For more info about The Voice referendum:

• Visit the stall in the Wollongong Mall outside the Wesley Mission Church every Friday from 10am • Attend the Gathering for the Voice at North Wollongong Beach on Sunday, 6 August, 9-11am • Attend the Voice for a Voice concert at the Servo in Port Kembla on 2 Sept from 7pm

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Otford locals worried about fire season The Illawarra Flame reports

Otford residents at the causeway on 23 July.

Photo: The Flame

Six months after Otford Causeway was destroyed in a rainstorm, Wollongong City Council has announced that works to replace the broken weir on Otford Road will start in early August.

Council expects the job to take about four months to complete, if we get good weather, meaning that residents’ fears have been confirmed: the causeway may not be open in time for the official start of bushfire season on October 1.

In April Council put in a temporary crossing – used by pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes – but this will soon be closed to residents as it will be within the construction worksite.

The day before Council shared this news, Neighbourhood Forum 1 convenor Warwick Erwin had flagged the problem with the Flame.

Warwick said that Council had committed to replacing the causeway before bushfire season, but with eight weeks to go that goal seemed unlikely.

“The question to council, as they are responsible for the Disaster Plan for the area, is what are the contingency plans for the bushfire season for not only the residents of Otford, but also Helensburgh as Otford Road has been used in the past as an evacuation path from Helensburgh,” Warwick said.

Council’s release did not mention bushfire plans.

It said the replacement causeway would be able to withstand major storms and have improved features, including debris deflectors to prevent blockages during heavy rain, better line-marking and more warning signage.

“I am very proud of the team for all their hard work behind the scenes,” Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said. “We recognise 10 news

that the local community want this road repaired and reopened as soon as possible and I am sure that the completion of this work by the end of the year will be a great comfort to residents of Otford and Helensburgh.’’

While residents may welcome a new causeway, several Otford locals are wondering why it has taken so long, after one community member found a paper copy of March 2007’s WCC Works and Services Division, Civil Construction Rolling Works Program Update.

Warwick said: “On page 2 the third item under Road Ridges, Foot Bridges and Culvert Priorities is ‘Otford Rd, Otford Bridge Over Hacking River to replace causeway’ with an estimate of $2 million.

“This document clearly indicated that Council knew prior to 2007 that the Otford causeway needed replacement with a higher level river crossing that was not going to be a cheap solution,” Warwick said. “Are we getting the best solution or is Council taking advantage of State Government Disaster like-for-like funding to save money and give us a cheaper solution?”

A Wollongong City Council spokesperson responded to the 2007 document, saying: “Council undertook an number of investigations in 2006/2007 regarding the provision of a bridge at the Otford Road causeway.

“The investigations confirmed that the site was complex, was significantly impacted by floodwaters, resulting in a high level bridge solution which at the time could not be provided within the allocated budget. Council at the time, subsequently decided to proceed with other projects across the Local Government Area.”

Mid Winter Jazz Night

By Donna Henderson

Local musician Jarrah Henderson-Jackson is set to entertain jazz fans when he brings his quartet to perform at the iconic Thirroul Railway Institute Hall on Saturday, 5 August. The ensemble promises an unforgettable evening of swinging rhythms, soulful improvisations, and captivating melodies.

With Jarrah on drums, Kiama local Lachie Mills on guitar, Cairn Peterson on double bass and Leah Berry on vocals, this quartet has been making a name for themselves in the Sydney jazz scene.

All attend the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Jazz Performance. Their repertoire includes classic standards and contemporary compositions, and the intimate setting in the historic hall will be perfect for Leah’s sublime vocals.

“I’m thrilled to be bringing the magic of jazz to Thirroul, my hometown. Bring your own snack plate and drinks and maybe a blanket as we are dubbing it the Mid Winter Jazz Night,” Jarrah said.

“It would be great to make these nights a regular feature on the local music calendar.”

Sat, Aug 5, doors 7pm, $18 via Humanitix

Thirroul fire brigade turns 100

By Caitlin Sloan

On June 24, more than 80 people gathered at Thirroul Fire Station to celebrate the centenary of the brigade, the first in the region to reach the milestone. In true emergency services fashion, the ceremony was preceded by a false alarm at Austinmer. Then the brigade was called out to a house fire in Coledale during pack-up, cutting celebrations short.

All in all, the day was a demonstration of the dedication of Thirroul’s 21 on-call firefighters. “[The ceremony], in one word, was fabulous,” Thirroul Fire Station deputy captain Steve Buchan said. “Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery spoke very passionately about not only Thirroul Fire Station, 12 news

but the area out here … also station officer Rodd Bland [shared] his memories of his firefighting days. And for me, the other big highlight was catching up with [retired] captain Bob Bland again, and his wife [Leone].”

The event opened with a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country delivered by Uncle Peter Button. Then came speeches and an award presented to 46-year firefighting veteran and current captain Hedley Privett, who received a Clasp 3 National Medal for his long service.

For Steve – who has been a retained firefighter at Thirroul Fire Station for 16 years and deputy captain for four of those – the centenary celebration was his “grand final day”.

“The Museum of Fire were aware that the actual historic date of Thirroul [Fire Station] opening is actually 1923 when it opened in shed-like garage with a hose reel and maybe one ladder. It wasn’t until 1924 that the actual physical bricks and mortar station as it stands now was opened.”

Though the station was rebuilt in 1975 and technological advances mean firefighting looks very different today, the team’s camaraderie remains. It’s something Steve Buchan is excited to now share with his son, Riley.

“I feel there’s your family – your blood family – and there’s a fire brigade family, and you look out for each other, whether it’s on the job or outside.”

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June 13

Housework you’ll love

By Brian Kelly

When you read that a rock band’s sobering influence is its drummer, you know they might be doing things a little differently. Drummer as stabiliser … really?

Click further into the website of Stunts – the self-described ‘odd couple’ of northern Illawarra electro-grunge – and you’ll see that certain rock traditions have been trashed or upheld, with a touch of wit, a little self-deprecation and much humour. There are nods to Nick Cave, the Pixies, Kate Bush and a smudge of Placebo beyond the tall dude’s dark eyeliner.

You’ll see the photo of Matty and Racey Stunts (at right) – like 1930s art classic American Gothic, but this time the woman holds the pitchfork (in this case a garden rake), there’s a Hills Hoist festooned with pegs, and Matty’s sporting a shirt your cool uncle would wear to a family barbecue.

“We love that photo – it was taken in our spiritual home – and actual home – in Bulli,’’ says Matty. “We were lucky enough to have the amazing Lisa Tomasetti come down for a day of shooting.”

Having released their first album (Housework), Stunts – their band family name – are fun in tongue-in-cheek fashion. Join their mailing list online and you’ll be told “Thank you! You are clearly very smart and attractive.” The comedy lives in Stunts’ lyrics – “I am quite disappointed” is the hook in Disappointed, a Smiths-like understatement if the listener has ever heard one.

Latest single Probs Not is “about longing from afar, social awkwardness and the self-loathing that comes with it”. You can hear 1980s Manchester sobbing down the line.

That decade shuttled Matty around musical dabblings in Canberra, the UK, Brisbane, Dublin and Sydney before parenthood took him into ‘’more important stuff to do”. Having moved from Sydney to the Illawarra 17 years ago, he again

U3A Northern Illawarra Film Appreciation Group Program

Sessions are held on Wednesdays from 1-3pm in Excelsior Hall, Thirroul Community Centre.

A discussion follows each screening.

Aug 2 The Virgin Spring (Sweden) Aug 9 A Fistful of Dollars (Spaghetti Western) Aug 16 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (French) Aug 23 Who’s That Knocking At My Door (USA) Aug 30 The Red & The White (Hungary) Sept 6 Sundowners (USA) Sept 13 The Tami Show (USA) Contact Margaret Stratton on 0411 526 899.

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picked up a guitar and later joined forces with drummer Pacey, who has a knack for “keeping things on track”, and singer Racey, a veteran of the area’s music scene. Along the way, Matty had to deal with “one pretty nasty old brain tumour” but is enjoying a clean bill of health 18 months later.

He started writing the songs on Housework after more than a decade away from music.

“So when I came back to writing there was lots I was looking back at … the impossible dreams from my youth, the things that didn’t work out how I planned, the disappointments and heartbreaks along the way,” he said.

It might also be his stab at creativity in a house that harbours the not insignificant creative shadow of his wife, accomplished actor Deborah Mailman.

In April, Stunts launched their album with a gig in the intimate Kings Room at Anita’s Theatre – the first band to do so.

Visit www.stuntsmusic.com

Wednesday talks Aug 2 9.30am Dr Ron Witton, Indonesian

language; 11am Rachael Morgan McIntosh, Pardon My French Aug 9 9.30 Barbara Cuttenar, International Lefthander’s Day; 11am Maryanne Bawden, Strokesafe.

Aug 16 9.30 Dr Jill Molan, Travels in Antarctica; 11am Dr Brian Martin, Would Australia be better off without an Army?

Aug 23 9.30 Fiona Law son, Northern Illawarra Neighbour aid, Senior Services & Volunteering.

Further details: Therese Jordan 0413 218 957.

0422 865 648 robyn@beachframing.com 13 George St Thirroul NSW 2515

Thursday and Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm Saturday 9am - 12pm

August 15

Designing with Country By architect Ben Wollen

Every year Australian architects must report our Continuing Professional Development. This year “Understanding Country” is a mandatory topic.

I’m an ignorant white fella when it comes to indigenous culture – I’m a product of a pretty ignorant schooling system – so it’s fantastic to see times are changing and my kids can sing the national anthem in the Dharawal language!

Now it’s time to gain a better understanding of Country and time to start designing with Country.

This is but one example of where an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will help to reduce the disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians with regard to health, education, employment, housing and property rights. An architect called Paul Pholeros championed this more than anyone.

So, with a big hold of my breath, here’s my early understanding of Designing with Country: Country and Connection

Country is more than just a physical place; it encompasses a spiritual and cultural connection to the land, waterways, and everything within them.

It is a living entity that holds ancestral stories, customs, and knowledge systems. We need to think of ourselves as custodians of Country, responsible for its protection and preservation. A deep connection to the land influences our daily lives, rituals, and sense of identity. Designing with Country means respecting and acknowledging this connection and incorporating it into our practice.

these knowledge holders to identify and preserve these important places. This may involve careful site selection, orientation and the incorporation of traditional design elements that reflect the stories and histories of the local Indigenous nation.

Sustainability and Respecting the Environment

The original Australians have long been stewards of the land, maintaining a sustainable and harmonious relationship with their surroundings for many thousands of years. Their holistic approach to the environment can inform architectural design practices. By incorporating principles such as passive design, the use of renewable locally sourced natural materials, and the preservation of natural habitats, architects can create sustainable buildings that align with Indigenous values of environmental stewardship.

This approach not only reduces the ecological footprint of architecture but also promotes a deeper connection with the natural world. The health and wellbeing of country is inextricably linked to our own collective health and wellbeing.

Cultural Expression and Inclusivity

Architectural designs should be inclusive and respectful of diverse cultural practices. Creating spaces that accommodate ceremonies, gatherings, and storytelling strengthens the cultural fabric of communities and fosters a sense of pride and belonging for all Australians alike.

I have a lot more to learn but it’s early days.

Embedding Cultural Significance Designing with Country is an invitation to Designing with Country requires an understanding architects to embrace Indigenous perspectives and of the cultural significance of specific sites and create spaces that honour the deep connections landscapes. Indigenous knowledge holders possess between the land, culture, and people. By engaging a wealth of information about their traditional with community, understanding their values, and lands, including burning practices, sacred sites, respecting their heritage, architects can contribute dreaming tracks, and significant natural features. to the revitalisation of culture while fostering We as architects can work in collaboration with sustainable and inclusive practices.

16 clubs & community

Mark O’Connor — 50 Years in the Making difference. He gets For Mark, building is in his blood. He began his apprenticeship straight out of school and great satisfaction from obtaining a high for three years running was awarded the standard of work and prestigious NSW Apprentice of the Year. He seeing the landmarks quickly progressed from a subcontracted that he has built Carpenter to Building Supervisor and then became a Construction Manager with a large around town. This includes houses project home company.

This was a high-pressure role with over 200 throughout the jobs running at any one time. Mark managed Illawarra as well as the Thirroul Surf Club it all, resolving issues in his calm and building. “I get to drive thoughtful way. Then, in 2007, he and his brother Clint launched Grand Pacific Homes. past my creations every day and I know that I am leaving a solid Over the years, his business has endured legacy for generations to come,” he says. weather turmoil, supply chain issues, Covid and interest rate rises. Via savvy management, Happy 50th birthday, Mark. Your integrity surrounded by a committed team and quality and commitment are an inspiration to your family and your team at Grand Pacific Homes, trades, Mark has ensured its success. your clients and the community you serve.

Mark is also inspired to make a positive At Grand Pacific Homes, we believe trust is the basis a good relationship. Need advice? Get in touch with Marlowe: (02) 9044 4698 or info@grandpacifichomes.com.au

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August 17

Simon Tedeschi and Cedar Newman will perform with WollCon’s BlueScope Youth orchestra to raise money for Medecins Sans Frontieres. Photos: Keith Saunders Anna Warr

Famed pianist to perform at fundraising concert

By Caroline Baum

In something of a musical coup, local violinist Cedar Newman has persuaded renowned Australian pianist Simon Tedeschi to join her for a one-night-only concert with the BlueScope Youth Orchestra to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières at Wollongong Town Hall on August 17.

Tedeschi has long outgrown the prodigy label that was something of a burden, and graduated to a less-pressured position as a distinguished midcareer artist. He recognised Wombarra resident Cedar’s talent immediately and loved that she was interested in performing challenging works from his favourite period – the early 20th century – by composers who don’t get enough airplay.

“These days concert promoters want to play it safe. We are living in conservative times. But in Wollongong, Cedar and I are performing a repertoire that is not standard, not the potboilers.

“The amazing sonata by Bloch requires a lot of practice, which is quite humbling,” he says, stroking his cat Nana while speaking from his Sydney home via Zoom.

The two musicians hit it off well enough to plan a further collaboration in Sydney performing jazz together in August.

These days, Tedeschi does not travel as much internationally, although his diary is booked into next year. He is collaborating more and doing less solo work “which suits me as I love chamber music”. He has also diversified into writing, with an intriguing, hard-to-categorise book called Fugitive, a personal collection of sometimes esoteric meditations on music, and everyday observations that range from the sacred to the profane (including a delighted discovery that Mozart kept a fart diary). The process of writing is the exact opposite of performing, “but at least you can hit the 18 arts & culture

delete key. And having always been a very quick learner when it comes to playing, writing has taught me patience”.

In Meeting Mozart, a show he co-wrote, he has found new pleasure introducing very young children to classical music, dressing up as the composer in an outrageous wig and silk frock coat – a flamboyantly extrovert persona that belies his naturally introverted nature.

In 2017, he married three-time Archibald finalist Loribelle Spirovski and says that her company made Covid lockdown bearable. He used the time to catch up on reading and concentrate on repertoire he had neglected. “I know how hard it was on the performance community but, for me, it was a wonderful sabbatical.”

He is extremely attuned to the energy that audiences bring to a performance.

“I can tell, the instant I walk out on stage, what the vibe is and I adjust to that frequency as I register the hall, the acoustics and all the other variables that come into play, like the age of the audience, whether or not there is an interval, the coughing. I often connect with one person and play as if just for them.

“The toughest thing was playing a gig with the SSO at Sydney Town Hall post lockdown to a thousand people in masks. I need to see people’s faces.”

No doubt Wollongong will greet him with a warm smile.

The Music for Medicine Fundraising Concert for Doctors Without Borders is on Thursday, 17 August , 6.30pm at Wollongong Town Hall.

Tickets $20-$40, book via wollongongtownhall.com

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SEACLIFF

Illawarra artists for

YES 23

• Buy works direct from the display • Participate in the silent auction • All proceeds to Yes 23 campaign

A fundraising exhibition by local artists in support of the YES CAMPAIGN for the Voice to Parliament

Paintings, drawings, photographs and ceramics from distinguished artists Anne Ferran, David Roach, Anne Zahalka, Michele Elliot, Paul Ryan, Vyvian Wilson and many more.

T. (02) 4202 6900 F. (02) 4229 9298 reception@seacliffhealthcare.com.au seacliffhealthcare.com.au Shop 12, 345 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul (enter off Railway Pde)

BOOK ONLINE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND HOTDOC

CLIFTON SCHOOL of ARTS

338 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Clifton Sat, Sun August 12 & 13 10am to 4pm Opening 6-8 pm Friday 11 August

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Dr Jennifer Bowler Dr Sinead Cassidy M

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artscliftonnsw@gmail.com • www.artsclifton.org

H E A LT H C A R E

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AND INTRODUCING Dr Milena Ruiz August 19

What’s On

Submit events at theillawarraflame.com.au August is our time to be Creative

Doing something creative in August? Tag @theillawarraflame or #creativeflame Exhibition/Workshop at Clifton 18-27 August At Clifton School of Arts, Ashley

Frost and Hal Pratt will exhibit paintings in oil and watercolour of landscapes inspired by their local environment and numerous painting camps in the Outback. In parallel with the exhibition Ashley Frost will run a two day workshop on the weekend of 26/27 August at the same venue. This will be on plein air painting and monotype. Book early as the knowledge and experience Ashley brings to these workshops has proven very popular.

Bookings: www.ashleyfrost.com.au

Emerging Artist Concert Series

Music & Tea at Wollongong Art Gallery at 11am.

Thu 3 Aug Clarinet Recital with Emily Liston and John Martin At Your Library Thirroul Library Tuesdays Preschool Storytime 10-10.45am Wednesdays Duplo 10am-12noon 2nd & 4th Wednesday LEGO Club 3.30-4.30pm Thursdays Baby Bookworms 10-10.45am Fridays Toddlertime 10-10.30am

1st Monday Boomerang Bag Workshop 2.30-4.30pm, bookings via Eventbrite 1st Thurs Justice of the Peace 10am-1pm Wednesdays Knit, Stitch, Yarn 10.30am-12.30pm 8 Aug Information about Death & Dying, 1.30-2.30pm. End-of-life preparations and more.

1st Sat Music in the Library 11am-12noon Helensburgh Library Wednesdays Baby Bookworms 10.30am Monday 7 & 21 Aug Wriggle and Jiggle 10.30am Fridays Storytime 10.30am 2 & 16 Aug Lego Club 3.30pm.

Wed 16 Aug Baby Health talk on Sleep at 10.30am Children’s Book Week: 19 to 25 August

Enter library Art Comp to win a $100 Prize Pack.

Stanwell Park U3A

Mondays at Hillcrest House. 9.30am to 12pm.

Contact Jenny on 0406 350 025. All welcome.

Aug 7 The Bigge Report from England, ‘Gaol or Colony’, David Muscio Aug 14 The Voice to Parliament: What, Why, and How, Ainslie Lamb Aug 21 ‘Helensburgh and the 1919 Flu Epidemic’, Dr Lorraine Jones Aug 28 Scotland (2) Session, Jim Powell 4 Sept Journey to the Nullarbor, Doug White.

11 Sept Arctic Alaska & Aleutian Islands, Roy Laurie Learn about Wollongong demographics

How to use online Council tools. Online session, 7 Aug, 2-3.30pm. Call 4227 7111, ask for the link.

Meet a Creative Writing Tutor Karen Lane leads courses at WEA Illawarra

I teach creative writing in many forms, including poetry, short story, non-fiction, memoir, novel and script.

When helping writers to write, I help them express themselves. They express their thoughts and ideas on the page, releasing energy, releasing tension, releasing joy. With this expression, they gain a sense of satisfaction and a sense of completion.

I help build the writer’s imagination and encourage them to be as honest as possible. When imagination and honesty are combined, there’s a great power released ... a special kind of magic.

This is why readers like to read, they can be transported anywhere at any time and to any place.

There’s a sense of satisfaction in doing what I love. I feel I was put on this earth to guide writers 20 clubs & community

to write. I conducted my first Procrastinating Writers – Procrastinate No More class at WEA Illawarra in 2012. In the same year I ran the first series of ‘sit and write’ Writing Havens at the Community Centres in Thirroul and Helensburgh.

Over the years, the main change I’ve noticed is the increase in self-publishing options. This is important as it gives everyone the freedom to publish their own writing in their own way.

In my view, procrastination is the biggest challenge for writers. I help writers overcome procrastination by building self-belief and setting deadlines. Writing competitions are excellent for writers as they provide a non-negotiable deadline.

In November this year, I’ll self-publish my own poetry collection, Combustible Comfort Zones.

Contact Karen via WritersBootCampOtford@ gmail.com, or 0412 787 873. Her Memoir Writing course starts on 26 August at WEA.

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS!

We are always looking for volunteers to contribute to all aspects of NINA services. Bus driv ers, individual transport drivers, doing grocery shop ping for clients, helping at our social support groups or on our shopping trips and outing. We are also looking for volunteers to join our committee. Cou ld this be you?

• Commitment to community service and welfare of others • Experience in organisational planning and operations • Appreciation of not-for-profit business issues • Preferably an awareness of developm ents in home-based aged care • Ideally a knowledge of and interest in the Northern Illawarra • Willingness to contribute time and idea s without financial rewards • Availability to meet on second Wednesd ay morning of each month • If you’re interested in joining our com mittee or volunteering for NINA in another way please get in touch.

2023 AUGUST OUTINGS

Bookings made through the office. Please call in advance as some tickets need to be pre purchased. Limited number of buses. Pick up and drop off direct to your home.

DATE

AUGUST OUTINGS AND SHOPPING TRIPS

COSTS

Tuesday 1st August

Bunnings Bellambi

Transport $6

Thursday 3rd August

Memory Lane Café with Dementia Australia

Transport $6

Thursday 3rd August

Music & Tea at Wollongong Art Gallery

Transport/Admin $11

Friday 4th August

Figtree Shopping

Transport $6

Friday 11th August

Macarthur Square Shopping

Transport $12

Tuesday 15th August

Coffee Break – Southern Gateway Centre

Transport $6

Friday 18th August

Engadine shopping

Transport $6

Friday 25th August

Sylvania Shopping

Transport $12

Wednesday 30th August

Lunch Outing to Shellharbour Marina

Transport $12 plus Lunch

For CHSP & HCP clients (over 65 years) the catchment area to access NINA services is 2580 to 2517.

All tickets purchased in advance for outings are non-refundable.

Monday–Friday (8.30am-4.30pm) | telephone 02 4294 1900 18 Walker Street, Helensburgh

Weed of the Month: Madeira Vine (Anredera cordifolia)

Tree of the Month

By Kieran Tapsell, of Banksia Bushcare Native Bleeding Heart (Homalanthus populifolius)

Native Bleeding Heart often comes up naturally after invasive weeds have been removed from rainforest and its edges. The reason is that its seeds have a long dormancy period waiting for better light. It is fast growing and can reach eight metres in good soils. Its common name comes from its heart-shaped leaves, some of which turn red in the winter months. Deer will eat them and these trees need to be protected by fences or cages. A forest of these trees has appeared within the deer fence at the western end of the Stanwell Avenue Reserve after the Lantana and Senna was removed (see photo). They are important fruit trees for birds, including the brown cuckoo dove, silvereye and Lewin’s honeyeater, and it is the host plant for the Hercules moth, Australia’s largest.

Holidaying at home

By Helen Slade

Our Helensburgh Seniors Travel Group stayed at home in June to dine at two of our local restaurants, Red Nectar and Raya Thai. Both restaurants, whilst totally different cuisine, provided our members with outstanding dining and wonderful service. A huge thank you to both venues and their wonderful staff.

At Red Nectar we had a choice of any two courses from their wonderful 3-course menu, including Daniel’s delicious inhouse mini bread loaves, served warm and with real butter!

Raya Thai treated us to a sumptuous two-course banquet. Three entrees and four mains, all very delicious and very much enjoyed.

We all had a wonderful time at each venue and highly recommend them both. Our next meeting is Monday August 7th, 11.30am at the Helensburgh Centennial Hotel.

Enquiries to Helen Slade 0427 043 774.

22 science & nature

Madeira Vine is an invasive climber that is native to South America (Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Southern Brazil and Northern Argentina). In Australia it has been used as an ornamental plant in gardens, but has become an invasive environmental weed, blanketing and smothering both shrubs and trees.

Madeira vine (pictured below) is similar to the native Pearl Vine (Sarcopetalum harveyanum) and Snake Vine (Stephania japonica) but its giveaways are its flowers that appear from late summer to autumn and the potato-like nodes along the vine itself. It is a mistake to try and pull it out when mature because the nodes drop on the ground and can sprout in the thousands. The best way to remove it is to leave it as it is, scrape about 50cm along one side of the vine and paint neat glysophate or similar poison along the trunk.

Beautiful Bulli Grevilleas

By John Elton

‘Bulli Princess’ (left) and ‘Bulli Beauty’.

Photos: Tracee Lea

Grevillea ‘Bulli Beauty’, Grevillea ‘Bulli Princess’ and Grevillea ‘Bulli Envy’. What do these stunning beauties have in common?

Well, they are native plants that were developed here in the Illawarra by the Illawarra Grevillea Park Botanic Garden.

‘Bulli Beauty’ is a medium-sized shrub with fern-like dense foliage bearing a profusion of beautiful large pink flowers all year round. It is now an important plant in the cut flowers industry.

‘Bulli Princess’ is a large shrub with fascinating white/purple/pink/cream spider like flowers about the size of 50c piece. Birds are attracted by the

abundant nectar at the base of the flowers. Very quick growing, it is also a wonderful plant for a hedge. As luck would have it, in 2018 a plant with grey foliage emerged in a crack between the pavers.

A year later and this wonderful large deep green flower with yellow styles appeared. It was so good that it became the third to have Bulli in its name.

Unlike the other Bulli grevilleas, ‘Bulli Envy’ is a ground cover that likes full sun and will cover an area of 2-3metres. It’s a stunner!

The Spring Open Days at the Illawarra Grevillea Park Botanic Garden are the first two weekends in September from 10am-4pm.

August 23

Dr Rip’s Science of the Surf With Coalcliff’s Prof Rob Brander. This month: The Sands of Time, Part 1

I don’t think we appreciate beach sand as much as we should. This thought went through my mind years ago while walking across the black sand on New Zealand’s Piha Beach.

It was a sunny day and the sand felt nice and warm. Hot, even. In fact, boiling hot to the point of having to sprint to the water to cool off my burning feet.

Trapped, I looked around at others doing the same thing, standing in the shallows, marooned on towels on the beach, and standing on meagre vegetation in the dunes for relief as they tried to escape the inferno of the black sand. So, perhaps we shouldn’t take beach sand for granted.

If you pick up a handful of sand, it’s full of thousands of sand grains of different sizes, colours and origins that all have a story to tell because beaches are essentially dumping grounds for the end products of millions of years of erosion of the earth’s surface.

On beaches in New South Wales, the vast majority of grains in that handful will be quartz minerals. That’s because the most common type of rock on the earth’s surface is granite, which just happens to be made up of mostly quartz minerals that are exceptionally hard and resistant.

Most beach sand tends to be lighter in colour because pure quartz crystals are white. Generally the older the sand is, the more white it is, as all the

A pinch of sand from Coalcliff Beach under a microscope reveals a kaleidoscope of colours. Photo: Rob Brander

24 science & nature

material and staining that coats the grains gets worn off over time. Sand with a reddish tinge, tends to have a bit of iron staining around the quartz grain.

Although not on the scale of some New Zealand beaches, you will likely see a few black sand grains in the handful you picked up and these are completely different, being volcanic in origin and are derived from basalt rocks (old lava flows) and, yes, Australia has had plenty of volcanic activity in the past.

Black sand is made up of heavy minerals, such as zircon and rutile, which actually have industrial value and are mined commercially. Because they are heavier, they work themselves down through the sand and tend to concentrate, becoming exposed as black streaks on a beach after large waves have eroded the sand on top offshore.

Finally, you’ll probably find a small amount of broken bits of shells in your handful, giving it a bit more colour and coarser texture. Any beach that has extensive rock platform environments, which are perfect habitats for animals that live in shells, will have a fair amount of shell (calcium carbonate) content.

So, there’s a lot more to sand than you might think … so much more that I think I’ll have to continue this topic next month!

Have a question? Email rbrander@unsw.edu.au

Everything you’ve been Dying To Know

By Dr Jeffrey Hall, a GP at Bulli Medical Practice

As part of the “Dying to Know” campaign this August, adults at all stages of life are encouraged to improve their knowledge around choices for end-of-life. This is more relevant as we get older, but also with life events such as marriage and the birth of a child.

Advance care planning involves you, your family and your GP or practice nurse talking about your values and the type of health care you want to receive if you become seriously ill or injured and were unable to express what you want.

Ideally these conversations start when you are well and continue throughout life. You don’t have to be unwell or have a terminal illness to start planning.

Setting up an advance care plan helps to ensure you receive the care you want if you become seriously ill or injured, or at the end of your life.

As part of the planning process, you can nominate a person you know and trust to become a substitute decision maker.

You can rest easier, knowing your plan is in place. Your family can benefit too. When the time

Monday to Friday: 8am - 6pm Saturday: 8am - 12 noon Full range of general practice services including women’s and men’s health, child and adolescent health, older adult health and nursing home visits, and specialised clinics including:

comes, they feel reassured they’re making the decisions you wanted, greatly reducing their stress and anxiety.

75+ Health Assessment

If you are over 75 years, and haven’t already set up your advance plan, consider a 75+ health assessment. These annual, Medicare-funded assessments take approximately 1 hour with a practice nurse and GP. They are a great way of identifying existing health issues and plans for management as well as an opportunity to start advance care planning.

Other documents

Other important documents to complete when planning for your future include: • Your will • Power of attorney • Enduring guardianship • Binding death nomination as part of your superannuation.

More info at www.dyingtoknowday.com

74 Park Road, Bulli 4284 4622 Book online* via our website: www.bullimedicalpractice.com.au scan QR code:

y Travel medicine y Weight management y Skin cancer checks

*Please call 4284 4622 for an appointment if you have any respiratory symptoms

QUALITY PERSONAL HEALTHCARE AND TRAVEL MEDICINE August 25

Meet a local producer at the Co-op Jules Mitry of Bali Spice Magic has been sustainably cooking up a storm in Wollongong with her delicious Balinese food

My relationship with Thirroul’s Flame Tree Food Co-op started some years ago. We started supplying our Tempeh Temple brand in 2015 and then began to supply our spice mixes, turmeric tonic and ready meals in 2020 during the Covid lockdown. All our products are made in our store in Wollongong, using locally grown organic ingredients.

We are very fortunate to be able to source our ingredients locally and organically through local community permaculture gardens and school gardens, as well as our home permaculture garden. We provide seedlings to local schools, families and retirees and they grow beautiful and sustainable produce for us.

We buy back what they cannot use for themselves at market value. This has been a great way for us to always ensure we can make our products using the freshest quality products grown with care and love.

We cater for a variety of dietary needs: 95% of our menu is gluten free and 70% is vegan and plant-based with no factory-made ingredients used. We also cater for FODMAP as well as for those who enjoy meat and sustainable seafood.

I believe the meals you nourish yourself with have

a big impact on your mental and physical health.

This philosophy is what I apply when sourcing my produce, making my product and choosing whom I am willing to work with to spread my products.

We try to provide a good value nourishing product while keeping our sustainability ethos in check. Our tempeh is fermented and wrapped in banana leaves and most of packaging is reusable.

Visit balinesespicemagic.com.au and flametree.coop

Scooting along with the Shed

By Paul Blanksby of Helensburgh Men’s Shed

Although we are Helensburgh Men’s Shed, and have been serving our community since 2016, we often carry out projects for people outside the Burgh. We recently made a new ‘scooter-board’ (sounds good with an American accent) for Family Connections in Bangor.

Caitlin, a local lass, works there and got the Shed involved in creating this important paediatric physio equipment. One of our new members, Stephen (Wood Wizard) Dodd, created the scooter-board (remember the accent – come on) 26 clubs & community

with help from other shedders.

We were happy to be visited by Heathcote MP Maryanne Stuart, a great shed supporter, and we shared some of our stories of men’s health improvements at the Shed, and our on-going search for land on which to build our own facility to share with the community.

And we got together with Federal Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes, at one of her pop-up meetings in Charles Harper Park.

At the Shed, we reached a great milestone: 20 men on a Monday! New members and experienced shedders, new jokes and stories, working on meaningful and interesting jobs and chatting, shoulder to shoulder. Great fun.

Visit helensburghmensshed.org.au or 199A Parkes St, Helensburgh 9am-3pm Mon-Wed. Shed Mobile: 0478 897 485.

Apple Pie Day is here!

By Jo Fahey of Darkes Glenbernie Orchard

We are celebrating delicious seasonal food here at Darkes Glenbernie Orchard on Sunday, 27 August with a dedicated festival, and our annual apple pie/apple crumble bake-off held the day before (Saturday, 26 August).

This year we have a new category, the ‘open apple’ section. This is for any baked apple good you’d like to enter. Lots of people have said they have a favourite recipe using apple that is not a pie, so we have decided to open a category specially for this other type of creation. Show off your culinary skill and creativity! Don’t hold back – we are accepting anything made with apple as the hero, but it must be cooked!

Invite your friends and come and have a fun, relaxed day on our lawn – with plenty of apple pie, food options, activities, some family competitions and, of course, apple juice, cider and beer for everyone!

Book your tickets at www.darkes.com.au INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET:

• Entry to the festival • Live music • Laser Tag • Matilda’s Farmyard Petting Zoo • Lawn games • Family competitions • Entry to the orchard to see the pink peach blossoms • With each adult ticket, you unlock $10 off

every carton of cider/beer that you buy upon leaving the festival (max purchase 20 cartons).

• The Stanwell Park Country Women’s Association receives 5% of all ticket sales, and proceeds from the auction of champion pies/crumbles and other • A portion of ticket price will also go to Darkes Forest Rural Fire Brigade.

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON THE DAY:

• Apple pies (of course!)

• Cider and beer • Food from delicious vendors (with vegan, gluten free & dairy free options available).

• Auction of the winning Apple Pies/Crumble and adventurous creations from our Bake-Off! Proceeds from the auction go to the Stanwell Park Country Women’s Association (CWA).

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING:

• Picnic blanket and chairs • Weather-appropriate clothes and closed-in shoes for walking in the blossoms • A hungry belly and good vibes!

FESTIVAL DATE:

Sunday, 27 August 2023, from 10am-3pm BAKE-OFF DATE:

Saturday, 26 August (Bake-Off entrants only) Drop off baked goods between 9am & 11am

BOOK TICKETS FOR THE AUGUST 27 FESTIVAL Visit www.darkes.com.au or scan the QR code

August 27

Art from our Hearts

Illawarra artists have joined forces to support the YES23 campaign, writes Caroline Baum

positive responses from this creative community”.

Works for sale will include paintings, drawings, photographs and from distinguished local artists including Anne Ferran, David Roach, Anne Zahalka, Michele Elliot and Paul Ryan.

Wombarra painter Vyvian Wilson said: “The Indigenous Voice to Parliament is a way for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to guide the Government about laws and policies that affect them. It’s long overdue and I don’t want to imagine what we would all feel like as a nation if the referendum fails.”

Potter Susan Bromham said: “I’m very glad to be involved in a small way.”

Textile artist Michele Elliot added: “I support Voice Treaty Truth for First Nations people. It’s time to listen to 65,000 years of continuous culture and custodianship.”

Like many artists, printmaker Liz Jeneid supports a number of causes, so this gesture feels like a natural extension of her values.

All proceeds from the sales will go to Yes 23, a campaign led by Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Ltd. Yes 23 does not A group of 29 Illawarra artists will donate their artwork for sale Art from our Hearts to support the receive any public funding.

Information provided by Yes 23 about the Yes 23campaign for the 2023 Referendum to ensure referendum will be available for visitors and an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the respectful questions and discussion are welcome.

Australian Constitution.

Initiated by Wombarra residents Prue Watson Art from our Hearts and Vyv Wilson, and Clifton School of Arts Opening at 6pm Friday, 11 August at Clifton Committee member Roger West, the fundraiser School of Arts and will run from 10am-4pm demonstrates Illawarra artists’ strong desire to do Saturday & Sunday 12 & 13 August. what they can in order for the Yes vote to prevail.

The Clifton School of Arts has come out publicly in support of the Yes vote and is hosting this event For more details, contact Prue Watson: artscliftonnsw@gmail.com without charge for the venue and not taking the normal commissions on sales.

CSA president David Roach said the referendum presents a unique opportunity towards reconciliation and equality.

“As with so many social issues, whether it’s climate or refugees, artists are stepping up and demonstrating commitment to causes bigger than themselves,” David said. “The CSA is a hub for respectful discussion and active listening to debate, as well as creativity, so it feels right to host this unique, historic show.”

Prue Watson is delighted at the response from so many passionate artists. “It’s particularly generous of artists to be donating their work so soon after Artworks L to R: Paul Ryan – Rain Storm the Covid pandemic when it was impossible for 61x46cm_Oil on linen; Vyvian Wilson – them to exhibit and sell their work. I’ve found it an The lake that wasn’t there before; Anne Ferran extremely gratifying experience to receive such – Helena with Mask of Spotted Gum. 28 arts & culture

How water came to Coledale

Col Bruton, 89, draws on decades of experience working at the Water Board to share original artworks and insights into local history, describing how the first water supply came to Priena Mine (now Coledale) in 1885

When the North Bulli Iron and Coal Mining Company first investigated the concept of mining for coal at Coledale, then called “Priena” after a town in Spain, one of the first concerns was, “From where do we obtain a permanent water supply?”

Naturally, any mining operations need a good water supply to be of any success. There were the options of damming local creeks or catching springs in the Heights and Middle Heights area.

Just north of the Coke Works, there was a Huge Dam (in a young boy’s eyes), built across Carrighs (now Carricks) Creek for the quelling of the coke ovens when they were opened.

The name “Priena” was dropped, with the proposed mine being called Bulli North No. 2

Colliery. The Bulli North No.1 Colliery was at “Austermere”. The mine surveyor at the time suggested that it might be possible to draw water from the Upper Loddon River. There was a quite large natural waterhole, carved out of the Hawkesbury sandstone by thousands upon thousands (probably millions) of flooding flows that cause corrosion. Corrosion occurs when grains of sand are continually swirled around, causing the cutting back of the sandstone, firstly as a small hole, then gradually into a much larger pond. Do this for a couple of million years and you have some beautiful, natural, deep ponds. The ones you wish that were there in your backyard.

Eventually, the need for a permanent water supply became quite urgent.

A pumping station was built, along with a 150mm steel pipe laid across the Nepean Ramp, to “Initial Rock”, immediately above Priena Mine. The steel pipe was then squeezed between initial rock and the escarpment, then fastened above ground, to the escarpment itself. On leaving the escarpment, the steel pipe was laid underground to where the pipe drove a Pelton wheel.

The Pelton wheel was a fairly new idea, having been invented by Lester Pelton, from the Californian Gold Fields in 1877. The Pelton wheel then drove a turbine which produced power. So the intellection of the steel pipe from Upper Loddon River gave the mining company two “gifts”. One of a permanent water supply. The other, an abundance of electricity, generated by the turbines driven by the water supply. Meaning, of course, there was no need for steam engines to supply power to the mine and eventually to the coke ovens. Later on, as the mining company expanded, water and electricity were distributed to “selected homes”.

Water and electricity were also extended to serve the Hicks Point Jetty.

Some parts of Coledale, or North Bulli as it was then called, received a water supply and electricity long before the people of Wollongong.

Along with many projects of its kind, all the work was carried out with manual labour.

Exceptional heavy lifting and lowering was executed using a series of pulleys, where one man could lift or lower several hundred kilos of pipes or other material. Very hard slogging, even in its time.

But then, men were so much tougher in 1886.

To see Col’s original maps in detail, please find ‘How water came to Coledale’ at www.theillawarraflame.com.au

August 29

ime to Tpodcast

Janice Creenaune meets Siobhán McHugh, an international podcasting consultant, author, academic and podcast critic, who has been embraced

by Austinmer. Photo by Kirk Gilmour

Siobhán McHugh offers her listeners an intimate world of research and stories via the burgeoning medium of narrative podcasts. “Podcasting at its simplest can be just two heads talking and interacting,” she says. “But it’s also a medium that can present a complex topic as gripping, emotive storytelling. At its best, it is an art form.”

Siobhán has won many awards and is widely respect in journalism, as an academic and author.

Her latest book is The Power of Podcasting: telling stories in sound (Columbia University Press).

In her homeland of Ireland, Siobhán was a radio producer, but she moved to Australia in 1985, inspired by meeting Susan Ryan, the pioneering feminist Labor senator. At first she freelanced as a radio documentary maker for the ABC and a writer of social histories. The Snowy Mountains Scheme held a particular fascination, which culminated in a book that won the NSW Premier’s Award for nonfiction and was re-released in 2019 as The Snowy: A History. “All my books are grounded in oral history interviews and archival research. Minefields and Miniskirts, Cottoning On, Shelter from the Storm and even a children’s book, Snowy, a young girl’s lively view in diary form of the Snowy Scheme,” Siobhán says.

Siobhán has also enjoyed a career as associate professor of journalism at the University of 30 arts & culture

Wollongong (UOW). “I am immensely proud of the range of journalists we have taught at UOW. They include three who have won Young Walkley awards: Alice Matthews, Alex Fisher and Samara Gardner.”

Podcasting has become Siobhán’s greatest enthusiasm. “The low barrier to entry can be a positive, in that anybody with a little technical knowledge can put a chat online and call it a podcast … But investigative journalism, or narrative podcasts, are a different proposition.

They have their own rules and logic…”

Siobhán believes the best narrative podcasts are literary journalism, not unlike books by people such as Helen Garner or Anna Funder. This sort of reflective, deeply personal journalism attempts to make sense of an event, delivers rounded, 3D characters and offers twists and turns rather than simple, linear truth. “The relationship between host and listener is very special in podcasting. Most people listen one-to-one, which increases the intimacy you already get with audio. You can feel a very special bond with a host, which heightens your engagement and emotional response.”

Siobhán is drawn to marginalised people, “the underdogs” of society. “Maybe it is my Irish background and the mistrust of establishment, via both the legacy of colonialism and the overweening authority of the church, that leads me in that direction. I am currently working on The Greatest Menace podcast with Patrick Abboud, who has Palestinian and Lebanese heritage.”

It’s an extraordinary story about a ‘gay prison’ experiment that operated in regional NSW from the late 50s. Men convicted of homosexuality (a crime until 1984) were studied ‘like lab rats’ by a committee led by a psychiatrist at the University of Sydney, charged with investigating ‘the causes and treatment of homosexuality’. Patrick’s own story, of navigating life as a gay man in a homophobic ArabAustralian culture, runs parallel with the historical investigation. Available free on Audible, the Walkley-winning podcast is up for its 13th award.

Siobhán took early retirement from UOW during Covid, but is busier than ever. She founded, and continues to administer, an open access journal RadioDoc Review; she gives podcast masterclasses and does pro bono academic work.

Siobhán’s simple response as to why she continues to work at this pace: “I want to give back.”

Siobhan McHugh will talk about narrative podcasts at the South Coast Writers Festival, 10am, Aug 20, at the Music Lounge, Wollongong. Visit southcoastwriters.org/ sessions/#podcast Contact: podcastpolly@gmail.com, @mchughsiobhan, siobhanmchugh.org

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Michelle Bullock will be the next Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, replacing Philip Lowe in September. She will be the first woman in the role. Despite the leadership change, the course of rate rises is likely to continue, with at least one more increase expected before rates peak.

Recent policy changes have also affected the property market. In June, sales surged up to the $1.5 million threshold before the first-home buyer choice scheme expired on June 30, 2023. The NSW government replaced it with an amended stamp duty exemption for first-home buyers, boosting concession rates up to $1 million. ianpepperraywhite @peppersrealestate August 31

Exceptional authors at Writers Fest

By Tilly Kidd

As the South Coast Writers Festival fast approaches, it’s time to celebrate the incredible line-up of authors in the program that will run from 18-20 August.

Here are just a few writers who will be joining us who have been recognised for their exceptional contributions to the literary landscape over the past two years.

in Crime Davitt true crime award. Her bestselling In My Skin: A memoir, was published by Text Publishing in 2005. The Romantic: Italian Nights and Days, a second memoir, was published in 2010.

Kate has published essays, short stories and literary criticism in major journals, plus a column in The Age, appearing most recently in The Saturday Paper. She lives in the Illawarra.

Kate will be appearing at “Opening Night: The Books We Love” and “18000 Dollars per annum: what’s going wrong (or right) in publishing?”

1. Meredith Jaffé

Meredith is the author of four novels for adults: The Tricky Art of Forgiveness, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, The Making of Christina and The Fence. Her best-selling novel, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, was voted in the 2022 and 2023 Better Reading Top 100 and Booktopia’s 2021 Favourite Australian Book Award Top 50.

She’s the former festival director of StoryFest and regularly facilitates at author events. Previously, she wrote the weekly literary column for the online women’s magazine, The Hoopla. Her writing has also appeared in The Guardian Australia, The Huffington Post and Mamamia.

Meredith will be appearing at “18000 Dollars per annum: what’s going wrong (or right) in publishing?” on Saturday, 19 August.

2. Kate Holden

Kate wrote the Walkley Book Award-winning The Winter Road: A killing at Croppa Creek (Black Inc., 2021). It won the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary awards for Non-fiction, and for Community and Regional History, and the Sisters 32 arts & culture

3. Mykaela Saunders

Dr Mykaela Saunders is a Koori/Goori and Lebanese writer, teacher and researcher, and the editor of This All Come Back Now, the world’s first anthology of blackfella speculative fiction (UQP, 2022), which won an Aurealis Award.

Mykaela won the 2022 David Unaipon Award for her short story collection Always Will Be (UQP, 2024). Her novel Last Rites of Spring was shortlisted for the Unaipon Award in 2020, and received a Next Chapter Fellowship in 2021.

Mykaela has won prizes for short fiction, poetry, life writing and research, including the Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize and the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Indigenous Poetry Prize. She holds the 2023 Macquarie University Fellowship for Indigenous Research. Of Dharug descent, Mykaela belongs to the Tweed Goori community.

Mykaela will be appearing at “Speculative Fiction” and “Writing the Everywhen”.

The 2023 South Coast Writers Festival will host these exceptional authors and more. Come along to hear their stories first-hand and gain valuable insights into the world of literature. From bestselling authors to Australians of the Year, and writers who have won Prime Ministers and Walkley Awards for literature, our program showcases many Australian writing talents.

Tickets available on our website.

Check it out at southcoastwriters.org

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TOWN HALL

18-20 AUGUST 2023

WWW.SOUTHCOASTWRITERS.ORG/FESTIVAL

Fiona’s recipe for Red Lentil Dahl This is an edited extract from From Scratch by Fiona Weir Walmsley, published by Hardie Grant Books, rrp $48

Photos: Alan Benson

• 1 large onion, finely diced • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 3 cm (1¼ in) piece fresh ginger, chopped • 1½ teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 375 g (13 oz/1½ cups) red lentils • 1–1.25 litres (34–42 fl oz/4–5 cups) chicken broth or vegetable stock or water • Steamed rice, yoghurt and fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

Method Smash the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle if you have one. Warm the ghee in a large heavy-based saucepan or a cast-iron pot over a medium heat and add the cumin, coriander and turmeric. Cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until the onion is translucent, stirring fairly constantly, and add the salt and pepper.

Add the lentils and stir until coated, then cover with the broth – sometimes I just use water, which is fine – and simmer until cooked, usually about Dahl for breakfast?!

30 minutes.

Hear me out.

I keep checking and stirring and adding broth or Dahl, I find, is quite water if it looks dry. divisive. People either get it or they don’t. A bit You can add chilli, which spices the whole dish like IKEA. up (add with the spices) but leave it out if cooking I love, love, love dahl – probably due to for kids. protracted bouts of vegetarianism before we started I remember that this was one of the dishes I had growing animals ourselves – and I’d wheel this one on high repeat when I was a young mum, for the out regularly. (Truly, what’s not to love about red lovely reason that you can cook it one-handed! lentils I ask you?!)

And dinner seems to run into breakfast anyway.

I make big batches of it at a time. And it’s more Chuck it all in. Stir. Serve. All with a baby with a delicious the day after. And the day after. And it’s head cold on your hip! Or enjoy it for breakfast GREAT for breakfast. Nourishing, filling, interesting, while dreaming about warm. Once you get past the western cultural Annapurna. insanity of breakfast cereal, everything makes sense.

Dahl for breakfast makes perfect sense.

I cook dahl because I love it. It’s tasty and I can True Story imagine one day eating it while hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal with Adam and our returns eventually grown-up kids. in November But another reason I love it is because it costs The True Story festival of non-fiction is about 10 cents to make. Well, maybe not 10 cents, back at Coledale hall from November but damn it’s cheap. About $10 for an entire family 18-19 and Fiona Weir Walmsley, of dinner. And it’s super nutritious. Gotta love that.

Red Lentil Dahl, serves 4–6

Ingredients • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds • 2 tablespoons ghee, or olive oil • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric 34 arts & culture

Gerringong’s Buena Vista Farm, will be there for a Sunday lunchtime chat about cooking From Scratch.

The True Story program will be launched on Friday, October 7 at Coledale hall, home of the South Coast Writers Centre.

Watch this space!

Meet Jeff Apter Thanks to Collins Booksellers Thirroul

CWA enjoys tea at Camellia Gardens

By Jan Johnston

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books, games and gifts for all ages

Our local president attended May’s CWA annual state conference in Bathurst. The theme for this year was “Courage, Kindness, Strength” and the types of motions raised and debated indicates the relevance of CWA in current issues.

Representatives from flood-affected districts of the far north coast and central west spoke of the work done and practical assistance which was delivered to those communities.

The Awareness Week campaign saw a focus on the need for improvements to maternity services and highlighted the deficiencies in NSW’s health system for many women.

A keynote speaker was Shanna Whan who founded Sober in the Country and was the winner of the 2022 Australian of the Year Local Hero. She spoke about beginning conversations for change on the subject of alcohol addiction.

An address by the Regional Education Commissioner highlighted the need to have a national focus on remote, rural and regional education from early childhood to higher education and including special needs.

CWA spoke of the collaboration with the NSW Police Force Rural Crime Prevention Team and providing assistance in delivering the message to the community of “Report, Report, Report” to address under-reporting of rural crime.

Our Stanwell Park branch supported the Keiraville 60th birthday celebrations and enjoyed the company of our neighbouring branch.

We visited the EG Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens and were surprised by the abundant wildlife, including bats, cockatoos, and ducks. The camellias were in full bloom and spring colour displays were newly planted. We finished with a visit to the teahouse where our orders were served on beautiful eclectic crockery.

We meet at 10am on the first Tuesday of the month at the CWA Hall, The Drive, Stanwell Park.

Jeff Apter has written more than 30 books on the world of music and musicians, including best-selling biographies of Bon Scott, Daniel Johns, Keith Urban and Malcolm Young. As author, co-author and ghostwriter, his list of subjects is varied, enticing and appeals to a wide cross section of music lovers. Put him in conversation with local John Corker and his lifetime love of contemporary music and we’re in for a fascinating evening.

Conversation will be general as well as introducing Jeff’s latest biography, Don’t Dream It’s Over–The Remarkable Life of Neil Finn. Lots of scope to pick up an early Father’s Day present for the music buffs in your family. Wednesday, 16 August, 7pm at Ryan’s Hotel, Thirroul. Bookings 4267 1408 or thirroul@collinsbooks.com.au

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Email stanwellparkcwa@gmail.com

August 35

TVC Executive: (L to R) Tony Horneman, Assistant Secretary; Annette Jones, Secretary; Murray Jones, outgoing Secretary; Ray Smith, President; Elliot Stein, Vice President; Stephen Le Bas, Public Relations and John Mebberson, Treasurer.

New team at Thirroul Village Committee

By TVC secretary Annette Jones

The TVC held its Annual General Meeting on Sunday, July 16.

After about 20 years of service, Murray Jones did not re-contest the Secretary position. Murray has worked tirelessly on a wide range of projects generally relating to improving Thirroul. His knowledge and expertise on all things Thirroul are second to none. The TVC is pleased that, although he has stepped back from the role of Secretary, he will remain an active member of the TVC. The Assistant Secretary, Annette Jones (no relation), was elected unopposed to the Secretary’s role; Tony Horneman is now Assistant Secretary.

Traffic matters

During the AGM a number of issues were discussed including recent traffic changes to the southern part of Lawrence Hargrave Drive (LHD).

The community was only consulted after the local member, Maryanne Stuart, intervened as a result of contact by the TVC. Residents on LHD, near Wrexham Road and High Street, remain concerned about the safety of these changes especially in relation to the new bus stop location. There were discussions about alternative access to and from Thirroul. The TVC Executive and Save Thirroul Village members have agreed to take Maryanne on a tour of Thirroul to show her potential secondary access routes.

Residents may have noticed black boxes in multiple locations along the Princes Highway near Bulli. Maryanne said Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has just completed traffic counts as part of their planning work to inform any future studies here.

TfNSW is finalising the detailed design for the 36 clubs & community

Bulli traffic improvements project, which includes raised pedestrian crossings, additional parking on Railway Street and Station Street, street lighting design and place making. Maryanne hopes to receive a copy of this report once completed.

No news on DA proposals

Questions were raised about a number of development proposals, including Thirroul Plaza and the sites of McCauley Lodge and Tasman Court in Tasman Avenue, Thirroul. No new information is available about these developments.

Questions were also raised about the timeline for the relocation of Wilkies Walk in McCauley Estate.

As a modification to the DA is before Council nothing will happen until approval is granted.

Advice is that an alternative detour route will be communicated to the public during the relocation phase of Wilkies Walk.

Playground and graffiti updates

The work done by Council on the children’s playground near Thirroul Beach was acknowledged. This is a much safer and pleasant area for children to use.

The incidence of graffiti in town had declined slightly over recent months, but ramped up again during the school holidays. Residents are encouraged to report any incidents to Council.

All residents are invited to the next TVC meeting on Sunday, 24th September at 4pm at TRIPS Hall, Railway Parade Thirroul.

Email the TVC at thirroulvillagecommittee@ gmail.com.

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The Northern Illawarra Resident Action Group (NIRAG) also acts as Neighbourhood Forum 3 (NF3). NIRAG/NF3 will hold its annual general meeting at Bulli Community Centre at 7pm on Wednesday, August 2.

The AGM Agenda is: 1. Nominations will be called for the positions of: President; Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer; Membership Secretary; Public Officer.

2. Election of Officers 3. Minutes of the last AGM (3 Aug 2022) 4. Matters arising 5. President’s Report 6. Treasurer’s Report Following the AGM we will hold the August Quarterly Meeting. All welcome.

Update on DA in Woonona

NIRAG provided advice to a group of residents in Woonona who were concerned about a large development planned near their boundary. The DA is for 12 units and 20 townhouses with a basement car park at 15 Nicholson Road Woonona, behind Woonona Bulli RSL. The Land and Environment Court held a Conciliation Conference on-site on Monday, July 17. No agreement was reached, so the matter will go back to court later in the year.

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By Helen Slade

The Helensburgh VIEW Club sponsors three Smith Family Learning for Life students and is actively involved in fundraising activities to raise donations for The Smith Family programs.

VIEW, with more than 14,000 members across Australia, is proud to be The Smith Family’s single largest community sponsor of Learning for Life Students. Nationally, VIEW members sponsor more than 1600 disadvantaged students through The Smith Family's Learning for Life program.

We meet at 10.30am on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Centennial Hotel.

Contact Patti Hamilton, president of the Helensburgh VIEW Club, on 0407 020 668.

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New beauty studio in Stanwell Park The Gabrielle Beaufils Beauty Room is open by appointment

I love making people feel their most authentic and healthy versions of themselves, and my beauty practice is holistic and grounded in my clients’ individuality. My ethos is simple – to customise every single treatment to suit my individual client’s skincare needs, style and personality for your best result every time.

How long have you been working in the beauty industry?

I’ve been working in the health and beauty industry for about 34 years. Seven years as a gym instructor, gym manager and personal trainer, then 27 years as a beauty therapist graduating from the Strand College of Beauty in the Sydney CBD. I was always interested in health, fitness and grooming. Fascinated with how diet and lifestyle can affect our overall health and wellbeing, which presents in how we look and feel. Colour and makeup has always been an obsession, along with a very good eye for symmetry and fine detail.

What inspired you to start a local business?

After years in Queensland, beauty therapist Gabrielle Beaufils has come home and opened a new studio. She took time to tell us more about her career, her specialties and her family, including her inspirational eldest sister, Dr Annette Beaufils.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a mother and businesswoman.

A Helensburgh/Stanwell Park local since my teenage years, I recently moved back to Stanwell Park, to be close to my family and the community I love so much.

My family has inspired me to make the move back to Stanwell Park and commit to opening a beauty room. My daughter lives in Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and my eldest sister, Dr Annette Beaufils, has always been an inspiration both personally and professionally. Her support has been immeasurable.

What are your top 3 most popular treatments?

My three most popular treatments are facials (especially Pro Power peels), brow design and makeup design. I will be soon adding make-up workshops to my list of beauty services.

Gabrielle is available by appointment at 64 Stanwell Avenue, Stanwell Park.

Phone/text 0456 232 241.

Toastmasters turns 25

By Matthew Derbridge, Helensburgh and District Toastmasters president

Helensburgh and District Toastmasters is celebrating its 25th Anniversary.

On 1 March 1998, eight excited people met for the very first Helensburgh and District Toastmasters meeting. They were keen to embark on their public speaking journey. Providing each other with a supportive environment and using the Toastmasters plan, they learned to speak confidently. Some of those members remain part of our Club today.

All are welcome to attend the 527th meeting of Helensburgh and District Toastmasters, Club 38 clubs & community

number 3108, held on 28 August 2023 at The Anglican Church Hall, Helensburgh. The theme for the meeting is Celebrating 25 Years of continuous learning. The club has been through several changes and, after hardship, we are still operational. We have changed venues, changed starting time and had plenty of people come and go, but the heart of Toastmasters is still strong.

Our meetings are the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, starting at 7pm. Our anniversary meeting will start at 7pm too, please come from 6.45pm. We look forward to seeing you.

Artists of the Illawarra Northern Illawarra Art Trail chair Edith McNally introduces Pateena Donnelly-Gorissen

Pateena started pursuing art as a career change in her late 30s. She studied Fine Arts at James Cook University in Townsville and Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong, where she graduated with distinction. Through her practice, she recognised the role of art in her own spiritual growth, as well as its medicinal power in healing trauma. This led her to study Transpersonal Art Therapy at the College of Complementary Medicine and she went on to receive a Dip Ed in Transpersonal Art Therapy.

Pateena worked as a transpersonal art therapist and counsellor with the Centre for Women’s Health at the Benevolent Society in Campbelltown.

Recently, Pateena opened her Stanwell Park home studio/gallery offering her artworks and prints for sale. She took part in April’s Northern Illawarra Art Trail and was thrilled to share her art with over 200 visitors and sell original paintings and cards. Many visitors indicated a desire to learn about making their own art, so Pateena now plans to hold art classes and paint and sip sessions. She will also offer art therapy and workshops.

Pateena’s journey reminds us that it is never too late to pursue your passion. If you’re in the Stanwell Park area, don’t miss the chance to engage with the artist when the colourful ‘Welcome’ sign is out at her studio at 7 Station Street.

Pateena Donnelly-Gorissen is a warm and engaging person, and a multi-discipline artist and art therapist who also enjoys writing poetry.

Pateena is based in serene Stanwell Park, where she explores the intersection of art, spirituality and healing. She is a passionate artist who loves the ability of colour to express emotions and feelings.

Through engaging with her artwork, the viewer becomes a part of an internal/external dialogue which the artist seeks to express.

Inspiration for Pateena’s portraiture, landscapes and narrative scenes comes from her experiences, dreams, people and nature. She uses oils, acrylics, encaustic, ink, watercolour, charcoal and pastels.

She also loves the tactile process of sculpting and Contact Pateena via info@lillypillystudio.com. her studio offers evidence of her artistic versatility. au or 0412 317 363.

Fire truck full of fun for Austi Scouts

By Austinmer Joey Scouts Charlotte, Hugo, Emily and William

Our favourite activity this term was going to the Austinmer Rural Fire Service station.

We all sat in the fire truck and put the sirens on, and even climbed into the back of the truck where the firefighters stand when they are fighting a fire.

And we got a bit wet from the big hose!

The trucks have to carry a lot of safety equipment, even snacks.

Next term we are excited to work on our bushwalking badge and do some first aid and go rock climbing again.

Joeys is for people 5-8 years old. We meet Wednesdays 5-6pm during term time at Austinmer Scout Hall. Come along and give it a try!

Scouts gather for Jamborette

On the King’s Birthday Long Weekend 1st

Austinmer Scouts attended the 41st South Coast and Tablelands Region Jamborette. A gathering of Scouts from all over our region (Helensburgh to the Victorian Border and west to Goulburn and Jindabyne.)

Camping in sub-zero temperatures, our Scouts partook in activities such as Abseiling, Flying Fox, Archery, Fire Fighting Demonstrations and Bush Mechanics. New friendships were made, and old friendships rekindled, as we shared our campsite with fellow Scouts from 1st Cooma and 1st Mount Saint Thomas.

For new Scout ‘Ally’ it was her first Scout Camp.

Her thoughts, “10 out of 10. Would recommend and do again. I made a friend in every single campsite!”

Austi Scouts (11-15 years) meets Monday night at our Scout Hall.

August 39

Beetling About With Dr Chris Reid. This month: Insect bits

It’s high time we cleaned out our gutters, to get ready for the coming fire season, which might be a bad one. The cockies help, digging out some moss from time to time, but it needs to be done properly.

What has this to do with insects?

Well, therein lies a tale…

In Britain in the 1950s, archaeology became refined. The digs were done more carefully, sifting through layer by layer for all evidence. Similar techniques were used for organic deposits from the glacial and interglacial periods of the last million years. These techniques produced bits of insects, particularly beetles, because beetles are particularly thick shelled.

Insect bits illustrated by Alexander Henry Halliday, 1852. Image: Wikicommons

40 clubs & community

The shell (or exoskeleton) of a beetle is like a natural plastic, composed of stable polymers of organic compounds, which can last for a long time, long after the insect has died. Of course, it depends on climate and what else is around (bacteria, fungi, chemicals) that might eat such bits, but the hard parts of beetles are known to last for up to two years in surface leaf litter. Once they are deep in soil they can last longer, because there’s less around to damage them.

So the British archaeologists were finding these fragments. Insect fragments can be pretty hard to identify, especially here, where the fauna is so poorly known, but in Britain all beetles are well-known and it was realised that these fragments could be identified to species.

For example, it was found that the Roman sewers in York contained dung beetles that are only found in southern Europe nowadays, showing that the climate 2000 years ago was warmer (than the 1950s, maybe not now!).

And, conversely, beetles that are only known from Siberia nowadays were found in post-glacial deposits in Britain, showing that the climate was much cooler.

All well and good. But, since many beetle species are restricted in habitat, it was realised that local habitats could be reconstructed from the fragments in archaeological digs. So, for a while, sites were described as being next to an oak forest or similar.

But an archaeologist in York wasn’t convinced.

He took a sample from the gutter of his house in central York and had it analysed as if from a dig.

The analysis showed that he lived beside a peat bog!

What was going on? Well, many insects fly, especially wetland insects because their homes can dry out so they need to find new sites. And these insects form a kind of aerial plankton, which in this case might have landed on a wet slate roof, mistaking it for a bog.

Insect bits are still used to help analyse archaeological sites, but with caution. And if you know your insects bits, you can use them for forensic science, or analysis of bird feeding, or study of insect fragments in foods.

It’s a useful skill.

A hare by any other name

Can you help sew caps for kids?

By Amanda De George

By Genevieve Swart

Photo: Amanda De George

If you squint and focus on a spot in the distance, if you stand on one foot and don’t really think about it, you could say Dolabrifera brazieri does look a bit like a hare.

The top pair of enrolled tentacles, known as rhinophores, sitting just behind tiny, googlylooking eyes, do resemble bunny ears. Although I get more of a Shrek vibe from these creatures.

They even take on a green tinge as they munch, like cows chewing cud, on the algae in local tide pools. Rhinophores are their main chemosensory organ, helping the sea hare to ‘smell’ food and toxins, while the tentacles on either side of the mouth assist it to feel its way around. There are, after all, lots of objects to bump into in rock pools!

There’s something reassuring about discovering a sea hare on my rock pool wanders. Firstly, it shows my eyes are still functioning well enough.

Sea hares camouflage exceptionally well with the mottled yellows, greens and browns of the surrounding algae. But there’s also something comforting, for me at least, in seeing that the world does indeed go on. Whether I’m there to witness it or not, these creatures will still be sliding over and under rock shelves, nibbling as they go.

Surprisingly, these sea hares are kind of flat.

They aren’t the chunky sea hares that use their parapodia like wings to ‘fly’ through the water. In D. brazieri, the parapodia are reduced and enclosed. This streamlining means they are less likely to be washed away by waves.

To see these incredible creatures, have a wander around the rock pools at Sandon Point, to the right of the boat sheds. Good luck!

Thirroul volunteer Tessa McMaugh has just finished hand-sewing 70 caps for children with cochlear implants for the charity NextSense. Each one takes about an hour to make.

It’s fiddly, painstaking work that requires skilful sewing to combine soft netting and cotton material, and produce neat curved seams.

She’d love some help.

“I’m used to being busy,” says Tessa, a retired teacher. “But it’s just too much for one person.”

NextSense needs two or three batches of 70 caps a year, with most going to children in Western Sydney. Tess volunteers locally in many ways, including at the Seaside Festival art show, and got involved with NextSense four years ago thanks to her daughter, an occupational therapist.

“They used to be called the Royal Blind and Deaf Society, but they’re now NextSense,” Tessa says.

Her caps are used after children have cochlear implants. “It’s a huge thing to go through – the cochlear implants get put in and then these caps sit around like a helmet, to keep the cochlear in, so the kids can’t take them out or they can’t fall out.”

Originally from Zimbabwe, Tessa met her Australian husband when he was teaching there and the couple moved to the Illawarra 40 years ago. “I do a huge amount of craft. I do a lot of sculpture and stained glass. And so I’m good with my hands,” she says.

This is essential as caps are a demanding job for volunteers. “They need to be a good seamstress.

They can’t be a beginner – that’s the problem.”

The cap pictured is made of leftover material from a project Tessa did for her granddaughter (“she’s into astronomy”). “They want cotton so it doesn’t irritate the skin of the child,” she says.

The charity covers the fabric cost and Tessa is happy to share patterns and explain what’s needed.

Contact tessamcmaugh@gmail.com or 0438 674 370.

August 41

Illawarra drag queen Miss Roxee has vowed to do another Rainbow Storytime if given the chance, despite recently being targeted by protesters.

Rainbow Storytime, hosted by Wollongong Libraries, is promoted as a vibrant and inclusive event, during which a drag queen shares their “love of literacy and learning” through stories and songs with local children.

However, at Rainbow Storytime on Saturday,

24 June at Thirroul Library, a small group of people staged a protest against the event at the library.

“I felt that if I pulled out of storytime, then they win. It’s not fair for the people that need queer representation in their lives,” Miss Roxee said.

Miss Roxee decided to proceed. “The library staff were amazing at prioritising my safety,” she said.

She was met by library staff and police officers to ensure the event ran smoothly. When Miss Roxee left the venue police officers escorted her home.

“The event itself was amazing. We booked out the venue with over 100 people. We sang Baby Shark and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and lots of parents thanked me for coming.

“I want to say a big thank you to Thirroul library who didn’t back down and didn’t cancel.”

There is no date yet for the next Rainbow Storytime, but Miss Roxee is confident that she would host another, given the chance.

“I’ve learnt to ignore hateful people.

“In my seven years of doing drag, I have faced a lot of prejudice. It comes with the role of being queer.

“However, the positive support has outweighed the negative… I’ve been doing [Rainbow Storytime] since 2018 and I’m not going anywhere.”

Spring Fair is coming

Lunch with Om

Miss Roxee’s read on protest

By Kasey Simpson

By Sabae, of the SPPS Fete Committee

By Ann Middleton

The Stanwell Park Public School Spring Fair will return on Sunday, 17 September from 10am-3pm.

It’s the first fete since 2019 and Stanwell Park School’s close-knit community is putting together an exciting spring fair, with more than 100 parents joining the organising team.

The school is fortunate to have many dedicated parents devoting their talents to run more than 35 stalls, including nine international food stalls.

There’ll be massage, beeswax wraps making, soccer gala, doggie portraits, as well as chocolate wheel, kids spa, games, dunk tank, obstacle course, cakes, plants, Bric-a-Brac and more. An innovative project of collaborative artworks will be auctioned and the fair will come alive with music by local musicians, school choir, a roving play, circus acts and dance. Local community support comes from director/playwright Kelly-Maree Michael, ABA Dance, and Charlie Truscott of Treetop Arts. Also joining us to celebrate the 106 years of the school’s history will be Helensburgh Historical Society and the RFS fire truck.

The fair’s proceeds will go to Aboriginal and First Nations programs, which will be the focus of the school’s enrichment activities.

The Friends of the Wollongong City Libraries are looking forward to our next literary luncheon with a very special guest author, Om Dhungel.

With his co-author James Button, Om has written his life story in Bhutan to Blacktown: Losing everything and finding Australia.

Om will talk to us about his incredible and inspiring journey, from being forced to leave his homeland of Bhutan, to being a human rights activist in Nepal and to eventually becoming a community leader in Australia.

Come along and join us for this event on 24 August to hear more of Om’s amazing story, and enjoy a delicious lunch among friends.

Everyone is welcome at our events, whether or not they are a Library member.

Tickets are available at Corrimal, Thirroul, and Dapto libraries, as well as at the cashier’s desk in the Wollongong City Council administration building. All of the money raised goes to helping special Library projects.

For more info, call 0403 970 461 or cpo23@hotmail.com.

42 arts & culture

Trace your family history

By Local Studies librarian Jo Oliver

Families come in all shapes and sizes. Wollongong City Libraries latest photographic exhibition, Illawarra Families, depicts families in the area over time, from the formal studio photographs of people in their finest frills and hats to informal snaps of families who have worked, volunteered, played sport and played music together.

Waves of migration have brought families from many cultural backgrounds. You can see the Illawarra Families exhibition on display from August at Wollongong Library and online at https://illawarrastories.com.au/exhibitions/ There will also be fun, ‘look through’ historic images of families at each of the council’s libraries where you can put your face in a picture of the past and take a new snap.

If you would like to find out more about your family history, the Illawarra Family History Group volunteers are available on level one of Wollongong Library every Wednesday and Friday morning from 9.30am to 12 noon.

For Family History month, the group are holding workshops at Wollongong Library to help people trace their family history in the local area and beyond.

The first workshop is an in-depth look at searching land titles, from 10am-12 noon on 1 August, following a well-received introductory look at finding more about your house earlier in the year.

On Saturday, 19 August from 10am-12 noon at Wollongong Library, join the Illawarra Family History Group for a workshop to jump start your family history journey.

The group meets on the third Saturday of the month, 2-4pm. This family history workshop will precede the regular meeting – all are welcome to stay and learn more.

Above: Robinson firefighting family 1989. Below: Massey family fishermen 1984

Above: Francis wedding 1910s.

Below: Blackwell family 1988.Below right: Deacon family Thirroul 1950s

All photos from the Collections of Wollongong City Libraries. For info & bookings, visit www. wollongong.nsw.gov.au/library/whats-on

August 43

NF1 Report

By Neighbourhood Forum 1 convenor Warwick Erwin Have your say on Helensburgh Park Crown Land Plan of Management

Council is seeking feedback on the Draft Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves Plan of Management (PoM). The Crown land under this PoM includes Charles Harper Park, Rex Jackson Park and Helensburgh Memorial Pool. The PoM proposes that land near the pool would be the potential new site for the Helensburgh Community Centre and Library. Page 27 of the 84-page document gives a plan view of Council’s site for the new centre which may indicate that Council has preliminary plans – it would be good if Council was transparent with the community Have your say on the Plan of Management now as after 30 August, when submissions close, it will be too late. Drop in sessions at Helensburgh Library on 5 August from 10.30am-12.30pm. More info: our.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/draft-helensburghpark-crown-reserves-plan-of-management Old Helensburgh Community Centre

It’s still there. Last advised reschedule for demolition was July this year.

Helensburgh Town Centre Plan – Phase 3 works Western Terrace

Glenn Whittaker, WCC Project Delivery Manager, gave a response to questions about why the ramp directly across from the supermarket was replaced with stairs. The stairs were part of the consulted plan to replace the ramp at the crossing as it was non-compliant with Australian Standards for access, due to the steep grade.

Heritage trees on either side of where the stairs were built meant that it was not possible to rebuild the ramp in the same spot but there will be a new ramp built, providing access to the upper footway and terrace levels as part of stage 3 works set for Sept. Meanwhile, the lane from Walker St near the newsagents will be retained to provide a ramped access to the upper level footway.

You’ll have seen Council workers working on the Western Terrace but at the rate of one day of work a week (as occurred in the week of 17-21 July) completion is a long way out. The original schedule went down the drain (and not down the drain outside the supermarket as that always floods) years ago. Project updates at our.wollongong.nsw.gov.au Pedestrian Crossing in Walker St

A forum member has measured the pedestrian crossing and pointed out that it does not meet Council’s standards, or Australian Standards.

Council has not acknowledged this discrepancy, but it used the “has to meet standards” excuse in removing the ramp up from the pedestrian crossing near Coles and replacing it with steps “meeting standard”. Council: it’s not acceptable to have standards only when you meet them.

HORCC asbestos – update

Fill suspected of containing asbestos that was dumped in the National Park has been removed; Council is working with the club. Report any fencing down to Council on 4227 7111.

Have your say via Council’s website

Comment on the Draft Strategy for Wollongong Libraries by August 6 and the Draft WCC Heritage Strategy 2023-27 by August 4. The Draft Wollongong Industrial Lands Review 2023 (Draft Review) closes for comment on 11 Sept. Pages 99 to 101 of the document refer to the “industrial lands” in Helensburgh. Parkes St and Cemetery Rd and 159 to 169 Walker St (the area that drains to C2 Environmental Conservation land and into the Hacking River – rezoned in 2015 on the floor of Council against recommendations from Council staff). Comment now – draft report recommends no change. Bus depot is not in the area and exists under existing use rights.

Curb, Gutters & Footpaths at Developments

One possible example of how a combined facility could be integrated with the pool.

Image from the Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves Draft Plan of Management

44 clubs & community

Linda Davis, WCC Director Planning & Environment, gave a response re: concerns raised

by Cr Richard Martin on behalf of NF1 about the inconsistent requirements. There is no current policy or standard that requires kerb and gutter to be installed for new developments, so it is assessed on a case by case basis. Council does have a “Paved Footpath Construction Policy” with

the key policy statement noting: “Where new footpaths are required to be constructed as a result of development, full costs of construction of the footpaths are to be borne by the developer.”

Factors in forming kerb and guttering rules range from pedestrian risk to street trees.

In General Business

Call police if you see or hear any anti-social activity in the car park below Coles and report it so police can respond and statistics are recorded.

When will the footpath on The Ridge be done?

Helensburgh Station staff concerned about destination boards being replaced with electronic boards on a heritage station. Could old boards be displayed in the waiting room?

Subsidence on Southview Ave, Stanwell Tops.

Council says Sydney Water issue due to sewer.

Grass clippings from mowing are blowing onto Cemetery Rd and blocking drains when it rains.

Roadwork signs are being placed at the top end of Parkes St when there are no road works being carried out. Council to be asked to remove them.

Beaumont Road, Otford to the station has been cleared, leaving holes, making it dangerous.

Cemetery portico still needs repairing.

New speedhumps in Walker Street too steep.

‘The Brick Fair is just really cool’

By Iris Huizinga

On June 25, Helensburgh Lions presented the Brick Fair at Tradies. Fans gave us their verdict.

1. Orion, Michael & Sonny from Helensburgh

Sonny: The Brick Fair is just really cool with all the Lego sets every year.

Orion: I like the Lego. I like that one [Hogwarts with mini-figures], because it is really big. There is a lot of minifigs.

Michael: My kids love Lego. I love Lego, and I think everyone should be here … it’s fun.

2. Jake from Helensburgh

Jake: It’s good to see what everybody creates. I like this … display with the boys from South Park. The Lego castle over there: really, really cool. I’ve actually been after the Hogwarts castle for some time. It’s a bit pricey now. I’m actually after the original one, that’s really expensive.

3. Leon

Next meeting: 9 August, 7pm at Otford Hall

Leon: Lego is good because you can play with it.

I like the city with trains the best.

Lions choose causes

4. Liana, Riley & Michelle from Helensburgh

By Fran Peppernell, Helensburgh Lions Club publicity officer

Thanks to everyone who attended the Brick Fair at Tradies. It was a great day, with all funds raised going to our local schools. We have also agreed to donate to these worthy causes: • Salvation Army, who are helping families struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

• Perry Cross Foundation for spinal injury research.

• In conjunction with other Illawarra Lions clubs, Wollongong Hospital Neo Natal unit • Lions Hearing Dogs program to assist the hearing impaired.

We are deep in planning the annual Helensburgh Country Fair on Saturday, 28 October 2023, so save the date. If you would like a stall, visit www.helensburghlions.org.au to get an application and to keep up to date on our Facebook page.

Contact us via email – helensburghlions@ gmail.com – or Facebook. We meet every 2nd Monday of the month at Helensburgh Hotel, 6.30pm, and Fair meetings are on the 4th Monday of the month.

Liana: I like the Harry Potter builds because I’m a real big fan of Harry Potter and just to see them on display makes me really happy.

Riley: I kind of like the bowser that’s playing the Nintendo game over there.

Michelle: I like seeing the creations they make that are outside the box. The ones that don’t come with manuals, because my son Riley, he spends a lot of time building just from his imagination.

1

3

2

4

August 45

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THE ILLAWARRA

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Keeping communi

August 2023

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Keeping community news alive

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The Matilda Effect Grassroots girls soccer is taking

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Funerals I remember

By Thirroul’s Tony Ryan

As Father Time moves on and I get into my late 50s (wow, that makes me feel old!) we still have our fair share of parties, engagements and weddings, but funerals seem to be coming up more frequently.

Most funerals are pretty serious, but I’ve seen some lighter moments.

One of the first funerals I attended was that of the brother-in-law of a farmer we stayed with on holidays. This was in the 1970s and ol’ Jack, being Catholic, was one of 11 kids and had seven of his own so the family contingent was quite large.

Most people were sitting quietly in the church, as the organ played, when Jack’s oldest brother, Clarrie, in his 70s, walked in with his wife, Marge.

While Marge walked towards the front of the church, Clarrie stopped half-way and took a seat.

Clarrie then screamed, at the top of his voice, that he really liked his seat as he’d be able to see everything. Marge scurried back and told Clarrie that family was sitting up the front. Clarrie, still yelling, told Marge that he didn’t want to sit up front “with all those bloody kids crying!”. They breed them tough in the Riverina, but it’s a bit harsh cussing on kids crying at their dad’s funeral.

During another funeral the priest asked everyone to sit in silence and say a prayer. An old bugger at the front passed wind with what could only be described as the loudness of a freight train.

The sound reverberated around the church to the amusement of myself and others. The priest, without missing a beat, said that the Lord answers our prayers in mysterious ways.

Another time, the father of a work colleague of mine had died. Everyone from work attended and, as the dad was Serbian, it was a traditional funeral.

As we walked into the church, I reminded everyone to turn their phones off. Just as the family carried

the coffin out of the church, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Not only did it start to ring and ring loudly, but my ring tone was U2’s Beautiful Day. At least 10 seconds of the chorus echoed through the church before I managed to switch it off.

I attended a funeral of a family friend who died just after her 90th birthday. Unbeknownst to many, her three children had been engaged in a civil war over the care of their mother in her twilight years.

During the youngest son’s eulogy, he launched into his siblings. Fair to say, we were all more stunned than a crowd at a St George game when they actually win, as his siblings stood up in the church and screamed at their brother. Then 20 or so people stormed out. Memorable day, but slightly awkward at the tea and sandwiches afterwards.

One of the saddest funerals was that of a school friend’s youngest sister who, at 16, died in a car accident. A huge crowd was at the funeral and the wake. So many people asked my friend Mary how she was feeling that she said to me: “I swear the next person who asks me how I am, I’m going to slap them across the face.”

Three seconds later her grandmother, a tiny Italian lady, asked her the forbidden question. That would have been fine, except I decided to shadow box behind her grandma, indicating to Mary that she should be true to her word. All the stress and grief unloaded from Mary and she burst out laughing. Everyone stopped, like Sunday traffic in Thirroul, as Mary’s mother grabbed her and escorted her outside – still laughing.

When my time is called I’d like just a casual gathering of friends and the telling of a few stories, with a bit of mayonnaise added, over a fair few beers and that will suit me just fine!

Back in 1949

to Bede Parkes nee Collins, wrongly named Babe Collins in the photo) and then no more women’s soccer was played until the 1960s.

“The original of this photo hung in the Centennial Hotel for many years.”

To celebrate the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we asked Janet Lee of Helensburgh & District Historical Society to share a story from their files.

This page from 3 November 1949 in The Helensburgh-Scarborough News features the Helensburgh Women’s soccer team, formed during the miner’s strike to lift people’s spirits. Jan writes: “They had no uniform but wore the men’s Thistle soccer club top with shorts. They played against other women’s soccer teams in the Illawarra – Scarborough, Thirroul. The Helensburgh team was undefeated. They played for two years (according

August 53

Hello Fish: A year of shark data

By Duncan Leadbitter

I recently stood on the northern headland at Stanwell Park and watched a vessel doing some service work on our shark listening station, installed about a year ago. (This station has been described in a previous issue of Hello Fish.)

Since that was installed I have collected all the notifications of shark detections and now have a year of data. Over the next few months I shall write some stories about the visitors we have had.

We have had detections of all three species of tagged sharks: great whites, bulls and tigers. Other species (e.g. hammerheads) visit the beach, but these are not considered to be a potential hazard to humans and are not part of the tagging program reported on via the Shark Smart app.

From 20 June 2022 to 28 May 2023, we had 59 pings from tagged sharks entering the detection zone – which extends about 500m around the listening station. Six of these were from the same shark over a short period of time as it entered and then re-entered the zone for whatever reason – maybe swimming in a zig-zag pattern.

Bull sharks were more commonly detected in the months of January to April whereas the white sharks were in the colder water months. We only had three tiger shark detections, all in late summer, early spring. They are mainly a tropical species so they likely follow the warmer water.

The data supplied by the pinger includes the shark species and tag number, time and date of the most recent ping plus the time, date and location of the previous ping, and in some cases the date and location when the shark was first tagged.

There are 37 listening stations along the coast and in theory it would be feasible to collect all the data and do a wider analysis but this is a big job and the fisheries department is likely doing this.

In upcoming issues I’ll do what analyses I can.

Jasmine Locke, pictured at a Minnamurra training session.

Photo: Anthony Warry

54 sport & leisure

Above: A screenshot of a ping showing the data we get.

This pic: The service vessel.

Well done at Worlds Soon after Bulli Surf Life Saving Club’s Jasmine Locke was named Athlete of the Year at Illawarra SLS Awards of Excellence, the 21-year-sprint kayaker flew to Italy to compete in the U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships, held at Auronzo from July 5-9.

“So happy to come away with a 12th in the u23 K1 500m and a 10th with the girls in the u23 k4 500m,” Jasmine posted on her Instagram page after her races.

She said it had been an honour to captain the Australian team alongside Fletcher Armstrong.

pointscore 6 on June 25th lacked in wave Juniors enjoy small What height at the northern corner of Stanwell Park it made up for with a pretty spectacular surf at winter event Beach winter day for our surfers and spectators. Bit of a

By Ian Pepper and Emily Laurence

wait between sets but when they came, sometimes propped up by a little backwash on the inside, it proved to be enough for our juniors to show off their skills in smaller conditions.

Seniors, stand by for a supplementary pointscore date sometime later in 2023.

Congrats to the division champs on the day: • u10s Fletcher Bell • u12s Oliver Keed • u14s Ashton Mekisic • Junior women’s Macey Jolley • u18s Oscar Hargreaves Well done to Shyla and Macey

Scarborough Boardriders on the hillside overlooking Stanwell Park Beach in June.

Photo: Duncan Leadbitter @fishhead39740

From July 13 to 18, the NSW Woolworths Junior State Titles presented by Ocean & Earth were held at Corrimal Beach with many of our local surfers competing. Congratulations to Shyla Short in 18 Girls for 4th in the final and Macey Jolley equal 7th overall in the 16 Girls. Both girls qualify for the Australia Titles to be held later this year.

Coach stoked to see more Women on Waves

By Caitlin Sloan

Essential Surf School coach Fiona Hunt has been teaching women to surf for decades and has seen huge changes in the gender balance of board riders.

“Now, when I look around in the surf, it’s just amazing how many women are surfing, just in our area,” Fiona said.

One of Fiona’s proudest moments as a surf coach came earlier this year when, after a last-minute entry, the Women On Waves team that she leads came third in the Her Wave Teams Classic surf series.

More than 170 surfers across 21 teams competed at the second annual all-ages event for women held at Kiama’s Jones Beach on April 1 and 2.

Fiona says her team of five – Lauren Newman

and daughter Bailey Newman, Darci Air, Zoe Gelder and Tesh McHugh – battled tough conditions and even tougher competition to win Saturday’s longboard and shortboard heats, scoring their spot in the finals on Sunday.

“We had no expectations whatsoever,” Fiona said. “We ended up with third place, so it was really good. We were all really, really stoked.”

Over the past five-or-so years, Fiona’s found an uptake in women willing to take on the waves at all levels. It’s progress she’s strived for since holding the very first Essential Surf School motherdaughter surf in 2000.

“It’s my passion,” she said. “I tend to watch all levels up to professional, and just across the board women’s surfing has really gone in leaps and bounds in the last, maybe, five or six years.

“Now’s the time for ladies to know that they’re welcome… there’s so much encouragement out there.”

Essential Surf School caters to everyone from beginners to experienced surfers of all ages.

The Women On Waves group surfs on Fridays.

To book a session or find out more, phone 0407 283 117 or 9545 5599.

August 55

Adventures with the Eels

By Peter McDonald, president of the Stanwell Park Sea Eels

Winter swimming is back in full swing. With new members, ladies and gents, joining us for our 35th year, we average 15 to 20 swimmers each Sunday in waters that now dip below 15°C. To date we have visited the Bulli Sea Lions to contest the “Jimmy Johns” trophy, unfortunately again going to the Sea Lions. This was followed by a visit by 35 ladies from the iconic Bondi Iceberg club, a breath of fresh air and very generous taking in part with the raffles, Joker Poker and donating $500 to our main charity, CRAM Foundation.

On Bring-a-Friend day, we had two visiting clubs, the Cronulla RSL and Kurranulla Swimming Clubs. The 10-person Relay swim against Cronulla RSL resulted in a win to the Sea Eels and we celebrated at Scarborough-Wombarra Bowling

Club. The Sea Eels thank the Bowlo for their hospitality and the visiting clubs for their generosity, with funds going to CRAM Foundation.

On Sunday, 16th July we headed to the Continental Pool North Wollongong for the South Coast 58th Winter Swimming Championships, coming home with very pleasing results. Ron Massaar 3rd O/30s Sprint and 3rd O/50s Sprint followed up with 2nd O/60s Sprint. James Quinn finished 1st in the O/40s Sprint and 2nd Open Sprint. Rod Hampson 3rd O/75s Sprint. We won the 4-Man Nominated Time Relay and finished 2nd in the O/40s Relay – a great effort by our club swimmers. Next was a dinner/presentation at Corrimal RSL, hosted by the Bellambi Blue Bottles.

Our lady swimmers enjoyed lunch and drinks at Resin after their early-morning swim.

Still to come is the Invitational Carnival at the Bondi Icebergs and the Winter Swimming Australian Championships this year at Warringah Aquatic Centre, followed by the dinner/ presentation at Dee Why RSL. Our club will host CRAM Foundation carers and families at Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club and make a considerable donation to CRAM. The Sea Eels is a family club, open to all swimmers who can swim 50m unaided. We swim at Coalcliff pool, 9am every Sunday until September. Swims are 50m, 100m and a relay. All swims are handicapped and only as competitive as you want.

Big wins at IRB Champs

By Caitlin Sloan

Thirroul Seagulls and Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Sea Wolves shone at the 2023 Sharkskin NSW IRB Championships, held at Ocean Beach in Umina on July 7-9.

The Seagulls won gold in the U23 Rescue division and the Sea Wolves won the Rookie Rescue and Rookie Mass Rescue divisions.

The two golds for Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Sea Wolves capped off a dogged IRB season for the team, who were determined to better last year’s silver in the Rookie Rescue race.

“The whole team, from start to finish, were just on fire,” Sea Wolves powercraft captain Anthony Ashley said.

“They really had a bee in their bonnet, they wanted it and they got it, so it was great.”

Both Illawarra teams had a chance to refine their 56 sport & leisure

skills ahead of the championships during the five rounds of the 2023 NSW IRB Premiership Series, which began in late April.

For the Sea Wolves, next year will bring an even greater challenge.

“Next year is a big season. We’ve already started planning because besides the regular season and States and Aussies, we’ve got the World Championships in Australia next year,” Anthony said.

“We’re going to be competing in that on the Gold Coast… It’s basically the Olympics of surf lifesaving.

“For us, next year is also really about getting a girls’ team involved … and we’re always looking for new members to come and join us and bring home more medals next season.”

Thirroul Seagulls’ championship gold was the

The club held a 50th anniversary ball at Headlands on Saturday, 22 July.

Jnr Tigers name Team of Half Century

By Alicia Mingare

In 2023 Helensburgh Junior Rugby League FC is celebrating 50 years in the Illawarra Junior Rugby League. To celebrate, on 22 July the club hosted a ball at Headlands Hotel and announced the Helensburgh Junior Rugby League Football Club Team of the Half Century.

Combined, this playing group has played over 800 representative games, including games for NRL sides, NSW and Australia.

Over the years, Helensburgh has produced some absolutely amazing stars. As each player was introduced at the ball, Ben Haran interviewed them or family members on what it meant to be a Tiger, how their career started and what the club means to them. It was such a special evening. top gong in a haul that also included six silver and bronze medals won across several U35s, U23s and Open rescue and relay races. The team scored fourth overall at the event.

“It was a great result for us because, by and large, they’re a pretty young team,” Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club president John Dryden said.

“They’ve been training really hard over quite a few months now in the lead-up to the Sharkskin Series, and they went pretty well in that as well, and it was capped off by the state title.

The Thirroul Seagulls were also set to compete at the Australian IRB Championships at Kingscliff, from July 20-23.

John had high hopes for the whole team, including young members Jayden Keys, Jack Lynch and Samara Turner, who were selected to represent NSW in the IRB Development Team at the Interstate Championships.

“There’s really good camaraderie within the team,” he said.

Our team: • Fullback - Josh Starling • Wing - Sean Taylor • Centre - Chris Astill • Centre - Glen Connor • Wing - Peter Phillips • Five Eight- Craig Ireland • Half back - Trevor Kissell • Front Row - Justin Poore • Hooker - Damien Cook • Front Row - Phil Doran • Second Row - Neil Piccinelli • Second Row - Steve McCallum • Lock - Mark Phillips

Thirroul Seagulls won seven medals in total, including gold in the U23 Rescue race.

Photo: Thirroul SLSC

August 57

Coavtuerre

Matilda TheEFFECT fe

Grassroots girls soccer is taking off, write Caitlin Sloan

Helensburgh Thistles’ Under 6 and U7 girls team, with coaches (from L to R) Nathan Wong, Sophie Taplin, Ailee Clark, Mark Norton and Erika Drane.

Pictured at right are three of the club’s leading women: girls coach Erika Drane, sponsorship co-ordinator Leonie and Junior Executive Committee president Gill Lehn.

All photos: Anthony Warry

58 sport & leisure

ne

nie Chinne ry Leo

Gill said a gender-balanced committee better represents the club and has been instrumental in getting new initiatives off the ground, including $80,000 worth of renovations to the clubhouse’s outdated women’s amenities, thanks to the state government’s NSW Football Legacy Fund.

“It’s good to have a female voice in that executive,” Gill said. “It’s not just all blokes.”

Over the past few years, more women have stepped up to leadership roles. “I think that having me and our secretary, Deb Loveday, in that executive really balances,” Gill says.

“It’s a very good balance of people that we have, we’re all intelligent people… and it really shows in how we’ve made so many changes.”

Of their recent achievements, Gill is most elated about the rising number of junior girls playing soccer. This has allowed the club to move away from the previous under-6 and under-7s mixed competition and instead allow the girls to compete against each other.

“From under-6s, we’ve got an all-female team in every age group that we can have,” Gill said.

Gill Leh

n

Erika Dra

Even before the Matildas’ triumph at the opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, excitement for the tournament had reached fever pitch.

It’s the first time a soccer World Cup has been hosted in Australia and New Zealand, and old and new fans of the Beautiful Game have been flocking to stadiums in both countries.

Stadiums aren’t the only places alive with World Cup fever. Many local soccer clubhouses, like that of the Helensburgh Thistles, are hosting viewing parties for their junior girls’ sides. Young players are keen to cheer on our women’s national football team, named the Matildas in 1994 after a viewer competition run by SBS and the Australian Women’s Soccer Association.

Gill Lehn, president of Helensburgh Thistles Junior Executive Committee, has spent months tensely waiting for the first whistle blow. Gill plays in the Thistles’ women’s over-30s side. Her four sons are fanatical about soccer, as is her husband, David. She lives and breathes the sport – sometimes too much.

“There’s way too much conversation about soccer at our dinner table,” Gill said.

“We have always followed the Matildas and the Socceroos. We’ll just watch whatever they’re doing.

“There’s at least a two- to three-day debrief after a weekend.”

In 2018, Gill became the first woman to lead the junior committee since the club was founded in 1895. Today, there are more than 200 women and girls playing for the Thistles.

August 59

“It’s the first time our club has actually had an all-girls team in every age group, so that’s been exciting for us, and we just want to keep building on that.

“It’s our first year we’ve had three full under-6 girls’ teams and three full under-7 girls’ teams… and what it meant was that we could combine the under-6 and under-7 girls into a competition, so they play each other each week. “[Girls] playing at that age, we found that often if they’re in a mixed team, the girls might not get the ball so much… but they always get plenty of ball at their feet when they’re in their own team.

“Then they stay together up through the grades, and we found that we get far better retention of female players by putting them in all-girl teams.”

The enthusiasm for the Women’s World Cup is contagious and Gill suspects the Matilda Effect will come into play in a big way.

60 sport & leisure

“It’s so exciting,” Gill said. “I reckon we will get a huge increase in numbers next year, particularly in some of those younger age groups.

“Some of those girls that have left to go to other sports will come back. I was speaking to one girl… who used to play in the under-6s team, and I said, ‘So, you are still playing netball?’, and she goes, ‘Yeah, but I think I might come back to soccer next year’, and I think that sort of attitude will be there around young girls.”

Football South Coast chief executive officer Ann-Marie Balliana agrees. The organisation has already seen a 10 percent increase in junior girls’ sign-ups over the past decade, and girls and women now make up 25 percent of all soccer players in the Illawarra.

“It’s huge for the sport,” Ann-Marie said. “It’s going to create even more interest, and I think we’ll find that especially the young ones will just get so

caught up in one of the biggest sporting events that we’re going to see probably for a long time.

“I think it will increase participation at a grassroots level, but I also think that it may inspire more girls to get more involved in some of these representative pathways to get better, to see how far they can progress in the game.

“Look at players like Caitlin Foord who’s come from the Illawarra and has done so well and has created this magnificent career for herself…

“It will just inspire, I think, a lot of young girls who may have thought of playing football or are not playing football to get involved with the game and take it to any level that they want to take it to.”

In July, over 120 soccer players from clubs across the Illawarra took part in Football South Coast’s Girls Mini World Cup winter clinic. It was the first time they’d had enough interest to be able to hold an all-girls school holiday program.

“The teams had a really good, really fun day out,” Ann-Marie said.

There’s more soccer action to come, with the 2023 National Youth Championships set to be held across Wollongong in October, so Illawarra clubs are sure to receive a boost.

Ann-Marie said: “We want to see 50 percent of our players being female, as is the case in the United States, so we’d love to see more girls saying, ‘Hey, this is a great game. Let’s give it a go’, and hopefully fall in love with it and want to play it for many years to come.”

For the first time in its 128-year history, Helensburgh Thistles has an all-girls team in every age group.

August 61

ime

m

Time

m

Time

m

Time

Time

m

m

0.43 1.55 105 0046 0.47 1.76 0.35 1.10 0.181.39 0.491.53 0021 0027 0530 0229 0.450319 0005 0153 1.58 0.46 0534 0025 0.19 0513 0142 0.420126 1.18 0.40 650 0750 1.29 0.34 1.24 0.61 1.310.51 1.280.53 0719 0700 1155 0822 1.390900 0632 0746 0.35 1.19 1138 0608 1.36 1117 0728 1.260804 0.61 225 0.55 0.51 1.54 1314 0.42 1144 0.52 1337 1331 1800 0.60 1253 1.50 0.72 1708 0.53 1645 0.641428 SU 1244 SA SU TU TU WE 1351 SA 1403 TH 1548 MO TU1.35 MO1.47 FR1.34 SA1.25 1.76 0.64 904 1930 1.80 0.70 1.71 0.57 2.010.73 1.810.80 1900 1927 2355 2020 1.302255 1.67 2332 1826 1.87 2304 1926 1.582030 1901 1951 0.54

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7 125 22 16 10

1.11 25 0156 0744 0.61 FR 1435 1.47 2136 0.58

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Port 2023 Kembla Tidal Chart

1430SU1.30 1422WE1.40 1348 1.51 1859 0.74 1810 0.57 1732 MO 0.67 TH 0.63 SUMO WEWE FR 1648 1.57 TU 1524TU1.53 SU 1502SA1.41 1.920.81 1.70 0.52 2.050.72 2054 2357 945 2045 1.83 0.69 1915 1.77 0.64 2008 2040 2015 2042 0.59 1.60 2344 2005 1.492148

SA 1544 1.54 2251 0.48

1519MO1.38 1517TH1.47 0.781558SU1.49 1330 1.42 1825 0.711619WE1.59 1447 1.52 1332 TH TH FR 1.43 MO TU TU WE SA 1741 1.60 MO TIME M2042 2303 TIME M M 2127 2.020.66 024 2200 1.83 2.00 1.77 2119 0.78 m 2157 2137 0.60 1916 0.61 2013TIME 0.64 1.66 Time0.66 m 2004 Time0.60 m 2132 Time

SU 1651 1.65 TIME M 2353 0.35

1351 0.51 1244 0.61 0.421.35 1712 1649 1607 1614FR1.57 1428 1.47 1435 1.25 1331 1548 1.54 FR FR SA 1.47 TUWE WE TU 1314 SU 1146 0.62 THWE TUSU TU1.47 TH1.65 MO1.59 1.920.56 101 2309 1.81 2.04 1.60 1.64 2020 2255 1.71 2223 19260.60 1.76 2055 1951 2.012117 2228 0.71 2308 2030 0.64 2136 2200 0.581828 0.80 1927 0.73 1.75 0.57

MO 1750 1.78

0.071.21 0.33 1.08 237 0256 0.40 1.56 0.271.37 0257 0.38 1.28 0443 1.11 0206 0221 0.51 0028 0208 1.72 0622Local 0.480336 0205 0330 1.21 0047 0330 1.200543 Time August 2023 3 18 3 18 12 12 12 27 27 24 24 0928 1.40 0929 1.30 0.64 27 1005 0.59 827 0934 1.2390.41 0800 1.31 0848 1.2190.53 0845 0.54 0831 0.57 1.21 0715 0.32 1244 1.310940 0806 0.55 0648 0.561055 ULY 1503 0.35 1505 0.49 343 0.62 1324 0.50 AUGUST 1405 0.59

0.091.17 317 0400 0.40 0331 0.38 0.34 0.46 01421.47 0.43 0259 02291.20 0.35 0417 0153 0307 1.32 0335 0547 1.18 1.53 0027 1.390445 0126 1.55 0156 0400 1.110044 0319 1.10 19 13 428 428 190.18 161020 10.20 161028 13 13 25 10 10 25 1018 1.44 910 1.22 0854 1.32 0925 1.22 1002 1.32 1.12 28 1111 0.52 0822 1.24 0728 1.18 0746 1.31 0.57 0.44 0929 0.54 0926 0.58 0804 0.40 0744 0.610632 0.53 0700 0.51 0900 0.61 1559 0.36 422 0.64 1417 0.49 1444 0.59 1544 0.50

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0.240.43 0.40 0.37 436 0011 0.43 0439 0.40 03300.48 0.33 0548 02570.53 0.38 0442 0330 0133 0.12 0510 1.27 0009 0543 1.08 0443 0459 1.110157 1.37 0336 1.28 0221 1.210059 21 15 630 210.07 630 180642 180557 30.15 15 15 12 27 12 27 1200 1.49 1115 1.38 1.21 30 0730 1.36 033 1.20 1043 1.35 1038 1.24 0929 1.30 0848 1.21 0928 1.40 1.17 1.33 1057 0.53 0555 1.20 1055 0.64 1005 0.590748 0.54 0940 0.53 0831 0.57 1755 0.46 1709 0.56 543 0.69 1610 0.50 1603 0.61

1505 0.49 1405 0.59 0.351.47 1200 1145 1739 1121SU0.53 1741 1.60 1651 1.38 1619 1.59 1517 SU SU MO 1.65 TH FR FR TH 1503 SAFR TU 1313 0.54 THTU SA0.60 WE0.51 TH1.70 1.41 1.70 217 1822 1.73 1.66 21271.73 1.66 21322157 2.022229 20421.75 1.77 2239 1806 1.81 2353 2313 0.351945 0.78 2303 0.60 1.98 0.661845

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e (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect 0.51 0.48 1.20 0459Time 0.40 0205 0439 0059 0.40 0028 05480009 0.240622 0157 0.37 1.21 0133 0047 0.48 1.72 1.27 0.43Local s636 New Moon First Quarter Full Moon 0.12 246 1.21 1244 1115 0748 1.38 0806 1038 0642 1.24 0715 1200 1.49 1.21 0.55 0730 0648 1.17 0.32 1.36 0.56 0.53 0555 1.20 1.31 802FR 0.78 1709 0.56 1603 0.61 1755 0.461825 JULY AUGUST 0.54 1.52 0.60 0.33 1.43 1.70 0.53 MO SU 1330 WE 1447 TH 1332 MO0.71 SU1.42 TU 1313 SA 1200 WE 1305 SU 1121

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Last Quarter

1.41 2137 1.66 1916 1.70 1.73 1.97 0.64 Time m 0.61 1806 m 2229 1845 Time 1.81 m 2313 1945 Time m 0.60 1935 2013 021 0530 0229 0.45 0319 0513 0142 0.42 0126 00050102 1.580027 0.30 0.06 1.11 0.43 1.55 0153 0.181.39 0.35 1.10 0218 0156 0.491.53 719 1155 0822 1.39 0900 1117 0728 1.26 0804 06320654 0.350700 1.25 1.44 0.61 1.18 0.40 0746 1.310.51 1.24 0.61 0816 0744 1.280.53 337 1800 0.60 1645 0.64 1253 1.501331 0.48 0.26 1.47 TU TH 1548 FR 1435 MO 1428 0.61 1314 0.42 0.51 1.54 0.52 TU1.35 SA1.25 MO1.47 MO TH 1359 SU 1244 TU1218 WE 1351 900 2355 2020 1.30 2255 2304 1926 1.58 2030 19011900 0.541927 1.92 1.97 0.58 1.76 0.64 1951 2.010.73 1.71 0.57 2025 2136 1.810.80

22 16 10

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23 17 11

0.54 u802 of Meteorology 1240 0855 1.41 0958 1159 0810 1.28 0852 0718 0838 0.460743 1.20 0.47 1.27 0.65 1.360.54 1.29

FR 0.49 TU 0.60 1408 0.37 0.51 WE TH 1428 SU MO 1325 TU WE WE 008 2344 2005 1.49 2148 2015 2042 0.592040 1.77 0.64 1.70 0.52 2.050.72 2054 2357 1.920.81

ight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect

SA

2251 0.48

1.08 0443 206 0622 0257 0.48 0336 0205 0330 1.210221 0047 0330 1.20 0543 0.33Last 0.271.37 0.38 1.28 0.071.21 First Quarter Quarter Moon 1005 845 0831 1244 0848 1.31 0940 0806Full 0.55 0648 0929 0.56 1055 1.30 0.64 1.310.54 1.21 0.53 0928 1.400.57 519 1825 0.71 1447 1.521517 1332 1.43 SA 1741 WE 1619 TH 0.49 1.60 SU 1651 0.50 0.59 0.35 MO1.38 WE1.59 TH1.47 FR 1505 TU 1405 TH 1503 2353 119 2137 2132 0.602157 2013 2127 0.64 1.66 2.000.78 2042 2303 1.77 0.60 2.020.66

24 18 12

9 327 24 18 12

27

1.11 0.59 1.65 0.35

TIMES AND HEIGHTS OF HIGH AND LOW WATERS LAT 340 29’ LONG 1500 55’

0547 1.18 307 0027 0331 1.39 0445 0319 0417 1.100335 0156 0400 1.11 0044 0.34 0.46 0.201.32 0.38 1.20 0.091.17 0.52 929 0700 0925 0.51 1028 0900 1018 0.610926 0744 0.61 0632 1002 1.32 1.320.54 1.22 0.57 1.440.58 MOON PHASE SYMBOLS New Moon First1.12 Quarter 1111 Full Moon Last Quarter 1146 0.62 1750 1.78 607 1.57 1331 1.35 1548 1.541614 1435 1.47 SU TH© 1712 FR 1544 0.49 0.59 0.36 TU1.47 TH1.65 FR SA WE 1444 FR 1559 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2022, Bureau0.50 of Meteorology.MO Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide.

228 2308 1927 2117 0.73 1.75 2255 0.57 2136 0.58or1828 2200 1.60 1.64 2.040.71 2223 1.92 Times are in local standard time0.56 (UTC +10:00) daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect. The Bureau of

25 19 13 10 428 25 19 13

28

Meteorology gives no warranty of any kind whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise in respect to the availability,

0123 0.54 0.22 409 0449 accuracy, currency, completeness, quality or reliability the information0045 or that the information will be fit for any 0437 1.07 0320 1.08 0117 0405 1.30 0007 0503 0.151.16 0429 0.37of0.41 0.161.28 0.38 particular purpose or will not infringe any1037 third Intellectual rights. The Bureau’s liability for any loss, 0713 1.17 Property0641 1.17 1.27 013 1024 0.57 0958 0.65 0853 0.63party 0743 1001 0.54 0547 1109 1.46 1.35 1.340.54 1.23 damage, cost or expense resulting from use of, or reliance on, the information is entirely excluded.

1232 0.58 1115 0.59 1210 0.42 654 1711 1.68 1648 1.57 1544 1.54 1422 1.40 MO FR TU SA 1656 0.40 1625 0.53 0.49 1523 0.59 FR SA WE1.58 SA SU TH 1908 1.67 1800 1.70 1845 1.90 330 0.61 2357 0.52 2251 0.48 2040 0.72 2314 1.77 2235 1.51 2.03 2153 1.71

26 20 14 11 529 26 20 14

29

0.48 510 0543 1.080009 0443 0459 1.11 0157 0221 0439 1.21 0.40 0.37 0548 0.240.43 0.151.27 0.40 620059 sport & leisure 057 1055 1200 0.640555 1005 1115 0.59 0748 0831 1038 0.57 0642 1.38 1.21 1.491.20 1.350.53 1.24 1.17 739 1741 1.601121 1651 1.65 1517 1.47 TU 1313 SA 1200 SU 0.56 0.54 0.46 0.50 0.61 SA0.60 SU0.53 TH1.70 MO 1709 SU 1755 FR 1603 1806 1.81 2353 2313 0.35 1945 0.66 1845 1.41 1.70 1.98 2157 2229 1.66 1.73

0.12 30 0133 0730 1.36

27 21 15 12 630 27 21 15 1.17 0.42 0.19 0335 0513

0044 0005 0.460102 0547 0530 1.18 0.45 1.580.30

WE 1305 0.33 1935 1.97 0218 0.06

Golf

news

Tradies Social Golf Barry Thompson reports

Perfect weather, albeit a bit chilly, greeted the field of 20 as we sought to conquer the Boomerang course.

Craig Murphy was the most successful in that endeavour scoring 38 Stableford points. After a slow start, Geoff Hammonds cobbled a 36 to claim the silver. Remember Geoff, the scoring starts from the first tee. Mark Ryan hit a 35 and John Towns won the Bucket of Balls.

Mick Carroll and Gary Overton finished all square in match play, while Paul Morahan beat Dave Astill in a tight match.

We welcomed Dave Tippet into the group and an old member Laurie Thompson dropped into the 19th to renew friendships.

Time is passing so quickly that Ivan McMillan will soon defend his Gold Jacket title. Mick Carroll is busy organising this popular away event. Watch for upcoming announcements.

Please support our sponsors: Helensburgh Butchery, Gallardo’s Pizzeria and Helensburgh Driving Range. Thanks to Tradies Bistro staff for preparing our BBQ. Our next outing is on August 19th, the second round of the Club Championship. We tee off at 7am. Join us in the chase for glory.

Incident. I am willing to face any enquiry instigated by Roger, Jammu, and Geoff due to my absent-minded attempt to tee off a second time on the 16th. I shall plead not guilty, me lud! Just hope Terry Maney isn’t on the bench.

Helensburgh Sunday Social Golf Club Robert ‘Indy’ Jones reports

Round 1 of the HSSGC Championships took place on July 3rd at Hurstville GC, stroke play at its finest. The championships continue at Hurstville GC, with tee off at 8am on August 6th and August 20th, for a total of three rounds; 54 holes akin to LIV, albeit without the money.

On the day we welcomed Rob Aspromonte to the group, where penalties were almost applied to the time taken to retrieve a lost ball … from the ball washer, and birdies were seen to be believed.

Round 1 saw Mark Buckley lead the way from Mark O’Connor and Frank Morgan, net scores of 70, 74 and 74 respectively, to secure the Christian’s Premium Meats, Catch Shopping and Helensburgh Golf Range vouchers. Eight exponents made the most of their skills out on course, nearing the pins and driving and pitching.

Longest drives were back on the fairways with

Adam, Blake and Rob Carter leading the grades.

A-Grade being hard to please, providing some discussions and will be back to the 15th next round for the demanding few.

On a solemn note, HSSGC members offer our thoughts and sympathies to Brett Carazzo and Wal Hawkins on the recent passing of their mothers.

Updates to members via text and email, contact Tony on 0418 863 100 for membership information.

Please continue to support our sponsors, Christian’s Premium Meats and the Helensburgh Golf Range.

Time to come out to play? Join us to enjoy a game of golf, the outdoors and good company.

Indy signing off. The difference between “Put” and “Putt”: To “Put” is to place something where you want it. To “Putt” is a fruitless attempt to place a ball in a hole.

Helensburgh Car Services

4294 2930 Tune & Service • E Safety Checks All Makes & Models LPG Rego Checks • Blue Slips Licence no. MVRL 17877

Child Restraints Fitted John Hine (Proprietor) 187 Parkes St Helensburgh 2508 August 63

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