The Cove Room, Council Building - 48 Longueville Road
Pathways Age Care
Longueville
Join us for an exclusive information session to discover more about Pathways Longueville, an exciting, new, luxury aged care residence opening soon. Learn how Pathways Longueville will redefine aged care.
What to Expect
Learn about the premium environment, exceptional amenities, and services on offer
View floor plans and gain insight into our pricing structure
Hear from guest speakers and the Pathways Management Team
Light refreshments will be served
Reserve your suite on the night and secure your place
Private discussions available after the sessions has concluded Amenities & Lifestyle
Premium Services and Support
Care & Support
Registered Nurses 24/7
Extensive lifestyle program
Respite & palliative care
Hope U Care Program
Advanced integrated care
technology
Allied Health Practitioners
POWERING OUR COMMUNITY
Proceeds from The Village Observer supports residents of Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Ryde, Willoughby and North Sydney, via Sydney Community Services – a local not-for-profit organisation that helps people to live a quality and independent life in their own home and in their community.
LOCAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL PEOPLE
SCS provides services to seniors and people living with a disability including social activities, gardening, home nursing, podiatry, linen, home delivered meals, home modifications and maintenance, flexible respite, carers support, shopping services, community and engagement programs, medical transport and assistance in daily life.
The Village Observer is published monthly (except January) by Sydney Community Services (trading as Lane Cove Community Aid Foundation) • Distribution occurs at the beginning of the month • Readers are invited to submit articles for consideration.
DISCLAIMER: The content of editorial and advertisements in The Village Observer has been provided by a number of independent sources. Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor and Publisher of The Village Observer, and no responsibility is taken for the accuracy of the information, or any factual errors contained within any items printed. Readers should make their own enquiries directly to any organisations or businesses prior to making any plans or taking any action.
CONTACT US:
• editor@thevillageobserver.com.au
• design@thevillageobserver.com.au
• advertising@thevillageobserver.com.au
Publisher’s Letter
After six years of dedicated service, we say goodbye to Nicola Riches, TVO's Editor, who has been a cornerstone of our community newsletter. Nicola’s leadership kept the publication dynamic and meaningful, even through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As she turns her attention to her local community up north, we want to express our sincere gratitude for all she has done. Her dedication has helped make the magazine a trusted and invaluable resource. We wish Nicola nothing but the best as she embarks on this new chapter!
And we still have a packed edition this month. Thank you to everyone in the local community for getting in touch with stories and ideas.
There are many events and reasons to connect with the local community this month. March highlights include, Clean Up Australia Day, International Women’s Day, the Seniors Festival, as well as Harmony Day. Find out more inside.
We also have all the regular contributions – local writer Liz Foster, Dr Carl Wong with the importance of regular health checks, Maggie Lawrence chatting with a Riverview local, and a short story with a twist.
Reach out and share your feedback and suggestions with us – this will help us ensure our magazine continues to include local news, topics and stories. Your input is invaluable in helping us improve and better serve our community.
Branka
BRANKA IVKOVIC PUBLISHER bIvkovic@sydneycs.org
Thank you... as a local, small publication, run by a not-for-profit charity, TVO relies on our advertisers and partners to come to life every month. We’d like to extend a big thank you to this month’s supporters:
DISCOVER LUXURY RETIREMENT LIVING AT WATERMARK RESIDENCES
Imagine waking up each day to sweeping golf course views, elegant interiors, and the peace of mind that comes with thoughtfully designed luxury living. Nestled on the lush greens of Chatswood Golf Course, Watermark Residences offers exceptional retirement lifestyle in an unparalleled location.
UNPARALLELED DINING, HEALTH & FITNESS - Residents will have access to the restaurant and bistro, gym, hydrotherapy pool, wellness spaces, movie cinema and golf putting green. With health and wellbeing a priority, Residents are provided with free and exclusive classes such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Aqua Aerobics.
CARE CONCIERGE - Your good health, wellbeing and independence are paramount to leading a full and happy life. A care concierge will be available for Residents who wish to address any concerns regarding personal health or home care, no matter how big or small.
NO ELECTRICITY COSTS - Residents will never receive a power bill for their home. Solar power will generate 100% of the electricity for every apartment.
RESIDENTS KEEP 100% OF CAPITAL GAIN & FIXED FEES FOR LIFE - After deducting the deferred management fee (DMF), you keep the balance of the capital gain (unlike most other retirement operators). Our DMF is one of the lowest in the industry. All resident monthly fees are fixed for life, providing comfort and long-term financial security.
DAILY COURTESY BUS - Residents will enjoy access to a courtesy bus for transportation to local destinations, including Chatswood and Lane Cove Village.
On site display apartment now available for inspection. To learn more or to book a viewing call Nada or Miranda on 1800 520 168 or visit watermarkresidences.com.au
General Manager's resignation and lasting legacy
After three years leading Hunter's Hill Council, General Manager Mitchell Murphy has tendered his resignation.
His time in office has had a lasting impact on the community, with one of the standout achievements of his tenure being the rapid and extensive completion of capital works projects. These projects are integral to the areas continued growth and modernisation, ensuring the infrastructure in Hunters Hill meets the expectations of the community.
Throughout his tenure, Mr Murphy placed a strong emphasis on staff development, community engagement and open communication. His approachable and inclusive leadership style made him a respected figure within Council and in the wider community. Employees at all levels felt valued and motivated.
Mayor Zac Miles said Mr Murphy's leadership is marked as a transformative period for Hunters Hill, that not only saw significant infrastructure growth but also a strengthening of the financial and cultural fabric of Council.
The Mayor went on to state, "On behalf of the whole of Hunter's Hill Council, I wish Mitchell all the best in his future endeavours and thank him for his service to Hunters Hill. I know his legacy will continue to shape the municipality for many years to come and as a Council, we will continue on this trajectory and strong foundation."
Bathroom Renovations
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• Specialists in waterproofing, tiling, and structural upgrades.
• Compliance with NSW Class 2 building requirements guaranteed.
• Quality, reliability, and peace of mind - built into every renovation.
Clean Up Australia Day
Clean Up Australia Day is on 2 March 2025 this year. Every Lane Cove resident can get involved and register to help in a Clean Up event.
If you can’t attend an organised event, grab a bag and some gloves and take the family for a walk along your street.
Clean Up Australia Day is the perfect day to get the family involved in an activity for the greater good of the local area.
Lane Cove has a proud tradition of participating in Clean Up Australia Day and the Stringybark Creek Residents Association, (SBCRA), have been part of this event every year since the beginning of Clean Up Australia Day. They invite anyone from the Lane Cove area to help remove rubbish from the bushland around Stringybark Creek. Families and residents of all ages, from 2 years through to over 80, take part, as do the enthusiastic and very helpful Lane Cove Guides. The Clean Up begins at 8 am and you can register or just turn up on the day. The meeting place is the same as last year at the western end of Johnston Crescent just opposite 66 Johnstone Crescent Lane Cove.
Greenwich Point Ferry Wharf opens with a new look and easier access
A modern, new ferry wharf has officially opened at Greenwich Point, providing ferry customers with safer, more accessible services and enhanced protection from the weather.
The multi-million dollar upgrade has made substantial improvements to the wharf, which include a new gangway connecting to a modern concrete jetty, providing an accessible route from street-level.
Transport for NSW Deputy Secretary of Infrastructure Projects and Engineering, Camilla Drover says there is also a new skybridge and lift, improved security and lighting, a covered pontoon and enhanced waiting area with seating.
“The new Greenwich Point Wharf is a fantastic asset for locals and visitors alike. It provides greater accessibility for all passengers, better shelter from the weather as well as providing access for leisure craft users.”
“We know how much Sydneysiders love the ferries and we are committed to providing modern services for passengers with a wide range of needs” Ms Drover said.
“I’d like to thank the community for their patience while our teams carried out this work, and I am grateful to everyone who took part in the consultation so we could provide services tailored for users. We are listening to the community and transport users as we position services for now and into the future.”
Submissions open for the 2025 Young Writers’ Award
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the 2025 Young Writers’ Award is now open for submissions at Stanton Library. Young writers are invited to showcase their creativity in this annual competition. It provides an opportunity for young people aged 11 to 18 to express themselves through an original poem or short story of up to 750 words.
North Sydney Mayor Zoë Baker encouraged young writers to seize the opportunity, saying, "The Young Writers’ Award is a wonderful chance for aspiring authors to share their stories. I encourage all young creatives to take part, as your words have the power to inspire and connect with others."
Entrants will have the chance to have their work read by a judging panel of award-winning Australian authors – Erin Gough, Helena Fox, Jaclyn Moriarty, Sue Whiting and Will Kostakis. Entries close on Sunday 27 April 2025.
Winners will be celebrated at a special awards ceremony at Stanton Library where their achievements will be recognised by judges and Council representatives.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the 2025 Young Writers’ Award and celebrate the power of storytelling.
For entry forms and detailed guidelines, visit northsydney.nsw.gov.au/young-writers
Bendigo Community Bank North Ryde
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Looking after our community
At Bendigo Community Bank North Ryde, supporting our community is what we are renowned for, whether that’s through sponsorships and donations, providing our customers with excellent customer service, or keeping our community up to date with information on how to stay safe online.
“We pride ourselves on delivering great customer service and are available at our branch to call or come in and visit”, Branch Manager James Hole said. “However, we know that today’s digital world means that members of our community are doing a lot of transactions online – whether that be for their banking, their shopping, or their dinner, and that can leave them open to scams”.
In order to help protect our community members, Bendigo Community Bank North Ryde are running scam awareness sessions until June. These sessions will highlight the most common types of scams and how to avoid them.
If you would like to find out more about our sessions or book one for your workplace or community group, please contact us at the branch on (02) 9878 5559.
NSROC infrastructure priority statement
Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC) released its Infrastructure Priority Statement for the upcoming four-year period on 17 February 2025.
NSROC’s Regional Infrastructure priorities cover the LGAs of Hornsby, Hunter’s Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Mosman, North Sydney, Ryde and Willoughby. These priorities reflect the infrastructure requirements in the region responding to demographic change, opportunities arising from the State Government’s infrastructure investment in the region, and the expected demand from the housing reforms that will see the previous population projected to 2034 being realised five years earlier in 2029.
“Infrastructure provision requires many years of preparation and places a substantial demand on council resources that they cannot meet alone. We have put together this Statement to signal our willingness to partner with the State Government and other providers and investors to work together for the benefit of our communities,” Mayor Tanya Taylor, President of NSROC said.
Some of the infrastructure priorities are:
• Community performance facilities
• Libraries
• Sporting fields – new fields and upgrade of existing facilities to enable greater playing capacity
• Completing a contiguous active transport network
• Upgrading transport infrastructure around hubs to get the most of new investments in the region such as the Sydney Metro, Warringah Freeway upgrade, NorthConnex and the second harbour crossing project currently underway.
• Increasing the education and health infrastructure: schools and hospitals, recognising that these are the primary responsibility of the State Government.
WE PAY CASH FOR ALL CARS & TRUCKS
Native Plant Sale
The Lane Cove Bushland & Conservation Society is holding its Native Plant Stall on Saturday 15 March in Lane Cove Plaza from 9am –12.30pm. The Society’s plant experts will be there to help with selection and cultivation advice, either for planting in pots on balconies or for gardens. www.lanecovebushland.org.au
Lane Cove Toy Library Seeks Youth Volunteers
Are you a Year 10 or older student needing to complete community service for school or the Duke of Edinburgh Award?
The Lane Cove Toy Library is looking for volunteers to work on Saturday mornings for two hours – 9.00 am to 11.00 am and 11.00 am to 1.00 pm. You must commit for a whole term and be available for an induction session.
If you are interested, visit www.thelanecovetoylibrary.org.au and sign up as a volunteer (bonus you get to borrow some really cool board games for free).
With over 25 years of experience, our business specialises in no fuss vehicle
services, including cars, trucks, utes, vans and caravans, regardless of their condition, year, make, or
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Woolworths extends Quiet Hour to five days a week
Woolworths has expanded its low-sensory Quiet Hour to five days a week, an experience designed to reduce anxiety and sensory stress for customers with specific needs.
During Quiet Hour, most Woolworths stores will lower lights, turn down music or the radio, turn off beeps at the register and turn off oven buzzers for an hour, every Monday to Friday between 10:30am and 11:30am.
Quiet hour was developed in consultation with disability service provider Life Without Barriers and launched in 2019 one day a week to meet the need in the community for a low-sensory shopping experience. Since then, the initiative has rolled out to over 900 stores across Australia, providing customers with a less stressful shopping experience and increasing their independence.
Jeanette Fenske, Woolworths Director of Stores, said: “We continue to receive positive feedback from customers on the initiative, and our teams take great pride in ensuring the stores are quieter and less stressful for customers during this time.
“The expansion of Quiet Hour to five days a week has been trialled over busy shopping periods such as Christmas, and we are proud to now be able to meet customer needs with this five days a week.”
Life Without Barriers Chief Executive Claire Robbs said:
“The expansion of Quiet Hour at Woolworths from one to five week days is a fantastic initiative that recognises and is actively responding to different needs of many people in the community ”
Small Business Soirée at Gallery Lane Cove!
Join Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios for an evening of inspiration and networking with Liana Rossi. Liana is an award-winning creative and ex-MONA Museum social media manager who recently left Ogilvy to pursue her own small business in creative consulting. This in-person event is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow small business owners, share ideas, and gain valuable insights from Liana Rossi's expertise. Wednesday 5 March, 6:00pm - 8:30pm. Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios, Upper Level 164 Longueville Road, Lane Cove. Cost is free, but bookings essential via: www.eventbrite.com.au
Celebrate International Women's Day with herHealth Medical Gladesville
Come along on 7th March, 4:30pm - 6pm to chat with practitioners (or join the session online at 5pm) and learn more about women's health, Menopause, mental health, contraception, conception, fertility and hormonal issues. The women's health specialists, endocrinologist , fertility specialist and clinical psychologists will be there to help. 151 Victoria Rd, Gladesville, phone 9879 0011, www.eventbrite.com.au
Are you a: • HOMEOWNER looking to cut costs & increase home value? • RENTER wanting to make the most of your landlord’s investment? • LANDLORD seeking hassle-free maintenance management? Use QR Code to download the Smart Home Maintenance Manager App today for FREE trial! Your all-in-one solution for stress-free home management
FREE to drop off these items at:
Hours: Wed to Fri: 8am–2pm; Sat, Sun: 8am–4pm (Closed public holidays)
Clean up Act
by Liz Foster
It’s council clean-up time in the neighbourhood, something that should, yet somehow never does, inspire Marie Condo Zen-like inspo as you eye the rusted wheelbarrow with the broken axel or the teetering pile of torn cushions vomiting foamy fluff all over your outdoor furniture.
Kerbside etiquette is to get your stuff out about a week or so early so eagle eyed up-cyclers can repurpose your gear and assuage your guilty conscience by reducing your landfill. (Yes, I’m that person that hangs on to stuff because it would only go to landfill, which either crushes my fresh eco heart or clutters my family and work environment – it’s a real dilemma).
Despite some early hiccups, I’m happy to report a higherthan-usual household success rate for items making it to the kerb. The fifteen-year-old pool cover, long perished in the centre, was set to go out, but then enviro guilt raised its snake-like head. Couldn’t it technically become two smaller covers, or be repurposed for something requiring sturdy bubble wrap plastic? After momentary hesitation, the envirosnake was mentally banished, whack-a-mole style, and the cover made it outside. While I confess to feeling a small thrill at getting the thing past the Kerbside Gatekeeper, a resident at my house, I’m not proud of myself.
The pool cover wasn’t claimed, but our old Dyson (zero suction for the past few years) was snapped straight up, as was the aged Nutribullet, circa prototype. Technically both these items still worked when connected to power, so I was glad to see them rehoused. I considered for a full second putting notes on them saying ‘in working order, needs some love’ or some other such platitudes, but thought better of it – who wants a disgruntled neighbour suing you because the power blew when they plugged in your device?
But council pick-ups are just the tip of the iceberg. My daughter, recently returned from a yearlong university exchange overseas, cleared out seven giant binbags of gear from her room, causing me to reach for the most hated intergenerational phrase of all time: When I Was Your Age... (I owned maybe one bag of items in total). Cue the informal clothing recycling system in our street: the bags go to the girls down the road to sift through, before handing over to the kids opposite, who sift through again and pass on to friends of theirs, and/or Vinnies. It’s fun seeing a child walking around wearing your teenage daughter’s long-ago beloved dream catcher t-shirt.
My good friend and neighbour spent years malevolently eyeing her husband’s solid and impractical wooden couch which had followed him everywhere since leaving home (‘it’s not just uncomfortable, it’s spectacularly ugly,’
she would mutter). She’s much better at finagling their household gear onto the kerb than me, but the couch was a line not to be crossed. The years passed, they renovated and finally – finally! - he reluctantly agreed that the couch could be rehoused.
‘We’ll put it out early and it’s bound to be snapped up, think of the new memories it will make,’ my friend soothed. Onto the nature strip the couch went, where it sat unclaimed for two weeks. Her husband was out when the truck finally arrived, and she breathed a sigh of relief, preparing a tale of a last-minute collection by a lovely young family just starting out. Unfortunately, her small son was there, and gleefully relayed the whole thing later on.
‘Daddy, the big truck took your couch and smashed it into a million pieces! It was sooo cool!’
Apart from the battle to dispose of stuff that’s seen better days, our house is jammed full of jigsaws, books, and dozens of other perishable randoms we’ll never use again. I’m very happy to give gear away – cue council pick-upbut when the weather’s tricky I worry it will all get ruined before people have the chance to look over it (yet another dilemma). So, I’ve hit upon a genius solution: Council should add a sort of weather-proof community White Elephant stall to their service calendar a week before the council collection, where everyone puts out their miscellaneous unwanted items still in good nick. We’ll most likely come home with everyone else’s stuff, but at least it’ll stay in the neighbourhood.
Liz Foster is a local writer. Her debut fiction novel, The Good Woman’s Guide to Making Better Choices, is out now with Affirm Press.
You can reach her by scanning this QR code to join her Readers’ Club or by emailing liz@lizfoster.com.au.
Illustration by Grace Kopsiaftis
ASPECTS
When: 31st Jan 2025 Where: Lane Cove Plaza What: The Lane Cove Lunar New Year's celebrations It was very enjoyable and colourful - Miki Oka
Lane Cove Council Area Residents Recognised in 2025 Australia Day Honours List
Lane Cove residents were recognised in this year’s Australia Day honours list. The Governor-General announced the Honours and Awards for 732 Australians. Here are two of the recipients living in the Lane Cove Council Area.
Member AM in the General Division
Ms Penelope Margaret Gerstle, Northwood NSW 2066 for significant service to human rights, community health, and to people with disability.
Ms. Gerstle said the following:
“It is such a pleasure and an honour to be recognised in the 2025 Australia Day awards. The work I do requires time away from home on a regular basis, including time spent overseas.
As fulltime carer and companion of my mum Una, who will turn 102 in a couple of weeks, time away would not be possible without the support and love of my extraordinary husband Gary. I owe him one thousand thank yous and more.
I am particularly proud that my award was, I’m told, supported by members of the Afghan community in NSW.
The plight of the world’s asylum seekers and refugees has long weighed on me as I try to imagine walking in the shoes of those forced to flee their homes, communities and countries to escape persecution.
Bringing scores of people, particularly vulnerable women and children to
safety during the resurgence of the Taliban regime is a source of immense joy to me. So too is the work of organisations like Palmera Projects and the Aminata Maternal Foundation, who work with the most vulnerable women and families in Sri Lanka and Sierra Leone, to build access to economic markets, or to safe births, while providing opportunities and tools to thrive.
My parents instilled in me a sense of justice and fairness, and the values of dignity and equality inherent in the canon of human rights laws are compelling. I’m continually impressed by the work of Human Rights Watch. Their meticulous and rigorous investigations relentlessly shine the spotlight on so many of the world’s most devastating rights abuses. Likewise, the Justice and Equity Centre works tirelessly to ensure the people of NSW are treated fairly by the laws and policies that affect them. What an honour to walk beside these organisations together with a wonderful team of fellow Australian supporters.
And what I learn from Australians with disability constantly surprises and delights me. If ever there was a group of people that are underestimated, it is people with disability. Yet with the right investment and encouragement, like people everywhere, people with disability thrive. I would encourage everyone to get to know more about disability.
I hope to use my Order of Australia to continue to encourage Australians to invest in building a fairer and more just world, globally and locally, in the hope that everyone has the opportunity to build a life that has meaning to them.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/ sicriverview/
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
Mr James Francis Rodgers, Lane Cove for service to primary and secondary education, and to cricket.
Mr Rodgers retired from St Ignatius College Riverview in 2021, and the following was posted on the college’s Instagram page:
“After almost half a century at Riverview, beloved teacher Mr James Rodgers taught his final lesson this morning in the Therry Building. Mr Rodgers, who attended Riverview as a student, started his distinguished teaching career here in 1978 and has been an integral figure of the Riverview community ever since.
“I’ve wanted to come to this school every day of my life.” said Mr Rodgers in his final class. “If you ever find a vocation like that, go after it.”
A guard of honour made of appreciative staff and students flowed from Therry to Dalton Chapel, as Fr Tom accompanied Mr Rodgers out of his final class.
Mr Rodgers has a deep affiliation and connection to our Old Boys Association (OIU) and has self-published two books during his time here; ‘Dare To Do So Much’ and ‘Give And Not To Count The Cost.’ He was also one of the Colleges’ first lay-division boarding masters in 1982.
Mr Rodgers will continue coaching cricket in the new year, as well as being involved in various special projects – so this isn’t goodbye just yet!”
Agents still matter...
One never ceases learning in this job and my latest task is navigating the advantages and pitfalls of AI. There are plenty. Words by Adrienne Witteman.
Once upon a time there was no internet. Once upon a time there was no Google. Now I couldn’t live without either as they are part of a suite of tools at my fingertips to deliver the best travel experiences for our clients.
AI is another such tool and probably the biggest disruptor of the century to-date. I recently had a call from a new client who told me where he wanted to cruise to, and that the only companies which seemed to best meet his needs were cruise lines X and Y. He had used Chat GPT to get that answer. I did a quick database search and corroborated his information.
So why was he calling me? Well, while AI could provide him with the facts it could not provide him with enough feel for which ship would best meet his requirements. Certainly, the statistics would provide some of that – 600 passengers vs 1200, the relative cost, the look of the rooms, the inclusions and so on – but none of the touchy-feely stuff that really matters.
After 40 years in the travel industry, and with extensive lived experience on most of the cruise lines, backed up by frequent ship inspections during our summer wave season, I was in the box seat to provide the information that would guide his final decision. The demographics of each line, the things they do differently, which rooms on the ship were best located, some added benefits he would receive when booking through me rather than direct, etc. etc. It was adequate proof that agents still matter and will continue to matter.
And it’s the same when considering a destination. In the interests of research, I asked Chat GPT about travelling to Cuba. While it told me how beautiful and interesting Cuba is, it didn’t tell me that if I have visited Cuba since 2021, I cannot get an e-visa (ESTA) to visit the USA and would require an interview for a physical visa issue. Given that getting such an appointment can take as long as six months, travel to Cuba can have dire repercussions for Australians. Request me to book Cuba and I’ll tell you. Ask Chat GPT and you won’t be so lucky.
Another area where travel advisors score highly is trust. When you give me your credit card details, you know who you are giving them to you. You also trust that this, and any other sensitive information you might provide is held securely and being used only as necessary. As it is.
Of course, we have a physical existence rather than simply a digital presence and one call or email will get you in contact. At all times you will know who is working for you. And while I will admit to bias (a personal preference for small group tours, smaller ships and hotels that deliver a special stay), my focus is always on providing a holiday that best matches a client’s wishes. Everyone deserves a holiday, whether they have a budget of two thousand dollars or ten!
All of this doesn’t mean that AI bots won’t have a role in my agency. I think it is a fantastic tool that will assist me to work better for you. However, I’m not going to be a slave to this wonderful technology or place undue reliance on its attributes. My old school habits will ensure I’ll never lose sight of the fact that the best travel experience is intensely personal and if you are coming to me, it is because you value my insight and are seeking better than a robot to look after you. But I will employ that robot to provide some great enhancements. You have my word.
(This article was not composed by AI)
Sell, Share, Repair and Save: Lane Cove's Creative Ways to Tackle Landfill include a new Streetwide Garage Sale!
Sydney faces an increasingly urgent waste management challenge, which needs tackling at multiple levels. Grassroots initiatives not only help the environment but can also provide financial benefits to our local community.
WORDS BY BRIDGET KENNEDY
Landfill space in Greater Sydney is dwindling fast. Experts predict that, without significant action, the region could run out of landfill space as early as 2030. Yes, that’s just five years away! This is a growing concern, particularly in our urban areas where populations are rising and waste generation continues to increase.
Not only are we running out of landfill but the cost of waste disposal is not cheap. The total costs of our waste services here in Lane Cove for 2023/24 was $8,287,000! So, anything we can keep out of the waste stream also helps the hip pocket.
The NSW Government has ambitious plans to tackle the waste problem with an aim to have an 80% average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030. State Govt has also introduced the requirement to divert food and garden organics from landfills by 2030 and food waste from businesses that generate high volumes of food waste by July 2026. Local councils are also working on solutions to reduce waste and increase recycling, but it’s clear that community participation is essential to make these strategies successful.
Here in Lane Cove we have initiatives like the Rotary Car Boot Sale, running on Sunday 9th March (book a space at www.lanecoverotary.org) to help keep things out of the waste stream. There are also a number of online Facebook swap and giveaway groups.
Another upcoming event is the first ever Seville Street Garage Sale, which will be held on Saturday 29th March, 9am – 1pm.
Not to be missed, this event is being organised by a group of Lane Cove residents who are passionate about keeping goods in circulation, and about building a connected and resilient community. There’ll be multiple households participating, offering gently used items - from furniture to clothes to musical items, tools and more - at great prices, some even for free! There’s even an antique mahogony bed that one resident slept in as a child.
The goal is to encourage reusing, rather than simply discarding items that may still have plenty of life left in them. The aim of the event is not only to keep valuable resources out of the waste stream but also to provide a way for neighbours to connect.
The concept of a circular economy - where products are reused, repurposed, and recycled - is another key strategy we’re embracing here in Lane Cove.
For example, Repair Café Sydney North (repaircafesydneynorth.net) held on the first and second Sunday of the month, is a volunteer run community initiative (now 10 years young) that helps residents repair damaged household items, from electronics to clothing.
Similarly, The Lane Cove Toy Library (thelanecovetoylibrary. org.au) at 47 Burns Bay Road, offers an alternative to buying new toys, which helps reduce plastic waste and minimises the need for excessive production of new toys. This initiative is particularly helpful for parents looking to reduce their environmental impact while also saving money.
Another example is The Sydney Library of Things (thesydneylibraryofthings.org.au), which allows residents to borrow items like camping gear, tools, and kitchen appliances rather than buying them. We also have numerous little street book libraries that our residents enjoy browsing.
As the cost of living continues to rise, many families are seeking ways to save money without sacrificing their quality of life. These initiatives not only promote sustainability but also provide affordable alternatives to buying new products.
By participating in programs like the Lane Cove Toy Library or the Sydney Library of Things, families can access items they need without the financial burden of purchasing them outright. These initiatives are always on the lookout for more volunteers if you’re interested in getting involved.
The Seville Street Garage Sale is another example of how local initiatives help keep costs down while encouraging sustainable living. By reusing goods that are still in good condition, families can save money and reduce their environmental footprint at the same time.
Let’s all do our part to ensure a cleaner, greener future for Lane Cove and the wider Sydney region.
Grab a terrific bargain at the Seville Street Garage Sale
See you at the Seville Street Garage Sale on Sunday 29th March for a fun, environmentallyfriendly way to meet your neighbours and reduce waste in our community. Bring your cash (or you can use PayID) and grab a terrific bargain or two!
Fun fact
Congratulations on Citizenship
Congratulations to one of our youngest Lane Cove Rotarians, Mel Gonyora, and her family who celebrated citizenship on 26 January 2025. Having Mel and her talents within our membership exemplifies the changed face of Rotary, one that celebrates youth and diversity as a true reflection of community.
Native & Indigenous Plant Sale
43.14% of our Lane Cove Red Bin is made up of food organics, 5.86% is containers, 6.19% is paper, 1.53% is garden waste and the rest is other residual waste.
Our average total household Red Bin waste per week is 8.239kg per week (houses 10.57kg, units 6.528kg).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bridget Kennedy is a Lane Cove local committed to fostering sustainability, and the share and circular economy. She’s actively involved in various local projects including some of the ones mentioned in this article and champions community-driven efforts that empower individuals to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. She’s passionate about transforming waste to resource and she could talk about composting all day! For more information about Bridget’s work, visit www.bridgetkennedy.com.au
Native
Native
Indigenous
Indigenous
Native & Indigenous Plant Sal
Whether your garden is large or small or you only have space for some pots there is a wide range of suitable native and indigenous plants for your situation. Come and find out about growing Australian and local plants in our Lane Cove gardens, balconies and terraces.
Whether your garden is large or small or you only have space for some pots there is a wide range of suitable native and indigenous plants for your situation. Come and find out about growing Australian and local plants in our Lane Cove gardens, balconies and terraces.
Whether your garden is large or small or you only have space for some pots there is a wide range of suitable native and indigenous plants for your situation. Come and find out about growing Australian and local plants in our Lane Cove gardens, balconies and terraces.
Whether your garden is large or small or you only have space for some pots there is a wide range of suitable native and indigenous plants for your situation. Come and find out about growing Australian and local plants in our Lane Cove gardens, balconies and terraces.
Gifts in Wills can help sick kids become paralympians
Jasmine is a swimming champion although her story isn’t just about medals and podiums. Every time she dives into the pool, she not only swims for her country but for sick kids too. Jasmine discovered her extraordinary talent for swimming during her rehabilitation from a medical emergency.
When six-year-old Jasmine presented to her local hospital with a very swollen stomach, doctors quickly removed her ruptured appendix in theatre and called the Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport service (NETS) for an urgent transfer to Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (SCH). NETS and SCH are both part of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN)
Jasmine was treated for a lifethreatening infection called sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit at SCH which was caused by her appendicitis. For three weeks her mum Chelsea never left her side. She says it was comforting to know her daughter was in the hands of the experts.
Chelsea says, ''I felt confident and reassured that they were doing everything they possibly could for her.'' Back at home on the South Coast
recovering well. An MRI confirmed Chelsea’s worst fears. Jasmine had experienced two strokes caused by sepsis, damaging two separate parts of her brain.
Jasmine was officially diagnosed with an acquired brain injury. So, to help her regain some movement on the left-hand side of her body, she was referred to SCH for Rehabilitation Doctor Adrienne Epps' specialist care.
To help Jasmine regain her strength and movement, her family spent several months travelling back and forth from SCH. Swimming in a pool, known as hydrotherapy, was a part of her rehab program.
Jasmine recalls, “Before my stroke, I was really into athletics and dancing. I wasn’t always a fish in water. But during rehab, walking was painful, and swimming was really relieving on my joints. Turns out I was pretty good at it too.”
Swimming offered Jasmine a new light in the shadows and allowed her to lean into her competitive side, defying all expectations.
At just nine-years-old, Jasmine earned her classification for paraswimming with the help of Dr Epps. And now, over ten years later, she is
para-athletes, winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics and her first international gold at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Jasmine and her family credit all her achievements to the extraordinary care of SCHN and Dr Epps.
Chelsea says, “She wouldn’t be where she is today without them. They are an absolutely amazing group of people.” Leaving a gift in your Will to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation can help change the future for sick kids like Jasmine. As little as 5% of your estate can make all the difference to sick kids. Your generosity can support groundbreaking research, purchase life-saving equipment, and deliver the highest standards of care for sick kids across NSW and beyond.
To learn more about leaving a gift in your Will, call 1800 770 122 or email the Planned Giving Team, plannedgiving@schf.org.au
1 in 2 Australians don’t have a valid Will.
Event details
Dates - March 13th & 27th Day - Thursday
Time - 5.30pm - 7.00pm
Location - Amara Display Suite.103 Longueville Rd
RSVP - Cathy Bennett on 1300 266 260
From private investigator to selling false teeth
Maggie Lawrence chats to Harold Brown, one of Riverview’s oldest residents about how he has filled in his 94 years.
I first met Harold Brown in the summer of 2015. I had stopped at the Riverview Deli to grab a coffee after a particularly fast power walk.
Harold was at an outdoor table drinking coffee with his close friend, former ABC-TV broadcaster, the late Paul Murphy.
This led to daily coffee catchups with Harold and Paul and Harold’s little dog Bosca. We all loved Bosca and sadly he recently joined his friends in doggie heaven.
Harold is a true animal lover. He often says: “A dog is the only love money can buy”. Harold and his wife Eva had a total of 18 animals during the sixty years they have lived in Riverview.
‘Bosca was a lovely little dog. He was a cross between a Maltese Terrier and a Shih Tzu and he became very fond of our last cat,’ Harold told me.
‘He would copy the cat’s behaviour and walk from room to room rubbing on the furniture. When our cat died Bosca was off his food for a week,’ Harold added.
Paul always referred to Harold (now 94) as ‘a young teenager’. Our Riverview coffee group gave Harold the new name of Hopalong due to the sprightly way he travels up the hill every day to join us for coffee.
Harold was born in 1930 in the North London suburb of Finchley.
‘During the war I had several family members and friends in the air force and they were all okay. We were very lucky,’ Harold told me.
‘In case water became unavailable, people attached a pump to their bath tubs,’ Harold said.
‘Before the war women liked to use powder puffs. They were made from either swans down, silk or sheepskin but some of the fabrics the women liked became hard to get during the war. My father saw this as an opportunity to earn some money and he began dying pieces of sheepskin pink and blue and was able to sell them as powder puffs for women. He did quite well with this.’
Selling potatoes in Canada
‘When I was 18 my best friend and I wanted to go to America but we couldn’t get in so we went to Canada instead and started out in Toronto.
‘It was a religious sort of place and on Sunday everything was closed and there were no buses or trains. The first thing I did there was to sell potatoes at a place where only
potatoes were sold. I did this for a while but we found Toronto was just a bit too quiet for us and we decided to move to Montreal instead as it had more life,’ Harold told me.
‘It was very cold in Canada in the winter but quite hot when you were inside. It could be 80 degrees fahrenheit inside a house and when you went outside it would be 20 degrees below. You couldn’t open your mouth to speak as your lips would be stuck together from the freezing weather.
‘Some of the suburbs had town squares and in the winter they would just throw water over them and they would become ice rinks for people to skate on. But I couldn’t ice skate,’ Harold said.
‘In Montreal I worked in a large advertising agency doing some odd jobs. My friend decided to leave Canada and he went back to England.
‘In 1949 after I’d been in Canada for about a year, my parents decided to move to Sydney. My mother had a brother there and they were both fed up with living in Britain. I decided to join them and my brother came along as well. When we got to Australia my father retired.
‘My brother’s wife died when he was in Australia and he found a new partner. When he was in his twenties, he developed a condition that although not really dangerous, needed specialised treatment but not in a hospital. But his partner insisted on putting him in a hospital in a private room where he wasn’t getting the right kind of treatment. But before they could move him to another place, he caught a bug in the hospital and died. He was only 26.
‘Once I got to Australia, I got a job driving cabs for a few months. It was very well paid. I earned around $60 a week and that was a lot of money then. It also meant that I had a car to drive around in as well. I always had enough money to live on. I was very lucky.’
Harold today
Watching the wrong house
‘In the 1950’s it was very easy to get all kinds of jobs even without the relevant experience. After I stopped driving taxis, I got a job as a private investigator at a Sydney detective agency.
‘One time I was given an address and told to watch the house and make a note of the people going in and out. I watched a house but there was nobody coming in or out as there had been at the house close by. I discovered later on that I had been watching the wrong house.
‘Another time I was given a contact of a man I needed to visit who had his wife’s jewellery and I had to pick something up from them. When I knocked on the door it was opened by a man pointing a rifle at me, so I just left. That was the end of my detective role. It wasn’t funny then although I laugh about it now,’ Harold said.
Harold was never out of work for long and his next job was selling false teeth to dentists.
‘I had many hundreds of false teeth in a large case but I hadn’t closed it properly and as I was crossing a main road in the city one day the bag sprung open and hundreds of teeth fell out in the middle of the road. I can laugh about it now but it was very embarrassing at the time,’ Harold said with a chuckle.
‘In the 1950’s there were two different ways to print things and one way was on a kind of screen. I had become good at doing this and I met a man who had a printing business so he hired me to do all his screen printing. But he turned out to be a bit of a lunatic so I had to leave that job.
‘My next venture was selling blocks of land. I did this on my own in Sydney and I was developing a good reputation. People wanted what I had to sell and I sold quite a bit. One day I went to see the actor Rock Hudson who was considering buying some land from me. I knocked on the door where he was staying in Sydney and what I remember was how tall he was. All that I could see as he opened the door were the buttons at the bottom of his shirt. He towered above me.
‘In Sydney I went to people’s homes to sell the land and in Melbourne they came to my premises. I never lived in Melbourne. I didn’t like the cold winter weather there.’
In the 1960’s Harold did some voluntary work at a community radio station.
‘I was at 2RPH and I was responsible for playing episodes of a radio play. It was all on old 78 records and one day I accidentally played an episode twice. The phones started ringing like mad with upset listeners saying they had already heard that episode. Not long after that I left the station,’ Harold told me.
Winning an award for directing
‘I got involved with acting and was in a few plays in Sydney. One series of plays were put on in Melbourne. We weren’t paid much but I really enjoyed it. I won a prize once for directing a play.’
Harold met his wife Eva at a function in Sydney.
‘I didn’t want to go but a friend of mine kept insisting and that was where I met Eva. I got her number from a friend and called her a few months later and we began dating.
‘I was 34 when we got married and we’ve been married for sixty years. We bought a house in Riverview at the time and have lived there ever since.
‘We have two sons: one is a well-respected immunologist at a Sydney hospital. My other son is a musician. He does very well. I also have a daughter with an online business. Our children had two girls each so I have six lovely grandchildren.
‘My wife Eva was a highly qualified registered nurse. She’s retired now and looks after me very well. I am a lucky man,’ Harold concluded.
Maggie Lawrence is a local author and screenwriter. You can visit her at www.maggielawrence.com
Harold and Paul Murphy
Harold the actor
Stepping Into Possibility:
HOW 50 FIRSTS SPARKED A MOVEMENT
FIRSTS
Last year, we interviewed Julie, Mary, Jacquie and Celeste who embarked on their 50 Firsts Personal Challenge, stepping beyond their comfort zones through bite-sized, meaningful experiences. Their stories sparked curiosity among readers wondering: What’s next for me? How do I begin?
This inspired Julie to create Empower Her – 5 Firsts in 5 Weeks, a program designed to help women reconnect with themselves and build confidence in a fun, supportive space. Using evidence-based frameworks, the program created lasting change. Julie, a globally certified professional Mindset Coach, designed each element to be impactful and enjoyable.
Each participant chose her own Firsts, selecting challenges that resonated with her Core Values. Every week, they embraced a new, meaningful First, bringing their whole, authentic selves, embracing vulnerability, and fostering deep connection within the weekly online sessions. Meanwhile, Julie continued her own Firsts, trying Aerial Silks to reinforce that personal growth is a lifelong journey.
HERE, WE SHARE AN EXAMPLE FROM EACH PARTICIPANT’S JOURNEY, SHOWCASING THEIR CHALLENGES, BREAKTHROUGHS, AND TRANSFORMATIONS.
Natalie’s #3 First - Launching My Baking Business
"Natalie, how did launching your business help you overcome self-doubt and build confidence?"
"Imposter syndrome was huge. Would anyone place an order? Would people buy my cakes with so many other bakers out there? I was also concerned about what people would think. Putting myself out there felt scary."
Despite her fears, Natalie took the leap, launching her baking business online and selling to paying customers for the first time.
"I like to have a go! The fear of failure was big, but the reality was different - people did order, and that gave me confidence. I don’t have to have it all figured out - I just need to start."
Her biggest realisation?
"I keep things moving. Instead of waiting for perfection, I take small steps daily - working on packaging, posting, refining recipes. Every action builds momentum, and I feel more confident with every order."
Kay’s #5 First - Floating Sauna
"Kay, how did the floating sauna experience help you embrace discomfort?"
"I was nervous about the heat and cold, unsure how my body would react. But I told myself: just show up, take the step, and see what happens."
Stepping into the floating sauna, Kay embraced the unknown. The heat was intense, but she stayed. When it was time to cool off, she took the plunge—literally—into the cold water.
"The shock was immediate, but I did it. And in that moment, something shifted - I realised, ‘Dive in! I can do hard things.’"
Her biggest realisation?
"Stepping into discomfort builds confidence. Action matters more than perfection. Resilience isn’t about feeling ready —it’s about following through."
Olivia’s #2
First - Joining F45 Gym
"Olivia, how did committing to the gym change the way you see yourself?"
"I was excited but nervous. I worried I wouldn’t stick with it, that I was overcommitting, and that waking up early would be too hard. Training in the gym felt intimidating. I feared being judged, not being strong enough, or standing out."
Olivia joined F45, committing to four sessions a week and training early mornings to prioritise herself. Her biggest challenge? Wearing a tank top to the gym for the first time.
"At first, it was uncomfortable, but I realised how much my confidence shifted when I dressed the part. It made me feel stronger and more in control of my workouts."
Her biggest realisation?
"Change happens fast when you’re in the right environment with the right people. That’s what F45 gave me."
Christina’s #4 First - Deep Ecology Workshop
"Christina, how did attending the workshop deepen your trust in your intuition and values?"
"I had wanted to do something more for nature for a long time but kept pushing it aside. When I found out about the Deep Ecology weekend, I knew I had to go. But doubts crept in. Was this too ‘out there’? Would people judge me? Even my husband thought I was joining a hippie cult!"
Despite her reservations, she persisted—securing a last-minute spot and navigating the logistics of a weekend away.
"It was exactly what I needed. I trusted my intuition, and it was transformative. I took first turns in exercises, swam in a dam, and even jumped into the back of a tradie truck for fun."
Her biggest realisation?
"I don’t have to justify my passion for the environment. I can put my foot down for my own needs. Deep work doesn’t have to be heavy - it can be fun. I left with clarity and renewed commitment."
The Power of Group Support
What made these breakthroughs possible? The group itself. Each woman’s courage fuelled the next. By embracing vulnerability and authenticity, they created deep connection, personal growth and collective empowerment.
What’s Possible for You?
If these stories resonate with you, ask yourself: What’s one small First I could do today?
Transformation doesn’t come from waiting - it comes from saying yes before you’re ready.
If you're curious to find out more, please email julie@thelifestylistcoach.com.au
The LCHS Lane Cove History Prize for 2025
WORDS BY DR. FRANCES CHRISTIE, LCHS
The Lane Cove Historical Society (LCHS) is proud to announce that the 2025 LCHS Lane Cove History Prize is now open. The Prize was awarded annually from 2016 till 2023, after which it was declared that it would be awarded biennially. We are now very excited to be again calling for entries to the Prize, which may be a work of written history (essay form) from 5,000 to 7,000 words; an oral history, produced as an audio or video recording of 30 to 45 minutes accompanied by a written transcript; or finally, a video (documentary style) of 7 to 20 minutes on an aspect of local history.
The aim of the LCHS Lane Cove History Prize is to encourage original research into the history of our community and its environs, extending knowledge of the area and its people. It is intended that the research will contribute to knowledge of the area's past that will help to give us an enriched understanding of our present. The term 'Lane Cove and its environs' refers to the modern Municipality of Lane Cove, Lane Cove West, Lane Cove North, Greenwich, Northwood, Longueville, and Linley Point. It is acknowledged that in the past 'Lane Cove' covered a much broader geographical area, for it embraced parts of modern Hunters Hill, and Woolwich, North Sydney, Chatswood and suburbs north to Gordon. Hence, submissions will be accepted when these areas are introduced into a study of the period in which these areas constituted 'Lane Cove'.
The range of possible themes that might be selected for the entry is considerable, including for example, an institution such as a sporting club, a musical group, a church, a person, a family, a house, or a street and the life it has sustained.
For the first time we are opening the Prize up to entries from individuals under 18. We encourage younger children to enter this category with a written essay or video project such as an interview of their grandparents which researches their life and times, or perhaps the local history of a particular sport or type of music that appeals to the child's interests.
ENTRIES FOR THE LCHS LANE COVE HISTORY PRIZE WILL CLOSE ON 31ST AUGUST. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: www.carisbrookhouse.com/LCHS/historyprize or email us at: LCHShistoryprize@carisbrookhouse.com
POSITION VACANT
Community Magazine Print Editor
PART-TIME, WORKING REMOTELY
Location
Flexible working arrangements, with time spent in the Northern Sydney Area, with occasional on-site work at the Lane Cove Head Office.
About The Village Observer
The Village Observer is a monthly community magazine and for more than 30 years, has reported on local issues, people, places and events in Lane Cove and surrounding suburbs and has played a key role in building the sense of community that exists in the area.
Proceeds from The Village Observer support residents of Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Crows Nest, Artarmon, Willoughby and North Sydney, via Sydney Community Services – a local not-for-profit organisation that helps residents to live a quality and independent life in their own home and in their community.
Position Summary
We are currently seeking a part time Print Editor with good journalist and publishing skills and experience. Ideally the role would suit someone who lives in Lane Cove, or surrounding suburbs, and/ or is familiar with the local community.
Editorial responsibilities include:
• Set the editorial direction of each issue to ensure content appeals to a broad readership and maintains a local community feel and reflects local content
• Create a flatplan to accommodate editorial and adverts (advert spreadsheet supplied by designer)
• Manage news, events and feature articles, organise and conduct interviews as required, and manage the TVO contributor database
• Liaise with Council, local businesses, key community groups and readers to understand and report on key issues and manage queries
• Ensure editorial is balanced, equally representing interests of the diverse range of community groups and stakeholders
• Proofread final draft to maximise readability and accuracy of magazine before it goes to print
• Work collaboratively with the Marketing Team, including graphic designer, to ensure magazine is produced to strict deadline and budget
• Manage social media presence
Qualifications and skills:
• Proven experience in the publishing or magazine industry
• Creative thinking and adaptability to current trends
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to clearly convey editorial needs and effectively collaborate with contributors, and other team members
• Strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in verifying information, dates, names, references, and ensuring copy is free from errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite, including Word
How to Apply:
If you’re passionate about quality journalism and print publication, as well as consistently keeping the local community informed, we’d love to hear from you!
Please send your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your experience and why you are interested in this role to support@sydneycs.org by 11 March 2025.
You can call us on 9427 6425 to obtain more information.
Note: The Village Observer and Sydney Community Services are equal opportunity employers and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.
Council Update March 2025
Mayoral Update
NSW Women’s Week
Lane Cove Council, in partnership with Gallery Lane Cove, presents Resilience and Radiance, an event series celebrating women artists who identify as LGBTQIA+. As part of NSW Women’s Week this weeklong event honours women, and their contribution to the community through art and conversation.
Taking place at Gallery Lane Cove, highlights include:
• Thursday 20 February - Saturday 8 March: ‘Resilience and Radiance’ exhibition curated by Sarah Rose
• Wednesday 5 March: for local businesses, an evening with awardwinning creative and ex-social media manager at MONA, Liana Rossi, in an inspiring keynote on honing your creativity
• Friday 7 March: Seniors Festival Guided Tour and refreshments
• Saturday 8 March: International Women’s Day Shared Table and Finissage – join artists as they cook a special dish and share insights into their work and the creative process. Bookings at: lanecove.nsw.gov.au/iwd
Merri Southwood, Mayor of Lane Cove E: msouthwood@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
Lane Cove is coming alive in March with a huge raft of programs and initiatives to spark joy, contemplation, and connection. I am proud to share that there will be a great series of events during NSW Women’s Week (4 – 8 March), with the feature program located at the always impressive Gallery Lane Cove.
At Lane Cove Council, we celebrate diversity. Autumn Harmony is a festival that seeks to showcase the many cultures and perspectives in Lane Cove. Our flagship event, Kaleidoscope of Lane Cove, is on again and I hope to see you there.
We are also conducting a review of the Community Strategic Plan, and you may spot staff in the Lane Cove Plaza, and on our digital channels, asking for your input. Keep an eye out for the “Reflections of Lane Cove” mirror popping up to consider questions like “what do you see in Lane Cove today?” and “what would you like to see in Lane Cove in 2035?” We hope you will help us build the future of this area collaboratively.
Kaleidoscope of Lane Cove
Lane Cove is a unique, culturally diverse and constantly evolving. Drop by Lane Cove Plaza on Friday 14 March and celebrate our vibrant community at our 2025 Kaleidoscope of Lane Cove event. Featuring live music, workshops and interactive stalls from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, don’t miss this community celebration in the lead up to Harmony Day.
Sunday 30 March is Neighbour Day, and it’s the perfect time to build and celebrate these important connections, which are often the first to help out in a time of need. Council supports the Relationships Australia, Neighbours Every Day campaign which promotes social connection and encourages people to build positive relationships with their neighbours. Check out our website to use the Meet Your Neighbours toolkit on running social events to connect with your neighbours or consider joining our Compost Network to reduce food waste and create compost with Neighbours!
Craig Wrightson steps down as General Manager at Lane Cove Council
After more than 20 years of service, including 12.5 years as General Manager, Craig Wrightson has announced his resignation from Lane Cove Council.
Craig has played a key role in shaping Lane Cove, overseeing major projects like The Canopy, Wadanggari Park, and significant upgrades to community spaces, sporting facilities, and sustainability initiatives. His leadership has helped make Lane Cove one of Australia’s most liveable communities.
During his tenure, Lane Cove expanded its open spaces, enhanced local infrastructure, and introduced innovative sustainability programs that earned state recognition. His strategic vision has delivered lasting benefits for residents, from improved transport links to new cultural and recreational facilities.
Thank you Craig for your many years of service to the Lane Cove community.
Celebrate Neighbour Day this Month!
What’s on Lane Cove March 2025
• Saturday 1 March
9:30 -11:30am Petting Zoo
• Saturday 1 March 6:00pm - 8:00pm DJ VJTEK
• Saturday 8 March, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, $12, Ladies of the 80s Concert. The high energy live show is packed with the hits of Madonna, Whitney Houston, Pointer Sisters, Cyndi Lauper, Donna Summer, Tina Turner and more. Join us at The Canopy to dance the night away celebrating the amazing Ladies of the 80s. Book via: lanecove.nsw.gov.au/events
COMING UP AT:
• Thursday 13 March 6:00pm - 9:00pm Quennie Band and Swing Dance show & lessons
• Saturday 15 March 10:00am – 12:00pm Facepainting
• Saturday 29 March 6:00pm – 8:00pm Shakesperience presents Romeo and Juliet
• Sunday 30 March 3:00pm - 5:00pm Blue Mallee Live music afternoon
What’s on Lane Cove March 2025
Clean Up Australia Day
Sunday 2 March
10:00am – 12:00pm Blackman Park
Help us collect litter at this landbased clean-up at Blackman Park. Registrations essential: lanecove.nsw.gov.au/events
Stepping On - Pedestrian Safety Presentation for Seniors
Tuesday 4 March
10:00am - 1:00pm
Waterview Community Centre
Practical tips for seniors to remain safe as a pedestrian.
Bookings essential: lanecove.nsw.gov.au/events
Laughter & Disaster Workshop
Wednesday 5 March
10:00am - 12:00pm Living & Learning Centre
Start your day with a Laughter Workshop with fun interactive laughter activities, breathing exercises and stress relief techniques. We will also have a presentation on how to be best prepared for an emergency disaster with all participants receiving a free Hand Crank Portable Radio & Charger, worth $55.
Saturday 8 March 9:00am - 1:00 pm Lane Cove Chambers Car Park
Free event to have your child car seat safely fitted or adjusted by Transport for NSW approved fitters. For residents of Lane Cove and Hunters Hill LGAs only.
Sunday 9 March 9:00am - 1:00pm Civic Centre Car Park (next to the Aquatic Centre)
Come and find a bargain on preloved clothes, toys, household items, sporting equipment and more. Find out more or apply for a car space at www.lanecoverotary.org
In conversation with Minney Richani – Amongst the Grapevines @ Lane Cove Library
Monday 10 March 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Join Minney Richani sharing Amongst the Grapevines, a mix of memoir, poetry, prose and digital illustrations. This multifaceted collection explores a deep personal connection to the Syrian conflict, those afflicted by it and the sense of misplaced identity it has caused. Books will be available for purchase on the night.
Visit lanecove.nsw.gov.au/events for bookings and tickets. All events are free unless otherwise stated.
What’s on Lane Cove March 2025
Shapes & Colours
Friday 14 March and Wednesday 19 March 9:45am - 11:15am
Tambourine Bay Park, Riverview
Come along on a bushwalk to see the shapes and colours of the Australian bush and do some nature craft. Ages 2-5.
Tickets $10 www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids
Bright Ideas to Reduce Your Energy Bills
Wednesday 19 March
10:30am - 11:30am
Location Living & Learning Centre
Join local sustainability educator, Jo Taranto, to discuss tips to reduce your energy bills including using the Energy Made Easy comparison website, an introduction to draught proofing and dressing and staying active with heat or cold in mind. Every person who attends this session will receive a free gel cooling pillow insert and a personal cooling towel, worth over $20.
A free workshop highlighting risk factors for older drivers, low risk driving strategies and a road rules refresher. For residents of Hunters Hill only
Join local Poet in residence Paul Bennett, as he offers a poignant glimpse into the rich tapestry of his life and philosophical musings on the human experience. This collection, crafted over a transformative two-year journey, resonates with authenticity and emotional depth. Books available for purchase on the night.
Join our Lane Cove Writers in Residence group who meet monthly to share stories, discuss creative writing ideas and writing methods. No bookings required.
Caterpillar Critters
Thursday 27 March 9:45am - 11:15am
Stringybark Reserve, Murray Street
Join us to learn about caterpillars, how they protect themselves and how weird they can look. We’ll go on a bushwalk and make a caterpillar of our own to take home. Ages 2-5.
Tickets $10 www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids
Seniors Car Maintenance Workshop
Saturday 29 March 11:00am - 1:00pm Lane Cove Council Chambers Car Park, 48 Longueville Road
Learn essential skills on how to keep your car running well. For residents of Lane Cove LGA only. Bookings essential www.lanecove. nsw.gov.au/events or email: roadsafety@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
TIME TO SHINE IN THE PARK
TIME TO SHINE IN THE PARK
TIME TO SHINE IN THE PARK
Wednesday 12 March, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Wednesday 12 March, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Wednesday 12 March, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Blackman Park, Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West
Blackman Park, Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West
Blackman Park, Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West
Garden Party
Garden Party
Garden Party
Join local service providers and Councils for a morning of entertainment and free morning tea. Sit back and relax at our garden party with a scone and a cuppa while you watch Chinese fan dancers and listen to the NSW Police Band. To attend the garden party and enquire about transport, please contact Sydney Community services on support@sydneysc.org or call 02 9427 6425.
Join local service providers and Councils for a morning of entertainment and free morning tea. Sit back and relax at our garden party with a scone and a cuppa while you watch Chinese fan dancers and listen to the NSW Police Band. To attend the garden party and enquire about transport, please contact Sydney Community services on support@sydneysc.org or call 02 9427 6425
Join local service providers and Councils for a morning of entertainment and free morning tea. Sit back and relax at our garden party with a scone and a cuppa while you watch Chinese fan dancers and listen to the NSW Police Band. To attend the garden party and enquire about transport, please contact Sydney Community services on support@sydneysc.org or call 02 9427 6425
Come and Try Activities
Come and Try Activities
Come and Try Activities
To book Tai Chi, Walking Soccer or Come and Try Bushwalking visit: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/seniors
To book Tai Chi, Walking Soccer or Come and Try Bushwalking visit: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/seniors
To book Tai Chi, Walking Soccer or Come and Try Bushwalking visit: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/seniors
Given that we are several months into 2025 already (where did the time go?), now is a good time to evaluate some of those goals you may have made to be ‘more healthier’ this year.
But what does it actually mean to be healthier, and more importantly, what does it mean for you? It might mean eating less junk and processed foods to lose weight, quitting smoking so to have less breathlessness playing with your grandchildren (and save money on cigarette purchases) or getting more sleep instead of binge-watching your favourite Netflix TV shows (guilty as charged!).
When I check my patients for their annual health assessment, I often make a little joke by saying this will be similar to a full car service check. Just to stretch the analogy a tiny bit further, in my experience there are three types of people in this regard: (1) those who have their car regularly serviced, (2), those who only attend after hearing their car making a funny noise in the engine but still do so fairly promptly because they are worried, and (3) those who despite clear ongoing car problems keep on driving until they need roadside assistance, sometimes to the point of needing towing to the nearby mechanic (aka hospital).
Many people delay seeing a doctor til when they are unwell. But instead it is much better to avoid getting sick in the first place (or catch problems in their early stages). After all, prevention is better than cure, just as early treatment is better than damage control.
In 2023, studies showed that as a whole, Australians lost 5.6 million years of healthy life, through a combination of living with (non-fatal) illnesses (54%) and dying early in life (46%). Chronic diseases caused the most problems, especially cancer, mental health conditions & substance use disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, cardiovascular diseases and neurological conditions (particularly dementia).
Overall and for most age groups, males experienced the consequences of total disease burden more than females, due to males having a higher fatality rate. According to the same research, the leading causes among males were coronary heart disease, back pain and suicide and selfinflicted injuries. Among females, the leading cause was dementia, followed by anxiety disorders and back pain.
On average, compared to twenty years ago, Australians are living longer (in 2023, the life expectancy for males was 81 years and for females was 85 years). Of these years approximately 88% was spent in full health. But importantly, despite our living longer, the years of full health actually haven’t improved, and all those extra years we are living are actually years of ill health!
The COVID pandemic had not helped. According to the Australian Heart Foundation, during the height of the COVID pandemic nearly 350 heart attacks, strokes or heartrelated deaths would have been
prevented in the following five years, if 27,000 Heart Health Checks had not been missed or delayed. Other studies showed a reduction in breast screening mammograms - 74,000 were performed in April 2018 compared to around 1,100 in April 2020. Thankfully a degree of normalcy has returned in patients returning to see their doctor for their health checks.
The best way you can get proactive and stay healthy, is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, including eating a well-balanced and low-processed food diet, aiming for at least 30 minutes of age-appropriate exercise daily, not smoking, minimising alcohol intake, reducing sitting time and getting at least 7 hours of sleep each day, will all help towards this.
Also, it is important to have all your preventative health checks kept up to date. Please ask your doctor about these. Many of these checks are standard and are age and gender dependent. But others are tailored and individualised to you, your life circumstances and personal risk factors, including your family history.
Dr Carl Wong is a Lane Cove-based GP and sits on the board of Sydney Community Services.
Some standard examples are:
Getting your blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels checked regularly (one third of adults and one quarter of children are overweight/obese)
Cervical screening tests every five years from the age of 25 for sexually-active women (death rates in Australia are amongst the lowest in the world due to screening)
Two-yearly mammograms from age 50 (leading cause of cancer in women; average 1 in 7 women will develop)
Two-yearly bowel cancer screening for both male and females from age 45 (third most common cancer in both men and women)
Annual healthy heart checks from aged 30 (heart disease is leading cause of death in Australia)
Annual skin cancer checks (Australia is a world-leader in getting new skin cancers)
Diabetes risk assessment from age 40 (1 in 20 have diabetes)
Lung cancer screening from age 50 (new government initiative starting mid this year) (commonest cause of cancer death)
Bone mineral density testing from age 70 (50% increased risk of premature death after an osteoporosis-related fracture)
Annual influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations
Shingles vaccination from age 65 and pneumonia vaccination from age 70
(Please note that all the above examples are the current recommended guidelines but there are variations to this, and must be individualised to you by your treating doctor).
The proverb ‘prevention is better than cure’ has its origins as far back as the 13th century which still holds well today. On the other hand, I still remember as a child reciting the more recent 19th century proverb, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ (if one eats healthy food, one will remain in good health, and therefore not need to see the doctor that often). If only staying completely healthy was as easy as that!
REVIEW
The Jam Maker
by Mary-Lou Stephens
I
have adored my armchair trip to Tasmania this month. I read The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens and I could not have loved it more. I would love to recommend it to you this month.
Mary-Lou Stephans was born and bread in Tasmania, she was an actor and musician and now writer, she has lived and worked all over Australia and now is slow travelling her way all over the world with her husband. The Jam Maker is her third novel and third foodie novel- Last of the Apple Blossoms, The Chocolate Factory and now The Jam Maker…I cannot wait to see what she dreams up next!
I read that Mary-Lou Stephens first got the idea for this book when walking along the Hobart waterfront, noticing on one side the old IXL jam factory and on the other Salamanca Place which once housed the WD Peacock jam factory. What a starting point!!!
I had no idea I would be so captivated and enthralled in jam! The Jam Maker was just such an immersive tale. It starts out in the 1870s in the slums alongside the Hobart Rivulet and ends there in 1926. We follow Harriet Brown from a desperate 12 year old shearing her hair so she can pretend to be a boy in order to work as a label paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory. There she meets the entrepreneur Harry Jones and the novel goes from there.
I loved reading about Harriet’s desperation and determination, her story is one of hard work and effort. Imagine asking a 12 year old to work six days dawn to dusk pasting jam labels onto tins! There is real friendship and found family reflected on the page in this novel. Making do and doing without. But intertwined with this is the history of the Tasmanian jam industry- I had no idea it was so lucrative and fascinating, that it was at once big business and small business..tariffs, cutting corners and spoilt fruit.. and our Harry is a real historical figure! I adored it!
A really beautiful story and definitely one to read with a scone topped with jam in hand!
March Books to look forward to...
• The Next Day by Melinda French Gates
• Lyrebird by Jane Caro
• Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
• The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester
Review by: Anna Loder. Anna is the founder of www.readabook.com.au and the podcast of the same name. She is a book fanatic and owns a second-hand bookshop and café in Cronulla. www.readabook.com.au
We are re-running this popular story, initially written in 2014 by John Wilson who grew up in Longueville and was a friend of the dynamic and iconic artist, Brett Whiteley. By revisiting this piece, we hope to offer both our regular and new readers the chance to experience Longueville of the past, as well as the exciting, dangerous, and captivating energy of one of Australia’s greatest artists.
Hanging with Brett Whiteley – a boyhood idyl
This edited extract forms part of a memoir written by John Wilson. John grew up in Longueville and later raised his family there. John eloquently recounts growing up in the area alongside his childhood friend Brett Whiteley.
In the Longueville of my childhood – a Sydney harbourside village in those days – Brett Whiteley, my closest friend, was a tiny legend. For years, people told stories of his mischief . . . like the time he kidnapped a neighbour’s cat and sent a ransom note demanding money for its return.
The Longueville of the 1940s and 1950s was placid, quiet, secret. Nothing much ever changed. But then, one day, another scandal erupted.
Down on Mary Street, Mrs Aspinal went to collect her daily loaf from the kitchen servery to find that most of it had gone. Someone had scooped out the warm centre to leave behind a hollowed crust.
The next day it happened again. Same theft, same MO. Mrs Aspinal was determined to catch the thief so next morning, concealed by a kitchen curtain, she lay in wait as the baker arrived. Slam! went the servery door as he left the new-baked bread.
In minutes, as his van purred away, a child with a topping of Pre-Raphaelite golden curls crept from hiding, lifted the loaf and quickly disappeared into the bushes.
Five minutes later, the cherub reappeared and replaced the now-hollowed shell. Mrs Aspinal had her thief.
That night she wrote a note in large letters and left it in the servery: “Dear Brett, Please do not steal my bread. If you would like some, knock on the door and I will give you a piece. Mrs. Aspinal.”
The next day the note was gone and another left in its place. In childish hand, it read: “It wasn’t me Mrs Aspinal.” Funny, outrageous and, for someone so clever, spectacularly naive. That was Brett, the same child who thought the goldfish in neighbours’ ponds were made of real gold and if you caught them, you’d be rich.
billycart made by his father Clem, which was ‘just like a real racing car’. Photo: Ian MacTavish
He was the child who would set alight the letterboxes of people he didn’t like and who had the district in a panic when he disappeared and was found riding the ferry wash under the wharf in a stolen canoe.
“God, he was a handful,” said my mother.
He was demanding and jealous, exciting and dangerous, captivating and enchanting, thrilling to be with and to be his friend was a badge of honour that I proudly wore. In our conservative, almost Victorian, world of Johns and Ians and Alans and Kenneths, even the name ‘Brett’ was theatre and, somehow, thrillingly American.
Brett was the wild child over whom the district’s mothers tut-tutted, worried – and fed. A lot of the time he was fed at our place and my mother regarded him as a difficult, but tolerated second son. She would pretend to be cross. “Doesn’t Brett have a home to go to?” she’d ask sternly.
The truth is he did have a home to go to, a beautiful home; far, far more impressive than ours, but there was often no one at home – apart from a granny who was pressed into babysitting and whom he despised.
So much has been written about the boy genius but, in those early years, I saw little of that genius; what I did see was a small friend with astonishing charisma, someone you just ached to be with.
Longueville’s Gatsbys
In Longueville, the Whiteleys were different to everyone else. They were showbusiness, glamorous, fast-living; they were our Gatsbys.
Nothing about them was typical – even their house. Most of our houses dated from the first 30 years of the century – deep red brick and red tiled roofs – but Clem’s and Beryl’s walls were painted white and the roof was blue,
Brett in the
like houses you saw in art books, or magazine articles about California.
The difference between us was cruelly clear.
Longueville and its bays slept a million miles from anywhere, a magical place where our lives were measured by the tides that lapped the shores of the perfect childhood.
The peninsula had been home to bushrangers and fierce Aborigines. A century later, it was just 10 minutes from the centre of Sydney and had become the first suburb in Australia for the average price of houses to reach $1 million.
But when we were kids, in the 1940s and 1950s, it was home to ordinary families; bank managers, shop owners, suburban solicitors, the man who founded a refrigerator company, a bookmaker at the greyhounds – and Billy Salvatori, who drove Mr Newman’s black and white buses at breakneck speed while his brother, Ron, drove them like an ambling tortoise.
Families didn’t move. Our parents were plain folk, lives fulfilled by family bungalows and neat gardens; people who had endured Depression and war and asked nothing more.
The street that divided Longueville into two classes was Kenneth Street, the cool riverside people to the east, where the Whiteleys lived, and those on the west side of the peninsula who, as my father used to say, had to cope with the hot westerly winds blowing up from the gully and lifting the lounge room carpets. We lived in the west.
My dad couldn’t afford to buy a home, so we rented one half of a little 1920s cottage. My baby sister shared the only bedroom with my parents and I slept on the open back veranda where the rains splattered off a spreading loquat tree and right up to my bed. It was really only a single step from camping.
Inside, the house was dark and dour. My mother’s tiny kitchen had thin wooden cupboards, no fridge but an icebox and blue-and-white gingham curtains to hide the gap beneath the sink.
Beryl Whiteley’s kitchen was a world away: bright, snow white and light, an electric fridge and, wonder of wonders, a milkshake machine and an electric can opener.
We bonded like magnets
Brett and I instantly bonded like magnets – although the reality is that Brett was probably the magnet and, like the rest of the gang, I may well have been the bonded.
Over those fractured years of our schooldays, I was as close to Brett as I’ve been to anyone in my life.
Tucked away in the roof of the white house, he had the bedroom of my dreams, with shelves for treasures, a second bed for a mate, a goatskin rug on its polished floor and a vintage muzzle-loading rifle hanging like a trophy on the wall.
But best of all was the huge, built-in desk for painting and drawing and, in front of the desk, was a panoramic window, where below spread the luminous waters of the Lane Cove River.
We were obsessed by art and that river was our Seine, the waters of Renoir and Matisse; we had no doubt that one day we would go to Europe and paint like them.
When we weren’t painting or lusting or listening, the river was our playground, the blue and green river with its dancing lavender lights. All summer we swam, stole dinghies and canoes from the boat sheds, raided the rowing and sailing clubs for beer and supplies, and smoked stolen tobacco aboard invaded yachts.
One day, Brett and I invented a new kind of bomb and placed it by the river baths before lighting the wick, then hiding behind a boat shed to shelter from the blast that we were sure would come.
Minutes passed. Nothing happened. We peered around. The bomb was sizzling with potential and standing by it was the Presbyterian minister.
“Why, hello,” he said, as he spotted us. “It’s Brett Whiteley and Johnny Wilson!”
I prayed harder than I ever had in choir that they wouldn’t be the last words he ever uttered. God answered; the wick fizzled to silence. The experiment had failed. Our prayers had been heard; Brett and I had escaped the noose.
The white house came alive
The only thing consistent about the Whiteley’s was their difference.
Even when we were very young, we realised that Beryl Whiteley was not only exquisitely beautiful but lived in a different world to our mums, all cheery women who bustled around each other’s kitchens swapping recipes, or trading gossip at my Uncle Bunny Warren’s little grocery shop.
Beryl was like an untouchable movie star and my memories are glimpses . . . fragments of black and white film . . . she was enigmatic and exciting, a cool strawberrry blonde vision of perfect bones and fashion, who seemed to be barely at home. I wondered what her life was like, where she went, what she did.
Continued over page
Continued from previous page
We worshipped Clem, Brett’s father. When Clem was around, the white house came alive with riotous rugby matches on the back lawn, where Brett was a surprisingly talented and slippery half-back. And the billycart Clem made him was just like a real racing car.
Clem was fun, like a bigger version of us. Nothing like our own fathers. According to Brett, he had done and been everything: a military hero, a Queen’s Scout, a great sportsman – even a racing driver in the little Wolseley Hornet that sat in the garage, the car in which Brett said Clem had proposed to Beryl.
In 1950, Clem and Beryl – the aristocrats of the White House –crowned their superiority, their difference, by actually sailing to America on a great ship. When they returned, they crowned Brett’s princely eminence by adding to his already unimaginable treasures.
There was the cap gun that worked like a real Colt .45 and the MercedesBenz racing car with steering and proper quick-change wheels with winged hub caps. But most of all, most fantastic of all, was the carton of bubble gum – the defining symbol of young America. To us, bubble gum was a dream, something we’d only seen in comics.
And typically, the chosen one refused to share a single piece.
But then, he could be a mean little prick. He may have been the most mesmerising person I had ever met and yet, while I loved him, it was hard to escape a sad meanness and a cruelty inside that small body.
A special trick reserved for infirm old Longueville ladies was to walk past with head down and then suddenly leap and scream in their face.
As for his despised grandmother, one day I watched as he pasted a photograph of a gorilla on a sheet of paper, carefully printing “NANNA” underneath in a childish hand, then tucking the insult into an envelope addressed to “Nanna, Lucretia Avenue, Longueville”, with a used stamp added to the envelope.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “I’m leaving it in the mailbox, she’ll think it came in the post.”
“She’ll kill you.”
“No she won’t, she won’t know who it’s come from.”
Different paths
Life was changing fast. In 1956 I won entrance to art school, while Brett met his muse, the exquisite Wendy Julius. After all these years, I have never met Wendy and I don’t think anyone else in our gang did either as, typically, Brett kept her in a secret compartment of his life, but goaded us with stories of their passion for each other.
Envy was one thing, but it was also obvious that this was more than just a minor intrusion into our relationship. It was clear that our childhood bonds had been traded for something far stronger and from that moment, we would walk different paths….
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PROCEEDS FROM THE VILLAGE OBSERVER SUPPORTS RESIDENTS OF: Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Ryde, Willoughby and North Sydney, via Sydney Community Services – a local not-for-profit organisation that helps people to live a quality and independent life in their own home and in their community.
Ryde Concert Bands
Ryde Band is thrilled to announce that the City of Ryde has approved a Community Grant of $5,000 for the organisation’s project, Harmony in Ryde. The grant is part of a Community Grants program introduced by the Ryde Council, and the band’s initiative aims to expand the existing Adult Beginners’ Band program begun in 2024, and form a sustainable Big Band.
Beginner Band Program
The Adult Beginner Program offers instrumental music education to adults who have either never played an instrument, or have not done so for a long time.
The program is designed to provide a supportive environment that fosters fellowship through music.
Ryde Big Band
The Big Band aims to provide existing and incoming concert band members with the opportunity to play quality Big Band jazz music.
About the Band
Ryde Band is a non-profit, community concert band that was founded in 1884 with the support of Ryde
Municipal Council, and has performed almost continuously since that time. The band performs at venues around the City of Ryde, and is one of Sydney’s busiest and most highly regarded band organisations.
It always encourages new membership, and welcomes all instrumentalists who share a passion for concert band music and who are looking to play jazz, classical, and modern contemporary music in a concert band setting.
Join Ryde Band Today
Whether you are a new and aspiring adult beginner, or an experienced instrumentalist, there is a place for you in Ryde Concert Band. Flute and clarinet players, and percussionists,
are especially encouraged currently, but the band welcomes anyone with a love of band music.
All Ryde Bands rehearse on Tuesday evenings at the North Ryde Uniting Church Hall, 6-8 Cutler Parade, North Ryde.
• Adult Beginners from 6:30-7:30pm
• Concert band from 7:30-9:00pm
• Big Band from 9:00-9:45.pm
Prospective members of either the Adult Beginner Program or the Concert and Big Bands can contact the organisation by email: info@rccb.org.au for information on how to join, and more information about the organisation and its programs can be found on the band’s website at: www.rccb.org.au
SUNDAY 9 MARCH 2025 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Sunday 9 March 9:00am - 1:00pm
Lane Cove Music celebrates 80 years
Lane Cove Music had its beginnings in 1945 when Rev. Louis Blanchard called a meeting of interested persons at Longueville's St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church with the idea of forming a music club that would provide good music for the community and performance opportunities for classical musicians.
Longueville-Northwood Music Club was duly formed in 1946 and, despite a name change to Lane Cove District Music Club, then LCDMC Incorporated in 2022, and now known as Lane Cove Music, the aims of first-class entertainment for an affordable price, and performance opportunities, have remained throughout the decades. Venues have changed out of necessity – from the Lane Cove Masonic Hall to the Lane Cove Town Hall in 1961. And in 1992 to the current site at Lane Cove-Mowbray Anglican Church across the road from The Canopy. Each year since 1946 six diverse concerts have been held providing a wide variety of quality classical, semi classical and jazz concerts. These concerts have been enhanced by the purchase in 2016 of a Kawai GX6 Grand Piano which is much appreciated by the artists and audiences.
Rev. Louis Blanchard held the position of President for the first 40 years, with Agnes Smart the Founding Musical Director for 43 years. Prof. Alf Pollard then took on the role of President in 1984 until his death in 2000. Since the beginning of 2001, Alf's daughter Christine Butters has been President.
A list of those who have performed at the Club is a "Who's Who" of the musical world. Just to mention a few from the "old days" – Joan Sutherland, Peter Dawson, June Bronhill, Ronald Dowd, Lauris Elms, Isador Goodman, Frank Hutchens and Lindley Evans, Donald Hazelwood, Miriam Hyde, Winsome Evans and Geoffrey Chard; in the 1990s Gerard Willems, Tamara Cislowska, Nicholas Milton, Richard Tognetti, Amelia Farrugia and Simon Tedeschi; and more recently, Natalie Chee, Bill Burton, José Carbo and three talented Lane Cove musicians, David Fung, David Elton
and Anna Dowsley, who are now being acknowledged by audiences at home and abroad.
Lane Cove Music is actively involved with Sydney Eisteddfod. Each October a concert is presented featuring ten outstanding solo instrumentalists in the 12-15 year age group. The ten soloists are awarded prizes following an audience vote. The awards given are in memory of Alf and Pearl Pollard and are made possible by their six children - Ian, John, Anne, Graham, Christine and Geoff (pictured above).
The Club acknowledges all those who have served so faithfully over its 80 year history. The current committee will endeavour to continue to encourage talented musicians, to foster good music in the community, and to bring first class music within easy reach of residents, particularly those unable to venture to the city at night.
The 80th Anniversary of Lane Cove Music is being celebrated at 7.30pm on Tuesday 11 March with a return visit by extraordinary international pianist Simon Tedeschi, teaming up with vocalist/violinist George Washingmachine to present classic jazz standards by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller and more…a concert not to be missed.
Further information about this concert, ticket booking, other 2025 events, the full history of Lane Cove Music, as well as membership - are all available on the website: www.lanecovemusic.org.au, or email info@lanecovemusic.org.au
Venue: LCM Anglican Church, 19 Rosenthal Ave, Lane Cove Membership : $90p.a (Pensioner Concession $55p.a.) for six concerts. Tickets $30, Schoolchildren $10 cash.
I’M HERE TO HELP
As your local Member of Parliament I can assist with: q access to NSW Government services q representation in Parliament and to Ministers q attending local events and supporting local groups Please contact me and I will be pleased to assist you.
Rev. Louis Blanchard
100 WORDS
"Undeterred by Sydney’s stifling humidity and threatening thunder clouds, the enormous queue of spectators buzzed with excitement, eager to witness a rare, natural event.
Finally, the doors opened. The long- anticipated moment arrived. There it stood…in the left-hand corner of the greenhouse, tall and proud. Its spadix, almost touching the ceiling.
An illuminating flash of lightning, triggered a micro growth spurt, as its iridescent, lime green spathe slowly unfurled, revealing a velvety burgundy interior.
Gasps of approval from the crowd however, soon turned to gagging and grimaces, as Putricia, the world’s most foul-smelling flower began to bloom".
Perihan Bozkurt, Lane Cove
Do you have a 100 word story?
Email: editor@thevillageobserver.com.au
PAUL BENNETT Impressions: Poetry & Verse
Paul Bennett's "Impressions: Poetry and Verse" offers a poignant glimpse into the rich tapestry of the author's life and his philosophical musings on the human experience. Within its pages, Bennett explores the complexities of love, spirituality, romance, desire, disappointment, heartfelt wishes, and ultimately, his belief in a brighter, future world. This collection, crafted over a transformative two-year journey, resonates with authenticity and emotional depth.
In each carefully curated poem, Bennett invites readers to reflect on their own experiences, weaving together personal anecdotes and universal themes that speak to the heart. His verses serve not only as a window into his inner world, but also as a source of inspiration and comfort for those navigating their own life paths. As the author shares his insights and wisdom garnered over a lifetime, he aims to impart a deeper understanding of our shared humanity.
Whether you seek solace in moments of heartache, or wish to celebrate the beauty of love and connection, "Impressions" provides a sanctuary for contemplation and growth. The author’s wish is that his words will resonate with readers, guiding them toward reflection, healing, and a renewed sense of hope in an ever-evolving world.
Book Launch @ Lane Cove library, Monday 24 March 6:15pm – 7:30pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com.au
Seasons of My Soul
‘It seems important, now more than ever, to learn how to recognise and embrace every age group, and the BIG questions this raises, such that we can celebrate a life in ALL its fullness!’
Seasons of My Soul is a NEW café space hosted by Lane Cove Community Chaplaincy.
At Seasons of My Soul people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and have a series of conversations about our second-half-of-life.
Our objective is to seek out the wisdom of people who have come to terms with ageing and mortality in what can feel like a ‘first-half-of-life culture’. We want to creatively engage in ways that affirm our spiritual journeys by exploring and sharing key aspects of our lives and experiences.
Over the Four-Week series we’ll be speaking to people whose journey through the second-half-of-life has led them to places anywhere between the sublime and the ridiculous! We'll also take the opportunity to reflect on our own lives and the many opportunities that can present themselves as we transition to the second-half-of-life, or, as we lean further into the secondhalf-of-life we're already living!
‘As always, our conversation keeps spirits light while exploring the deep meaning which can be found in talking about our identity and our ever-changing sense of purpose.’
SEASONS OF MY SOUL RUNS ON FRIDAY EVENINGS THROUGHOUT MARCH.
For more INFORMATION and to BOOK YOUR SPOT, see: tinyurl.com/muk2pcye
Being there for others in times of transition is just one of the things we do. Want to know more? Come and join the conversation where all are welcome, and all means ALL.
Rev. Liam McKenna - Lane Cove Community Chaplain P: 0404 596 592 E: lanecovechaplain@Gmail.com www.lanecovecc.com Supported by LANE COVE UNITING CHURCH
If/Then
21-30 March at the new Pottery Lane Performance Space in Lane Cove Directed by Lochie Beh, Musical Direction by Stephen Dula Music By Tom Kitt Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Choice and fate collide in this romantic, original story of a woman at the crossroads of her life. If/Then simultaneously follows one woman’s two possible life paths, painting a deeply moving portrait of the lives that we lead, as well as the lives that we might have led.
With unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize - and Tony Award-winning team behind Next to Normal. Elizabeth, a city planner, moves back to New York to restart her life in the city of infinite
possibilities. When her carefully designed plans collide with the whims of fate, Elizabeth's life splits into two parallel paths. If/Then follows both stories simultaneously, as this modern woman faces the intersection of choice and chance.
If/Then is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today and all of the possibilities of tomorrow. Exploring the paths and choices in life, focusing on self-discovery and the impact of decisions on personal growth. If/Then explores the complexities of relationships and how decisions impact the power between individuals. Elizabeth's story is one of courage in facing life's uncertainties and having to make difficult choices.
“If/Then is an enjoyable, beautifully sung, at times deeply touching experience” - Washington Post
“There is poignance in the discovery [that there are no ever-afters] but a sense of liberation as well, and If/Then captures both to moving, invigorating effect. - USA Today
“'If/Then certainly is a breath of fresh air” - AMNY
• 21-30 March 2025
• The Pottery Lane Performance Space Lane Cove Community Hub - Lower Ground Floor
1 Pottery Lane Lane Cove
• Parking available in the Little Street underground carpark
• Tickets $35 adult / $30 conc /$24 child
• Add $10 cheese plate $8 dessert plate
• Online booking www.trybooking.com/CWWAG
CONCOURSE CONCERT HALL CHATSWOOD
Local Orchestra set for ‘spectacular’ 2025 Season
The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra (KPO) has announced its 2025 program including three major performances in Chatswood’s spectacular Concourse Concert Hall.
Paul Terracini - Conductor
Hyung Suk Bae - Cello
KPO Artistic Director Paul Terracini confirmed that the acclaimed community orchestra will perform:
• Dvorak and Tchaikovsky program
Sunday 9 March
• 41st annual final of the KPO’s celebrated NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition
Sunday 29 June
• Beethoven & Strauss program
Sunday 31 August
Venue: Concourse Concert Hall, Chatswood. All Sunday concerts will take place at 3pm.
LANE COVE THEATRE
Paul Terracini
Hyung Suk Bae
GALLEY LANE COVE + CREATIVE STUDIO MARCH
soft tongues, gritted teeth
20 February – 8 March
Artists: Jack Ball, Holly Bates, Hannah Brontë, Chelsea Farquhar, Claudia Nicholson, Lucy Whitelaw
Curated by Sarah Rose. Featuring artists from across Australia, soft tongues, gritted teeth presents artworks as a chorus of queer voices, reverberating to blur the bounds between the individual and collective experience. Navigating personal narratives and queer ecologies, the exhibition considers counterheteronormative ways of being and connecting; collapsing harsh edges to offer playful encounters with queer intimacy and resistance.
ArtXtra!
9 – 26 April
Artists: Members of the Lane Cove Art Society
ArtXtra! is an annual exhibition open to all financial members of the Lane Cove Art Society. The exhibition is an insight into the diversity of the Society. Painting, Printmaking and Drawing are included in the exhibition. All works are available for acquisition.
LUCENT: women treading lightly
12 March – 5 April
Artists: Chris Byrnes, Helen Dunkerley, Penny Dunstan, Emma Florence-May, Annemarie Murland, Dan Nelson, Mandy Robinson, Niomi Sands, Belinda Street, Linda Swinfield, Lezlie Tilley, Patricia Wilson-Adams
This exhibition shines a light on women artists who often go unheard amidst the noise of 'immediacy art.' These are women from regional areas, living on the periphery, whose work deserves greater recognition. They are women of all ages, mothers, partners, professionals, and artists, navigating busy lives without diminishing their intellectual or aspirational pursuits. This exhibition is an opportunity to discover and celebrate their profound contributions to the cultural fabric of our community, and their significant voice within our cultural discourse.
Bone Drift: Wax, Bone and Thread
12 March – 5 April
Bone Drift: Wax, Bone and Thread is an exhibition that explores ‘nonnormative’ bones and (dis)ability identities over time. Through a series of workshops, artist and researcher Helen Pynor and creative producer Lizzie Crouch have guided participants to get hands-on with the materiality of bone, and the processes involved in making bone china clay. Through rituals of making, the personal objects created in the workshops reflect participants’ own bodies and experiences, representing a collective exploration of what it means to live within an evolving (dis) abled identity – now, in the past or into the future.
Following a short break, Hunters Hill Theatre is back in the rehearsal room preparing for SYLVIA which opens on Friday 7 March. She’s young, frisky with big eyes and a cold wet nose. Sylvia’s a stray that comes to stay when middle-aged businessman Greg stumbles upon her in the park. Wife Kate soon realises that Sylvia is chewing a hole in their marriage as this canine cutie becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. A classic love triangle with a twist in the tail … and a mid-life crisis gone to the dogs!
The director, Moja Band is thrilled to be directing her first play for Hunters Hill Theatre and we can't wait to see this one bounce onto the stage.
• Tickets via the website www.huntershilltheatre.com.au or phone the Box Office on 0478 097 525.
HUNTERS HILL THEATRE
Patricia Wilson-Adams, Pleaching, 2021, image courtesy of the artist.
Jack Ball, Shower scenes 5, 2019, Inkjet print on rag, framed, Edition of 5, 70x93cm. Image courtesy the artist.
BY JENNY ENGLAND
The Interview
She had taken an unusually earnest approach to her outfit that day. A simple black suit, soft lavender shirt to add a little feminine allure and comfortable low-heeled court shoes: a professional look with an aura of reserve and control. Amy shuffled slightly, discretely adjusted her skirt and carefully tucked loose black curls that had found their way onto her forehead back into place, taking care not to arouse the attention of the other passengers in the lift.
Amy glanced at her watch and noted that the interview, arranged for 11 o’clock that morning was fast approaching. She was relieved to have been able to get the day off work without too much fuss, for this interview might just be the opportunity of a lifetime. Realising the significance of this particular morning, Amy checked her briefcase one more time – resume, phone, personal organiser, the job description and salary package, notebook and pen. She then double-checked her mental list – remember to keep calm, ask sensible questions and keep the interview flowing.
Communication was certainly Amy’s forte. She knew only too well the value of creating and maintaining excellent rapport with clients. Her biggest issue though had always been her manager. An old witch if ever there was one, Amy mused to herself as she imagined her escape to a new job. Molly Dyer: she couldn’t wait to see the back of her.
With a gentle jolt the lift came to the second floor, and the gradually widening doors started to reveal an elegant, frosted glass-enclosed entrance to a stark but stylish reception lounge. Amy marched confidently up to the front desk. “I am here for the 11 o’clock,” she briskly announced to a surly receptionist.
“Take a seat,” the receptionist snarled, flapping a hand towards a neat two-seater without even bothering to look up from a magazine she was reading.
Within minutes an office door swung open and what was in all probability another contender for the position appeared before her. No contest there, Amy thought smugly
to herself as she watched the back of the competition glide out through the glass doors and disappear into the lift. Within a few minutes another face appeared at the office door – this time a man.
“Miss er ...” the face enquired from the doorway.
“Lawrence” Amy added as she jumped up and made her way towards the interview room.
“Come on in then, Ray’s the name,” the face replied.
The office was relatively bare but still rather elegant, similar to the reception area. A large desk sat in front of a window enclosed by decorative gold drapes and two comfy-looking armchairs faced each other in the centre of the room. Amy sat down and made herself comfortable.
“Oh, Amy – I hope you don’t mind me calling you Amy as we all use first names here – I seem to have mislaid your resume. But I was very impressed with it when I read it yesterday.”
“No problem.” Amy responded by promptly diving into her briefcase, congratulating herself on her foresight. “I brought a copy with me,” handing it over to Ray with a growing sense of efficiency.
“Good, I will go over it in a bit more detail later. In the meantime, let’s get to know each other better. I suppose you are aware that the main focus of your role with us will be customer service and that is what is important for our business and keeps our reputation strong,” Ray explained.
Amy jumped in, getting straight to the point, “When you have time to look at my resume, you will find a detailed outline summary of my approach to customer service.”
“That’s terrific! Well without looking carefully at your resume again, you seem to have the style we are after – well groomed, articulate, punctual, organised and enthusiastic. And your references were excellent.”
Ray was definitely giving Amy the impression that she may just be the right person for the job. “There may be some travel involved. Many of our clients are in senior management positions in some of the top companies around the country and you will have plenty of time to learn everything from your manager, who will initially be travelling with you. How does that sound?”
“Great”.
Ray sat back in his chair and looked at her kindly. “Then,” he started “we may just have the position for you. It is only a junior one but if you do as well as I think you might, you could quickly work your way up. When could you start?”
“I could start next Monday,” Amy piped up immediately trying to hide a slight shudder of excitement as Ray leaned over and gently shook her hand.
Amy couldn’t believe her luck. Within minutes she was back in the reception area where she pulled out her phone, flicked through to the resignation letter she had ready to go and with one quick click sent it zooming through cyberspace to the head of her old HR Department. Done, she thought and smiled to herself.
“Oh, one more thing,” Ray’s now familiar voice from behind. “I forgot to mention earlier.”
Amy turned around and waited.
“Your new manager will be starting on Monday too. I think you know her from your old company. In fact, she was the one who gave you the best recommendation – Molly Dyer.”
SHORT STORY
Flavours of Lane Cove
brought to you by Lane Cove Public School P&C
Flavours of Lane Cove is a unique community project in collaboration with more than 100 parents, teachers, and staff of LCPS, as well as many local businesses, including Sydney Community Services, which have been supporting the P&C at LCPS in different ways.
The idea of the cookbook came about following a successful World Food Fair at the school during Harmony Week in 2023 in which more than 100 LCPS families cooked and prepared 4000 bites of authentic food and offered them free to the school community.
The cultural and language backgrounds of the school families is becoming increasingly diverse, and this cookbook provides an opportunity to celebrate this diversity through the power of food.
Bush Babies
Bush Babies
Food is a wonderful way to bring people together to listen, learn and share.
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
From our home to yours here are our recipes
Dumplings (Nepalese momos)
For Dumplings fillings:
• 500 g Mince chicken/pork, finely chopped
• 500 g Cabbage, finely chopped
• 7-8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch Coriander, finely chopped
• 2-3 Chilies
• 100 g Butter/oil/ghee
• 2 tablespoons Momo masala (or curry powder)
For Sauce:
Cicada Days
• 7-8 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 7-8 Garlic cloves
Let it cool.
Add ginger, salt, coriander, and peanuts. Blend well.
Serve:
Steam dumplings for 12-15 mins or pan fry. Excess can be frozen for 3-4 weeks.
January - February - March
School Holiday Activity 4 to 12 years
• 1-inch Ginger
• 1/2 bunch Coriander, finely chopped
• 8-10 Peanuts
Double Drummer, Green Grocer and Black Prince are some of the names of cicada species, and summer in Sydney wouldn’t be the same without them. Join us to look and listen for cicadas and look for their shells on a bush walk. We’ll also make one of our own in nature craft.
Dumplings fillings:
Thursday 9 & Friday 17 January 9:45am – 11:15am
Prepare the filling by mixing the ingredients. Get the frozen wrappers from any Asian store (Gyoza or Egg pastry) to wrap the dumplings.
Sauce:
Tambourine Bay Park, Tambourine Bay Rd, Riverview
What’s for Lunch
Land of Lizards
What’s for Lunch
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
School Holiday Activity 3 to 12 years
Pouches, eggs, live birth - there are lots of ways babies grow in the Australian bush. We’ll learn about animal babies, read a story, go on a bushwalk and get creative with nature craft.
Pouches, eggs, live birth - there are lots of ways babies grow in the Australian bush. We’ll learn about animal babies, read a story, go on a bushwalk and get creative with nature craft.
Happy cooking and eating!
Wednesday 12 February
Wednesday 12 February
9:45am – 11:15am
9:45am – 11:15am
In a little oil, fry blanched tomatoes (I just use a tomato can) and garlic for 10 mins (you can also add 7-8 blanched red chillies if you want it spicy).
With over 600 species, Australia is a land of lizards. From goannas to legless lizards, the warm weather brings them out and we’re going to do some bush exploring to look for them and decorate a craft lizard of our own to take home.
School Holiday Activity 3 to 12 years
Travel back in time to when Australia was and to a land of dinosaurs. We’ll learn about dinosaurs, go on a bushwalk and have a a paleontologist!
Friday 10 & Wednesday 15 January 9:45am – 11:15am Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr Lane Cove West
This is Australia!
School Holiday Activity 3 to 12 years
What do animals, birds and insects eat for lunch? We’ll go on a bushwalk to look for nibbled leaves, spiders in their webs and chomped banksia fruits to see what’s been eaten and by whom. Add storytime and nature craft for a whole lot of fun!
What do animals, birds and insects eat for lunch? We’ll go on a bushwalk to look for nibbled leaves, spiders in their webs and chomped banksia fruits to see what’s been eaten and by whom. Add storytime and nature craft for a whole lot of fun!
Thursday 16 & Wednesday 22 January
9:45am – 11:30am
Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr - past the playground), Lane Cove West
Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr - past the playground), Lane Cove West
Thursday 20 & Tuesday 25 February 9:45am – 11:15am
Thursday 20 & Tuesday 25 February 9:45am – 11:15am
Tambourine Bay Park, Tambourine Bay Rd, Riverview
Shapes & Colours
Shapes & Colours
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
Celebrate Australia Day by learning about plants. We’ll read a story and go on a bushwalk River to discover the sights and sounds of with some nature craft.
Tuesday 21 & Thursday 23 January 9:45am – 11:15am Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr Lane Cove West
FURTHER INFORMATION
Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr - past the playground), Lane Cove West
Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr - past the playground), Lane Cove West
What are some of the shapes and colours of the Australian bush? Come along on a bushwalk to see what we can find, have a bush explore and do some nature craft.
Friday 14 & Wednesday 19 March 9:45am – 11:15am
January - February - March
What are some of the shapes and colours of the Australian bush? Come along on a bushwalk to see what we can find, have a bush explore and do some nature craft.
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
Term Activity 2 to 5 years
An insect’s life is not always an easy one, especially when the Claggert family are on holiday. We’ll read a story about the comical side of insect camouflage, go on an insect discovery bushwalk and make your own Stanley during nature craft.
Thursday 30 January 9:45am – 11:15am
Penrose Street playground (opposite 57), Lane Cove West
Furry, smooth, stinky and colourful, caterpillars are a curious critter. We’ll learn about different species, how they protect themselves, what they eat and what they become. We’ll even make a caterpillar of our own to take home!
We’ll be exploring beautiful Bushland Park, nature spot with tall trees, birds calling and We’ll play some nature games and see what No younger siblings, please.
Furry, smooth, stinky and colourful, caterpillars are a curious critter. We’ll learn about different species, how they protect themselves, what they eat and what they become. We’ll even make a caterpillar of our own to take home!
Friday 31 January 9:45am – 11:15am Meet end of Panorama Rd, Lane Cove Bushland
School Holiday Activity 4 to 12 years
Tambourine Bay Park, Tambourine Bay Rd, Riverview
Friday 14 & Wednesday 19 March 9:45am – 11:15am Tambourine Bay Park, Tambourine Bay Rd, Riverview
Double Drummer, Green Grocer and Black Prince are some of the names of cicada species, and summer in Sydney wouldn’t be the same without them. Join us to look and listen for cicadas and look for their shells on a bush walk. We’ll also make one of our own in nature craft.
School Holiday Activity 3 to 12 years
Thursday 27 March 9:45am – 11:15am Stringybark Reserve, Murray St, Lane Cove North
Thursday 27 March 9:45am – 11:15am Stringybark Reserve, Murray St, Lane Cove North
Travel back in time to when Australia was part of Gondwanaland and to a land of dinosaurs. We’ll learn about Australian dinosaurs, go on a bushwalk and have a roaring good time being a paleontologist!
Adult & child tickets to all activities essential.Cost: $10 per child per activity (plus booking fee$0.85)No charge for adults but adult tickets required. No refunds seven days prior to the activity.
Friday 10 & Wednesday 15 January
9:45am – 11:15am
Bookings & going on an activity:
Bookings & going on an activity:
Thursday 9 & Friday 17 January
9:45am – 11:15am
Tambourine Bay Park, Tambourine Bay Rd, Riverview
Blackman Park (far end of Lloyd Rees Dr - past the playground), Lane Cove West
Bookings and tickets for both adults and children are essential for all activities - book at www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids or on Eventbrite.
Bookings and tickets for both adults and children are essential for all activities - book at www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids or on Eventbrite. Activities are for 2 to 5 years term time and 3 to 12 years school holidays, unless otherwise specified. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Adults are responsible for their own children.
www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids
Activities are for 2 to 5 years term time and 3 to 12 years school holidays, unless otherwise specified. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Adults are responsible for their own children.
School Holiday Activity 3 to 12 years
A MESSAGE FROM BRANKA IVKOVIC, CEO
Sydney Community Services is excited to celebrate this year's Seniors Festival with vibrant and engaging events across our three hubs. From music and cultural experiences to community lunches, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Once again, our community has come together to provide a heartwarming morning of refreshments and entertainment at the Time to Shine in the Park event. This event is more than just a gathering; it's a chance for seniors to connect, make new friends, and learn about activities and local services. Organised by Hunters Hill and Lane Cove Councils in collaboration with Sydney Community Services, Stryder, Pathways Longueville, and the Rotary Club of Lane Cove, this event promises to leave you with a renewed sense of community and connection that will last long after the event ends.
At SCS's three hubs—Lane Cove, Meeting House, and Hunters Hill—seniors can participate in activities celebrating local and global cultures. A highlight is a lively African Drumming session, where participants can immerse themselves in the vibrant rhythms of tradition. The fun continues with the Ultimate Elvis Act, bringing the King of Rock 'n' Roll to life. This event is sure to get everyone dancing. The Lane Cove Choristers will take us on a different musical journey altogether. And why limit ourselves to just two weeks? This year, we are celebrating the Seniors Festival for a whole month! The community will come together for an Aged Care Information Session and a delicious lunch, providing seniors the chance to
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Join Sydney Community Services for an unforgettable Elvis Presley experience! It's your ‘Time to Shine’ as you are transported back in time to relive the energy, charm, and excitement of the King himself.
Whether you're a die-hard Elvis fan or just in the mood for a great time, this performance will provide the ultimate tribute to the legend
DETAILS:
Where: Sydney Community Services, Meeting House Hub, 23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North.
When: Wednesday 5 March 2025
Time: 11.30 - 1.30pm
This will fill quickly, bookings necessary. Free street parking. Limited transport available.
www.sydneycs.org
enjoy great food, warm conversation, and strengthened local connections.
March marks the celebration of International Women’s Day, a time to reflect on the progress made and the work still ahead in creating a world of equality, inclusion, and opportunity for all. As a community service provider, we are fortunate to have a team of compassionate and committed professionals with a strong representation of women whose efforts make a real difference in the lives of the individuals and families we support.
We also acknowledge the importance of the collective work of everyone—women, men, and gender diverse colleagues alike—who contribute to our mission. At SCS, we are proud of the inclusive and compassionate environment we’ve created, and we are always looking for passionate individuals to join our team. If you are eager to be part of something meaningful and help build a stronger, more connected community, we welcome you to reach out and get involved.
This month, we bid farewell to two esteemed General Managers: Craig Wrightson, who is transitioning from his role as General Manager of Lane Cove Council, and Mitchell Murphy, who is stepping down as General Manager of Hunters Hill Council. SCS would like to express our heartfelt thanks to both for their exceptional service to Lane Cove and Hunters Hill. We are truly grateful for their dedication to their communities and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
African Drumming Workshop
FREE EVENT
Monday 10 March 2025
2pm - 3.30pm
Celebrate the Seniors Festival with a lively, one-hour African drumming workshop.
Enjoy an interactive session offering a unique introduction to West African musical traditions. Led by an experienced team, the workshop will include drumming, dancing, and singing, ensuring everyone is actively engaged and has 'Time to Shine'.
DETAILS:
Where: Sydney Community Services, Lane Cove Hub, Park View Room, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove
When: Monday 10 March 2025
Time: 2pm - 3.30pm
Limited spots, bookings necesssary.
Planning Ahead with My Aged Care
Enjoy FREE samples of our Home Delivered Meals
Sydney Community Services will answer all your questions about My Aged Care.
We will outline the services and activities we can offer as your local care provider so you can plan for the future.
This free event also includes some tasty samplers from our Home Delivered Meals range.
DETAILS:
Where: Sydney Community Services, Lane Cove Hub, Park View Room, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove
When: Monday 17 March 2025
Time: 2pm - 3pm
AND ENQUIRIES: P 9427 6425 E support@sydneycs.org www.sydneycs.org
Memory Cafe
A place to meet for people living with dementia, their family and friends.
FREE EVENT
Includes a light lunch Seniors Festival Special Cafe Session: Wednesday 19 March 2025 10am - 12noon
Join us at our special Seniors Festival café session, where you can connect with others living with dementia, and their carers, in a welcoming and supportive environment. Enjoy a relaxed light lunch, fun activities, and the chance to share stories, experiences, and laughter while making new friends.
DETAILS:
When: Group meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month
Where: The Meeting House Hub, 23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North Time: 10am to 12noon.
Limited transport available.
Join us for a joyful seniors concert featuring the talented Lane Cove Choristers. Sing along to your favourite tunes and enjoy captivating performances by special guest soloists. It's your time to shine in a celebration of music, memories and community!
DETAILS:
Date: Monday 24 March 2025
Time: Morning Tea: 10am Concert: 10.45am
Where: Sydney Community Services Morning Tea: Park View Room, 1 Pottery Lane Concert: Terrace Function Room
Cost: Coin donation
3 hours free parking.
6425 E support@sydneycs.org www.sydneycs.org
Wednesday 26 March 2025 11am - 12noon, for 'taster' class
ALL ENQUIRIES: P 9427 6425 E support@sydneycs.org www.sydneycs.org
Join Andrew Fisher, an expert facilitator, for this functional fitness 'taster' class and then stay for tea, coffee, light refreshments and a chat after the class. This is your ‘Time to Shine’ and try something new for yourself.
Daytime, inclusive and supportive space for general seniors’ groups, dementia friendly groups, ladies and men’s groups.
All-day tailored seniors program from Monday to Friday. Includes excursions, picnics, and wellness activities. Door-to-door transport and nutritious meals catering for all dietary requirements.
Contact us for a monthly program and the cost involved. E: support@sydneycs.org
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Return trip from your home to Lane Cove shops. We can also assist and carry your shopping into your home. Cost: $15
P: 9003 1399 E: support@sydneycs.org
Rummikub
Are you interested in Rummikub? Looking for players! Tuesdays 9.30-11.30am Social group $5 inc morning tea. support@sydneycs.org
Social Bridge
Are you interested in joining social bridge, play casually with the view possibly becoming permanent. Join us for a fun, relaxed afternoon. Contact us to register and for more information.
Thursdays, 12.30pm - 3.30pm
Cost: $5 incl. afternoon tea.
Seniors Social Support
Afghan, Chinese, Iranian, Italian, and Spanish seniors groups. Each group is supported by bilingual staff and volunteers meet and share their cultural heritage and interests. Social inclusion activities such as excursions, cultural celebrations, English language conversation classes, wellness activities and information sessions are offered to all CALD communities in the Greater Sydney area.
Contact us for a monthly program. E: tliu@sydneycs.org
Chess Club Every Monday
Chess group - Mondays at 1pm. The group is friendly and sociable, and all abilities are welcome.
COST: $5pp, includes afternoon tea.
VENUE: The Meeting House, 23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North TIME: 1pm - 2.30pm
Arts, Craft, Music and Story Playgroups Supported by Early Ed fortnightly THURSDAYS
Arts, Craft, Music and Story Playgroups
TERM COSTS
- $10 per casual visit
- $60 per term for one session per - $100 per term for multiple sessions
Meeting House Playgroups are supported by Council and Department of Communities and
Seniors Hub
Seniors Shopping Bus
social view to Join more
ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS FOR ACTIVITIES: 9427 6425 support@sydneycs.org
Social Tennis Group
Join us every Thursday at Lane Cove Tennis Club, Central Park, Kenneth St, Longueville.
Cost $5. Every Thursday 9-11am All players must register prior to playing – please call Julie 9427 6425.
BOOMers Mens Group
BOOMers for senior independently mobile men who enjoy an opportunity to socialise and visit interesting places in the company of other men.
Contact us for the full program.
When: Fridays Departs: 10.00am from Lane Cove Hub, Pottery Lane Returns: 2.00pm
Contact us for the monthly program and the cost involved.
E: hheggie@sydneycs.org
Social
The Velveteens 2nd Monday each month 10am – 4pm.
Join us for morning tea before heading off to a different venue each month.
Winter Fashion Parade
Thursday 10 April 2025: 10am-12.30pm
$20 Includes our signature morning tea
The Golden Girls Fashion Parade returns with the autumn winter collection.
Time: 10am - 12.30pm Cost: $20
New Venue – Pottery Lane Performance Space, Lower Ground Floor, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove. Three hours free parking and limited local transport available.
groups. volunteers to Social celebrations, activities
Join us every Tuesday when we venture to new destinations and meet other local seniors.
These trips are weekly and either half or full-day outings.
Time: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: Contact us for the monthly program and the cost involved.
If you are over 65, registered with My Aged Care, have a referral code for Social Support Group and are totally independent then contact us for more information.
Contact us for more information.
E: support@sydneycs.org
Table Tennis Cost: $5 Fridays, 12.00 - 4.00pm NEW Fitness Class - Join Andrew Fisher, an expert facilitator, for a series of functional fitness classes. Monday, 10.45am - 11.45am. First class free, then pay by term: 10 week term $120 ($12 per class) Meeting House Hub, 23a Stokes St, Lane Cove North. CONTACT: P: 9427 6425 E: support@sydneycs.org Women's Wellness Class Tuesdays
P: 9427 6425 E: support@sydneycs.org
A weekly program based on a holistic view of health, taking into consideration physical and social needs
The classes incorporate strength and balance exercises.
Contact us for more information about cost and term times. E: support@sydneycs.org
ANTHONY ROBERTS MP
P: 9817 4757
E: lanecove@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Out and About in the Lane Cove Electorate
As we enjoy the last period of summer leading into the Australian Autumn, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you all to get out and about to enjoy the natural beauty and wholesome activities that our Lane Cove Electorate provides.
In Hunters Hill, work for a swimming enclosure around the Bedlam Bay beach area began in late January, which is scheduled to be completed by April of this year.
The project at Bedlam Bay is providing a new swim site along the Parramatta River.
I was delighted as your local Member to successfully deliver $560,475 from the State Government under the Places to Swim Program I championed during my time as Minister for Planning.
This wonderful project aims to increase the public’s access to Parramatta River Regional Park and provide recreational opportunities for our local communities.
The Bedlam Bay swim site forms part of the wider Gladesville Hospital Site, which is amongst the most important of our Electorate’s heritage sites, and even before the swim site opens, I would encourage everyone to visit the Gladesville Hospital grounds to go for a jog, walk the dog or go for a picnic to enjoy this very special site.
If you wish to see a good example of the potential of the Bedlam Bay site, I encourage you all to visit the recently opened Putney Beach site at Putney Park, Putney, another beautiful part of our Electorate.
Set in a beautiful park that is great for children to play in, the sandstone-step beach is a great place for picnics and fun with the kids, as well as a great place for a swim and to enjoy the warm water of late summer.
As per my previous Planning responsibilities, this project was wholly funded under the previous Liberal Government thanks to a Grant of around $700,000, and it’s money well spent.
Putney Beach will provide joy and amenity for decades to come, just as Bedlam Bay will in due course.
It remains my very great honour to be your representative and your voice in the NSW Parliament and being able to deliver projects like these for our electorate, for your enjoyment and appreciation, remains my job and my duty.
All the best again for 2025.
P: 9952 8222
E: mayor@ryde.nsw.gov.au
A celebration of diversity
It’s another busy month ahead for the City of Ryde with a number of meaningful events reflecting our wonderfully diverse community.
The NSW Seniors Festival is running from 3-16 March with this year’s theme being Time to Shine!
Council has put together an exciting program for 2025 to celebrate the valuable contribution seniors make to our community. This month-long program will consist of a wide variety of events and workshops designed specifically for seniors, and most of which are free.
Included in the program are physical activities, tech advice, an author’s talk, some great morning teas, an interactive art session and even a crosswords workshop. You can find full details at: www.ryde.nsw. gov.au/SeniorsFestival
On Saturday 8 March we are hosting an International Women’s Day Forum from 9.00am-12.00pm at the North Ryde School of Arts.
This year’s theme ‘March Forward – it’s time to turn promises into progress’ reminds us that progress is not just about reflection but about taking decisive, bold steps to turn our commitments into action. This is our moment to drive change and ensure a truly equal future for all women and girls worldwide.
The free Forum will feature a guest speaker, with a performance by former Australian Idol finalist Cosima De Vito. A delicious morning tea will be provided by local caterer Gharibian House.
For full details, go to: www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/IWD
On Wednesday 19 March, Council is celebrating Harmony Day between 3.45-6.30pm at Lachlan’s Line Auditorium.
This vibrant event is designed for the whole community—from children to seniors—to come together and enjoy an afternoon of fun, learning, and cultural exploration. With engaging workshops, music, and art, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
This year’s interactive sessions will take you on a cultural journey across India, West Africa, and China. For more details, go to: www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/HarmonyDay
And, finally, I’m pleased to announce that a new event has been added to Council’s busy and impressive cultural calendar.
We’re celebrating Nowruz, the Persian new year, on Thursday 20 March from 7.30-8.30pm at Top Ryde City shopping centre with a ceremony featuring a Haft-Seen procession and live performances.
Nowruz, meaning "New Day", is celebrated by millions worldwide as a time of renewal, joy, and unity and our event is open for everyone in the community to enjoy. For full details, go to: www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Nowraz
and opinions expressed are the author's own.
CLR TRENTON BROWN CITY OF RYDE MAYOR
TIM JAMES MP
P: 9439 4199
E: willoughby@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Residents of the North Sydney Council area face an almost doubling of our council rates after Councillors voted for an extreme 87% increase. This is an unconscionable impost on our community when residents and small businesses are already doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis.
I’ve heard the strong community feedback on this and it’s unfortunate that the Independent led majority on council has rejected our community’s legitimate and understandable concern.
The rate rise would not be temporary - you will pay higher rates indefinitely. This will raise over half a billion dollars extra for Council over the next ten years. The North Sydney pool project represents a mere 10% of that amount. A third of the rise will go straight from ratepayer’s bank accounts into Council’s reserves. A large portion will go towards new pet projects. This isn’t a Council that is looking to tighten the belt and find savings during an apparent budget crisis. Instead, it’s reaching straight into your pocket. It’s out of touch and little more than a cash grab.
I’ve moved a motion in the Parliament calling on the regulator IPART to reject this outrageous increase and for the Minister to call an urgent public inquiry. There are serious concerns as to the transparency and integrity around the process. Council’s public consultation was deeply flawed and did not allow genuine feedback. Even then, the rise found only 5% support. The intention to raise rates was disclosed merely days after the last council election. There’s no mandate for it.
The proposal will now be submitted to IPART for approval. There will be an opportunity for the community to have their say. I encourage all members of our community to make a submission and stand against this excessive and unjustified increase.
ZAC MILES HUNTERS HILL MAYOR
P: 9879 9400
E: mayor@huntershill.nsw.gov.au
Seniors time to shine!
In celebration of the 2025 NSW Seniors Festival this month, we are hosting a range of events specifically designed for our local seniors. Festivities will kick off with a fun-filled morning of refreshments and entertainment at our Time to Shine in the Park event.
This gathering will provide seniors with the chance to connect with others, make new friends, and learn about activities and helpful local services from a wide range of special interest groups and support service providers.
The event is organised by Hunter’s Hill and Lane Cove Councils in collaboration with Stryder Community Transport, Sydney Community Services, Pathways Longueville and Rotary Club of Lane Cove.
It will be held on Wednesday 12 March at Blackman Park, Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West from 10am to 1pm.
Registrations are required and can be made with Sydney Community Services by email: support@sydneycs.org or by phone: 9427 6425.
Save the date and keep an eye out on Council’s website for more information: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.
Celebrations will continue with our Seniors Drivers Road Safety Workshop taking place on Thursday 20 March, from 10am to 1.30pm at the Boronia Park Sports and Community Facility. This workshop will cover essential topics, including risk factors for older drivers, low risk driving strategies, road rules and assessments, as well as new car technology.
This is a fantastic opportunity for seniors looking to improve their driving skills to stay as safe as possible while behind the wheel. Our previous workshop received great feedback and a strong turnout, so I encourage you all to get in early and secure yourself a spot.
Registrations are required and can be accessed at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.
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Rental negotiable.
Tuesday 11th March, 7.30 p.m.
Photo Keith Saunders TUESDAY 11th March 2025 7.30 p.m.
Concert celebrating Lane Cove Music’s 80th birthday!
Concert celebrating Lane Cove Music’s 80th birthday!
Pianist Simon Tedeschi, one of Australia’s best-loved classical musicians, with a long-harboured love of jazz, on this occasion is teaming up with jazz vocalist and violinist George Washingmachine for something a little different – Gershwin, Cole Porter, Fats Waller and more.
80.
Pianist Simon Tedeschi, one of Australia’s best-loved classical musicians, with a long-harboured love of jazz, on this occasion is teaming up with jazz vocalist and violinist George Washingmachine for something a little different – Gershwin, Cole Porter, Fats Waller and more.
4 March – Ladies in Lavender (2004) A British drama set in a Cornish village where a young man is washed up after a violent storm and rescued by two ladies...starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Natasha McElhone, David Warner and Miriam Margolyes.
Venue: LCM ST. ANDREW’S ANGLICAN CHURCH 19 ROSENTHAL AVENUE, LANE COVE behind the Post Office and opposite the entry to the Canopy Carpark.
Please contact office@st.aidans.com.au
Venue: LCM St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, 19 Rosenthal Ave, Lane Cove www.lanecovemusic.org.au
Bookings open 18th February 2025 via our website www.lanecovemusic.org.au
Online bookings preferred. Limited admission at the door on the night. 9428 4287
Why not take out a 2025 subscription for $90 for 6 concerts or $55 for pensioners
bookings are preferred. Some tickets will be available at the door on the night :
1 April – The Promise (2016) Historical war drama set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. Starring Oscar Isaac, Charlotte le Bon and Christian Bale.
Bookings essential on 9428 4287 or 9427 4740. Cost $15. Best value pizza/movie combo ! BYO drinks.
Auction: Sat 8th March at 9.45am
Open: As Advertised or By Appointment
Feel at one with nature while enjoying timeless luxury and comfort in this custom-built family home. A masterpiece of modern eco design, it's breathtaking in every way – revealing an expansive multi-level floor plan behind its discreet facade, with a grand poolside entertaining zone taking full, glorious form to the rear.
Patrick Lang 0423 891 807 E: patrick.lang@belleproperty.com
Reliable double brick home, three bedrooms, two living spaces, this home is set on a comfortable and level block. Bordering a leafy reserve in a quiet cul-de-sac, the property offers a tranquil setting with huge potential for a development or investment project, or for creating your dream home (STCA).
Patrick Lang 0423 891 807 E: patrick.lang@belleproperty.com
Flawlessly designed for absolute comfort and convenience, this prized contemporary home with four bedrooms soars over two self-contained levels, offering exceptional flexibility for multigenerational family living.
James Bennett 0403 504 724 E: james.bennett@belleproperty.com
Steven O’Neill 0499 693 665 E: steven.oneill@belleproperty.com
Auction Wed 12th March 6pm Open As Advertised or By Appointment
Boasting a highly sought-after corner street position on a sunny north facing level plot, this single storey red brick home features three bedrooms and comfortable interiors with plenty of original 1950s charm.
