Community Wellbeing Survey 2017

Black belts for teenage girls

Hunters Hill locals were recently greeted with the unusual sight of many teenage girls, mothers and children dressed in black from head to toe.

The group were all heading to the Gladesville Road Community Centre for their annual test for the martial art of Jujitsu. The school, or ‘Dojo’, trains at the local community centre, offering classes for children from 3 years through to adult. Despite the many nerves, all participants successfully passed the test, from 3-year old Aaliyah through to 50-year old mother of four, Maryanne. What made the day particularly special was that six of the teenage girls attained their black belts. Each girl had to fight three attackers, disarming them, escaping and avoiding their attacks. Family members cheered as each girl bravely faced her test and passed with flying colours. Mothers train free at the Hunters Hill Dojo, so it was also very special to watch six adult women, who had never trained in martial arts before, attain their first belts. Audience members were also treated to demonstrations from many State and Australian champions who belong to the club, which is hidden away next to the cafes on Gladesville Road. The Dojo runs a successful tournament team and new members are always welcome. Many of the school girls who participate train at an elite level, using this to gain ATAR points for their HSC, or early entry into university. Studying self-defence is one of the most empowering things a young girl or woman can do. Mastering their own fear, learning to control and use their body to defend and protect themselves, developing camaraderie with other classmates, and developing strength and fitness can totally change the way they feel about themselves. Mothers train free on Saturday mornings with their children, and there are adult classes for men and women starting on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm. Children's classes run Wednesdays 5.30 - 6.30pm. For more information, call 0400 917 400 or drop in and say hello. 

Studying self-defence is one of the most empowering things a young girl or woman can do.

Volunteering for LCHS. It's good for you. It's good for the community.

Lane Cove's rapid development over the past few years has presented challenging hurdles for community groups to keep up with demand for their services through volunteer membership.

One such group is the Lane Cove Historical Society, which is crying out for new members to participate in its initiatives and enjoy its benefits. The LCHS has a double function within the community. Now, more than ever, we need to protect our collective local heritage in the face of a quickly changing urban landscape. The Society has been the curator of Carisbrook from the time the Lane Cove Council purchased the property in 1969. Since then, the house has been transformed into a fascinating time-capsule of early Australian craftsmanship and middle-class suburban life in the 1880s. Considerable expertise has gone into its interiors and there is still plenty of scope for volunteers to use their particular skills in the running of the house. From antiques maintenance and acquisition (a job for born-shoppers); house-tour guiding; marketing, digital graphics and social media; or exhibition and child education projects, there are many opportunities for a satisfying, enjoyable and friendly volunteer experience. For those who are time poor, volunteering may not be for you. But your support by subscribing $30.00 for the annual membership will go a long way to assisting the LCHS in its pursuits. Members are entitled to unlimited access to Carisbrook. Assistance with family history research is also offered, with access to LCHS resources and instruction on how to begin, or continue, the family story. The bi-annual LCHS Journal is posted to members and emailed back-copies are available free. The first publication contains entries to the annual $2,000 local LCHS History Prize, and the second publishes original articles, research papers and reports of local historical and sociological interest. As the Society is affiliated with the Royal Australian Historical Society, the RAHS monthly newsletter is emailed to all members, as well as the LCHS Noticeboard, covering current events and news of the Society. The monthly 'Podium' meetings offer speakers with challenging subjects of historical interest. The LCHS also plans fun trips to historical sites, usually ending with a restaurant booking somewhere for everyone to mingle. And yes, the research says that volunteering is good for you. Ask anyone who volunteers at Carisbrook about the feel-goodfeeling when they are farewelling a happy group of seniors after a tour. Or quietening down an excited primary school class experiencing a glimpse into a non-digital world. For more information, contact Kay Leiper, President of the Lane Cove Historical Society, on 0418 276 365. 

At a time when heritage is challenged by digital virtual worlds as well as growth and development, local historical artefacts and documentation need conservation too.

ONE HUNDRED WORDS...

Don lay sprawled across the inflatable mattress as the warm summer sun gently blanketed his slightly overweight body. Drifting further from the beach he felt no concern as his years on the swim team at college had given him a confidence well into his later years. His feet dangling in the cool ocean water, he glanced up at the perfectly blue sky above and sighed happily to himself. “This is living,” he thought. Just below, circling unseen by its impending target, the great white beast was thinking exactly the same thing. Very soon, only one of them would be correct.

Troy Graham, Lane Cove

We discovered the nest in a needlewood tree. A small platform of twigs and leaves built amongst the branches. Two tiny eggs lay precariously on the flat nest. Mother bird hovered close by. "A topknot pigeon's nest!" my brother and I cried in excitement. Each day after our discovery, we walked to the tree in our neighbour's paddock and quietly observed the mother nesting. Rewarded weeks later, we gazed in wonder at two little fluffy pigeon chicks on the platform. "A girl and a boy" our Dad told us. What a thrill to see these baby birds! A pigeon pair! Robyn Sleet, Lane Cove

The second hand on the wall clock moved; oh, so slowly. Vivian looked again, only three minutes had passed! Time is standing still, she thought. Hands clasped, pale lips moving in silent prayer. "Please let Richard live. I promise. I will let him go." The girl at the desk, immersed in her computer screen, unaware of Vivian's anxious glances. The door opened. Vivian froze. The tall surgeon spoke kindly. "Your husband will be fine. Come in now." Richard's wife stood up, composed. "Thank you, Doctor." She followed through the door. Vivian left, tears falling, a silent 'goodbye' to her lover. Robyn Sleet, Lane Cove

TO ENTER Email your story with your name, address and phone number to editor@thevillageobserver.com.au CONDITIONS Stories must be exactly 100 words about any subject and in any writing style. They must be original and unpublished. There is no limit to the number of stories that you contribute during the year. Each month, selected entries will be published in TVO. At the end of the year, all entries will be judged based on their originality and creativity. THREE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A $50 BURNS BAY BOOKERY VOUCHER.

As I open my eyes to a blinding sun shining straight through my cottage window, I reach my arms to the top of my bed and yawn with a deep breath in. I lay there for a while feeling tired and dreamy, thinking about the dream I just had. I was in a wonderful land surrounded by nature and beauty, where fairies and mermaids were a reality. I rest my hands beside my body then sit up on the side of my warm, blue bed to peer through the window to see if my roses have grown any more. Monique Abacum, Lane Cove North

He was well known in the neighbourhood. Good looking, selfassured, real cool and streetwise. He walked down the path to a sheltered part of the garden as if he owned it and disappeared from view. Moments later his lady friend appeared, nervously looking around and obviously not comfortable in this unfamiliar territory. She too went down the path and disappeared. So, what to do? Confront the trespassers for their audacious invasion of my privacy or allow them some time to get what happiness they could from their clandestine tryst? Then out he came - The Black Prince. What a cat! Roy Lever, Lane Cove North Suddenly Tess had no phone line. She felt completely disconnected. Contact with the outside world had been denied. There was an immediate feeling of loss. Tess liked to talk. She liked to engage in chatty dialogue. She also liked the landline phone. Yes, it was a bit oldfashioned, but she preferred it to the fiddly nature of a mobile. Trying to get the landline fixed proved problematic. A large organisation beginning with the letter 'T' was very unhelpful. People kept telling vastly different stories. This became rather frustrating. Tess soon came to the conclusion that their information was rather phony. Linda Nathaniel, Riverview

Emma stepped gingerly through the dense grass, moving deeper into the woods. Her whiskers brushed past a blooming succulent and the fern canopy above her formed a magical archway to an enchanted garden. She knew the koi pond was near. She could smell the lotus flowers floating on its surface...now she could see her tortoise shell moon face reflected in the water, but she was lost and night had fallen. “Psssst, here kitty” whispered a tiny, shimmering fairy. “Just follow the glow from my lantern”. Now she was home, purring in her wicker basket and dreaming of her next adventure. Perihan Bozkurt, Lane Cove

Our neighbours are taking a 30-day holiday. “Would I mind feeding their chooks?” And so, at the age of 83, I am ‘Chook Boy of the Month.’ Every morning and evening I must scale the fence. Perched atop a dodgy milk crate, the world teeters. Plaintive cries come from the Hen House. Onward to the chook run, I serve the girls a delicious breakfast of dried bread and talk to them in convoluted Chook English. My reward is three warm brown eggs nestled in the straw. Back over the fence and boiled eggs for breakfast. 29 days to go – Eggactly. Peter Barclay, Lindfield

Tees to Totes

Words by

Simone Kaenzig, Tees to Totes

What we do We upcycle unwanted t-shirts and singlets into reusable tote-bags, using only a pair of scissors, with the objectives of reducing clothing waste and providing an alternative to plastic bags. Tees to Totes hold regular workshops and demos at markets and community centres to teach interested people the technique. Additionally, we provide tote-bags to the public, either during markets or through the bag share depots. A successful collaboration with the Women’s Creative Hub at the House of Welcome has led to several t-shirt bag workshops being held with refugees and women’s groups, with the bags then being provided for the public to use. The House of Welcome is an organisation committed to supporting refugees by engaging them in activities to enable integration into society. The workshops help provide refugees a sense of contribution towards a larger cause. Why we are doing it? The average consumer buys 60% more clothing items today, wears them fewer times - sometimes not at all - and keeps them for only about half as long as what was common 15 years ago. The majority are thrown out with household waste and end up in landfill or incinerators. In addition, somewhere between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year around the world. While each plastic bag is only used for an average of about 12 minutes, it remains in landfills, oceans and other places for hundreds of years. Providing unwanted t-shirts with another lifespan reduces their environmental impact significantly, while also helping to reduce the usage of plastic bags. Where can you drop off your unwanted t-shirts and singlets There are a range of collection points across Sydney’s lower North Shore where unwanted t-shirts or singlets can be dropped off. This includes Tonic Lane Cafe (Neutral Bay), North Sydney Community Centre (North Sydney), The Coal Loader Centre of Sustainability (Waverton) and Mosman Youth Development Centre (Mosman). Our supporters The support we have received from above mentioned institutions, together with the Lane Cove Sustainability Action Group, North Sydney Council, Lane Cove Council and Mosman Council has been exceptional and we would like to thank them. We have also been awarded a Small Grant by North Sydney Council which will be used to support future initiatives and workshops as well as the Women’s Creative Hub.

Tees to Totes is a non-profit environmental sustainability initiative founded in 2017 by two friends

Rotary roundup

Words by Adrienne Witteman Lane Cove Rotary has had a busy three months. We’ve handed out tens of thousands of dollars in cheques to a wide range of charities; barbequed snags for the Bushcare barbie and the reopening of the renovated Centrehouse building; fed the masses at the Lane Cove Art Show; run another very successful Primary Schools Public Speaking Competition and Pride of Workmanship Award … and that’s only since June! Our meetings have been uplifted by wonderful speakers, all of whom have delighted or challenged us. You don’t know what you’re missing …. but if you’d like to lend a hand as a friend of Rotary please read on.

NEW EVENT:

THE GREAT LANE COVE BUSK OFF New to the Lane Cove Rotary Fair this year is a chance for all young amateur performers to shine. You’ll have five minutes to demonstrate your talents in

Winners at the recent Rotary Primary Schools Public Speaking Competition were Ruby Tan from Lane Cove West Public School and Misha Liem from Lane Cove Public School. Rotary members Hazel McNamara and Jenny May helping out on the barbeques.

front of an enthusiastic and supportive Plaza audience, and there’s prizes too! The ‘Busk Off’ will commence from 11am and entrants will be able to suggest a preferred time within the one hour performance period. Slots are limited, so act now to secure your show space. Register at www.lanecovefair.com.au WE NEED YOU!

Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Lane Cove Rotary Fair, is happening on Sunday 14th October. We need people keen to help with the BBQ – preparing the rolls, cooking and serving. Or maybe you can help with another task. We have plenty! As little as an hour of your time will be a huge help. Please sign up at www.lanecovefair.com.au or call Adrienne on 9428 5900