NEWSLETTER OF THE CASTLECRAG PROGRESSASSOCIATION INC.Eighty two years serving the community

ISSN 0814 2054 No. 169 October 2008

OUR NEXT MEETING:

GENERAL MEETINGTuesday, 28 October

7.30pm for 8.00pm

Castlecrag in the new planning eraGuest Speaker: Greg Woodhams, Director Environmental Services, Willoughby City Council

Your chance to engage with Greg andour Ward Councillors in a forum onhow the changes in NSW PlanningLaws affect our suburb. Refreshmentswill be served.

Refreshments will be served.

YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED to theCommunity Centre, The Rampart(down laneway near intersection withThe Postern).

THINK LOCAL! SHOP LOCAL! EMPLOY LOCAL!

Castlecrag residents are cordially invited toattend the Progress Association GeneralMeeting at the Castlecrag CommunityCentre on Tuesday 28 October to hear GregWoodhams, Director of EnvironmentalServices at Willoughby Council, discuss howNSW's new planning laws will affectCastlecrag. Following Greg's address therewill be a public forum to discuss the issues

and allow you to put questions and specificconcerns to Greg and our ward councillors.

You are encouraged to come at 7.30pm fordrinks and nibbles before the meeting at8pm; and then to stay for refreshments anda social chat after the formal meeting fromaround 9.30 pm. Please come along andjoin in this important community gathering.

Bruce Wilson

Castlecrag in the newplanning era

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

2 Community Bytes

3 President’s musings

3 Hugh Mackay at Castlecrag

4 Land & Environment Courtjudgment on Griffin ConservationArea

4 Bushcare groups in Castlecrag

5 Harold Smith 1913-2008

6 Bringing the Cheong House backto life

8 Castlecrag Sports Club is 80!

9 Steve Bartlett: CastlecragShipwright for 50 years

10 Letter to the Editor

10 The Haven News

11 Council News

12 Community Notice Board

Our new Council

The Crag congratulates Pat Reilly on hisreelection as Mayor of Willoughby City andour Councillors in Sailors Bay Ward for thenext four years – Trevor Morgan, Adrian Coxand John Hooper. Overall, the makeup ofCouncil will be similar to the previous one,suggesting a vote of confidence in theperformance of our Council. CouncillorsMary Johnston (Sailors Bay Ward) and PhillipHickie (Middle Harbour) did not seek re-election, while Cr Tony Mustaca, who stoodin Middle Harbour rather than West Ward,and Cr Sylvia Chao in West Ward were notsuccessful at this year's poll.

As indicated in The Crag 168 (August), thiselection saw five groups standing for the

three councillor positions in Sailors BayWard. Local Castlecrag resident BrianMoran headed Group E, and while hetopped the poll for Castlecrag booth, thiswas not sufficient. Readers may beinterested in a comparison of the firstpreference votes at the Castlecrag boothcompared with the ward-wide figures.

The following table presents the 'Above theLine' vote for each group, plus the 'Belowthe Line' vote for the lead candidate in thegroup.

Ward Group Castlecrag Wide figure

Votes % Votes %

A (Lightfoot) 75 6 909 14

B (Morgan) 239 19 2126 32

C (Hooper) 223 18 1299 19

D (Cox) 255 21 1464 22

E (Moran) 345 28 851 12

Formal votes 1137 92 6783 88.4

Informal Votes 100 8 887 11.6

TOTAL votes 1237 100 7670 100

It will also be noted that the proportion ofinformal votes was lower in Castlecrag thanthe ward-wide figure.

New faces on Council are John Hooper andRob Wilson (Middle Harbour Ward), whohave been active in community affairs forsome time. They will be joined by twoformer councillors in West Ward, LynneSaville, who topped that poll on The Greensticket, and Mandy Stevens.

Editors

Councillor Tevor Morgan comfortably topped thepoll in Sailors Bay Ward and was elected to theNo.1 position.

Page 2 October 2008

is the community newsletter of theCastlecrag Progress Association

PO Box 4259Castlecrag NSW 2068

web page:www.castlecrag.org.au

emails to the CPA:info@castlecrag.org.au

Please send all correspondence and membership renewals to the above address.

COMMITTEE 2007-2008

President Bruce WilsonVice Presidents Kate Westoby

David HarropSecretary Jill NewtonTreasurer Diana Jones

Committee James FitzpatrickElizabeth LanderBob McKillopHoward RubieGay Spies OAM

Editor Bob McKillop9958 4516

Assistant Editor Margaret Chambers

email: editors@castlecrag.org.auLetters to the Editor are welcome.

Design, Typesetting & PrintingRobin Phelan & Associates

9958 4191rocketdesign@bigpond.com

Our Award Winning Florist!The Crag extends its congratulations toJodi McGregor and Stu White for theirsuccess in becoming the Champion ofChampion (Florist) at the 2008 SmallBusiness Awards. The awards, sponsored bythe Commonwealth Bank, Certif iedPracticising Accountants, Fairfax Media andQuickbooks, were presented at Star CityCasino on 13 September. As the winner forNSW, Jodi McGregor Flowers will representNew South Wales against other statefinalists on 1 November 2008. Theenterprise also won the 2008 True LocalBusiness Award.

Warners Park PlaygroupAs reported in the April issue of The Crag, alocal playgroup for residents of bothCastlecrag and Northbridge operates at theWarners Park Centre at the end of TheOutpost. A member of Playgroup NSW, it ismanaged by a group of volunteer parentsand offers weekly play-sessions for childrenaged 0-5 and their parents. Children canplay with new toys, try a craft activity, playmusic, learn songs, dress-up, play withsand, generally have fun with other childrenin a safe environment under parentalsupervision. The group has vacancies for toddlers andoperates on Mondays and Fridays from10am until midday. Fees are modest, at $25per family per term with a yearlymembership fee of $32. Please phone theco-ordinator Donna Morris on 9967-9918or 0410-689288 for information and comealong for a visit.

Operation Caring ChristmasWe highlighted the activities of 'OperationCaring Christmas' in The Crag No. 166(February 2008). Under this initiative,volunteers from St James' Anglican ChurchCastlecrag visit residents who are disabled,elderly, sick or lonely each year at Christmas.They take presents of festive home-madefood or flowers and try to bring somehappiness to these people. Operation CaringChristmas is a Christian outreach programrun by St James, but volunteers visit peopleregardless of religious affiliation. The team is now appealing for names andaddresses of any residents of Castlecrag orWilloughby who might appreciate such avisit. Contact June Raymond 9958 4739 orMargaret Chambers 9958 4789.

Edinburgh Road traffic mattersParents of children at the Montossori pre-school on Edinburgh Road concerned aboutsafety in crossing the street at this locationhave again brought up the issue of trafficcalming measures to address this problem.Readers of The Crag will be aware that thisproblem is a long-standing one going backsome decades. Council finally responded tothese concerns and initiated a Local AreaTraffic Management Plan for EdinburghRoad and Sunnyside Crescent in 1999. As reported in The Crag No. 150 (April2004), funds were approved to constructthe traffic calming devices recommendedby Council's consultrants in 2002-03, butlast minute opposition from some residentsresulted in cancellation of the scheme andthe funds were diverted to projects inother areas of Willoughby. Subsequently adevice was installed on the corner near

Community Bytes

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Congratulations to our new Sailors BayWard Councillors, Adrian Cox, John Hooperand Trevor Morgan. A thank you also tocandidates Brian Moran (Castlecrag) andJohn Lightfoot (Northbridge) for addingsuch strength and diversity to the field forthis ward for the election on 13 September.This community is most fortunate to havebeen offered such a choice. Indeed acrossWilloughby City most candidates havenominated solely to serve their community,not with a weather eye to a state or federalpolitical career.

The strong return of Mayor Pat Reilly andmost re-nominating Councillors appears tohave been an overall vote of confidence inWilloughby’s past Councillors and their CivicPlace and other deliberations. Hopefully theNSW Planning Minister, now KristinaKeneally, will note the strength of the resultand allow Councillors to deliberate onimportant planning matters. Thanks also toa l l who a t tended the 'Meet -The-Candidates' night, to hear the threemayoral candidates and f ive wardcandidates present their policies and answerquestions. Castlecrag now has some specificpromises made to it that will benefit allhere. There was a strong voter turnout andspecial thanks are extended to our youngervoters who showed they value theirdemocratic privileges.

'Crash through or crash' has been arecent trend where some developers havesubmitted development applications thatare gross violations of Council's PlanningInstruments. We congratulate Council inupholding its controls despite the legal costsinvolved. Such 'ambit claims' are a high riskstrategy in Castlecrag, wasting valuableenergy, considerable time, unavoidableholding costs, and wasting goodwillbetween neighbours.

Generosity to the wider community isalways appreciated, and the donation bythe Milston family of their Battlement homecontents raised some $2500 for communityactivities at the 'garage sale' on 10 August.Neville and Madge Milston are fondlyremembered and would be proud of Leahand Michael’s donation.

Farewells to friends and neighbours arealways hard, but none more so than toDavid and Joanna Harrop who leave theirSugarloaf Crescent home of 30 years to 'lesshousework' at nearby Naremburn. Wethank them for their contributions to ourcommunity and particularly to the ProgressAssociation, where David has been aCommittee member for for many years andis currently Vice-President.

Bruce Wilson

President’s musings

Some 60 members and visitors attended theProgress Association general meeting on26 August to hear guest speaker HughMackay and to join him in social gettogether afterwards.Hugh commenced with a brief outline of hisearly life in Castlecrag, noting that hisfather had been an early member of theProgress Association. He then presented apolished and intriguing summary of themain themes in his recent book AdvanceAustralia Where?Using the public preoccupation withrenovation as an entry point, Hugh arguedthat has been an escape from engagingwith bigger issues. In short, mostAustralians found the rapid social andtechnological change of recent timedestabilising and even depressing – they

reached the point where it all seemed to be'too much'. The national story was 'let usescape' and individuals focused on whatthey could control: the colour of the tiles intheir bathrooms, cookery and keepinghomes 'Spotless'!Another theme was the changingdemographics of our society. People aregetting married at a much older age andbirth rates are declining. Women of child-bearing age are now much better educatedand they have grown up in a rapidlychang ing soc i e t y, so they s eeunpredictability as normal and have littleincentive to rush into marriage and a family.Society as a whole is becoming less child-friendly and there are already pressures forchild-free leisure and activities all around us.

Hugh Mackay at Castlecrag

October 2008 Page 3

Community Bytes cont…

Castlecrag Progress Association Inc. Membership Form

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR 2008I wish to renew / apply for membership fo the CPA Inc., and enclose payment of: $ .....................................

($10 per person, $5 per student)

If you wish to make a donation, this will be most welcome. I enclose my donation of: $ .....................................

Name: ........................................................................................................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................

Phone: ...........................................................................

Please post to the Treasurer: PO Box 4259

Castlecrag 2068

Queries to:info@castlecrag.org.au

the Montossori pre-school as an ad hocattempt to keep traffic on the correct sideof the road.

Given this history, it is considered unlikelythat Council will be in any hurry to start theLATM process for Edinburgh Road overagain. If you are concerned about safetyissues on Edinburgh Road, however, wesuggest you come along to the ProgressAssociation General Meeting on 28 Octoberand put your views to our ward councillors.

The Progress Association has been agitatingfor a right-hand turn at the traffic lights intoEastern Valley Way since 1981, but allefforts to date have been resisted by theRTA, which holds that the extra phase willhold up arterial traffic to the city and thatthere have been insufficient seriousaccidents to warrant a change. Given thereality that environmental challenges meanthat the mind-sets of the 20th centuryneed to be cast aside if we are to have asustainable future, it has been suggestedthat it may now be an opportune time foranother effort. We hope you can comealong on 28 October and put your views onhow this could effectively be carried out.

CragSittersAs noted in previous issues of The Crag,'CragSitters' is a local community group thathas been set up to provide families with anopportunity to network with each other,and also to provide contact with availablebabysitters in the area.

New members , both fami l i e s andbabysitters, are welcome to the group. Ifyou’re a family who would like to find outmore about the group or if you are availableto provide babysitting services, please emailus on cragsitters@yahoo.com.au.

Sharie Kennedy-Wren

Located at the Community Centre,The Rampart

(down laneway near The Postern)Phone: 9958 8396

Support your localCommunity Library

CASTLECRAG LIBRARY

continued on page 5

In a decision handed down on 4 September2008, (NSWLEC 1360) the NSW Land &Environment Court agreed with WilloughbyCity Council’s refusal of an application for anew residence in Rockley Street Castlecrag.Council had refused the developmentapplication which was to be sited next tothe heritage-listed Griffin houses along TheBarbette on the grounds that it failed tomeet acceptable compliance with a numberof statute and development control planrequirements.The Court held an extended meeting on thesite to hear submissions by all partiesfollowed by court submissions on the twofollowing days. It was put to the Court thatthe height, bulk and scale of the proposedbuilding were excessive in the context ofthe applicable controls and having regardto the characteristics of the site. As aconsequence, the proposed developmentwould have an overbearing presentation tosurrounding residential properties andadjoining public reserves, resulting inunacceptable scenic impacts and wouldblock or partially block significant water andother views from those properties.

In his decision, the Commissioner, Mr KGHoffman, concluded that overall theproposal failed to grasp the true philosophyof the Griffin design principles of theadjoining heritage items and to takeappropriate recognition of them. Moreover,it did not comply with the requirements ofthe applicable statutes and controls for newbuildings in the conservation area and as aconsequence is an unsuitable design. Healso made particular reference to the smallhouses designed by Walter Burley Griffinwhich enabled his philosophy of indoor and'outdoor rooms' and the merging ofbuildings into the landscape to be achievedon small lots with the preservation of viewsfrom the outdoor spaces to the water andbushland distant and near. He particularly referred to one of thesubmissions that emphasised that mostpeople who move into the Griff inConservation Area do so in order to enjoyits unique character. This case provides an important milestone inestablishing the grounds for upholding andpreserving the principles of the GriffinConservation Area as well as complying

with Council’s controls. The efforts ofWilloughby City Council in establishing theConservation Area and putting in place thedevelopment control plan requirements thatpreserve its unique character have helped tomade all of Castlecrag a special place thatbolstered the value of our life styles (andproperties). It is up to the residents of the area torespect and uphold these values for thebenefit of future generations. The principleslaid down in this Land & Environment Courthearing will help us to do so and thosecontemplating redevelopment of theirdwellings are encouraged to familiarisethemselves with Council’s controls. TheWalter Burley Griffin Society has alsoproduced a brochure called 'The GriffinLegacy: Castlecrag Heritage' which explainsthe importance and merit of this precinct.This is available from our local real estateagents and the book Building for Nature:Walter Burley Griffin and Castlecrag is forsale at Pam’s Café. The principles are alsoset out in the society's website atwww.griffinsociety.org

Editors

Page 4 October 2008

Land & Environment Court judgment on GriffinConservation Area

Bushcare is a community-based programmade up of volunteers who, supported andassisted by Council, help to regenerate andpreserve bushland that is owned ormanaged by Council.Bushcare volunteers are essential to caringfor Castlecrag’s bushland. Each Reservehas a specific Action Plan (developed tothe objectives in Council’s BushlandManagement Plan), and Bushcare groupsare provided with free direction, training,technical advice, tools, plants, newsletters,celebrations and other support fromCouncil. Volunteers learn new skills,i n c rea se the i r know ledge o f theenvironment, meet their neighbours andmake new friends. They are making a realcontribution and difference to the health ofthe local environment. There is more information on Council’swebsite, and you can call Council’sBushcare Co-Ordinator on 9777 7875 oremail bushcare@willoughby.nsw.gov.au

FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTHThe High Tor, Castlecrag8.30am - 10.30am9.00am - 12.00 noonContact: Lisa Grant (9958 6591)

FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTHOriel Reserve, Castlecrag9.00am - 12.00 noonContact: Council (9777 7875)

Cortile Reserve8.00am -11.00amContact: Sue Burk (9958 4295)

SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTHKeep Reserve, Castlecrag9.00am - 12.30pmContact: Matthew Keighery (9967 2682)

Gargoyle Reserve, Castlecrag9.00am - 12 noonContact: Margaret Hutchinson (9958 4320)

THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTHCasement Reserve, Castlecrag9.00am - 12.00 noonContact: Sue Burk (9958 4295)

FOURTH SATURDAY OF THE MONTHRockley St, Castlecrag9am - 12 noonTanya Coates (8907 9204)

Retreat Reserve, Castlecrag9am - 12.00 noonCouncil (9777 7875); Lorraine Cairnes 9958 1213; Jill Newton 9967 4933

Cheyne Walk reserve9am-12 noonFrances David (Council 9777 7732)

VARIABLE MEETING TIMESEdinburgh Rd, Castlecrag (Once a month)Contact: Council (9777 7875)

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October 2008 Page 5

Harold Smith 1913-2008 Hugh Mackay at CastlecragContinued from page 3

Harold Smith, who helped to make Sydneyas a Housing Commission architect afterWorld War II and later as a designer of bigcity buildings, passed away at the age of 95in July 2008. His early career was here inCastlecrag.

Smith studied architecture at SydneyTechnical College and worked with WalterBurley Griffin in his design office beforegraduating in 1936. Following his marriageto Sophie Linsky in 1936, the young couplewent to London where Harold worked withthe Australian architect Oscar Bayne, andthen moved to New York in 1938.

Following his return to Sydney in the 1940s,Smith designed his first home in Castlecragfor his young family. It was a notable design– the neighbours objected because 'itlooked like a dairy', but for years passers-byknocked at the door hoping to see inside.Features that were significant innovationsfor the time included the cantileveredcupboards in the dining room, a hiddensliding table in the kitchen that sat five anda built-in ironing board. There are fourSmith-designed houses in our suburb thatmake important contributions to the

work by modern Australian architects inCastlecrag.

Professionally, Smith wrote an importantbooklet, Planning and the Community, in1944 and he was appointed architect-in-charge for a report on the post-warplanning of Canberra and Darwin. Heestablished a private practice in 1946 andlectured in town planning at SydneyTechnical College. His entry in thecompetition to design Sydney's operahouse was highly commended and in 1972he wrote Valid Architecture on designand aesthetics.

Harold was a keen tennis player, golfer andtraveller. As a boy, he had learned the violin,a talent he passed onto his grandchildren,and he was delighted to have inspired asmall orchestra of violin, viola, trumpet andpiano players. In 1979 Smith built a newfamily home in Mosman, which became thescene of many extravagant parties attendedby a broad range of creative people.

EditorsBased on SMH Obituary,

16 July 2008

The children of the future are likely to beburdened by over-zealous parents. Hughnoted that the one-child policy in China ledto the 'Little Emperor' phenomena andpondered if we will end up with somethingvery similar here. During the resources boom Australiaentered a 'Dreaming Period' when we justtook the money and became 'cocooned'from broader issues. Gradually, however,we began to think a lot more about ourvalues, particularly in terms of balancebetween our working lives and our privatelives. A sudden change became apparentaround late 2006, triggered by issues suchas the drought and concern about climatechange. Once people started to tune in tothese issues, they became engaged in amuch wider range of matters. Hughconcluded that we are now in a new erawhere once again people are starting tothink that they can make a difference onthe big issues, particularly through localaction.A lively discussion then ensured in a Q&Asession. Some of the issues raised aresummarised below:1. Is Castlecrag any different from the

picture you pa int? In terms ofdemographic figures it is little different,but as a peninsular suburb it has astronger sense of identity than mostother areas – it has the physicalcharacteristics which make a sense ofcommunity.

2. Where do you see Australia in 20 yearstime? Based on clearly establishedtrends, I see a less egalitarian society, butunder the influence of the risinggeneration who are now young adults, Ithink we will be a more community-orientated and less competitive society.

3. Will this society lead to a new wave ofsocial consciousness in terms of a re-emergence of community groups? It isvery hard to judge, but the signs arepromising. Today's young people arereluctant to joint organisations likeservice clubs, but they are prepared toget involved in short-term activities thathave a definite result. However, parentsare so controlling, it will be difficult for

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Continued on page 10

Castlecrag resident Robin Phelan raisedeyebrows when she purchased the WalterBurley Griffin-designed Cheong House at14 The Parapet at auction on 19 November2005. At that time the house was widelyseen by many as neglected and derelict,but Robin told The Crag that she was drawnto the history of the home, its uniquenessand simplicity, the stonework and thechallenge of restoring it (The Crag 158,February 2006). Now nearly three years down the trackRobin's vision, the efforts of her heritagearchitect, Scott Robertson, and the

dedication and skills of her team of buildersled by Graham Fury, are receivingwidespread recognition and acclaim. Therestoration work on the main house wonWilloughby City Council's 2008 HeritageAwards Restoration Category; a NationalTrust/Energy Award in the category ofConservation Built Heritage; and on 19 JulyScott's firm, Robertson & HindmarshArchitects were successful in winning theprestigious Heritage Architecture Award ofthe Australian Institute of Architects in the2008 NSW Chapter Awards, for theconservation of the Cheong House.Consequently the house is currently beingassessed for the national Australian Instituteof Arch i tec t s award fo r he r i t ageconservation of a residence.The judge's citation at the 2008 NSWChapter Awards held at the award-winning CarriageWorks ContemporaryArts Centre stated:

The most important aspect of this1922 dwelling is that, except for thenew exterior paint work, you wouldnever know from the public domainthat anything had happened. Thework of the original architects, Walterand Marion Griffin and Hugh and EvaBuhrich, has been respected in plan

and scale. The house was virtuallyderelict. Using the repairs andmaintenance provisions of the LEP, andwith a lot of healthy curiosity from theWalter Burley Griffin Society andWilloughby Council, the house hashad significant intervention. Nearly allthe elements of the house had failedso it was considered more importantto restore Griffin’s design intent.

Except for a change in window detail,the significant elements were restoredor reconstructed in authentic style. Thebuilding has a new roof, new windowhoods, new floors, new angled skirtingboards, exposed beams to ceilings andmuch more, but its surviving structureis there, as are all remaining intactelements, such as the remainingkitchen cupboards. The dwellingretains its relationship to the street andthe surrounding landscape, beingerected adjacent to a Griffin-designedpublic walkway – an opportunity forthe community to enjoy the work ofthe Griffins in a setting they alsodesigned.

Page 6 October 2008

Bringing the Cheong House back to life

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The eastern facade from the Suntrap, leading to the living room and verandah. Photo: Chris Elfes

The southern facade features stone voussoirs ason the eastern facade, whilst the kitchen mirrorsthe verandah on the north-eastern side of thehouse. Photo: Chris Elfes

continued on page 7

L: Original blueprint drawings by Walter BurleyGriffin enabled the window detail to bereinstated; R: Detail of the internal pivot doorswhich were also restored. Photos: Chris Elfes

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October 2008 Page 7

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The road to this achievement has been along and tortuous one. The init ialassessment of the condition of the houserevealed that termites had eaten their waythrough the roof, ceiling timbers and floors;while moisture had rotted the windows andworked its way through the house. A falseceiling installed in the living room in the1940s had created many of these problemsand a builder's report concluded that theonly part of the house that could beguaranteed was its sandstone exterior!The water penetration problems andtermite damage necessitated innovative,slow and expensive solutions, but RobinPhelan is delighted with the final result. Shepays tribute to the influence of her parents,Bruce and June Walpole, who had built andrestored several houses utilising theexpertise of architects with sensitivity tothe setting and the local environment, andparticularly to Bruce's strong belief inutilising what is already there rather thandemolishing or throwing it away.

The outdoor wing with laundry and aunique suntrap to catch the northern sun,designed by noted architects Hugh and EvaBuhrich and constructed during the austerepost-war period, has been been restoredand extended under a separate project. Thisadaptive reuse now provides a home office,laundry and bathroom.Throughout the project, Robin and Scotthave kept a detailed photographic recordof the work undertaken, as well as piecesof the original structure. Robin says thatthese form part of the history of the house,ensuring that there is now a completehistory of the property.

Bob McKillop with input from Robin Phelan

and Scott Robertson

The living room with the restored sandstone fireplace. The 1970’s aluminium sliding doors werereplaced with a pivot door to match other window detail of the house. The exposed timber ceilingbeams were also replaced to original detail. Photo: Chris Elfes

Looking past the verandah towards the Suntrap, added in the late 1940s, which has views to NorthHead and the ocean. Photo: Chris Elfes.

Page 8 October 2008

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In Cortile Reserve, between the Parapet andEdinburgh Road there is a quiet reserve witha playground and two tennis courts. It is abeautiful location with lofty gumtrees onthe perimeter of the courts; bushes, grassand little traffic noise from Edinburgh Road.

When Walter Burley Griffin planned thesubdiv is ion of the Greater SydneyDevelopment Association's (GSDA) land inCastlecrag, he provided land for a schooland hospital, together with a tennis courtand playground in the Corteille Reserve (asit was then spelt).

On the 18 June 1928 an agreement wasexecuted between Willoughby Council andthree trustees of the Castlecrag SportsClub, David Jenkins, James Cooney andWalter Burley Griffin, whereby the Councilagreed to the construction of a court ”forthe lawful game or sport to wit, lawntennis”. Council advanced £110 to meetthe construction costs subject to repaymentof £30 plus interest per annum until theloan was repaid. A single loam tennis courtwas built, lawn tennis being descriptive ofthe game and the rules that were to befollowed. The name Sports Club wasthought to be necessary to ensure thatother sports could be played in the reserveif so desired.

In 1940, another deed was prepared andagreed between Council and the GSDA,signed by directors Basil Parkinson and EricM Nicholls. This provided for the building ofa rest house, lavatories, seats and tables inthe Corteille Reserve 'of the same or similardesign as those erected in the Lane CoveNational Park.' It was not until 1956,

however, that a brick clubhouse with basicamenities and toilets was built.

In 1954, with the agreement of Council, asecond court was constructed, its surfacebeing stabilised loam (ie loam mixed withcement). This lasted until 1984, when thecourts were resurfaced with syntheticgrass on top of a cold asphalt base. In 1999they were resurfaced again in the sameway, but this time the wire surround andbase was replaced and storm waterretention pits built.

From the beginning, Club membersmaintained the courts and the reserve on avoluntary roster basis, two members at atime, starting before tennis on Sundaymornings, c leaning courts, toi lets,clubhouse, stormwater drains and tidyingthe reserve. For major work, the clubstopped playing tennis and had a workingbee, building walls, mowing the grass,weeding and pruning bushes and trees.

In the late 80s, the State Governmentdecreed that all reserves should be broughtunder the direct control of local councils. Soin October 1990 a lease was signed withW i l l oughby Counc i l whe reby themaintenance of the Cortile Reserve andstructure of the clubhouse became theresponsibility of the Council and the clubpaid an annual rent for the use of the tenniscourt land and clubhouse but were requiredto maintain the tennis courts and the insideof the clubhouse.

Currently the Cortile Reserve Bush CareGroup, formed and led by Sue Burk, themembership secretary of the tennis club, isrestoring Cortile reserve with the assistance

of Willoughby Council. Neighbours andother interested parties are welcome to joinin this interesting project on the first Sundayof the month from 8am to 11am.

The Castlecrag Sports Club has about 140members; some are full members who playon Saturday afternoons, Sunday morningsand Wednesday afternoons, then thereare associate members and junior memberswho make up their own sets and play inthe afternoons or mornings when thecourts are available. Saturday morningsare set aside for younger player lessons,whether members or not, who are coachedprofessionally by Armond Djani and histeam.

Every weekday morning, there are groupsof players who hire the courts for a periodand make up their own sets. Some of these'weekday groups' have been playing fordecades and have a strong affinity withCastlecrag Sports Club. When these groupsare not playing and the courts are notdedicated to the club and junior sessions,the No. 2 court is available to the public,who can book the court on an hourly basisthrough Pam’s Café at $15 per hour.

If any Castlecrag residents wish to playtennis, experienced players can join as fullmembers but residents of any standard canjoin as associates and juniors. Details arepromulgated on the notice board at theclubhouse and the membership secretarySue Burk’s contact number is 9958 4295.

Peter DavenportPresident

History Corner – Castlecrag Sports Club is 80!

'The most beautiful outlook in the world' ishow retiring shipwright Steve Bartlettdescribes the slipways and boatshed atCastlecrag. 'Rosella fledglings poking theirnecks out of dead tree hollows above thesl ips…the sound of whipbirds andmagpies'.Born in Chatswood in 1943, Steve grew upin the family’s Riding School in Fullers Roadbushland with the bush, horses and matesto knock about with. At 15 he accidentallybroke his Dad’s wooden axe-handle, animportant tool for providing chicken fordinner. His father responded: 'You are notgoing back to school. Go out and get a joband earn a quid!' The following week (on 1September 1958) Steve pedaled his bike toCastlecrag Boatshed and started his life’svocation. There have been five owners ofthe boatshed since then: Ron Eddies, HaroldLast, Mike Vaux, Janet Vaux and currentowner Brian Ramsay.Steve recalls that in the late 1950s therewere still squatters on the Middle Harbourforeshores:

“Old Bill and his wife lived on the south-eastpoint, with rusted corrugated iron walls,bag windows and a dirt floor…only thestone foundations remain. To protect localfish stocks, Bill would row out and droprolled balls of rusty barbwire in the water todeter commercial fishermen trawling theirnets in Sailors Bay!”Steve's first sailing experience was withPeter Sorenson on a Gwen 12 in 1960. Backthen all the homes facing south onto SailorsBay were hidden by the trees he recalls.When Steve’s 14-foot VS challenged MikeVaux’s 20ft Vivacity one Monday eveningafter work, little did they know that'Monday Twilight Racing' would grow overthe next 40 years to fleets of 65 boatsenjoying the challenges of fluky eveningbreezes, tide changes and fierce butfriendly rivalry.Steve has fond memories of customers andcolleagues; among them Jim Mason whowon the Hobart Race in Cadence; BertWilson who designed and built four oceanracers; Wally Caville owner of Janzoon onwhich Steve sailed in two Hobart races;Neville Shead and his sons Peter, Billy andRoger, who gained a reputation for manyboats and high-spirited antics.I asked Steve what have been the biggestchanges? “Developments from simple handtools to sophisticated power tools, andfrom timber planking and steel to fiberglassand carbon fibre. Yet timber remains myfavorite…what a joy it was to recentlyrestore Tony Mackay’s 60 foot HalvorsenSilver Cloud to its former glory.”And in boats? “We have seen a hugeincrease in number and s ize and

sophistication with finger-tip control. It’s ashame so many sit as unused statussymbols.”

And 'boaties'? “Castlecrag Boatshed is oneof the few remaining where owners are stillallowed to work on their own boats. That’salways good to see..…it’s not just 'instantboating pleasure' on the weekend. Thebiggest change has been during schoolholidays. Years ago there would be kidsswarming everywhere, rigging their sailingdinghies, taking a picnic lunch (and somefags), throwing bailer buckets of water ateach other. They had all they needed toentertain themselves all day: the Bay, thebushland and their mates to muck aboutwith. It was an education in itself!”

Castlecrag’s 'boaties' wish Steve a long andhappy retirement with Wendy, his wife of42 years, in the St Ives home they built in1969. They will enjoy stay-overs by theirgranddaughter in the same room onceshared by daughters Melinda and Vanessa.

Steve added that, most importantly, SailorsBay and Middle Harbour’s waters are muchcleaner since the sewering of the peninsulasin the 1960s and construction of theNorthside Storage Tunnel in 1999. Heextends thanks to all the workmates whohave: “supported me, or should I say,propped me up. I could not have wished fora better place to work.” Steve looks forwardto meeting up with them and theirCastlecrag customers at 'the odd morningcuppa, and Friday night happy hour'.

Bruce Wilson

Steve Bartlett: Castlecrag Shipwright for 50 years

October 2008 Page 9

For more information please call VetMed

9958 0177148 Sailors Bay Road

Northbridge

Over the past decade, the veterinary

community has become increasingly aware

of the association between eating Easter lily(Lilium sp.) and acute renal failure in cats.

The Japanese, Stargazer and Tiger lily (all

members of genus Lilium) and possibly the

common Day lily (Hemerocallis dumartieri

and fulvi) are also regarded as toxic to cats.

Ingesting of any part of the plant (including

the pollen) can cause clinical signs.

Signs of toxicity in cats may begin within

two to four hours of ingestion. Cats generally

develop vomiting and depression in the early

stages, which may subside by 12 hours;

but cats deteriorate rapidly 24-72 hours

after exposure. Anorexia and depression

continue to develop along with signs of

increased drinking and urination. By

postponing treatment greater then 18

hours after exposure chronic renal failure

and death may ensue.

A veterinarian will make the animal vomit and

give activated charcoal to prevent any further

absorption. Management of renal failure

involves aggressive fluid therapy for at least

48 hours. Prompt, aggressive treatment

increases the chances of survival and

minimal damage to the kidneys.

Owners are encouraged to research

potential toxic plants before bringing it into

their home or planting in the yard. It is

important to note there are other types of

plants which are commonly referred to as

lilies (calla lily, peace lily) that are not

associated with acute renal failure. These

common plant names can create confusion

when evaluating and diagnosing the feline

patient, and therefore will determine the

prognosis.

LILLIES – A Potential Cat-Astrophe

Steve Bartlett restoring a timber hulled yacht onthe Castlecrag slipway. (Image supplied by Steve)

Page 10 October 2008

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LETTER to the EditorEnhancing our 'gateway'I read with interest the ideas put forward byDavid Scobie for our 'gateway' and makethe following comments:

• While I am very happy to move towardsall the items set out by David I would liketo see the involvement of a professional(is there such a thing?) 'street architect',the creation of a written (is it?) 'streetplan' with concrete examples of all thatis now 'fuzzy, and a process ofcommunity consultation before goingahead.

• I am uncomfortable with the words'attractive', 'improved', 'protected',' i n c rea sed ' , ' app rop r i a t e ' , and'distinctive' as these leave unlimitedscope for different interpretation byindividual parties.

• While I gather that it has beenconvenient to create a combined

Northbridge & Castlecrag Chamber ofCommerce I see no reason that theNorthbridge and Castlecrag 'villages'should be of the same appearance.

While I read that these two shopping areasare to develop 'with their own unique anddistinctive character' this may be mademore difficult if driven by a combinedChamber of Commerce. Being only a recentresident I have no knowledge how thecurrent look of the Castlecrag shoppingcentre came about. But, in my opinion, anumber of 'mistakes' have been allowed ormade to buildings and streetscape that, inthe future, I would hope to see avoidedand/or corrected.

Neil GlickThe Bulwark

Editors: We understand that it was notDavid Scobie's intention that the proposalput forward in the article should imply that

the Northbridge and Castlecrag shoppingvillages should be of similar appearance.David initially prepared the item in thecontext of Northbridge and the currentPlaza MasterPlan process there, whilesuggesting that the ideas would also behelpful in generating discussion about thepotential to improve the appearance of theCastlecrag village. If readers gained theimpression that similar treatments werebeing proposed for each suburb then thisreflects sloppy editng on our part!

Neil kindly offered to assist with the processof enhancing our 'gateway' to Castlecrag.We are keen to obtain further feedback onDavid's original article and ideas fromres ident s r ega rd ing the k inds o fimprovements you would like to see in ourshopping village and suggestions abouthow we can make it happen.

On Sunday 24 September a group of actors under the direction of Bernard Teuben from the Epicentre Theatre Company began rehearsing for the the Haven Amphitheatre's

next production of A Christmas Carol.

With a cast of thirty characters from Charles Dickens' one volume 1843 publication of A Christmas Carol, The Haven will come to life with one of the classic christmas stories of

all time. They will all be there – Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Crachit and family, the Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present – in this Neil Bartlet adaptation

of this play with music. The story is tightly woven together to create a very moving production with a Christmas ending for the whole family.

Set in a time when Bob Crachits' salary was only fifteen shillings a week, he would have spent hisentire week's wages to buy the ingredients for the Christmas feast: seven shillings for the Goose,

five for the pudding, and three for the onions, sage and oranges…Times have changed!

For all information about performances, dates and times visit The Haven website:

www.thehaven.com.au

And of course as usual our traditional 'Carols by Candlelight' will be on this Christmas Eve.

Experience

AA CCHHRRIISSTTMMAASS CCAARROOLL at

The Haven AmphitheatreCastlecrag

From 28 November through to 7 December 2008

children to be allowed to participatefreely in such organisations.

4. How does Australia compare with otherdeveloped countries in terms of thesetrends? Almost everything I have beensaying about social change in Australiacan be replicated in Western Europe andNorth America. There are a couple ifdistinctive differences – our high divorce-rate is very new and we also have are sou rce s boom, wh i ch makesAustralians more complacent aboutadapting to change.

5. In Willoughby demographics show arejuvenation of the population, with ahigh proportion of the population beingunder 5. Does this make us an exceptionto the trends you describe? Willoughby isone of several centres around Australiathat exhibit this trend, but overall ourdemographic trends are the opposite.The change here is good for theneighborhood as children go to schoolsand engage in sporting activities etc. Theshift to private schools, however, worksaga ins t ne ighborhood sense o fcommunity.

Bob McKillop

Hugh Mackay at CastlecragContinued from page 5

October 2008 Page 11

Civic Place constructionAs you will be aware, construction of thenew Willoughby Civic Place is well underway. The Turning of the Sod ceremony washeld on site on Tuesday 19 August 2008.At this historic event, hundreds ofcommunity leaders witnessed Pat Reilly,Mayor of Willoughby, former PrimeMinister Bob Hawke, and arts practitionerRenée Goossens turn the first sod of the$162 million, state-of-the-art arts andcultural centre.

Mayor Pat Reilly said: 'The event will be animportant milestone for the entire NorthShore community with eight years ofplanning and community consultationcoming to fruition. As well as providingmultiple arts venues to the under resourcedSydney arts landscape, a safe communitygathering space and a significantly largerlibrary, Civic Place will greatly encourageeconomic growth for Chatswood and theNorth Shore.' Work on the p ro j ec t commencedimmediately after the ceremony. Civic Placewill provide a suite of arts and educationalvenues, a safe community gathering, eatingand shopping place, a modern and highlysophisticated library, a hotel, servicedapartments and retail space. Funding for theproject has come from Willoughby City

Council with support from the AustralianGovernment Water Smart Austral iaProgram, the NSW Government ClimateChange Fund and Arts NSW. The civic site has a long history as a majorpublic place first used by the community in1903 and has served as a home to thecouncil pound, the Willoughby Town Hall,the Ku-ring-gai Masonic Lodge and mostrecently the Willoughby Civic Centre andChatswood library. Willoughby City Library,recognised as the busiest New South Waleswith more than 2000 visitors daily, has beenrelocated to the Mandarin Centre for theduration of the building works.Council has selected AW Edwards PtyL imited as the contractor for theconstruction phase of the project and thefixed price contract for $143 million wassigned on 9 July. There are three phases ofconstruction certification by Council: afterbulk excavation; on completion to podiumlevel, including the library and car parks;and the main building works. Finalcompletion and commissioning is scheduledfor 14 July 2011.

Rebecca Hilland West Ward News, Issue 2, 2008

Spring Festival: ups and downsOnce again the Willoughby Street Fair, thefeature event of the annual WilloughbySpring Fair was cancelled, this year due torain. It was definitely an indoors day, so anumber of visitors took the opportunity tovisit the “Meccano Lives On – Toys thatmade our Future!” d isp lay at theWilloughby Museum in Johnson Street. Themen responsible for the remarkable modelson display may have been in the 'oldercategory' of citizens, but that did not stopyouthful visitors joining with them inoperating the models and making their ownitems. A special feature was a display of'Buzz Meccano' sets, manufactured onHotham Parade, Artarmon between 1954and 1977, and models made from thesesets. Museum patron Pat Reilly arrived in theafternoon to inspect the displays and drawthe raffle.During Sustainable House Day on Sunday 14September, a number of private Willoughbyhomeowners generously opened their doorsto share their sustainable living trials and

triumphs in an effort to promote sustainableliving and to assist would be converters toachieve success from the outset by talking tothose who have already done it. A numberof Castlecrag residents also enjoyed the11th Castle Cove Public School Jazz Fest on14 September, where they heard theschool's award-winning school bandperform alongside schools from thesurrounding area. Singer Seryna James, TheMany Others and Willoughby Mayor PatReilly's Rock & Soul City were also in theperformance line-up.The Northbridge Rotary Open Gardens on20 and 21 September was blessed with finespring weather. Five gardens in Willoughby,Artarmon and Chatswood were open overthe weekend and a free bus tour wasprovided on the Saturday afternoon. Theevent provided the opportunity to explorenative, formal and cottage gardens and thesecrets held within of ordinary peoplesgarden’s. Northbridge Rotary also organisedthe Northside Garden Fair at BicentennialReserve on Sunday 28 September. The eventattracted a large number of stalls covering awide range of garden activities, informationinitiatives from Council and communitygroups, and foods and drinks. The livebroadcast from the Fair by ABC Local Radio702 with host Simon Marnie between 10am and 12 noon was a popular feature. TheCastlecrag Progress Association joinedfellow members of the Federation ofWilloughby Progress Associations to run astall promoting their activities in Willoughby.

From Council media releases

Fridge Buyback Programme Old fridges are big energy users, consumingup to three times the energy of new fridges.While a second fridge may seem handy,running it adds an average of $190 a year toyour electricity bill and puts 1 tonne ofgreenhouse gas into the environment.

Residents who do not need their workingsecond fridge can call Fridge Buyback on1800 708 401 during business hours or visitwww.fridgebuyback.com.au to arrange fortheir fridge to be collected. Fridge Buybackis an energy eff ic iency programmesupported by the NSW Government’sClimate Change Fund and Willoughby CityCouncil.

Fridges must be 250L ormore in size and 10 yearsor more in age. Residentswill receive a rebate of$35 if six stairs or lessare involved in removingthe fridge. For furtherinformation, contact theWaste Projects Officer on9777 7674.

Council News

Renée Goossens, Bob Hawke and Pat Reilly tacklethe spade work at the Turning of the Sodceremony for the Civic Place project on 9 August2008. Photo: WCC

The ABC's Simon Marnieinterviews Gay Spies atthe WEPA stall during theNorthside Garden Fair onSunday 28 September.

Photo: Bob McKillop

Page 12 October 2008

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Community OrganisationsCastlecrag Progress Association: ‘Representing the Castlecrag Community’General Meeting: Tuesday 28 October from 7.30pm at theCastlecrag Community Centre, with with Greg Woodhams,Council's Environmental Services Director, as guest speaker onthe new planning laws and Castlecrag (see page 1). Furtherinformation: info@castlecrag.org.au or phone 9958 4516.

Walter Burley Griffin Society: Annual General Meeting: Sunday 26 October at 2pm, at theWinter House, 34 Adderton Road, Dundas. Designed byWalter Burley Griffin and built for Edward Winter and hisfamily in 1935, the house is beautifully maintained and retainsall its original finishes and details. The AGM will be held inthe garden and guest speaker, the heritage architect IanStapleton, will cover the history of the house and therestoration work undertaken there before a viewing of thehouse. All welcome, but bring a hat and folding chair orrug to sit on. Please contact the Secretary atinfro@giffinsociety.org for further information.

The Haven Amphitheatre: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 28 November to 7 December – Neil Bartlet's adaptation of this classic playwith music for all the family. Details and booking onwww.thehaven.com Also Carols by Candlelight, Christmas Eve,Wednesday 24 December from 6pm. Note: No parking at theAmphitheatre, so please catch the bus from the shops. Seepage 10 for further details.

Castlecrag Sustainability Street: Castlecrag Sustainability Street meets on the third Sunday ofevery month from 3.30pm to 5.30pm in whichever house isoffered for the occasion. Further information: Gay or HaroldSpies 9958 8569 or Rob Gibson at WCC 9777 1000.

Castlecrag Conservation Society: General Meeting Thursday 23 October, 8pm at the CastlecragCommunity Centre. 15 former residents will give theirrecollections of early years in Castlecrag with particularreference to conservation issues. All welcome. The Society'sAnnual Christmas Social will be held at the HavenAmphitheatre on Sunday 30 November from 10.30am.Information: Harold Spies 9958 8569.

Other Events / NoticesWilloughby District Historical Society Inc: Thursday 30 October, 15th birthday of the museum at Boronia,58 Johnson Street Chatswood. The museum is also open on the2nd and 4th Thursday of the month 10am-4pm and 1st and3rd Sunday 1.30-4pm; entry by gold coin donation. For furtherinformation phone 9410 3203.

Sydney Opera Society: Saturday 1 November, Annual General Meeting at 2pm: venuethe Presbyterian Church Hall, corner of Laurel and HighStreets, Willoughby.

Historic Houses Trust of NSW: Sydney Open 08 Focus Tour of 20 propreties, Sunday 2November, including the 2007 Scarp House by Kooi-YingArchitects and the 1921 WB Griffin's GSDA No. 1 House inCastlecrag. Bookings essential at www.hht.net.au/ or phone8239 2211.

Willoughby Charities Day: Saturday 8 November from 10am at Chatswood Mall. Stallsfor local charities and not-for-profit organisations to spreadtheir message and to sell a variety of items to help promotetheir cause.

Community Notice Board

The Community Notice Board is a service by the Castlecrag Progress Association. Please contact editors@castlecrag.org.au with details of forthcoming events and activities for inclusion.

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