Pearls of Wisdom 14 Monthly Mailbag

Were lockdowns really that bad?

'Leaders of Business' Feign Concern for Child Welfare

Words Pearl Bullivant Photo Bea Hindbars

As Australia’s self-appointed COVID ambassador, Pearl was disturbed to hear that “leaders of business” have been meddling in the future of our youth, under the guise of a Sydney-based “high-powered taskforce” that has criticised the government over its COVID lockdown and quarantine policies in respect to their impact on children. The taskforce, which published its “findings” in July 2022 (once the dust has settled on a pandemic, hindsight is such a wonderful thing), is concerned that children have been robbed of “important life experiences and developmental opportunities” by adult-centric lockdowns and “children and young people have sacrificed enormously to keep their parents and grandparents from harm for over two years”.

It’s bad enough that adults have to endure the meddling of taskforces, think tanks and industry associations run by vested interests, but please leave youngsters alone. There is something about the words “sacrificed… to keep their parents and grandparents from harm” that is extremely unsettling and dystopian. I fully understand that the older generation is annoying to the young and that we have selfishly screwed up the world they are inheriting, but I doubt any child would be prepared to sacrifice the life of their elders for the sake of freedom during the pandemic.

And what is this “freedom” spouted by “leaders of business”? The freedom to be active consumers, rather than caring citizens? COVID has impacted the mental health of Australians but imagine the mental toll on children knowing their family members, teachers and immune-compromised peers died so they could satisfy the whims of big business, by hanging out at Westfield.

Pearl acknowledges that the closure of schools during COVID could have been handled better, but important decisions needed to be made fast to protect the community. Australians have been basking in years of relentless economic growth and due to our penchant for short-term planning (unless nuclear submarines are involved) we were unprepared to handle anything quite like COVID, and while big business profited from Job Keeper, teachers went above and beyond to keep children educated. If the taskforce were really concerned about “life experiences and developmental opportunities” it would be attacking the Morrison government’s botched Pfizer vaccine deal and the state governments’ unwillingness to invest in medical and quarantine facilities to cope with the pandemic, delaying our way out of the virus’ clutches.

Perhaps the taskforce should also be investigating the longterm causes of youth displacement rather than focusing on the impact of a pandemic if it truly wanted “to help our young generation get back on track”, but cause and effect has never been a strong suit of the Australian taskforce ‘industry’. And, when it comes to the welfare of our children, let us hear from teachers, school counsellors, doctors and parents - not lawyers, academics and CEOs professing concern while offering preordained outcomes based on black and white armchair tactician thinking.

The Beast's Monthly Mailbag

Words The Stressed Out People of the Eastern Beaches

In Support of Pearl & Urs

Dear Beast - Bravo for your fun yet important magazine. I’d like to support Pearl and Urs from Bronte (Let’s Make Our Streets More Beautiful, Letters, The Beast, October 2022).

While reading Urs’ words of wisdom, I immediately sent a request to Randwick City Council. I live on Brook Street, Coogee, and a particular area nearby is always used as a dumping ground (a lawnmower’s engine currently clutters the site). I’m now taking a little step toward making this area more green and alive, naturally.

It’s actually great that Council offers that tree service, and even greater that the community leads the process via these requests and more initiative to balance the nature/concrete ratio in our ‘hoods. Bravo, and thank you people for being part of the solution.

Manu Coogee

Duckheads

Dear Beast - Self-entitled ‘ducks’ invade our space incessantly on the Bondi to Bronte walk. Their boundless duckhead egos pose a risk to toddlers, the elderly, people convalescing and the general public daily. Prancing about what they perceive as ‘obstacles’ (people), aggressive, heaving and spluttering and showing off their tacky tattoos.

Ban them, I say! They’ve had a go and proven their intellectual capacity to coexist is in the single digits. Alternatively, give them a fenced-off jogger park, with compulsory registration, chip implants and downpayment for inevitable future incursions and easily identifiable tops so they can be reported.

One wag suggested, “Maybe get ‘em desexed as well,” pointing out that there are many places that joggers can use without impacting the public. Compulsory core vaccination could be included, though I don’t think there’s one yet for duckheadedness, other than basic education of course.

Annoyed Bronte

Burrows Park 'Upgrade'

Dear Local Residents - We are writing to make you aware of a Randwick Council proposal to build an NRL specification facility in Burrows Park, Clovelly.

We have no problem with an upgrade to the amenities for locals, which could definitely do with a bit of a refresh, but why invest in an international size NRL facility if it’s not intended for NRL use?

The documents mention: • An international size NRL field with 5 metre run-off (extending the current footprint of the grounds on all sides and building a retaining wall on the south side where the dog park is). • A huge new amenities building of 410 square metres. • Changerooms for 23 x 2 players (plus lockers, toilets, a referees room, kiosk, etc) . • A storage room for the NRL and Randwick City Council. • An electronic scoreboard. • Flood lighting. • Undercover seating and viewing areas.

That sounds like it’s heading in the direction of a much bigger development. Surely the next thing will be to use the dog park for parking and a reduction in the availability of the grounds for the kids and locals? To make returns on the financial investment in the works, surely there will need to be significant use of the facilities, at a fee (like the upgrade to the Coogee Tennis Club that now operates until midnight every night).

This will completely change the quiet, local, natural beachside area we all grew up with or moved to Clovelly to enjoy. Imagine the impact of crowds on traffic, parking, noise and environmental pollution - loss of natural views and space - and how this will impact on our quality of life and property values.

The field only needs a simple upgrade for local families and kids - bubblers and new toilets, not an international size NRL field.

We need to stop this before it starts. Other kids’ sporting clubs such as the Clovelly Crocs are not in favour of this proposal and we also note that the Clovelly Bowlo has not been consulted on this either.

Concerned Clovelly residents, please contact the council to object to this proposal. Have your say now, before it’s too late!

We are proud to provide the community with outstanding care and customer service for all your eyecare needs.

Long Live the King

After the untimely demise of the Queen, there are now only five reasons left to be a monarchist - even though it might be a bit upsetting for Matt Thistlethwaite. Firstly, there is the Duchess of Pork (sweet Fergie); secondly, the stratospheric gin consumption of Princess Margaret; thirdly, Prince Andrew, who does not sweat when (not) “entertaining” underage girls at Jeff’s place; fourthly, sweet Camilla Parker Bowles (tampons are useful); and finally, there is the new King, who should grace our money - perhaps as “King” or even better as “Burger King”.

Thomas Consort Majestic Coogee

Check Out the New Menu at the Legions

A little more on a letter from last month’s Beast (Thank You Sonya, Letters, The Beast, October 2022) from ‘Friends & Foodies of the East’...

The Eastern Suburbs Legion Club at Charing Cross had a bistro operator for many years and now it is time for a full kitchen renovation. There will be a new operator to occupy the bistro in the very near future. We can’t wait to welcome new and old members to try our exciting new menu that will be offered.

Jocelyn Waverley

The Special Spot

March 16, 2009, was a regular meeting of the Coogee Bay Precinct. We welcomed Council representatives who outlined plans for new public amenities in Dunningham Reserve above the Coogee Fishing Club. The mood rapidly changed from interest to shock when we saw the concept drawings. On questioning, we were told the building would extend 23.5 metres along the coastal walkway. This would obliterate the beautiful view down to the bay and take up a large section of the grassed area much loved by those seeking the sun’s rays at the end of the day.

The very next day, a number of Coogee Precinct participants contacted Council to express our concerns.

On April 1, Precinct member Del Buchanan took a call from a friend who had rung Council to check the deadline for comments. He was told we had until the next day, with the added comment that there was no requirement for community consultation. We immediately alerted the then Chair of the Precinct who rang Council to suggest that the plans be made public and there be ample opportunity to comment.

It was vital that we get the information out and a petition was one way to do that, especially at the site of the proposed structure. But we had a problem - we had nothing to show of the proposal. We put the call out overnight for people to come along the next day for a photo session. Despite it being a wet and cold day, thirty people turned up. We asked them to hold hands for the 23.5 metre length of the proposed building to show the extent of the impact. The resultant photographs featured in our information material.

Offers of help flooded in. Iain Crossing, a local resident, set up a fantastic website (www.savedunninghamreserve.com) and kept it updated. Many residents sent letters to the editor of the Southern Courier, resulting in it running a poll which showed overwhelming opposition to the proposal.

On April 7, the Council website and the mayoral column in the Southern Courier featured an outline of the proposal with a link to the plans. For the first time, the community could see what was planned and we had the information to produce our leaflets.

The next day was Good Friday. Del and I set up our petition table in Dunningham Reserve. We were overwhelmed by the response, with over 100 signatures in an hour. Many people took petition sheets to share. It helped that the petition was quick to read with less than 100 words of text. The next day another two hundred signed.

By April 15 we had 1,000 signatures. This was perfect timing. I had contacted an early social media site called Street Corner and on that very day it ran a story and was able to announce the 1,000 names. Street Corner became an essential communication channel for our campaign (the petition ended up with 3,300 names).

Apart from the sheer beauty of the view that would be lost to anyone using the reserve, it is an iconic view made famous by three of Australia’s most celebrated impressionist artists; Tom Roberts, Charles Conder and Arthur Streeton. We made contact with Barry Pearce who was then Head of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of NSW. We were subsequently copied in on his email to Council and those of other staff of the gallery.

We contacted the local MP Paul Pearce and we subsequently received a copy of Paul’s email to Council and Paul also joined us for the various photograph sessions. Peter Garrett’s office followed up on our request that the location be made a site of National Significance. Subsequently, the Federal Minister for the Arts undertook to see what could be done (changes in the Labor Government meant this did not progress - but perhaps the time is right for another go).

On Sunday, April 26, the Sun Herald carried a story featuring Barry Pearce. The next day the Southern Courier asked us to organise people for a photo with an hours’ notice - 45 people turned up.

On April 30, Marie Nicholson from ABC News made contact to organise an interview the next day. May 1 dawned a sparkling Coogee day. It was one of those

days where the smooth translucent waves roll in in a perfect curve that echoes the bay before they slowly lollop on the beach. The ABC crew set up on the site of the proposed amenities block looking down on this magnificent vista. The camera crew were fixated on the filmic beauty of the bay and took many shots from different angles. They had to be pulled away to focus on the job at hand which was for Marie to interview Barry Pearce and I. Barry was very compelling, saying that this is the only vista painted by these three members of the Heidelberg School that remains intact and emphasised how important it was that it be preserved.

The story went to air in the top rating Sunday night ABC News bulletin. They had done a beautiful job. The sparkling bay featured behind us as we were interviewed. After the interviews, the camera stayed on this sparkling view for some time to be gently replaced with the Conder image and then, after a pause, the Streeton, followed after another pause by the much beloved Tom Roberts work. This stayed in its loveliness until suddenly the image of the toilet block was slapped down on top, obliterating the beauty that had preceded it.

The news item was widely seen and Coogee was abuzz with a sense of hope that Duningham Reserve would be saved from this abomination. These hopes were further raised when on May 5 Councillor Tony Bowen, whom we had earlier contacted along with the other East and West Ward Councillors, issued a press statement to say he and his fellow Labor Councillors did not support the proposal. This was a welcome development and a very useful one, given that Council elections were due in a few months.

Two days later, Liberal Mayor Bruce Notley-Smith issued a press statement to say that he no longer supported the proposal. A Mayoral Minute was tabled at the Council meeting on May 12 with the recommendation “that Council immediately ceases all work on the current proposal for a new toilet block and staff facilities” and “Council seek an alternative location and design”...“should a demonstrated need or demand for such be indicated”(Council has recently announced plans for a new small toilet facility that they say blends in with the landscape). The Minute went on to recommend that the existing toilet facility be demolished and the area turfed. This second recommendation did not come from the residents, who generally were of the view that the small and unobtrusive toilet should be left in situ and just updated.

The fact that the new facility as proposed did not go ahead was widely welcomed. The Southern Courier approached our group to appear on a front page spread in its May 19 issue. We remembered we had spoken to a lovely elderly woman who every Saturday for the past ten years had visited her ‘special spot’ and sat in the sunshine admiring the bay and watching as her family swam below. We gave her details to the Southern Courier and Margot Law featured on the front page under the heading ‘Special Spot Saved’.

Rona Wade Coogee

A Vaccination for a Techno Virus?

Early one recent wintry morning, as I exited the chilly waters of Wylie’s Baths, I was greeted with an unusual sight - 20 or 30 young guys had gathered at the pool and were chatting quietly in small groups as the sun rose.

There’s usually only a few diehard cold water masochists like me at this time in winter. A large bunch of young blokes hanging out together so early is extremely unusual unless it’s a footy team in a recovery training session or a footy team at the end of a mad Monday style night out. Turns out this group is a Men’s Mental Health Hangout, and I love it.

There’s an unspoken epidemic occurring right under our noses, and it has nothing to do with a biological virus. It’s an epidemic of loneliness, and the virus is technology.

Just as COVID seeks out our most vulnerable to spread itself, these techno viruses (online algorithms) are aimed with laser precision at those of us most vulnerable to the endorphin rush of gaming and porn. And that would be our boys and young men. Getting together away from technology and gaming ads on TV sport is like a weekly vaccination against the virus.

So I applaud anything that gets young guys together in freezing cold water, practising Wim Hoff breathing even, and warming up together afterwards over a coffee and a bacon & egg roll.

Check it out! www.instagram. com/hows_thehead/

Stuart Davis Greens Candidate for Coogee

What About Sculpture by the Sea?

Hi James - We live in Ben Buckler, so we get your mag in our post box, so why not read it? Lots of letters I see, with many opposing points of view, like free dogs vs Pearls (of wisdom?).

But why nothing on the fabulous Sculpture by the Sea? It begins on October 20 for the first time in three years and is the biggest arts draw card for spectators (no, City2Surf is not arts) but it didn’t even get a mention.

And who amongst us ratepayers knew the Pavlova has a party tomorrow night? Certainly nothing from our lovely council.

Cheers,

Rebel

North Bondi ¢

- There was a double page spread promoting the opening night of the Pavilion right at the front of the magazine.