The Village Observer February 2025

OBSERVER

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pick me up AND TAKE ME HOME

Proceeds from The Village Observer support residents in need from the Lane Cove, Hunters Hill, Ryde, Willoughby and North Sydney areas, through Sydney Community Services.

ISSUE 343 - FEBRUARY 2025

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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: 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove NSW 2066.

PUBLISHER: BRANKA IVKOVIC P: 02 9427 6425 E: BIvkovic@sydneycs.org EDITOR: NICOLA RICHES P: 0405 661 570 E: editor@thevillageobserver.com.au DESIGN + ADVERTISING: SHARON CURBY P: 0450 370 575 E: design@thevillageobserver.com.au ADVERTISING: E: advertising@thevillageobserver.com.au PRINTED BY: SPOTPRESS DISTRIBUTED: MONTHLY 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.

• Articles and items for community events should be emailed to the Editor with any accompanying images by the 15th of each month, for inclusion in the next month’s issue. • Advertising enquiries should be directed to advertising@ thevillageobserver.com.au • If mailing material and you would like it returned, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All care, but no responsibility will be taken for this material. © Copyright 2021. Original advertisements and editorial in this publication are copyright and remain the exclusive property of The Village Observer. No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the Publisher.

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.

Editor's Letter This month is World Hearing Day. From personal experience, I know the mental health strain struggling to hear and hearing loss can bring upon people.

We explore that topic this month, and a couple of interesting moves the World Health Organisation is making to protect our hearing, and the hearing of younger people.

Inside, our regular contributor Maggie Lawrence talks to local singer-songwriter Anne Marie Wilshire, whose back story and talents are fascinating. We delve into some interesting local news (it seems new beaches on the Parramatta River are all the rage!), plus we bring you a lot of 2025 theatre news from players in Chatswood, Hunter’s Hill and Lane Cove.

Our story writers Jenny England and Perihan Bozkurt are back for 2025, as is Anna Loder, our very own expert in all things literary.

We’re looking forward to 2025 and the stories from our expanded footprint across the Lower North Shore.

Happy Luna New Year everyone! This is the year of the Wood Snake, said to be charming, intelligent, creative, but also cunning and secretive. Perhaps it's wise to be on guard this year. There are many celebrations in and around our area, particularly in Chatswood, so enjoy the festivities and see you next month.

Nicola NICOLA RICHES EDITOR editor@thevillageobserver.com.au

CONTACT US: • editor@thevillageobserver.com.au • design@thevillageobserver.com.au • advertising@thevillageobserver.com.au

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:

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This story is slightly out of TVO’s distribution zone, Nest Centre. music, there’s plenty but we thought it too interesting to pass by. A new, on offer at the Crows federally funded community battery was switched Nest Centre. on in Cammeray on 20 January, where it will be used Services activities for older people, to soak up and excess rooftop solar from homes in people the suburb and feed it back into the grid in the evening with a disability, migrants, parents and those peaks.

Services and activities for older people, people who are homeless or at risk.

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Crows Nest For Ausgrid, Cammeray marks the sixth community Centre Crows Nest battery to be awarded federal funding under Centre

Connecting Our Community

the scheme, and marks the latest addition to the Connecting Our Community electricity distributor’s Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS) initiative.

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Putney gets its very own beach

Bedlam Bay beach a step closer to reality

With the support of the NSW State Government's ‘Places to Swim’ grant, and the collaborative efforts of the local community, and the Parramatta River Catchment Group, the City of Ryde has created a revitalised, and accessible beach on the banks of the Parramatta River at Putney. The new beach opened on January 21.

Construction work for a swimming enclosure around the Bedlam Bay beach area has started.

“This new swim site – which joins others planned, or already operating, along the sparkling Parramatta River – will provide amazing recreation opportunities for our residents, who will no longer have to endure a long car ride to get to the closest beach,” explained City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown.

The revitalisation has breathed new life into the public space, which has seen residents taking a leisurely dip for decades, with the first designated swim area opening up in 1920.

During construction, the area will be closed to the public. The work is expected to be completed by April 2025.

The project is funded by the NSW Government under the Department of Planning and Environment’s Places to Swim program.

It aims to improve public access to Parramatta River Regional Park and provide recreational opportunities for the local community.

Bedlam Bay is a popular location that attracts many local residents with activities such as walking, boating, and weekend sports.

Updates will be provided on the Bedlam Bay swim site project page on Hunters Hill Council’s website.

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NEWS

Bush Flora mural adds colour to Willoughby Willoughby City Council has added a vibrant new mural to the creative streetscape in Artarmon. Titled Bush Flora, the mural is the work of acclaimed German-Australian artist Mandy Schöne-Salter and celebrates the beauty of Willoughby’s native flora, featuring species such as Trigger Plant, Hibbertia, Cut-leaved Daisy, Native Storksbill, and Native Flax.

The mural is one of the first artworks of the Emerge Mural Project, which was initiated in August 2024 as part of Willoughby City Council’s annual Emerge Festival, encouraging community engagement with public art.

Willoughby City Council Mayor Tanya Taylor expressed her joy at seeing the mural come to life: “The mural perfectly reflects the creativity and community spirit that define Willoughby and highlights the natural beauty of our local flora, reminding us of the small yet stunning details of our native bushland that we might otherwise overlook.

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NEWS

Tree vandalism in Hunter’s Hill

Chatswood Tower plans on exhibition

Hunter’s Hill Council has been informed of potential acts of tree vandalism at the Horse Paddock, adjacent to Alfred Street, Woolwich.

The plans for a 29-storey residential tower of 150 apartments owned by Coronation Property have gone on public exhibition as a State Significant Development.

Council staff initially inspected the site and observed a number of small trees that were snapped and large branches lopped. Sadly, potential acts of tree vandalism may have also occurred to several large tree species in the area.

Proposed is a shoptop housing development incorporating infill affordable housing at 57-61 Archer Street and 34 Albert Avenue, 250m from Westfield and Chatswood Chase.

The park is not owned by Hunter's Hill Council. It's part of the Woolwich Dock and Parklands which is managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

Proposed are six studio, 58 one, 43 two, 34 three, and 9 four-bedroom apartments. Of those, 41 will be affordable units.

Council notified the Harbour Trust, who commenced an investigation and notified police.

The plans also show the adaptive reuse of a listed house at 34 Albert Avenue, built by John Mansley in 1898, which is slated to become a restaurant.

The Harbour Trust’s Head Ranger and arborist contractor inspected the site on 2 January, and initial observations indicate that eight trees have been poisoned and approximately 30 trees have been cut.

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LIFE'S RICH PATTERN

New Year, New World

by Liz Foster

The century has ticked over its first quarter, so here’s a recap of some political predictions and more for this year and beyond.

At least half this list has been taken from reputable news sources while the rest is pure fiction. Which is which? *fact checked at the bottom.

1. The newly elected US President will hold high level talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to establish a smooth framework for the formation of a new political party, the Trump Republic of the United States (TRUS), following in the footsteps of the 1949 formation of the People’s Republic of China. Talks are expected to focus on mechanisms for removing the two-term limit on the presidency. Journalists following this story have been unable to contact the two delegates (out of 2,964) who voted against the 2018 term limit change in China.

2. Dunedin airport’s time limited ‘goodbye’ rule is being rolled out across the globe. Aimed to prevent congestion in drop-off areas, passengers will only be permitted to hug their loved ones for no more than three minutes. Longer lingerers must move to other areas, such as the car park.

3. Early efforts at peace talks between Greenland’s PM and Donald Trump Junior (by chance on holiday in Greenland in January), fall apart as the US reluctantly concedes that economic or military force must be used in matters of US national security.

Centuries of indiscriminant warfare by the bloodthirsty Greenlanders and Danes are feeding the mood. It’s pure coincidence that the US is the biggest user and therefore passage payer of the Panama Canal, hitherto controlled by the Panamanian government and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Danish MP Karsten Honge said Denmark would have to suffer whatever decision the US takes. "They just need to send a small battleship to travel down the Greenland coast and send a polite letter to Denmark," he said.

Australia, with skin in the game by way of Queen Mary’s heritage, is able to 8 TVO

Illustration by Grace Kopsiaftis

sit as a non-partisan observer during the talks, sharing similar concerns in a safe space about the danger of New Zealand’s increasing influence in the geopolitical sphere.

inaugurations. He’s currently on the Global Watch List.

4. A living skin made from human cells is developed to use on AI driven robots. Scientists hope to make a breakthrough in the next few years with pumping them full of blood.

*LRP fact checker:

5. Hurricane Milton in Florida was purposefully created by shadowy forces at the heart of US politics, so the US government can use hurricane affected land for lithium mining.

3. Half true. It’s unlikely Our Mary and King Fred will have a say in anything, but the quote from the Danish MP is real, as is Trump Junior’s holiday.

6. Nostradamus has predicted ‘the end of a long way,’ which could mean the war between Russian and Ukraine.

A new plague is also predicted by the revered soothsayer, along with another war in England. Translation – another global pandemic and Harry and Meaghan move back to the UK to live a quiet, wholesome life alongside Meaghan’s new career as a journalist on emerging social media platform Truth Social. ‘I’m relieved that there’s finally a space for my own truth, that is, the actual truth, to come out,’ says the Duchess.

7. Meta (aka Facebook), in talking points echoing the incoming US president, announces a return to its roots around free expression. The social media site has over three billion users from the global population of eight billion (three billion people in Brazil, China, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uganda are excluded from its use). Meta intends to dramatically reduce the amount of censorship hitherto imposed, by removing its fact-checkers and lifting restrictions on divisive topics like immigration and gender.

8. A Spaniard who charges five hundred euros (AU$830) to disrupt wedding ceremonies is expanding his successful business model to other formal occasions including trials and

Aren’t we lucky to live here.

Happy 2025 all J

1. The new TRUS party is false at time of writing, but the PRC info is not.

2. True (the Dunedin part)

4. True.

5. True. Claims Hurricane Milton was ‘engineered’ were widely spread on X and TikTok. 6. True (except the Harry and Meaghan part and hopefully the next pandemic). Truth Social is a social media service owned by Donald Trump where you can create a profile and post messages (called Truths).

7. True 8. Half true. The wedding disruptor is real, but the service expansion is yet to happen.

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.

WORLD HEARING DAY

Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all WORDS: NICOLA RICHES

KEY FACTS  By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss, and at least 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation.  Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.  An annual additional investment of less than US$ 1.40 per person is needed to scale up ear and hearing care services globally.

The Growing Challenge of Hearing Loss

By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss, with at least 700 million requiring hearing rehabilitation. Over one billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, and among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.

Understanding Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can range from mild to profound and can affect one or both ears, leading to difficulty in hearing conversational speech or loud sounds. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices.

Causes and Prevention For 20 years, I spent at least three nights each week seeing live music, both as a student and in my role as a music industry reporter. I loved it more than anything in the world.

The venues were sometimes glorious – the Royal Albert Hall, for example – at other times, they were dingy back rooms in old pubs with sticky floors and speaker stacks that were far taller than me. Newly signed rock bands like to make a LOUD impact, even if the room only holds 100 people. ‘Turning it (the volume) up to 11,’ the idiom from This Is Spinal Tap, was no joke. It was real.

I never wore ear plugs, although I wish I did now because I struggle to hear in many environments. Had I continued to work in that world, it is likely I would have done some serious damage, but aged 36, I hopped on a plane and landed in Sydney with a husband and baby. My nights watching live music ended, but my ears were saved. Many of my counterparts from back then live with tinnitus; a condition I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Looking after our ears and hearing is essential.

World Hearing Day takes place on 3 March. This year’s theme builds upon the 2024 focus on changing mindsets towards ear and hearing care. The WHO is inviting individuals of all ages to empower themselves to ensure healthy ears and hearing for themselves and others, with the theme, "Changing mindsets: empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!"

By encouraging individuals to recognise the importance of ear and hearing health, the day of recognition aims to inspire us to change our behaviour to protect our hearing from loud sounds and prevent hearing loss by checking our hearing regularly, using hearing devices if needed, and supporting those living with hearing loss.

Hearing loss can be caused by various factors encountered at different periods across a lifespan. These include genetic factors, intrauterine infections, birth asphyxia, chronic ear infections, and exposure to loud noise. Many of these causes can be avoided through public health strategies and clinical interventions.

The Impact of Unaddressed Hearing Loss

Unaddressed hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at the individual level, including communication, cognition, social isolation, and stigma. It also has significant effects on society and the economy, with an estimated annual global cost of US$980 billion. This includes health sector costs, costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs, with 57% attributed to low- and middle-income countries.

Rehabilitation and Management

Early identification of hearing loss and ear diseases is key to effective management. Rehabilitation helps people with hearing loss to function at their optimum, allowing them to participate in education, work, recreation, and meaningful roles in their families or communities. Interventions for rehabilitation include the provision of hearing technologies, speech and language therapy, and counselling.

World Hearing Day 2025

This year the day will mark the launch of WHOITU Global standard for safe listening in video game play and sports and a school module on smart listening, for inclusion into educational programs.

You can find out more about those by searching World Hearing Day 2025 on the WHO website

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Meet Prena!

Executive Manager at Pathways Longueville A Visionary Leader Bringing Passion and Excellence to Pathways Longueville, Opening 2025 Meet Prena Bhattarai, the Executive Manager at Pathways Longueville. With over 14 years experience in healthcare and a passion for making a difference, Prena’s leadership is set to drive Pathways Longueville to deliver the highest quality of care.

Her leadership at Pathways Residences’ Sailors Bay and Killara Gardens has already showcased her ability to lead with compassion and efficiency.

At Pathways Longueville, Prena is eager to bring this expertise to the next stage of aged care innovation.

A Journey of Dedication and Expertise Prena’s extensive career in aged care spans clinical expertise, operational excellence, and leadership development. From her early days as a nurse to various leadership roles, Prena has consistently demonstrated her commitment to improving the lives of older Australians.

Reflecting on her inspiration, Prena shares,

“Age care allows me to connect with people, learn from their life stories, and make a meaningful difference to their day. Mentoring my team and seeing them excel is a driving force behind my passion for this industry.”

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Prena (right) dressed to impress for Melbourne cup celebrations at our Killara Gardens Residence.

Core Values: Harmony, Trust, and Respect At the heart of Prena’s approach are the values of harmony, trust, and respect; principles she embodies in every interaction with residents, families, and her team.

“I believe in leading by example,” she explains. “These values guide my decisions and define how we will build a thriving community at Pathways Longueville.”

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Prena Prena Prena Prena pictured pictured pictured pictured to the to to the to farthe the far left, far far left, leading left, left, leading leading leading thethe merriment the the merriment merriment merriment of Christmas of of Christmas of Christmas Christmas during during during during a a aa sing-a-long sing-a-long sing-a-long sing-a-long at Pathways at at Pathways at Pathways Pathways Killara Killara Killara Killara Gardens.

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A Glimpse A Glimpse A A Glimpse Glimpse into into Prena’s into into Prena’s Prena’s Prena’s World World World World

Prena’s Prena’s Prena’s Prena’s excitement excitement excitement excitement about about about about Outside Outside Outside Outside of of work, of of work, work, work, Prena Prena Prena Prena Pathways Pathways Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville Longueville Longueville is evident is is evident is evident evident cherishes cherishes cherishes cherishes time time time with time with her with with her family her her family family family when when when when youyou meet you you meet meet meet her.her.

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Arvin. luxury luxury luxury luxury living, living, living, living, innovative innovative innovative innovative care, care, care, care, Walks, Walks, Walks, Walks, mini mini getaways, mini mini getaways, getaways, getaways, andand and and andand aand and sense a sense aa sense sense of of belonging of of belonging belonging belonging go gogo go quality quality quality quality family family family family time time time help time help help her help herher her hand-in-hand. hand-in-hand. hand-in-hand. hand-in-hand.

“Our “Our “Our “Our focus focus focus focus on onon on recharge recharge recharge recharge andand maintain and and maintain maintain maintain hospitality, hospitality, hospitality, hospitality, exceptional exceptional exceptional exceptional care, care, care, care, balance. balance. balance. balance.

Prena’s Prena’s Prena’s Prena’s vibrant vibrant vibrant vibrant andand advanced and and advanced advanced advanced technology technology technology technology personality personality personality personality shines shines shines shines through through through through in in in in ensures ensures ensures ensures that that residents that that residents residents residents andand their and and their their their herher love her her love of love love of dancing of of dancing dancing dancing andand sense and and sense sense sense families families families families feel feel connected feel feel connected connected connected andand and and of of humour. of of humour. humour. humour.

“When “When “When “When thethe music the the music music music supported,” supported,” supported,” supported,” sheshe shares. she she shares. shares. shares. starts starts starts starts playing, playing, playing, playing, I can’t I can’t II can’t can’t help help help but help butbut but move” move” move” move” sheshe laughs. she she laughs. laughs. laughs.

Building Building Building Building relationships relationships relationships relationships is central is is central is central central to to herto to her mission. her her mission. mission. mission.

“By“By truly “By “By truly truly knowing truly knowing knowing knowing HerHer greatest Her Her greatest greatest greatest inspiration? inspiration? inspiration? inspiration?

“My“My “My “My each each each each resident, resident, resident, resident, family family family family andand team and and team team team parents parents parents parents in Nepal, in in Nepal, in Nepal, Nepal, who who led who who led with led led with with with member member member member as as individuals, as as individuals, individuals, individuals, wewewe we kindness kindness kindness kindness andand humility, and and humility, humility, humility, their their their their create create create create an an environment an an environment environment environment where where where where legacy legacy legacy legacy shapes shapes shapes shapes my my leadership my my leadership leadership leadership everyone everyone everyone everyone feels feels feels feels valued.” valued.” valued.” valued.” style style style style andand my and and my approach my my approach approach approach to to to to care.” care.” care.” care.”

st, st, For more information about Pathways Longueville, more information about Pathways Longueville, ForFor more For more information information about about Pathways Pathways Longueville, Longueville, scan the QR code email Michelle at MOHara@pathways.com.au scan QR code oror email Michelle MOHara@pathways.com.au scan scan thethe QR the code QR code or email or email Michelle Michelle at at MOHara@pathways.com.au at MOHara@pathways.com.au

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Under Under Prena’s Prena’s leadership, leadership, Under Under Prena’s Prena’s leadership, leadership, Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville promises promises Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville promises promises to be be more more than than just to to beto be more more than than just just ajust a aa residence, residence, ititbe will will be aa home, home, residence, residence, it will it will be a be home, a home, a a aa community, community, and aa place place of community, community, andand aand place a place of of of connection. connection.

“I“I envision envision connection. connection.

“I envision “I envision a a aa collaborative collaborative relationship relationship collaborative collaborative relationship relationship between between residents, residents, families, families, between between residents, residents, families, families, and and our our teams, teams, built built on on trust trust andand our our teams, teams, built built on on trust trust and and open open communication,” communication,” she she andand open open communication,” communication,” sheshe says. says. says. says.

Prena Prena is committed committed to to being being Prena Prena is committed is is committed to to being being a a aa visible visible and and approachable approachable visible visible andand approachable approachable leader, leader, ensuring ensuring residents residents and and leader, leader, ensuring ensuring residents residents andand families families feel feel heard heard and and valued. valued. families families feel feel heard heard andand valued. valued.

“Through “Through regular regular engagement engagement “Through “Through regular regular engagement engagement and and open open dialogue, dialogue, we’ll we’ll create create andand open open dialogue, dialogue, we’ll we’ll create create aa culture culture of of trust.” trust.” a culture a culture of of trust.” trust.”

A A Message Message to to Families Families A Message A Message to to Families Families Prena Prena understands understands the Prena Prena understands understands thethethe challenges challenges families families face face when when challenges challenges families families face face when when considering considering aged aged care. care.

“The “The considering considering aged aged care. care.

“The “The aged aged care care industry industry has has evolved evolved aged aged care care industry industry hashas evolved evolved tremendously. tremendously.

Your Your loved loved ones ones tremendously. tremendously.

Your Your loved loved ones ones will will find aa supportive supportive community community willwill find find afind supportive a supportive community community where where they they feel feel seen seen and and cared cared where where they they feel feel seen seen andand cared cared for.” for.” for.” for.”

Looking Looking Ahead Ahead Looking Looking Ahead Ahead Prena Prena expresses expresses her her excitement excitement Prena Prena expresses expresses herher excitement excitement to to champion champion the the ethos ethos of to to champion champion thethe ethos ethos of of of Pathways Pathways at at Longueville,’’This Longueville,’’This Pathways Pathways at at Longueville,’’This Longueville,’’This new, new, state-of-the-art state-of-the-art residence residence new, new, state-of-the-art state-of-the-art residence residence will will be aa place place where where residents residents willwill be be a be place a place where where residents residents feel feel at at home, home, families families have have feel feel at at home, home, families families have have confidence confidence incare the the care care confidence confidence in the in in the care provided, provided, and and team team members members provided, provided, andand team team members members are are empowered empowered to to excel. excel.

II want want areare empowered empowered to to excel. excel.

I want I want Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville to be Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville to to beto be a be a aa thriving, thriving, connected connected community community thriving, thriving, connected connected community community that that sets sets the the standard standard for for the that that sets sets the the standard standard forfor the thethe future future of of aged aged care.” care.” future future of of aged aged care.” care.”

With With Prena Prena at the the helm, helm, With With Prena Prena at at theat the helm, helm, Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville is poised poised Pathways Pathways Longueville Longueville is poised is is poised to to redefine redefine aged aged care! care! to to redefine redefine aged aged care! care!

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OUT OF TOWN

Places of interest and new developments outside of the Lower North Shore

Photo: Redfern Terrace by Phoebe Pratt

Redfern Terrace is one of three significant City of Sydney Aboriginal spaces within the Redfern area, including the Redfern Community Centre and 119 Redfern Street.

Redfern Terrace is poised for revitalisation this year after the City of Sydney spent 2024 seeking ideas for how the inside of the building could be creatively used to showcase and collect contemporary and archival materials and stories.

The ultimate plan is to provide the community with something entirely different to the other two significant Aboriginal spaces.

Built in the 1880s, the building on the corner of Caroline and Hugo streets

12 TVO

was once a shop and residence, and then used by the neighbouring sawmill as a dressing room and storage space before standing vacant.

Currently the building is adorned with the iconic Welcome to Redfern mural, completed by Reko Rennie and young local Aboriginal artists in 2013.

“Located in the heart of Redfern, this is a significant project for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” City of Sydney curator Emily McDaniel said.

“First Nations artists, architects, filmmakers and sound designers have been invited to redefine the Redfern Terrace as a place for storytelling and to reimagine the building.

“It could be a museum, an artist studio or artwork, and somewhere community can share knowledge and creativity.”

There has long been a significant urban Aboriginal community in Redfern. As extended families moved to the area from the 1930s Great Depression onwards to live and work, Caroline Street and its surrounds, known as The Block, became an

important hub for Sydney’s Aboriginal communities.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the living museum would deliver on a promise made in the City of Sydney’s Eora Journey – a program of work promoting cultural, economic and social sustainability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the local area, including a series of major public artworks.

“Converting this old terrace in the heart of an area synonymous with First Nations community, culture and activism reflects our commitment to ensuring Redfern remains a proudly Aboriginal place,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.

In 2024, the City of Sydney opened a new knowledge and cultural centre at 119 Redfern Street, where it unveiled designs for the first part of Yananurala, a 9km harbour foreshore walk of installations and artworks celebrating Aboriginal heritage.

ADVERTORIAL

Look after the cents...

The New Year’s Eve fireworks are barely over and it seems we have moved into election mode. Game on. And of course, one of the anchors of each of the main party’s arguments is that it has the economy sorted and has all sorts of plans to reduce the cost of living and bring down inflation.

The travel industry is not immune. After two years of restricted travel due to Covid (our Victorian clients are still spitting the dummy about Dan) we are experiencing several fronts. Demand is UP – baby boomers want to make up for lost time and they have the money to do it. I read recently that they will, cumulatively, have $3.5 trillion to leave, or spend … with that expenditure likely to make only a small dent.

They are not ungenerous. One of the biggest trends now is tri-generational travel i.e. a holiday funded by the grandparents for their children and grandchildren. It’s called Making Memories with the focus on ensuring the family will sit around and muse over the great holiday with Gramps and Nanna, way back then – long after said benefactors are deceased. We do several a year now.

It stands to reason that with all this pent-up demand, suppliers are going to put up prices. After all, why sell something for $2000 a night when you can get $2300?

If Mr and Mrs A won’t pay, Ms B probably will. I am not alone in being surprised at how fares, especially business class, continue to remain elevated four years after Covid ended. In 2021, I predicted that it would be 2025 before we revisited market conditions similar to those in 2019. I was wrong. Fares are not only generally more expensive but load factors/room yield/average per day expenditure for many destinations now surpass 2019 levels. Go figure.

And then of course there is our exchange rate. It’s miserable and not expected to improve significantly any time soon. Given Australians regard the freedom and ability to travel as almost birthright it behoves all of us sharpen our focus. From my perspective that means several things.

Earlybirds, packages, last minute deals and cruises or tours as part of your travel.

I now have several bookings for 2027. Why? Because to stimulate demand, operators are increasingly looking to capture bookings (a bird in the hand etc.) with a punt on the exchange rate. And if you’re 80+, the psychological boost is immeasurable.

As an insider, I’m the first to agree that some packages are little more than smoke and mirrors. Unbundle them, and the value is clearly not there. But some packages, usually hotels, can offer myriad inclusions to really seal the deal.

Touring and cruising is really where you can make big savings. At Trendsetter we sell a lot of cruising – and longtime cruisers recognise value when they see it. However not all value is visible. Just last week I was chatting with a bigwig at one of the luxury cruise lines and she confessed that its cruises have an exchange rate of .67 at least until the end of Q1. At a time when the A$ is a .605. So, add up the cost of a five star hotel room, three gourmet meals per day with free flowing beverages and included shore excursions in Europe, and compare with said cruise line …. You can’t but help see the value, and you don’t need to drive yourself. Happy wife, happy days.

Coach tours offer similar advantages, albeit not quite so relaxing. For there really is nothing as enjoyable as unpacking once! Bulk buying is the forte of tour companies and you become the beneficiary.

I promise that my advice will always be impartial and these days, my advice is that it’s worth widening your circle of consideration and choice. And if you’re not a fan of touring or cruising, yet, you might well become a disciple J. You can definitely keep travelling and I can help you make it happen. Look after the cents and the dollars will look after themselves.

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INTERVIEW

A musical journey of note Maggie Lawrence chats with Riverview singer/songwriter, Anne-Maree Wilshire about her in-depth exploration of music and the human voice.

The first thing that struck me when I met Riverview local Anne-Maree Wilshire was just how many different - and in some cases unique ways - she has found to work with music.

Anne-Maree’s music career has spanned more than 40 years and has been an impressive multi-disciplinary journey across a hugely diverse range including media, business and the arts.

Born in Sydney Anne-Maree grew up in a musical family.

‘Dad had a lovely singing voice. Mum played piano and taught piano to me, my sister and several kids in the neighbourhood. My sister then took cello as her main instrument and has gone on to be a sought-after Suzuki cello teacher and string quartet player. My brother has recently begun passionately studying guitar,’ she added.

‘My childhood was steeped in classical music. Mum started formally teaching me piano when I was four. At the same time, I also started learning violin and played in the school and youth camp orchestras.’

‘In my teens I discovered jazz – much to my mother’s horror as she didn’t consider this “real music”. But I was hooked. I loved the complexities of the harmonies and rhythms and started studying singing and jazz at the Sydney Conservatorium in my late teens. It was around this time that I began performing professionally.”

most inspiring teachers of great lyric writing. I also had the privilege of having some private composing and song writing sessions with the beautiful Judy Bailey, who’s also a Lane Cove resident. What a treasure that woman is,’ she added.

Anne-Maree’s professional career was launched when she started singing in the Sydney Jazz scene.

‘I was lucky to be performing with some of the great jazz musos and learnt so much from them,’ she said.

‘I was also performing nationally in major clubs and festivals in various bands and groups such as the extraordinary Clare Poole Singers. There were four of us, led by Clare Poole of the Mike Walsh Show fame. The group had a very high level of musicianship and we each took turns singing featured solo repertoire and insanely tight four-part harmonies, similar to the band ‘Manhattan Transfer’.

Anne-Maree’s song writing career began soon after.

Being a successful singer/songwriter, Anne-Maree began to consider how she could work with others to find their own unique voices. She started a company called ‘Vibrant Voices’ with a focus of helping people to find their authentic voice: both singing and speaking.

‘I’d always been a poet. I started writing poems when I was about 10. I did a Communications Degree at the University of Technology where I studied Film and TV production plus a writing major. I also had some short stories published.

‘I have two different businesses: one is teaching singing and song writing to individuals and the other is working with corporate leaders, teams and presenters to speak influentially.

‘Then in my late 20s I was having a chat to a friend of mine, Jerry Speiser, who was the drummer in the band ‘Men at Work’. I was wondering what direction to take in my performing career. He said to me: “You really need to be writing your own songs you know.”

‘I run my Singing Studio in Lane Cove. I work with singers of all levels. Some people are finding their singing voice after years of wanting to sing. Others are young emerging artists – often singer/songwriters,’ she said.

‘I hadn’t considered it seriously to that point. But the gorgeous man planted a seed. And I’m eternally grateful to him. Thanks Jerry! And that’s how my song writing began.’

Finding an authentic voice ‘When I started, I focussed on writing songs I thought people wanted to hear. But I felt something was missing.

It was when I started to write in my voice, about what mattered to me and to be audaciously authentic that my song writing and my authentic voice started to blossom,’ she said.

‘I’ve met some wonderful fellow songwriters along the way. I spent a number of years doing workshops with Pat Pattison from Berkeley College in USA. Pat is one of the 14 TVO

Crafting songs that will ‘kick ass’ ‘I love combining teaching them professional singing techniques that find and strengthen their unique sound. And then to help them craft their songs so they “kick ass” and at the same time are composing in a way that highlights and brings out the best in their unique voice. It’s so much fun working with them,’ she added.

‘In my Corporate Programmes I work with the corporate and senior public service sectors helping leaders, speakers and business owners who want to speak powerfully from their authentic voice to be a voice of influence in their industry.

‘I do this by helping them transform their voice, messaging, movement, mindset and presence into a congruent expression of their unique, authentic self – one that feels like

them. So they can tap into this at any high stakes moment when sharing their message.

‘My programmes are “The Presence Lab Intensive Programme” and ‘Vibrant Studio Membership” plus individual and group coaching programmes online and face to face.

‘Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with how we express ourselves. It’s this curiosity that has led me to spend more than forty years exploring ways to work with music for a hugely diverse range of areas across media, business and the arts.

‘Before I started Vibrant Voices, I spent more than 10 years working in TV and Media production for the ABC, Channel 7 and Channel 10, and then 3 years in Corporate PR. ‘In my work as a voice coach, presentation specialist and leadership coach, I draw on all of this experience. I even bring my music into my programmes by using the TaKeTiNa Rhythm Process I’m accredited in, to help people trust their own rhythm and flow and most importantly be in the present moment,’ she added.

A unique approach Anne-Maree’s approach is unique. She is a facilitator who combines a depth of knowledge and experience as a professional singing/songwriter, as a corporate trainer working with high performing teams, plus she is specialised in rhythm work, yogic breathing, and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) principles to create positive mindset, plus she boasts copywriting skills to develop her client’s message.

‘I don’t believe in cookie cutter strategies that are one size fits all. I work differently with each person to help them unlock the potential they know is there, but can’t put their finger on what’s holding them back.

‘I’ve drawn together all my expertise and diverse experience into my Powerful Presence Framework. All the work I do with business owners, entrepreneurs, teams and organisations is underpinned by this framework,’ she added.

‘It has five pillars: Voice, Mindset, Message, Movement and Authenticity. I’ve developed a set of unique techniques and strategies to bring all five together to create the presence and bring out the uniqueness we each have.

‘At this point in my career, I’m committed to only working on projects I find stimulating, creative and aligned to my values. I focus on working with people who want to make our communities and world more nourishing and uplifting.

My time is my most precious commodity and I want to honour this.’

‘My mantra now is that I live each day flowing with spaciousness and ease. I allow inspiration and connection with nature and people around me to nourish me, so I have the energy to offer this back to those in my world.

Some days this works better than others – it is a work in progress,’ she said.

Maggie Lawrence is a local author and screenwriter. You can visit her at www.maggielawrence.com

Club Med’s Endless Summer 2025

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Get pampered at the spa and enjoy some much needed quality time as a couple, or sit back on the beach and get back to nature to feel recharged.

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THEATRE

Come You Spirits Magical Shakespeare for 2025 February Premiere. Step Into Cleopatra's world with a theatrical sensory journey like no other when ‘magical’ Shakespeare company Come You Spirits opens its 2025 season with Antony & Cleopatra at the Concourse in Chatswood.

The theatre troupe acclaimed for creating Shakespeare adaptations that are ‘indistinguishable from magic’ have been going from strength to strength with national tours over the past three years. This month – as part of a 2025 season that also includes Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet - they bring their acclaimed production of Antony & Cleopatra to the Concourse in Chatswood.

An immersive evening for all the senses awaits at the Concourse when the “Lounge” is transformed into Cleopatra’s palace, bedroom and tomb… The audience will be

enveloped by the action happening around them as they step into the love story that transcends time and dimensions to witness the true historical tale of two titans from rival empires: Mark Antony, the Roman warrior torn between duty, passion, and power; and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, the sovereign goddess who defied mortality itself.

Shakespeare’s most lavish and sensual play provides the foundation, with its sweeping verse and unparalleled scale, breaking the boundaries of language and history.

Feel the passion, the magic, and the weight of history as this timeless love affair comes alive. Prepare to journey deeper into this timeline than ever before and experience a theatrical event like no other, carrying it with you in your heart long after the show’s over.

Alongside company founders Charles Mayer as Antony and Jo Bloom as Cleopatra, we see new casting for this unforgettable experience: Charley Allanah as the High Priestess Charmian; and Burlesque performer Hannah Raven with a sensuous opening night dance performance to launch the world of Cleopatra’s Palace.

All led by story guide and Master of Ceremony Nathan Meola.

Come You Spirits presents

Antony & Cleopatra

(running time 90 minutes) •T he Lounge, The Concourse, 409 Victoria Ave, Chatswood • Tues 11 Feb 6:30pm (Gala opening night) | Wed 12 Feb 6:30pm • Thur 20 Feb 7:30pm Fri 21 Feb 7:30pm | Sat 22 Feb 7:30pm • Tickets from $45 • Bookings & Information: www.theconcourse.com.au/event/ antony-cleopatra-come-you-spirits/

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ADVERTORIAL

Make your New Year’s Resolution count …

Leave a gift. Build your legacy.

Change the future for sick kids Some people make a New Year’s resolution to begin something new, change a habit, or perhaps reignite a passion. But for the thousands of parents of sick kids, they just want the new year to bring their little ones good health and laughter.

Parents like Erica and Tom hope for a day when their little Ella will not have to wear bandages to protect her skin from everyday life. Ella was born with a rare and severe skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), making her skin appear as fragile as butterfly wings. A genetic disorder that leaves her skin extremely sensitive, making her daily life painful.

Ella’s Mum Erica recalls, “I was afraid to pick her up at first if I’m being honest”. “After a textbook pregnancy and a planned caesarean section, Ella was not

Kids like Ella will need support throughout their lifetime and a very considered way to help is by leaving a gift in your Will to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF).

born a perfectly healthy baby as we expected. Born with EB, Ella had skin missing from her right knee and both feet.”

EB is a lifelong condition that needs constant care. All parents know their children’s cry - a hungry cry, a tired cry, I want a cuddle cry. For Ella’s parents, they have also had to learn the pain cry. For now, this is the only way Ella can tell them she has a new blister that needs careful wound care.

By leaving a gift in a Will to SCHF you will create a legacy of hope and healing for sick kids – supporting research, equipment and SCHF’s mission to deliver the best healthcare available to kids across NSW and beyond.

This year, make your New Year’s resolution count by leaving a gift that builds a legacy and changes the future for sick kids. As little as 5% can make an impact and help little kids like Ella with rare and lifelong conditions.

To learn more about leaving a gift in your Will to SCHF, visit www.schf.org.au/gift-in-will, call 1800 770 122 or email plannedgiving@schf.org.au

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TVO 17

TRIBUTE

A fitting tribute to Greenwich’s late Caroline Jones AO Residents of Greenwich may have noticed a recently planted Sydney Red Gum in Shell Park together with a plaque. The Angophora Costata was planted in honour of the late Caroline Jones AO, a long-time resident of Greenwich. Caroline lived next door to Shell Park from 1977 up to the time of her death.

Caroline was well known and loved by the Greenwich community. She was a prominent Australian who gave long and significant contributions to both the state of New South Wales and to the nation through her work in the media, particularly broadcasting and television. She is noted as one of the pioneers of a lead role for women in presenting news and current affairs.

In a career spanning more than 50 years, Caroline was the first female reporter on ABC current affairs program This Day Tonight, the first woman to anchor Four Corners, and was also the host of many varied radio programs over decades, including the long running The Search for Meaning. Caroline was associated with the television program Australian Story since its inception in 1996, a role, and indeed a program, that was largely successful due to the compassionate and respectful way in which she facilitated people sharing their most personal stories.

Through all of these activities she touched the lives of countless people from all walks of life.

Caroline also authored a number of books. There is correspondence with the Local Studies section of Lane Cove Library, to whom Caroline gifted her awards, along with pastel and oil portraits of herself, the two ‘busts’ of her by Val Smith, and other memorabilia of her working life, together with her books. Caroline's passing on 20 May 2022 was noted by countless media personalities who spoke of her role as both an inspiration to women and as an active mentor for many when they began their careers in journalism.

In 1988, Caroline was made an Officer of the Order of Australia and in 1989 was awarded the Archbishop of Sydney Citation in recognition of her contribution to Christian ideals in radio and television. In 1997 Caroline was voted by the National Trust as an Australian Living Treasure. She received numerous media awards, including a Walkley award, several Australian Media Peace Prize gold citations and in 2021 she was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame. Caroline was a “trailblazer” who will be remembered by many as an inspirational mentor for thousands of female colleagues in the media industry.

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Photo of Caroline by Kate Cadell

Council Update February 2025

Mayoral Update

Merri Southwood, Mayor of Lane Cove E: msouthwood@lanecove.nsw.gov.au I hope you are coming into 2025 refreshed and rejuvinated after some time spent with family and friends over the festive season. To kick things off, Council is about to start reviewing the Community Strategic Plan – the community’s plan for the future of our LGA. We will be seeking your input to understand whether the vision, themes and priorities currently outlined in Liveable Lane Cove 2035 still ring true to our residents and businesses.

In 2022, our community confirmed that their vision for 2035 is “Lane Cove as a connected, inclusive and sustainable community”. With 6 themes, now is the time to contribute to planning for the next 10 years.

Council will be conducting community forums, village drop-in sessions, and surveys to gather insights. Visit lanecove.nsw.gov.au/csp to participate.

Try something new in 2025 Sometimes it’s the solitude that appeals. Other times, it’s a good laugh and cuppa that buoys the spirit. Every time though, it is the satisfaction gained from looking after our natural world. We’re talking Bushcare, where volunteers gather to weed, plant and tend to our bushland – and quite often socialise! It is an activity for all ages, skills and effort. Lane Cove’s award-winning Bushcare program has reached 30 years.

Council Wins Prestigious Sustainability Awards Our sustainability efforts at Lane Cove Council have been recognised at December’s Local Government NSW Excellence in Environment Awards, where Lane Cove took out three Awards. The annual Excellence in the Environment Awards recognise outstanding achievements by NSW local government in managing and protecting the environment.

Lane Cove Council was thrilled to be awarded: • Category winner for the Towards Net Zero Emissions Award

• Winner of the Innovation in Planning Policies and Decision-Making Award for our sustainability review of our DCP

• Overall winner of the Local Sustainability Award for our work in implementing sustainability and striving for a sustainable future for our community.

Congratulations to all the staff and community members involved in Lane Cove’s sustainability journey – winning the Local Sustainability Award provides recognition of everyone’s efforts.

Make the call in 2025 to join today: Contact Bushcare Co-ordinator Jim Casimir on 9911 3579 or go to: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushcare for more information.

Homes to support families in need Council has increased its support for families in need with the announcement of two additional homes to be made available for temporary accommodation through the local women’s refuge. The announcement was made as part of Council’s first roundtable discussion to support a coordinated network to increase the assistance available to women and families in need. Council, residents, local businesses, media, community, and charitable organisations have long been supporters of Delvena Women’s Refuge through a range of good deeds and donations.

Lane Cove Library 70th Birthday Celebration: Tuesday 11 February, 6.15pm – 7:30pm.

Lane Cove Library is turning 70 and you are invited to come along and enjoy the celebrations. Join us for music and conversation, listen to special guests and the all-important cutting of the birthday cake as we kick off a year of festivities. Bookings essential.

Book Online www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/library TVO 19

Council Update February 2025 Community Assistance Grants Program

Hit that Electrical Switch

Are you a not-for-profit organisation working to support and enhance the wellbeing of Lane Cove residents and the community? You could be eligible for a grant of up to $10,000!

Find out more about our Community Assistance Grants Program at www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/ CommunityGrants. Applications close 4pm, Monday 3 March 2025.

Lane Cove Council now offers rebates to help you replace gas appliances with cleaner, renewable options.

Upgrade to an induction cooktop, hot water heat pump, or reverse-cycle air conditioner and reduce emissions while saving money. Rebates for Solar panels, batteries and EV chargers are also available. Join us in creating a greener future for our community.

Make the switch today by visiting www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/Environment-Sustainability

Council Meeting The first Council Meeting of the year will be held on Thursday 20 February 2025. Members of the public can register to address Council by using the online form no later than midnight, on the day prior to the meeting. www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/meetings Council Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month.

Pedestrian Access Mobility Plan Council is currently developing a new Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) 2024-25 which helps to identify actions to provide convenient access and mobility in and around our community.

Share your feedback at haveyoursay.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/pamp2425

R’N’R Saturday Blackman Park Saturday Saturday 8 February – 10:00am and 2:00pm Come along for our first ever Rehoming and Recycling drop off event!

By utilising the services of Revolve Recycling and Southern Cross Recycling, every item dropped off is a valuable resource diverted from landfill that can be given a second life!

Residents can drop off: • Adult and children’s bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and e-scooters • Used and torn clothing, textiles and shoes • Bric-a-brac: pots, pans, reusable toys, (batteries removed), sporting goods and small homewares (no electrical items, books or magazines) • Soft plastics

Ask the Experts for Free!

Looking to lower your energy bills, install solar panels or an EV charger, create a native garden, or have questions about managing household waste? Lane Cove Council is offering residents up to two free sessions with experts on a variety of topics. With limited availability, now’s the perfect time to get your questions ready and make the most of this expert advice. Visit Council’s Sustainability webpage via the QR code for more details and to book your sessions.

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What’s on Lane Cove February 2025 COMING UP AT:

Military History Talk – Sudan 1885: The NSW contingent: Tuesday 4 February 6:15pm – 8:00pm

In 1885 New South Wales sent a contingent of 770 men and 200 horses to the Sudan to assist the British in the Mahdist War (made famous by Britain’s General Gordon).

The men would go on to fight in the Suakin campaign. Bookings essential.

Book Online www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/library

• Friday 7 February 9:30am -10:30am Yoga (kids) • Friday 7 February 6:00pm – 9:00pm PM, $15 Neil Diamond tribute Forever Diamond Get ready to Turn on Your Heartlight and sing along to Neil Diamond’s greatest hits at Forever Diamond! Join us at The Canopy for a night of Sweet Caroline, Cracklin’ Rosie, and all the Beautiful Noise that will leave you saying I’m a Believer!

Book via the QR code.

Let’s Go Bug Hunting Saturday 1 February 9:00am – 11:00am Lane Cove Community Nursery Time to check out the creatures that live in your neighbourhood! Dip net for aquatic creatures living in our creeks and sift through leaf litter to uncover a whole world of bugs which lie beneath. Join in the fun on this bug hunt.

Bookings essential: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/ bushcareevents

• Friday 14 February 2025 Valentines Day Eva the Harpist will create a beautiful romantic atmosphere for visitors from 6:00-8:00pm

Celebrate Library Lovers’ Day: Mystery Date with a Book: Wednesday 14 February

Celebrate Library Lovers' Day by discovering a love for a mystery author, book or genre. Borrow a mystery book and the matching DVD, or stream Beamafilm, and collect a special take-away craft bag. Available at Lane Cove Library, Greenwich Library, St Leonards library and The Yarn, Hunters Hill.

In conversation with Larry Buttrose – Everyone on Mars @ Lane Cove Library:

Tuesday 18 February 6:15pm – 7:30pm

Bush Babies – Bush Kids Friday 7 and Wednesday 12 February 9:45am – 11:15am Blackman Park

• Friday 16 February 9:00am – 3:00pm Makers Market • Friday, 21 February 6:00pm – 7:00pm Yoga (adults) • Friday, 8 March International Women’s Day Ladies of the 80's 6:00pm

We’ll learn about animal babies, read a story, go on a bushwalk and get creative with nature craft. For kids 2 – 5 years.

Bookings essential www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids

Join Australian writer, poet, and journalist Larry Buttrose as he discusses his new science fiction short story collection Everyone on Mars. Larry’s stories are an imagining of the personal, psychological and existential impacts of humanity’s colonisation of Mars.

Bookings essential.

Book Online www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/library

Visit lanecove.nsw.gov.au/events for bookings and tickets.

All events are free unless otherwise stated.

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What’s on Lane Cove February 2025

Growing Native Plants for Beginners

Thursday 20 February 9:30am – 12:00pm Lane Cove Community Nursery At this hands-on workshop, you will be introduced to useful propagation techniques for growing native plants, such as sowing seeds and striking cuttings.

Bookings essential: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/ bushcareevents

What’s for Lunch – Bush Kids

Tech Topics: Applications of AI: Artificial Intelligence @ Lane Cove Library: Thursday 27 February 11:00am – 12:00pm

Exploring how AI can be used in various sectors including community organisations. Murali Dharan will join us at Lane Cove Library to discuss new technologies and some applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Bookings required.

Book Online www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/library

Thursday 20 and Tuesday 25 February - 9:45am – 11:15am Blackman Park

We’ll go on a bushwalk to look for nibbled leaves, spiders in their webs and chomped banksia fruits, read a story and get creative with nature craft. For kids 2-5 years.

Bookings essential www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/bushkids

Makerspace Night @ Lane Cove Library

Thursday 20 February 5:30pm – 8:30pm Enjoy an evening of designing and making. If you are an experienced maker, bring your own idea to life using the 3D Printer, laser cutter, soldering iron or Cricut Maker.

•C hoose a 90-minute timeslot either 5:30pm - 7:00pm, or 7:00pm 8:30pm.

For Ages 16+. Cost $5.00 + booking fee. Bookings essential. (10 pp) Book Online www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/library

Tech Savvy Seniors: Introduction to Smart Phone for Mandarin speakers @ St Leonards Library: Tuesday 21 February 2:30 – 4:30pm

Tech Savvy Seniors is a digital literacy training session especially developed for seniors to help develop skills and confidence to access information and services online. This session will be delivered For Adults. Free event. Bookings essential.(12pp) NOTE: This event is held at St Leonards Library, LG Level, 88 Christie St, St Leonards.

Book Online www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/library 新州老年人科技通课程是專為老年人設 計的新科技课程. 本次智能手機 入門課 程將以普通話進行，内容包括教授如何 使用智慧型手機撥打電話、發送訊息、 分享照片等！

Creating videos using the Film and Sound Studio @ St Leonards Library: Thursday 27 February 2:00pm – 3:30pm

Are you interested in creating videos using the Film and Sound Studio at St Leonards Library? Why not join us for a fun, interactive and hands-on session for beginners. For Ages 16+.

Cost $5.00 + booking fee. Bookings essential.

NOTE: This event is held at St Leonards Library, LG Level, 88 Christie St, St Leonards.

Book Online – www.lanecove.nsw. gov.au/library

免費課程. 上網或洽圖書館預定. 本次課程位於 圖書館,

Writers in Residence @ Lane Cove Library: Thursday 27 February 6:00pm – 7:30pm

Join our Lane Cove Writers in Residence group who meet monthly to share stories, discuss creative writing ideas and writing methods.

No bookings required.

Visit lanecove.nsw.gov.au/events for bookings and tickets.

All events are free unless otherwise stated.

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The Risk of Living Together Things can go wrong when people work together, live together, conspire together, aspire together. Conflicts can arise. Misunderstandings can arise.

The ego, of course, gets in on everything; and we know this at a personal level, at a communal level, and at a global level. We are surrounded by the consequences of not preparing for the risk of living together.

To prepare well, means that we accept each other's differences and we respect each other's different beliefs.

At the same time, we are aware of each other's diversity, recognising each other's dignity and their right to hold their own point of view, and to be aware of the common ground that we share. That common ground is the source of our strength to take the risk of living together for the benefit of all.

Life is always uncertain. I've more recently developed a certain philosophy of doing the next thing as well as I can and not speculating or dramatising too much what might or might not happen. Every single person must face the challenge of uncertainty. We can face it with joy and with peace as I have found through trust and relationship, the kindness and strength of strangers, and the goodness of people with whom we are sharing life's journey of living together.

This is a challenge that affects people of all ages:

As Community Chaplain, one of my roles is to bring us to the point where we can look out from our individual positions and see the connections we have with others.

- we see it in very young children today;

Over the coming year Lane Cove Community Chaplaincy has a wonderful array of activities and speakers with deep personal experience and wisdom sharing with us their perspectives on this emerging crisis that our world is facing, and I really believe that the result of listening and participating in these activities will awaken in all of us a confidence that conviviality – the risk of living together - is more than justified. Indeed, it is our destiny, and we must approach it with great hope, confidence, and joy.

- we see the rise of mental illness in teens and young adults; - we see the dependency upon technology and the loss of personal contact across the generations; - we see it in middle-aged people going through a ‘midlifecrisis’ –one that seems to come earlier and earlier, and; - we see it in older people after retirement, as they search for meaning and purpose in their second half of life.

Some of the BIG questions this raises are…

Q. W hat do we need to do to reconnect with what will help us to live together?

Q. W hat do we need to do to find that connecting point?

If we cannot find that connecting point –with ourselves, with others, with the Spirit, with God, with the environment, then we are living in the nightmare of uncertainty and danger.

I look forward to you joining us as we explore this year’s theme, THE RISK OF LIVING TOGETHER, and I hope you’ll agree that it’s a risk worth taking.

We’re about life in ALL its fullness – body, mind and spirit!

Want to know more?

Come and join the conversation where all are welcome, and all means ALL.

LIAM MCKENNA Lane Cove Community Chaplain P: 0404 596 592 E: lanecovechaplain@gmail.com www.lanecovecc.com Supported by Lane Cove Uniting Church TVO 23

LANE COVE THEATRE

Lane Cove Theatre Company Unveils Exciting 2025 Season Lineup The Lane Cove Theatre Company is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated 2025 season, a dynamic mix of theatrical gems promising laughter, drama, and musical enchantment for audiences of all ages. The upcoming season, highlights the company’s commitment to showcasing local talent and delivering high-quality community theatre to Sydney’s North Shore.

A SEASON TO REMEMBER The theme, Journeys of Self-Discovery, celebrates narratives that resonate deeply, inspire reflection, and bring people together. Spanning timeless classics, contemporary works, and a family-friendly musical, the lineup guarantees something for everyone.

Chapter 1: Navigating Choices

IF/THEN

Music by Tom Kitt and Book & Lyrics by Brian Yorkey Directed by Lochie Beh Musical Direction by Stephen Dula 21-30 March 2025 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. 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.

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Chapter 2: Challenging Expectations

THE SHAPE OF THINGS A Black Comedy

by Neil Labute 16-25 May 2025

How far would you go for love? For art? What would you be willing to change? What price might you pay? Such are the painful questions explored by Neil LaBute in THE SHAPE OF THINGS. A young student drifts into an everchanging relationship with an art major while his best friends' engagement crumbles, so unleashing a drama that peels back the skin of two modern-day relationships, exposing the raw meat and gristle that lie beneath. Examining manipulation in relationships and the deceptive nature of appearances, The Shape of Things centres on personal transformation and the consequences of altering one's identity for another person. Shining a spotlight on the dynamics of manipulation and control within romantic relationships.

As the story unfolds, the characters confront uncomfortable truths about manipulation, self-deception, and the power dynamics that often define relationships. The audience is left questioning the lengths to which we are willing to go to meet someone else’s ideals, and at what cost to our authentic selves.

Chapter 3: Unveiling Power

HUNTERS HILL THEATRE

LYSISTRATA BY ARISTOPHANES Directed by Christine Firkin 22-31 August 2025

Make Love. Not War. A modern take on an ancient Greek tale.

The ultimate comedy of sex! Fed up with their men who have been fighting almost continuously in the war between Athens and Sparta for twenty years, Lysistrata organises a sex strike of the women. No peace? No sex! In hilarious scenes rich with bawdy language and action, Aristophanes explores the power struggle that results from the sex strike – and the suffering on both sides as sexual frustration bites! Since their husbands haven’t figured out a solution, the women of Greece - led by the titular Lysistrata - have decided to take matters into their own hands. First performed in 411 BCE, this classic play is Aristophanes’ most popular comedy. Its message of women’s desire for peace – and their conflict with men – still resonates today.

Hunters Hill Theatre 2025 Preview Following a short break, Hunters Hill Theatre is back in the rehearsal room preparing for ‘Sylvia’ which opens on Friday 7 March.

Lysistrata is a bold and timeless exploration of gender dynamics and the power of collective action.

Through its bawdy and comedic lens, Aristophanes critiques societal norms and challenges the assumption that men alone should hold the power to decide the fate of nations.

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!

Chapter 4: Happily Ever After

Next cab off the rank and a change of gears is ‘The Revlon Girl’.

INTO THE WOODS JNR

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by James Lapine Directed by Trent Gardiner 14-30 November 2025 Into the Woods Jr. is a captivating musical that weaves together classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel in an exciting, adventure-filled story.

With an enchanting score by Stephen Sondheim, this junior version explores what happens when wishes come true—sometimes with unexpected consequences. As the characters journey through the woods, they learn important lessons about family, friendship, and responsibility. Into the Woods weaves many of our stage adaptations into one singular story. A perfect way to celebrate 30 years of brining children’s stories to the Lane Cove stage!

GET YOUR TICKETS Season subscriptions and individual show tickets are currently on sale.

Visit: www.lanecovetheatrecompany.com.au or follow them on social media.

Aberfan, Wales, 1966. A coal waste landslide cascades down the mountainside engulfing a school where 116 children die. Four bereaved mothers meet regularly and, whilst ashamed to feel frivolous, invite the Revlon make-up girl to give them beauty tips because they’d “let themselves go” in the aftermath of this heartbreaking tragedy. Whilst the play echoes with sadness, it charms with very real humour - and demonstrates that even lipstick can bring a touch of hope.

Next a favourite from British playwright Tom Stoppard ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.’

Acclaimed as a modern dramatic masterpiece the play is the fabulously inventive tale of Hamlet as told by two minor characters in Shakespeare’s play, who pass their time betting with each other on coin flips. Part Shakespearean tragedy part Laurel and Hardy comedy, they finally get a chance to take the lead role but do so in a world where reality and illusion intermix and where fate leads them to a tragic but inevitable end.

And as always, a rollicking comedy farce to finish off the year 'Drinking Habits'.

Wine, women and…hymns! Two nuns from the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing, a somewhat penniless Order of naughty Nuns, have more than alterations on their minds when they try to save the convent from financial ruin by turning grape juice into wine. Sound familiar?

This crazy farce goes from cute to funny to hilarious to gut punching hysterical and a brilliant way to laugh our way into Christmas.

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HEALTH

Hey Doc! Why are bowel motions brown-coloured? (and other questions you’d only ask a doctor at a party)

Dr Carl Wong is a Lane Cove-based GP and sits on the board of Sydney Community Services.

During social parties, someone inevitably will ask what you do for work. If the reply is that you are a doctor, then the inquisition begins.

Before I know it, I am looking at someone’s rash, asked by family relatives for my insider knowledge on the latest celebrity’s ailment, and wracking my brain as to the cause of my neighbour’s memory issues.

Despite more than 10 years of arduous training and sleepless nights through medical school, hospital and specialist training, you would think doctors have all the answers.

Sadly, it’s the little things that the general public really wants to know, and which aren’t explained well that get missed. This is for all those ‘average Joe (and Jill)’ questions.

Why do you laugh when you are tickled?

Tickling-induced laughter is a reflex reaction. As you are unable to tickle yourself, the reflex seems to require an element of surprise. We don’t really understand how (or even why) it occurs. That is why we have gelotology - the study of laughter and its effect on the body, to work these things out (No joke!).

Can carrots improve vision?

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene which is essential for sight. The body converts this to vitamin A. But we only need a tiny amount of beta-carotene for good vision so unless you are truly vitamin A deficient, your vision won’t improve no matter how many carrots you eat. In fact, ingesting too many carrots can lead to toxicity – symptoms such as yellow-orange skin colouring, hair loss, weight loss and fatigue. Watch out Bugs Bunny!

Does melatonin work for jet lag?

Jet lag is a type of fatigue caused by travelling across different time zones.

Our circadian rhythm (body clock) is less confused if you travel westward.

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The body needs time to acclimatise to the new time zone - approximately one day for each hour of time zone changes. Taking melatonin for the first four days upon destination arrival can help. Other tips include avoiding dehydration and alcohol, and adjusting to the local time schedule ahead of departure.

Why is it bad to insert cotton swabs in your ears, especially when it feels so good?

Contrary to even my own family’s beliefs, this habit can be risky and dangerous. Instead of the intended hope of earwax-cleaning, cotton buds run the risk of pushing and impacting the earwax even further into the ear canal, and also even perforating the delicate ear drum, leading to pain and deafness. It’s not uncommon for doctors having to even retrieve broken cotton bud tips from ear canals, as well as other things like insects and even pen caps.

Does glucosamine work for osteoarthritis?

Glucosamine is a sugar naturally produced by the body. It is one of

the building blocks of cartilage, which covers and protects the ends of bones, allowing them to move smoothly against each other. Cartilage damage is a key component of osteoarthritis, a condition which affects 1 in 5 Australians over the age of 45. Despite the hope it might relieve pain and prevent or slow the breakdown of cartilage, good research has shown little or no benefit in osteoarthritis.

Is it dangerous to hold a sneeze?

Holding a sneeze is not recommended.

A sneeze has been estimated to propel droplets from your nose up to 160km per hour! Sneezing is a reflex action due to triggers such as allergens, environmental irritants, and infections (eg common colds). Looking at bright lights (like sunlight) can also cause it (genetic condition). Sneezing also causes our eyes to close – another reflex.

Suppressing the significant pressure forces behind a sneeze can rupture small blood vessels in the eyes, ears, and eardrum perforations. Anyway, why would you want to – sneezing releases endorphins (‘happy hormones’). Many people have compared sneezing to the feeling of a ‘runner’s high’ or the feeling after a workout.

Does wet or cold weather cause a cold?

Happy to dispel this myth – possibly to the dismay of Asian grandparents; Common colds are caused by viruses, and nothing to do with the weather. Being run-down doesn’t help – not getting enough sleep or eating poorly reduces your resistance to infections. Colds are more common in winter times, likely due to people being in closer proximity to one another indoors to keep out of the cold weather, thus being more exposed to close infected contacts.

Remember that antibiotics only work against bacteria and won’t fight viruses. To take care of a common cold – get plenty of rest and drink fluids. A little chicken soup couldn’t hurt either.

Does cranberry juice help prevent UTIs? Urine tract infections (UTIs) are very common, especially in women, babies, the elderly and those with bladder issues caused by spinal injury or other conditions. Around 1 in 2 women and 1 in 20 men will get a UTI in their lifetime. It can feel like peeing razor blades, having the urge to urinate frequently and they can cause smelly, cloudy urine.

It is important to have this treated by your doctor as it can potentially lead to more serious kidney issues and even progress into your blood stream. Recent data shows that consuming cranberry juice or supplements reduces the chance of repeat UTIs for women, children and in people susceptible to UTIs following procedures. The studies did not support use in the elderly, those with bladder-emptying problems or pregnancy.

And the answer to this article’s title question? When our red blood cells naturally break down, a substance called bilirubin is produced. When mixed with iron in the intestine, a lovely brown-coloured stool is the result. Poo can appear as other colours too – affected by the foods consumed, medications taken and can also be a marker of disease.

Ask your doctor more about it – preferably not at their next social gathering.

REVIEW

That Island Feeling

by Karina May

Happy Valentines Day to you, and happiest of Galentines Day to you too!

This month I thought I would recommend to you a book that combines that romance and girl squad love - That Island Feeling by Karina May. I adored it. I have seen it called ‘THE SUMMER READ’ and I don’t think that’s unjustified. Fun, friendship, romance, full of rom com references and so much to love. I loved this novel and if you enjoy romcoms do yourself a favour and read this novel.

I’ve been a big fan of Karina May since Duck à l’Orange for Breakfast; what a fun read that was. Since then, Karina has been an auto buy for me.

Never Ever Forever was super cute and now That Island Feeling…chef’s kiss perfection. I LOVE her fun, witty insights and humour. That same sense of play is imbued in her fiction. These novels are perfect summer reads, regardless of whether you are actually on an island.

That Island Feeling centres around a week on Pearl Island, the most perfect location for a romcom if ever there was one! Sun, sand and boats captained by hot locals! Our main character Andie Alcott has organised a divorce party-style girls’ trip getaway for her best friend Taylor - think theme colours, scheduled fun activities and quality girlfriend bonding. Of course, there is a holiday fling…lots of banter and perfect picnics, such a perfect summer read.

But it doesn’t end there. There is so much more in this romcom. There is real depth and lots of issues to think about. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I was caught crying on the train. There are some really touching scenes here, it’s not all oysters and bubbles and it is so beautifully done. I am sure you will love it!

March Books to look forward to...

• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins • The Thrill of It by Mandy Beaumont • The Oasis by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion • The Private Island by Ali Lowe 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

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HISTORICAL

BY CHRISTINE SANDERSON

Benjamins and Top Ryde Shopping Centre The early story about Top Ryde Shopping Centre is synonymous with that of the Benjamin family. In 2008, Greg Benjamin, the great-grandson of the founder Albert Julian (A.J.) Benjamin, wrote a story about his family’s involvement in the creation of department stores in Sydney, particularly in Chatswood and Ryde.

He says that even though the Benjamins Top Ryde store opened two years before he was born, there were a number of Benjamins department stores. He says that he learned incredibly that Benjamins was a public company just as well known in its time on the North Shore of Sydney, as David Jones was in 2008.

Because of Greg’s interest in family history, he started piecing together the story of an era now just a memory.

It is also just a memory for those of us who remember what Ryde was like before the shopping centre was built in 1957, especially the area which became a carpark on which the Rialto Theatre once stood. When once the cinema was a major source of entertainment for those growing up in Ryde, the shopping centre surpassed it with the many opportunities for entertainment that it provided.

When opened by the Premier Mr Cahill in 1957, the Benjamins Top Ryde Regional Shopping Centre was the first major regional shopping centre in New South Wales, strategically situated to cater for residents on the north-west railway line and surrounding areas. At the opening ceremony there were 400 guests, 28 TVO

including Government officials, senior public servants, prominent members of the retail trade, and officials associated with the construction of the Centre. The design of the shopping centre followed a trend which was rapidly finding favour in Canada and the United States; namely a group of stores, with ample parking facilities, minimum walking distance, and a variety of merchandise with a pleasant atmosphere in which to shop. The Benjamin Store was described as “the world's newest most modern department store”.

Modelled on Benjamins Chatswood, it was a complete department store which carried a full range of stocks displayed over three large floors.

Altogether there were six Benjamin department stores built between 1953 and 1962 in Ryde, Chatswood, Broken Hill, Blakehurst, Campbelltown and Hillsdale. The story was one of growth and development from suburb to suburb, from suburban to country towns, rather than the usual pattern of city stores going to the suburbs and country centres.

Unfortunately, 1961 was a turning point in the success of Benjamins. The problem faced was that, in keeping with the department store concept, competitive expansion involved considerable outlays on additional fixed assets. Considering that these assets were already at high levels, working capital was being severely restricted for day-to-day operations, and as a result, the company was already forced to maintain a very tight control over its current assets, such as

stock and sundry debtors.

In 1962, a firm of Management Consultants was engaged to implement new plans for trading, and a store modernisation programme.

In order to obtain additional volume in higher gross profit departments, a complete reorganisation was undertaken, and all trading in builders' hardware was placed under a separate division operating as Benjamins Building Centre (which would one day become BBC Hardware). This division functioned in premises at Willoughby North, which had the benefit of lower occupancy costs. Its removal from the Chatswood Department Store resulted in a substantial increase in selling space for departments showing a much higher rate of profit.

For Ryde, the closure of the Benjamin store was only the beginning of reconstruction and reorganising over the next decades which led to its current iteration. Ironically a cinema complex in today’s shopping centre is almost in the same place as the Rialto Theatre, albeit now two storeys overlooking busy Lane Cove Road.

Ryde District Historical Society is based at historic Willandra House (770 Victoria Rd, Ryde). The Society collects, researches and promotes the historical heritage of the 13 suburbs that make up the Ryde district. The Society also assists with research into family. Further information can be found at www.rydehistory.org.au.

1 0 0 WO R D S The sound of bells ringing over Paris heralded the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, after a raging fire nearly obliterated the sacred landmark.

Dignitaries and other distinguished figures gathered to celebrate its restoration, while the most infamous, uninvited guest was yet to arrive.

Narcy NoGood had miraculously survived a collision with an icy grey boulder, while exiting the international narcissist’s convention in the Swiss Alps. The only damage was a bruised ego and a cracked pocket mirror. Although deeply shaken, it was the wake up call she needed.

The consecration mass was occasionally interrupted by groaning, wailing and heavy footsteps coming from the steeple, but the archbishop continued.

Doing a deep dive into her diagnosis, she discovered Dr Ramani, a renowned expert on her condition. Months of intensive therapy yielded miraculous results.

When the parishioners offered each other a handshake, as sign of peace, the French President recoiled in horror, as the misshapen, gnarled hand gripped his and he stared in disbelief, at the snarling, grotesque face of Quasimodo.

After making restitutions to everyone she’d harmed, offering sincere apologies and compensation for pain and suffering, she penned a memoir, “No Bad Deed Goes Unpunished” although it only sold two copies.

Perihan Bozkurt, Lane Cove

Perihan Bozkurt, Lane Cove

DO YOU HAVE A 100 WORD STORY? Email: editor@thevillageobserver.com.au

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Back to School Is your child nervous about going back to school?

Try asking them what they are looking forward to.

WORDS: SAMANTHA VLCEK (LECTURER IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, RMIT UNIVERSITY) This month, kids are back to school (after an extra-long break this time). This can be a nervous time for some students, who might be anxious about new teachers, classes and routines.

Returning to school after the extended summer break can also be a shock to the system. Many children have enjoyed relaxed routines, regular catch-ups with friends and family, and more screen time than most parents would like to admit.

How can parents help anxious children prepare for this transition?  Start by talking to your child For many children, going back to school is a time of heightened anxiousness. This is a normal and expected feeling – even if it is uncomfortable.

Some children may be unsure if they will be with their friends or their preferred teacher. Perhaps they are unsure about the new topics or subjects they will be doing. This uncertainty can easily lead to anxiousness.

But some children will also be worried about known changes, such as getting up earlier and being away from home for a large portion of the day.

The first thing for parents to do is to understand their child’s apprehension: when they say they are worried about going back to school, what particular things are they worried about?

There doesn’t have to be a formal “talk”. Often, you will get more information from casual conversations, such as on a daily walk or driving to the supermarket.

It can help to frame things in a positive way. Start by asking your child what they are looking forward to or want to get out of their new school year. This can open the door to explore their feelings and concerns.

 Validate their concerns When your child opens up, it is important to validate their concerns. For example, if they say, “I’m scared I won’t like my teacher”. Don’t simply reply, “don’t worry about it!

The teachers all seem fine at your school”. This dismisses their concerns and can make them feel more anxious and unable to safely share their fears with you.

Instead, share examples from your own experiences of being nervous and how you managed the situation.

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You could say, “when I started Year 6, I had a new teacher.

She was new to the school and I was worried she would be really strict. But I gave myself a chance to get to know her. And she was really fun and that turned out to be my favourite year of primary school.”

Without dismissing your child’s concerns, it is important to highlight some of the known positives. You can remind them even though they are worried about having lots of homework or how hard their maths lessons might be, they will get to see all their friends again. Or they will be able to use the basketball courts or library. Keep connecting back to the positives they may have mentioned or enjoyed before.

 Pick something to look forward to With your child, identify something to look forward to after each school day or once they reach the first weekend.

This might be committing to go to a park after school or organising a catch-up with their best friend the following weekend. This doesn’t need to be a “reward” for attending school – it isn’t something that can be taken away if they continue to voice their concerns. Rather, it can be a tangible thing for your child to focus on when they start to worry.

 What can you change?

Also consider what changes you might be able to make to your home schedule for the first few weeks. This could include minimising non-urgent activities after school, to let your child just come home and reset after each day.

Remember going back to school can also be hard for parents. If your child is worried, you may also feel worried for them as you navigate the logistics of starting school again. So be kind to yourself as a parent during this time.

 What if it doesn’t get better?

While anxiousness is a normal human emotion, if your child’s anxiousness persists into the start of term, speak to the school or your local GP. This can identify whether your child needs further support to help them feel happy, safe and comfortable at school – and at home.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE CONVERSATION

Heat Wave SHORT STORY BY JENNY ENGLAND It felt as if the soles of my bare feet were on fire with every step I took along the sandy path to the beach. I mistakenly thought that my sandals were in my car when I made the snap decision to escape the stifling heat of the flora deprived, over-developed suburbs and head to the sea. A choir of cicadas filled the dry, hot air with their distinct shrill unrelenting tune.

It was only early December but we were in the middle of a heat wave, something we had not experienced for many years. We had become so used to torrential rain, storms, and devastating floods, we were not prepared for it.

When I reached the waters edge I dipped my sore feet into the cool, refreshing water gently lapping in time with a cosmic song that only the sea could hear. I found a sheltered, quiet spot away from the crowd to rest. The trip to the beach took just over an hour but most of it was in stop, start traffic. I settled down to wait.

Relax. He’ll be here soon, I told myself. I buried my toes in the warm sand and listened to cheerful squeals coming from a group of young children building sandcastles nearby.

“Been here long?” a familiar voice greeted me from behind.

“About 15 minutes,” I replied I smiled as he then knelt down beside me and brushed my cheek with an affectionate kiss.

“I am glad you got my message.”

“Yes, so am I. it came through just before we had to shut down the office for the day. I brought your sandals.

You must have left them in my car the other day.”

“What a thoughtful husband,” I said. “I really need those sandals today.”

“I thought so. Ready for that swim?” he said’ “I so am.”

I slipped off my blouse and skirt and tucked them with the sandals into my bag. Now stripped down to my swimsuit, I thought how I had never liked revealing my body to the world

but I always felt comfortable with him, more comfortable than with anyone else. I handed him his swim shorts and towel and watched as he stripped with the towel wrapped around him and changed.

It was his gentle strength that always attracted me. He hadn’t changed.

Well, yes, he did have less hair and had put on a few kilos over the years.But he was still the same quiet confident person I had fallen in love with when were teenagers.

I wondered if he thought I had changed. I never asked.

He took my hand and we walked silently to the waters edge. Glancing out to sea I noticed a few clouds in the far distance but I doubted they would come to anything. Tiny ripples of light glimmered on the surface of the smooth water past the break.

“You first.”

“We’ll go together,” he replied taking me by the hand and propelling us both forward into the waves.

We swam together, diving through the waves heading out beyond the break. As we settled to tread water, I felt his leg brush up against mine.

A sudden spark of electricity ran through my body. We might have been a middle-aged married couple with three children and the stresses of a mortgage and rising cost of living but the chemistry was still there. With so many of our friends divorced it continually amazed me how hot our relationship still was.

“Race you back,” he suddenly said.

Leaping into the challenge we both swam through the breaking waves.

Within minutes we were back on the shore.

“I’d call that a tie,” I said. We both laughed in agreement.

As we walked back up the beach he wrapped his arm around me giving me that sudden electric spark again.

When we reached our belongings he picked up my towel and tenderly patted me dry.

“It’s a shame it has taken such a

catastrophe for us to spend a little time together.” I commented, “We really need to find the more times like these when everything gets back to normal.”

“So true.”

I had earlier checked my phone to see if there was any reception in the car park. There wasn’t. But when we got to his car, I decided to try again. I switched it on and discovered I did have reception now. I found a local weather forecast and read it out aloud as he changed back into his work clothes.

“The Sydney Weather Report for Wednesday 6th December 2025. It will be ay hot, dry day with temperatures ranging from 35 degrees to 40 degrees during the day, dropping to 30 degrees overnight. Precipitation will be extremely low with a 2% chance of rain. Bush fire warnings are in place for all suburbs adjacent to National Parks.

The Heat Wave Emergency hotlines are open 24 hours through 000.

We sat for a minute to contemplate what that meant.

“Will the kids be home later?” he asked “No,” I said, “they’re sleeping over at mums tonight. She hasn’t been coping in this heat without any air conditioning and they were more than happy to keep her company for a few days.”

“So that means it’s just the two of us tonight?” he said with a cheeky grin “Yep,” I replied knowing exactly what that cheeky grin meant.

“See you at home then,” he said and leant over and kissed me tenderly on the lips.

I turned towards my car but stopped for a few minutes to gaze back at the awe-inspiring, expansive blue ocean stretching out to the horizon.

We live on such a beautiful planet.

How have we let such a devastating environmental catastrophe build up despite the extraordinary scientific and technological advances of the last hundred years?

When I reached my car I slipped my skirt and blouse back on and threw my towel and bag onto the back seat.

It was time to head home.

TVO 31

A MESSAGE FROM BRANKA IVKOVIC, CEO

2024 has been one of growth and resilience for Sydney Community Services (SCS), and we look ahead to the opportunities this new year holds. We recognise that our community, like the rest of the world, is facing a range of complex challenges. Here, at SCS, we take the challenges as opportunities that also present us with the possibility to grow, collaborate, and make meaningful change right here at home.

Tackling Climate Change Locally: We are already feeling the effects of climate change, from extreme weather events to shifting environmental patterns. As a community, we face the challenge of reducing our carbon footprint while adapting to these changes. Sydney Community Service tackled the challenge and created our first Climate and Sustainability Strategy that outlines our approach to reducing our climate impact and achieving our sustainability objectives. Our Strategy incorporates our long-term sustainability goals and performance indicators to guide our progress through a detailed and actionable implementation plan. Together, we can take action to protect our environment for future generations.

Supporting People through Cost-of-Living Pressures: The rising cost of living is a growing concern for many in our community. From housing affordability to grocery prices, we are all feeling the strain. Sydney Community Services continues to offer support to people experiencing financial difficulties. SCS operates two Food Banks, one in Lane Cove and one in Hunters Hill. Our Food Banks are stocked with various essential items, including dry goods, canned goods and household staples. Additionally, we provide up to $1200 per year of energy vouchers for essential services like electricity and gas.

This challenge presents an opportunity for us to support one another more than ever. And our community has a proven track record of doing exactly that! We sincerely thank all our supporters who generously contributed to the Christmas Food Drive. Your kindness has allowed us to deliver more than 300 Christmas hampers to individuals and families in need while also replenishing our food bank with essential food and personal care items for the weeks ahead.

T 02 9427 6425

E support@sydneycs.org

www.sydneycs.org 32 TVO

Lane Cove Hub

HEAD OFFICE 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove

An enormous thank you goes out to:  Lane Cove Public School SRC  Lane Cove Girl Guides  St Mark’s Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill  Greenwich IGA and their shoppers  Lane Cove Woolworths and their shoppers  Gladesville Shopping Village for hosting our Tree of Joy  Probus Club of Hunters Hill  Hunters Hill Council staff  Hunters Hill IGA and their shoppers  Hunters Hill Private Hospital management and community  Ciena Australia  Birrahlee Preschool  Boronia Park Uniting Church  Hunters Hill Rotary  Eastwood-Gladesville Rotary  Everyone who took a tag from the Tree of Joy and lovingly prepared a gift for an unknown friend.

Whether it is through community-led initiatives, local businesses, or volunteer programs, there are countless ways we can come together to help ease the financial burden on our neighbours and ensure everyone has the support they need to thrive.

Aged Care and Supporting Our Seniors: A key focus for us this year will be adapting to the changes brought about by the new Aged Care Act, which will significantly impact how we support older Australians.

Introducing new reforms to the Aged Care Act presents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, we need to adapt to these changes to ensure our seniors continue to receive the best care possible. On the other hand, this is an opportunity to strengthen our local networks, engage with support services, and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity for older members of our community.

Mental Health and Social Wellbeing: Mental health remains a significant issue in our community, with many individuals facing isolation, anxiety and various mental health challenges. SCS offers extensive social wellbeing programs; our Hubs are open; come and join us!

Thank you for your ongoing support and for helping make our community a better place for all. In 2025, we can build stronger social connections and create a supportive environment where everyone feels heard and valued.

Hunters Hill-Ryde Hub 46 Gladesville Road, Hunters Hill

Meeting House Hub 23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North

SUPPORTED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGED CARE

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Celebrating Seniors Lunch

DETAILS:

S

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL ALL ENQUIRIES: P 9427 6425 E support@sydneycs.org

www.sydneycs.org

 Where: Sydney Community Services,

(normally $20)

This will fill quickly, bookings necessary.

Free street parking. Limited transport available.

Supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

African Drumming Workshop ommunity

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL ALL ENQUIRIES: P 9427 6425 E support@sydneycs.org

www.sydneycs.org

DETAILS:

P 9427 6425 E support@sydneycs.org

www.sydneycs.org

Supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

FREE EVENT Wednesday 12th March 10:00-am – 1:00pm Join us for a fun filled morning in Blackman Park, Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West Morning tea and entertainment!

Plenty of free parking.

 Where: Sydney Community Services, Lane Cove Hub, Park View Room, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove

Limited transport available.

 When: Monday 10 March 2025  Time: 2pm - 3.30pm Limited spots, bookings necesssary.

S

es vic

Hom e

dC an

er

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'.

s

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL ALL ENQUIRIES:

Time to Shine in the Park!

FREE EVENT

Celebrate the Seniors Festival with a lively, one-hour African drumming workshop.

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.

ommunity

 Where: Sydney Community Services, Meeting House Hub, 23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North.  When: Wednesday 5 March 2025  Time: 11.30 - 1.30pm

 When: Monday 3 March 2025  Time: 12.30 - 2.30pm  Cost: $10 – Special Seniors Month Price!

Monday 10 March 2025 2pm - 3.30pm

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.

dc an

DETAILS:

Lane Cove Hub, Park View Room, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove

Limited transport available.

Includes light refreshments

Hom e

Hom e

FREE EVENT

Supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

es vic er

It's your time to shine! Celebrate our vibrant senior's community and enjoy a three-course luncheon in a relaxed setting in our Park View Room.

ommunity

es vic

Join us as we kick off the Seniors Festival with great food, fabulous company and fun senior's trivia.

dC an

er

Complimentary glass of champagne

with Nick “The King”, the ultimate Elvis Act!

Bookings essential: reception@sydneycs.org TVO 33

HOURS OF OPERATION: 8.30am - 4.00pm Mon - Fri

WHAT’S ON FEBRUARY 2025

Lane Cove Hub Activities HEAD OFFICE

1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove

9427 6425

Yoga

Book Club

Join Sinead Costello, an experienced yoga/ wellbeing specialist, in our yoga class.

Wed 5 Feb, 9.30 - 10.30am.

1.30 - 2.30pm. Mon 17 Feb Cost: $5 incls. book and afternoon tea.

Movement Matters

46 Gladesville Road, Hunters Hill

8598 7051

Rummikub Are you interested in Rummikub? Looking for players!

Register your interest: support@sydneycs.org

Mah Jong

Wed 5 Feb, 11.15am - 12.15pm

Tues, 9.30 - 11.30am.

Wed, 1.00 - 3.45pm.

Cost: $5 including morning/afternoon New players please contact us: E: support@sydneycs.org

Fri 7 Feb, 9.30 - 10.30am and 10.45 - 11.45am.

Scrabble

Mon 10 Feb, 10.30 - 11.30am Tue 11 Feb, 12 - 1pm and 1.15 - 2.15pm.

Contact us to register and for more information.

Hunters Hill-Ryde Hub Activities

www.sydneycs.org

Thursdays, 10am - 12noon Cost: $5 incl. morning tea.

Seniors Hub 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.

Afghan, Chinese, Iranian, Italian, and Spanish seniors gro Each group is supported by bilingual staff and voluntee meet and share their cultural heritage and interests. Soc inclusion activities such as excursions, cultural celebrat English language conversation classes, wellness activiti and information sessions are offered to all CALD communities in the Greater Sydney area.

Contact us for a monthly program and the cost involved. E: support@sydneycs.org

Contact us for a monthly program.

E: tliu@sydneycs.org

Every Monday

23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North

9003 1399

Are you interested in joining socia bridge, play casually with the vie possibly becoming permanent. Jo us for a fun, relaxed afternoon.

Contact us to register and for mo information.

Thursdays, 12.30pm - 3.30pm Cost: $5 incl. afternoon tea.

Seniors Social Support

Chess Club

Meeting House Hub Activities

Social Bridge

Movie and Morning Tea The Last Laugh

Seniors Shopping Bus 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

Includes morning tea 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 PLEASE CONTACT: P: 9427 6425 E: support@sydneycs.org

Costs indicated are for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) participants only.

34 TVO Contact us and speak with one of our Coordinators to learn more about other funding options.

WHEN: Wednesday 26 Feb TIME: 9am - 1pm COST: $30 P: 9427 6425 E: support@sydneycs.org

al ew to oin

ore

ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS FOR ACTIVITIES:

9427 6425

support@sydneycs.org

BOOMers Mens Group

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.

Table Tennis Cost: $5 Fridays, 12.00 - 4.00pm

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

The Velveteens

2nd Monday each month 10am – 4pm.

3–16 March 2025

Time to shine SAVE THE DATE MONDAY 17 MARCH My Aged Care Information Session WEDNESDAY 19 MARCH Memory Centre Café MONDAY 24 MARCH Lane Cove Choristers WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH reACTIVATE Introductory Fitness Class

Women's Visit seniorsfestival.info/2025 to find an activity near you or Wellness Class contact your local council Tuesdays

Join us for morning tea before heading off to a different venue each month.

Social Bus Outings

Join us every Tuesday when we oups. venture to new destinations and ers to meet other local seniors. cial trips are weekly and either ng your local These Lane Cove Community Hub tions, half or full-day outings. ies G AND JOIN Time:IN 9.00am - 4.00pm Cost: Contact us for the monthly program and the cost involved.

E: hheggie@sydneycs.org ays and Thursdays, 9.30am to 11.30am

Seniors Festival NSW

g House Playgroups 2023

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

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

e Meeting House Hub, 23a Stokes St, Lane Cove North

Meeting House Playgroups

reACTIVATE

Fitness Solutions for 0-5 years, Meet Seniors 9.30am-11.30am local parents Meet local parents and children & children of NEW Fitness Class - Join Andrew TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS: a similar Fisher, an expert facilitator, for a Arts, Craft, Music and Story age series of functional fitness classes.

Playgroups WHEN: Monday, 10.45am - 11.45am.

TERM COSTS: TERM COSTS ES ALL INGREDIENTS COST: First class free, then pay by term: - $10 per casual visit $10session per casualp/w visit INCLUDED 10 week term $120 ($12 per class) - $60 per term/one ic and Story Playgroups $60multiple per term for 1 session per week Meeting House Hub, - $ 100 per term for VENUE: $100 per term for multiple sessions sessions 0am 23a Stokes St, Lane Cove North. arly Ed Fortnightly P: 9003 1399 CONTACT: P: 9427 6425 ENQUIRIES E: support@sydneycs.org E: support@sydneycs.org Sydney Community Services

ic and Story Playgroups

0am

nd early intervention service for young h disabilities & delays in their nts. For more information please visit:

The Memory Cafe

A place to meet for people with dementia, their family and friends.

Meet others living with dementia, and their carers. Talk. Share. Laugh. Enjoy.

Join us Wed 19 Feb, 10am to 12noon, at The Meeting House Hub, 23a Stokes Street, Lane Cove North.

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES: P: 9427 6425 E: support@sydneycs.org

Phone: 9003 1399 Email: support@sydneycs.org

Supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care All playgroups run during term time only.

TVO 35

CLR TRENTON BROWN CITY OF RYDE MAYOR CONCERT

CONCERT th 7.30 p.m.

Photo Keith Saunders Photo Keith Saunders TUESDAY 11 March 2025 th th Photo Keith Saunders TUESDAY 11 March 2025

P: 9952 8222 E: mayor@ryde.nsw.gov.au

Concert celebrating Lane Cove Music’s 80 birthday!

7.30p.m. p.m.

TUESDAY 11th March 20257.30 Lunar New Year Pianist Simon Tedeschi, one of Australia’s best-loved th Concert celebrating Lane Cove Music’s birthday!

Concert celebrating Lane Cove Music’s 80 The City of Ryde’s annual Lunar New Year Festival is classical musicians, with a long-harboured love of jazz, 80th birthday! being held on Saturday 8 February 2025 at Eastwood on this occasion is teaming up with jazz vocalist and

Oval, welcoming the Year of the Snake.

Pianist Simon Tedeschi, one ofsomething Australia’s Pianist Simon Tedeschi, one of for Australia’s violinist George Washingmachine a little best-loved The festival, which takes place between 4.00-9.00pm, best-loved classical musicians, with a longdifferent – Gershwin, Cole Porter, Fats Waller and more. love of jazz, classical musicians, with a long-harboured features amusement rides, market stalls, food trucks, harboured love of jazz, on this occasion is cultural performances, fireworks, and an incredible lion Venue: LCM ST. ANDREW’S ANGLICAN CHURCH teaming up withisjazz vocalist and on this occasion teaming upviolinist with jazz vocalist highand pole performance.

19 ROSENTHAL AVENUE, LANE COVE George Washingmachine for something a little Last year, an estimated crowd of 10,000 celebrated violinist George Washingmachine something a little behind the Post–Office and opposite entry to for the Canopy different Gershwin, Cole the Porter, the Year of the Dragon and I’m hoping to see at least Carpark .

Fats Waller and more. many people again for the 2025 festival, which is different – Gershwin, Cole Fats Wallerthat and more.

2025Porter, via our website Bookings open 18th February a wonderful reflection of our diverse and harmonious Venue: LCM ST. ANDREW’S ANGLICAN CHURCH www.lanecovemusic.org.au community.

19 ROSENTHAL AVENUE, LANE COVE Why not take out a 2025 subscription for $90 for 6 Venue: LCM ST. ANDREW’S ANGLICAN CHURCH behind the Post Office and opposite the The Year of the Snake has different meanings and or $55 Carpark. for pensioners entry to the Canopy 19concerts ROSENTHAL AVENUE, LANE COVEconnotations depending on culture. In Korea, 2025 is the year of the blue snake, a symbol of patience Bookings 18th FebruarySome 2025tickets via our website Online open bookings are preferred. will be available at the In Chinese culture, the snake is also door on the night : behind the Post Office and opposite the entry toand theimmortality.

Canopy www.lanecovemusic.org.au known as the ‘little dragon’, and it represents change Adults $30 cash; School Students $10 cash Why not take out a 2025 subscription for $90 for 6 and opportunity. In Vietnamese culture, the snake Carpark welcome: 9428 4287 concertsEnquiries or $55 for pensioners is a symbol of duality – intelligent, adaptable, and th mysterious, but also a warning of danger.

Online bookings are preferred. Some tickets will be available at the door on the night : Taking action Adults $30 cash; School Students $10 cash At the end of last year, Council took decisive action on two major projects that will give our community lasting Enquiries welcome: 9428 4287 benefits for generations to come.

.

Bookings open 18 February 2025 via our website www.lanecovemusic.org.au Why not take out a 2025 subscription for $90 for 6 concerts or $55 for pensioners

After more than a decade of inaction, poor decisionmaking, and financial mismanagement by previous Online bookings are preferred. Some tickets will be available at the Council bodies, this Council is now delivering on its promise to move ahead with plans for the much-needed door on the night : Ryde Civic Centre.

Adults $30 cash;

School Students $10 cash

Enquiries welcome: 9428 4287 It’s never too early (or too late) to join a choir, and improve your health, your brain and your memory, as well as make new friends and have fun! We sing for the joy of it.

LaVoce Community Choir rehearses every Tuesday during school terms from 6.15 to 8.00pm at the Living and Learning Centre, 180 Longueville Road, Lane Cove.

We also present a number of public concerts during the year, for us to enjoy along with the audiences.

There is no audition or requirement to read music. We sing popular songs selected by the choir members.

Our first rehearsal for this year is on Tuesday, 4 February. All who wish to come and sing with us are welcome!

Council has identified 150-156 Blaxland Road as the optimal site for a potential town hall and any additional cultural and community facilities. We will also engage a suitably qualified company for an Expression of Interest campaign to test the market potential for a long-term leasehold of the adjacent 1 Devlin Street site, which currently features the infamous ‘hole in the ground’.

We have also made an important decision on the TG Millner Fields site in Marsfield, which has been the subject of a passionate community campaign against a proposed housing development on what should be essential public open space.

Without any support from either the Federal or State government of NSW, Council has reassessed its priorities around critical infrastructure for open space and has identified the additional funding required for the compulsory purchase of TG Millner.

We will now be seeking to recommence the acquisition process for this critical 6.2ha site, which must be protected from developers’ bulldozers.

I will keep the community updated as both of these exciting projects take shape.

Enquiries: lavoce.choir@icloud.com www.lavocelanecove.com 36 TVO

The Village Observer assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content provided on these pages.

Views and opinions expressed are the author's own.

TIM JAMES MP

ZAC MILES HUNTERS HILL MAYOR

P: 9439 4199 E: willoughby@parliament.nsw.gov.au

P: 9879 9400 E: mayor@huntershill.nsw.gov.au

The Case for Investing in School Infrastructure in Crows Nest Local families are now facing the harsh reality of Cammeraygal High School in Crows Nest reaching full capacity, leaving prospective students without a local high school option. Instead, they are being forced to enrol at Mosman High School, which for some families is too long commute. The strain on these families underscores a broader issue: the need for immediate investment in school infrastructure in our community.

I am deeply concerned about this situation. Every family deserves the assurance that their child will have access to a quality education at a nearby public high school.

The prospect of students facing daily commutes to Mosman High School is neither local nor realistic for many families in suburbs like St Leonards, Crows Nest, Cammeray, Northbridge and Castlecrag.

This crisis is exacerbated by the Minns Labor Government’s apparent inaction on plans for a new high school. The former Liberal Government had committed to building a K-12 Education Precinct in St Leonards, with planning and funding already underway. However, the current government has pared back the plans to only commit to a primary school, leaving the community without clarity or progress on a much-needed high school.

Adding to the urgency, 3,255 new dwellings are planned for Crows Nest and St Leonards under the Transport Oriented Development plans. With the local high school already at capacity, the Minns Government must address how they plan to accommodate the influx of students this growth will bring.

Cammeraygal High School, which opened in 2015 under the former Liberal Government, was a vital step in addressing the area’s educational needs. Similarly, a major upgrade to Chatswood High School was delivered to boost its capacity. However, these efforts were designed to meet demand at the time and cannot sustain the rapidly growing population.

The Liberals had a plan to deliver the local school infrastructure necessary to cater for future growth.

That local families are now having to send their kids to schools out of the area is a damning indictment on this government’s failure to plan and deliver a basic education for our children.

Local families deserve better. They deserve a government that prioritises their children’s education and plans for the future. The Minns Government’s silence on the new high school is unacceptable. Every year of delay means more students miss out on a local high school education, further straining families and the community. It’s time for the government to act and deliver the infrastructure our students desperately need.

Welcome to 2025!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful break and are feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for the new year.

Our Council began the year by celebrating some of our outstanding residents with our annual Citizen of the Year Awards, which were announced at a special ceremony on Australia Day. It was wonderful to see so many deserving locals being recognised, each with an impressive record of achievements for our community.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to our winners: • Felicity McCaffrey, Citizen of the Year

• Annabel Ireland, Young Citizen of the Year

• Stella Hurley, Outstanding Sporting Achievement • Charles Amos and Tanya and Tony Ikonomou, Community Excellence Award

• Chris Mutton, Environmental Excellence Award

It was also a pleasure to preside over the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony and to receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming Australian Citizens. As always, it was a wonderful day to confer citizenship as Mayor, and I wish our newest citizens a safe, happy and prosperous life in Australia.

The new year also kicked off a range of exciting projects.

One of the first projects on our agenda was the activation of the Bedlam Bay swim site.

Bedlam Bay is a popular local destination, attracting residents with a wide range of activities, including walking trails, historic tours, sailing and boating, as well as weekend sports. Activating this site for swimming will provide more recreational opportunities with our local waterways and increase public access to Parramatta River and its wonderful adjoining Parkland.

Construction work for the swimming enclosure around the Bedlam Bay beach area has commenced and is expected to be completed by April 2025, weather permitting.

Please note that the beach area is closed while works are underway.

I look forward to opening of this new swim site very soon in the new year. Keep up to date with the project at connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/bedlam-bay-swim-site.

The Village Observer assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content provided on these pages.

Views and opinions expressed are the author's own.

TVO 37

ALL THINGS LOCAL

h our healt Improve y r mind u Expand yo friends Make new From bus outings to bingo to bollywood music, there’s plenty on offer at the Crows Nest Centre.

Services and activities for older people, people with a disability, migrants, parents and those who are homeless or at risk. tre.org.au crowsnestcen 22 51 Phone: 9439

Crows Nest Centre

Connecting Our Community

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

UC Hall, 47A Kenneth St, Longueville.

TIME : 6.30pm. Pizza; 7.15pm Movie.

4 February - Lion (2016) An Australian biographical drama telling the true story of a young Indian boy separated from his family in India and adopted by Australian parents in Tasmania.

25 years later he sets out to find his birth parents. Starring Dev Patel, David Wenham and Nicole Kidman.

4 March – Ladies in Lavender (2004) A British drama set in a Cornish village in the 1930s 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.

Bookings essential on: 9428 4287 or 9427 4740.

Cost $12 – the best value pizza/movie combo! BYO drinks.

38 TVO

Do You Need Help Downsizing?

Do You Need Help Downsizing?

Contact Seniors Downsize for hassle free decluttering, Do You Need Help Downsizing?

Contact Seniors Downsize for hassle free decluttering,

removal and packing services.

Contact Seniors Downsize for hassle free decluttering, removal and packing services. ✔ Retirementremoval Communities Move ✔ and packing services.

Decluttering ✔ Retirement Communities Move ✔ Removal ✔ Rubbish Retirement Communities Move ✔ Rubbish ✔ Charity &Removal Auction Delivery ✔ ✔ Rubbish Charity &Removal Auction Delivery ✔ Charity & Auction Delivery

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Contact Dan on 0401 849 909 Contact Dan on 0401 849 909 www.seniorsdownsize.com.au Contact Dan on 0401 849 909 www.seniorsdownsize.com.au www.seniorsdownsize.com.au

Aqualuna Singers Do you love to sing? Experience the fun and magic of singing with us, Lane Cove's four part a cappella choir.

No audition! No experience! All voices welcome! First session is free.

WHEN: Wednesdays 7.30pm to 9.30pm during school term.

WHERE: St Aidan’s Hall, 1 Christina Street, Longueville. Plenty of parking.

ENQUIRIES: aqualunasingers@gmail.com www.aqualunasingers.com

WW55107 WW55107 WW55107

PIZZA + MOVIE NIGHTS, LONGUEVILLE

PROPERTIES OF THE MONTH

27 Best Street, Lane Cove 5 bed 2 bath 2 car

3 Margaret Place, Lane Cove 4 bed 2 bath 2 car

Auction Sat 8th Feb at 9.45am.

Open As Advertised or By Appointment

Auction Saturday 1st Feb at 9.45am Open As Advertised or By Appointment

This outstanding family home brings luxurious space, timeless features with style and modern functionality on a privately elevated corner block with scenic aspect.

Spacious and highly versatile, with character-filled interiors and modern alfresco entertaining embraced by leafy surrounds, this solid one-storey property is the perfect family home.

Tim Holgate 0400 802 888 E: tim.holgate@belleproperty.com Catherine Lawler 0412 265 465 E: kim.walters@belleproperty.com

Patrick Lang 0423 891 807 E: patrick.lang@belleproperty.com Monica Carollo 0491 001 539 E: monica.carollo@belleproperty.com

502/72-74 Gordon Crescent, Lane Cove 2 bed 1 bath 2 car

2/25 Greenwich Road, Greenwich 3 bed 2 bath 2 car

Auction Thursday 30th January at 6pm Open As Advertised or By Appointment

Open As Advertised or By Appointment

In a secure building near Batten Reserve, this contemporary apartment offers a haven of elevated privacy with scenic leafy outlooks from its top floor vantage point.

A ground level entrance leads to this two-level apartment that encompasses three exceptional attributes - flawless expanses, inspired interior design and a sundrenched outlook across the water to Woolwich plus a sweeping treetop panorama.

Patrick Lang 0423 891 807 E: patrick.lang@belleproperty.com Monica Carollo 0491 001 539 E: monica.carollo@belleproperty.com

James Bennett Steven O’Neill

Belle Property Hunters Hill Belle Property Lane Cove Belle Property Willoughby Belle Property Lindfield

3/52-56 Gladesville Road, Hunters Hill 162 Longueville Road, Lane Cove 551 Willoughby Road, Willoughby Suite 20, 12-18 Tryon Road, Lindfield

9817 7729 9087 3333 9958 5211 9416 6999

VOLUNTEER COOKS!

COFFEE AND CAKES

DEVONSHIRE TEAS February Sat 15 & Sun 16 10am-4pm

No bookings necessary www.carisbrookhouse.com Enquiries 0418 276 365

0403 504 724 E: james.bennett@belleproperty.com 0499 693 665 E: steven.oneill@belleproperty.com

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Become a Friend of Carisbrook

Help us in the art of baking homemade Victorian era scones

Phone 0418 276 365

www.carisbrookhouse.com Phone 0418 276 365 www.carisbrookhouse.com

New Year. New Chapter.

Discover a World-Class Retirement Lifestyle.

Welcome to Amara Residences, where exclusivity meets elegance on Sydney's

Fixed Fees for 5 Years

magnificent North Shore.

*T&C’s Apply

This boutique community offers a lifestyle of unparalleled luxury, with modern, contemporary design and thoughtful services tailored to you.

Live the Amara Difference Spacious 2 and 3 bedroom apartments

At Amara, every detail is crafted to provide

Contemporary, luxurious interiors

comfort, sophistication, and a sense of

World-class amenities and tailored services

belonging.

Vibrant community living in a prestigious location

Visit the Amara display suite located at 103 Longueville Rd 1300 266 260 | amararesidences.com.au