Category: Crag Archives

‘Advance Castlecrag, Where’ and ‘Towards 2020’ were two themes in this column last Spring. Your Progress Association always tries to forge past ’kerb and gutter’ issues, and ask readers what sort of community and suburb you would like to grow here together.

Now Prime Minister Rudd has also adopted the ‘Australia 2020’ concept to initiate long term strategizing at a national level. All the best wishes to participants; may their combined knowledge, experience and visions for the future help resolve key national issues and positive future directions to enrich debate and action on national and global issues.

However this type of ‘top-down’ planning is not enough. Each small community needs to do its own ‘bottom-up’ planning. Where do you want this little peninsular of 1100 households to be in 2020? The next 12 years do not affect the age group of our current Committee as much as they do those in their 20s, 30s and 40s, possibly new to Castlecrag, attracted by the local ‘vibe’ as well as the geographical beauty, all of which has been developed and protected by older and past generations. You are often working long hours, raising young families, paying off homes. Nevertheless the ‘investment’ of a few hours per month in an organization like the CPA is actually an investment in your household (and house value).

• Join the Castlecrag Progress Association now. It’s the best $10 investment you can make to play an active part in your suburb and community.
• Nominate your peer leaders (or yourself) for the Executive Committee. All positions are available: the president, two vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer and committee members. The Progress Association needs a mix of energy, enthusiasm, and experience across all age-groups and backgrounds.
• Mark your diaries for Sunday 4 May, 12 noon, for the Annual General Meeting (it’s quite short) and a picnic lunch, at The Community Centre, The Postern. Bring a plate and a friend (see page x).

I also dwell on energy management, which is likely to be a key issue over the next decade. Under current best estimates of oil resources, it appears that each oil-producing nation will increasingly use its own oil ‘at home’ to build and diversify that nation’s economy. So, net oil importers (like Australia) will increasingly compete for the remaining dwindling export oil. In the last 6 years, oil prices have gone from $20 to over $100 per barrel.

Unless this issue is tackled nationally, Canberra’s ’2020 Vision’ may become a hallucination. So what about some ‘bottom-up’ leadership from we locals? Let’s reduce our overall energy usage, especially oil and coal sourced. Why not use the car less, and buy the most fuel-efficient car next time? Let’s make use of Sydney’s 325 days with sunshine in them; use the clothesline, not the tumble-dryer (the worst CO2 offender in the house). New improvements in solar hot water and photovoltaic cells mean that these are increasingly affordable with residents banding together.

Bruce Wilson

The purpose of the Castlecrag Community Fair is to bring the various elements of our community – particularly our residents and business owners – together in a manner that generates ongoing benefits for all. It is also an opportunity to promote the special features of our suburb to the wider community.

This year the Progress Association made a conscious effort to link the Fair activities in The Postern and its car parks with the shopping centre by locating stalls along the Edinburgh Road footpaths. The community stallholders were most enthusiastic in their response, both in terms of the interaction with visitors and the funds raised.

The response from our business houses was more mixed. Some reported good trade on the day, while others felt that it was below their expectations. The Progress Association has received a complaint that stalls selling coffee and food were in competition with established businesses, and this has been taken on board for the planning of future fairs.

As indicated in the lead article, the Castlecrag walks conducted during the Fair also provided a good medium for promoting our suburb to visitors. We expect that many of those living in suburbs near Castlecrag will be making more visits here as a result of this exposure. Indeed, it was heartening to hear several speakers at the Northbridge meeting on the Plaza (see article from The Crag) comment that they now go to Castlecrag to experience a friendly village atmosphere.

Our Treasurer, Diana Jones, has undertaken a detailed analysis of the financial aspects of the Fair. On the income side, direct sponsorship and donations from local businesses amounted to $3425. Stall fees amounted to $3575 and the income from the raffle and the jumping castle was $1731, making the total income $8731.
Total expenditure was $9270.60 as of 26 June, the major items being the hire of the stalls, chairs, etc ($3745.68) and the printing and delivery of flyers to promote the event ($2967.92). Thus there was an overall loss of $539.

While aiming to break-even, the Progress Association considers this a satisfactory result, as some unplanned costs were incurred when some expected services failed to arrive alternative arrangements had to be made. Our Trash & Treasure stall made $1650 on the day and it has $5300 in its accumulated funds from previous Community Fairs. We will be approaching members for ideas on suitable projects to which such funds can be directed over the coming months.

In the euphoria of the day, several local business people said they would like to see the Community Fair held on an annual basis. Organising the fair is an extremely demanding task and for this reason we have only tackled it every second year.

This year we were fortunate to have Simone Selby come forward with the offer to organise the Fair. Simone did a fantastic job and the Progress Association has formally expressed its gratitude to Simone for the effort she put into making the Fair such a success. We have also formally expressed our thanks to Kathy Burgess, who once again stepped forward to organise the Trash & Treasure stall.

2007 Red Shield Appeal

Our Castlecrag Red Shield Appeal coordinator, Diana Jones, reports that residents contributed nearly $6000 to her team of collectors on Sunday 20 May. The Salvation Army expresses its thanks to all those who collected for and/or donated to the 2007 Red Shield Appeal. Unfortunately not all of Castlecrag could be covered this year as Diana was short of volunteer collectors. We request all residents to give some thought to volunteering next year.

Judit Englert-Shead, 1949-2007

We record the death of Judit Englert-Shead in May. Judit was a fine sculptor and artist and her obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald of 21 May 2007 lists the bust of Walter Burley Griffin that stands outside the Griffin Centre here in Castlecrag among her well-known sculptures that stand in Australia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and in private collections.

Judit was born in Budapest, Hungary and studied at the College of Arts and the Hungarian Academy of Arts in that city. She met the Australian artist Garry Shead there and after their marriage, she became the muse central to Garry’s development as a leading Australian painter. The Shead family have been long residents of Castlecrag and when Neville Shead approached the Progress Association in late 1996 with the offer of commissioning a bronze bust of Walter Burley Griffin by Judit we were most supportive and initiated negotiations with Council for a suitable site. The mayor, Pat Reilly, unveiled the sculpture at a ceremony outside the Griffin Centre shops in September 1997 (The Crag No. 117, November 1997). It stands as a fitting tribute to Judit’s artistic work.

Castlecrag Dental Service

Alex Dong and Winnie Li took over the Castlecrag Dental Practice in 2006 and, given that the residence is at the rear of the practice, they have become enmeshed in our community. Alex and Winnie met at dental school in New Zealand and they migrated to Melbourne before moving to Sydney 5 years ago. They have found Castlecrag to be a delightful environment and their new community to be most welcoming. Their 2 year-old daughter Anna attends the local Montessori Down Under Three Group. The Castlecrag Dental practice is children-oriented with its own playcentre and offers no gap payment for children’s dental examination and cleaning.

Alex and Winnie set up a table at the Castlecrag Fair to raise funds for Operation Cleft, a charity operated by the Rotary Club of Box Hill in Melbourne, to help children in developing countries who have cleft palates and have the deformity corrected. They raised sufficient funds for a child from Bangladesh to have an operation. Alex and Winnie express their thanks to all those who gave generously to the cause.

CragSitters

CragSitters had its inaugural gathering on 6 May 2007 at Stoker Playground. It gave an opportunity for young local families to meet each other. A number of new babysitters also attended, introduced themselves and added their names to the list. The babysitters list has been updated and is available to CragSitters members.

New members, both families and babysitters are welcome to the group, so if you’re a family who would like to find out more about the group or if you are interested in providing babysitting services, you can email us on cragsitters@yahoo.com.au. Existing and new members are invited to join in the next gathering on 9 September.

Thank you for the honour of election to this role. I am a retired government environmental lawyer and business manager, now running our family businesses here in Sydney and the Upper Hunter. I am a former president of the Castlecrag Sports Club, last President of Castlecrag Infant School P&C and a member of the Council’s Haven Amphitheatre Sub-Committee. I have a particular interest in encouraging friendship between neighbours and reinvigorating the peninsula’s sense of community, which can be summed up as: ‘Think local, Buy local, Employ local’.

What sort of ‘community’ are we in Castlecrag in 2007?

I have set out some demographic data from the 2006 Australian Census on Castlecrag. While interesting, this data tells only a small part of the picture. How do we fit together socially, economically and environmentally? Are our natural and geographical blessings used to full advantage?

From the 1920s to the 1950s, Castlecrag was noted “as an experiment in communal and community planning and living, and for the intellectual, Theosophical, Anthroposophical and Natural history views of its inhabitants”. Cars were few, residents lived more frugally, partly in fear of another Depression, and partly recognising that “the best things in life are free.” These included strolls, picnics, dropping-in, rock-fishing, dinghy sailing, gardening, scouts and church fellowships. It was a diverse community of communists and capitalists who set aside their weekday differences to work shoulder-to-shoulder on weekends building the Community Centre and other facilities.

Today the Crag is richer in median income and assets. What the Census doesn’t show is how many here are poorer in ‘free-time’ and relationships with fellow-residents, dependent on cars, with latch-key kids and joyless consumption. The Crag still has a remarkable 14 varied community associations, but these need reinvigoration by our 30-40 year olds. Our recent Castlecrag Fair was a wonderful ‘community occasion’, thanks to Simone Selby and generous local businesses who contributed to the occasion.

In order to build on this community spirit the Progress Association is seeking your ideas and support. What other events could we undertake? How would YOU describe the Castlecrag “community” today? And what would you like it to be in 8 years’ time, 2015?

Let us know your ideas in 20-50 words by emailing to: info@castlecrag.org.au or drop a note to PO Box 4259, Castlecrag. Better still, come along to the General Meeting on 21 August at 7.30pm (with a surprise special guest) and enjoy talking around these and other local issues over a cuppa or a vino at our Community Centre. We are particularly keen to hear from teenagers and the 30-40 year-old residents.

Bruce Wilson

Proposals for the redevelopment of the Northbridge Plaza have generated considerable concern among residents and business-owners in the area. Over 150 people braved a cold night to attend a public meeting on this matter organised by the Northbridge Progress Association on 18 July. The debate was sufficient agitated to quickly warm the St Marks church hall.

A number of Castlecrag residents and business people attended the meeting. This article outlines the issues surrounding the Plaza proposals from the perspective of the Castlecrag Progress Association and our local business houses.

Northbridge Plaza was built in 1961 on land previously used for market gardens and residences by the developer Sid Londish. A condition of the consent was that Mr Londish donate the land to the community for the associated car park to Willoughby Council and a covenant on the land requires it to be used only for free car parking for the shopping centre and the adjacent baby health centre. Council zoned the Plaza as a community shopping centre. In the 1980s, the then owners, Australian Fixed Trusts, demolished the original shopping centre and the rebuilt Plaza was reopened in 1985. Woolworths, its main tenant, drew shoppers from other suburbs and this generated conflict with local residents over the increasing traffic congestion in the Northbridge area.

The Plaza had passed to new owners by 1987, when Jaydesh lodged a DA with Council for alterations and enlargement of the centre, including the addition of an office floor over the supermarket area. The Plaza was required to provide additional car parking spaces and a delivery area, which they achieved by purchasing and redeveloping the former service station on the corner of Eastern Valley Way and Sailors Bay Road.

Concern about the ongoing maintenance costs of the car park resulted in Council entering into negotiations with Jaydesh in 2003 to offer the firm a 65-year lease for the car park, which would be redeveloped as part of the its proposed expansion of the Plaza. Traffic problems were of increasing concern to Northbridge residents and there was also a concern the car park land, zoned for community use, would be alienated.

A move by the Northbridge Progress Association in 2003 for the diversion of traffic away from Northbridge, thereby increasing the traffic volumes in South Willoughby and Naremburn, resulted in the formation of a sub-committee of the Federation of Willoughby Progress Associations to examine the issue. I represented the Castlecrag PA on this sub-committee. The group concluded that the diversion of traffic to other heavily congested areas was not a viable ‘solution’ and that improved public transport and pricing mechanisms to induce people to reduce car use are the only solutions to the traffic problems (see p. x). It also recognised that the proposed expansion of the Plaza would not only generate additional car travel, but would also significantly impact on the continued viability of neighbourhood strip shopping centres such as Castlecrag.

With the sale of Northbridge Plaza to overseas interests, AMP Capital Investors (AMP CI) assumed responsibility for managing the complex. Redevelopment of the Plaza was again placed on the agenda in 2006 when AMP CI initiated a series of stakeholder workshops on the development of a Master Plan for the Plaza. I attended the second of these workshops on 4 December last. While stakeholders expressed strong views against the expansion of retail areas at the complex and the need to reduce traffic congestion, there was general agreement that the present Plaza was a poor design and that there are opportunities for improvement through good design and a better mix of activities, including residential elements and community services.

There was therefore considerable anguish among community stakeholders when AMP CI presented its proposals to the third meeting in April in a manner that suggested the concerns put forward by community representatives had not been addressed. The AMP CI proposal involved an increase in the retail space by 80 per cent, the construction of several blocks of residential units along Eastern Valley Way and the conversion of the car park area into a two-storey underground car park. Residents estimated that the traffic generated by the development would more than double. Community representatives objected strongly to these proposals at Council meetings in May and June. As the result of excellent debates, Council has invited AMP CI to develop a Masterplan for the Plaza, the car park and adjoining lands with any increase in retail space limited to approximately 10 per cent.

The Northbridge meeting on 18 July unanimously resolved that Council’s motion limiting the expansion in retail space be adhered to, that ownership and control of the publicly-owned Plaza car park land should remain with the community and that any residential units built on the site should be in keeping in height, bulk and quality with existing residential units in Northbridge. The meeting also called for any redevelopment to have minimum impact on current traffic volumes and on local neighbourhood shops and businesses, that improvements be made to access within the shopping centre for elderly and disabled members of the community, that improvements be made to car park, security and convenience, whether or not the car park is located underground and that there be minimal impact on the residents of Harden Avenue, Tenilba road, Northbridge Gardens Retirement Village and the Paulian Villa Nursing Home.

Northbridge Progress Association President John Becroft told the residents: “What happens to the Plaza shopping centre and the adjacent Council car-park could have a profound impact on local traffic, shops and businesses, not only in Northbridge but in surrounding suburbs. It could literally change the character of our suburbs.”

The AMP CI representative Gavin Boswarva, stated that the existing centre would not be demolished, only enhanced. “We want to work with Council and the community to move forward with the Masterplan process,” he said. Gavin also acknowledged that AMP CI cannot sell or use the car park without Council’s support.

The Castlecrag Progress Association supports the efforts of Northbridge residents to maintain the character of their suburb and it distributed flyers about the meeting to our local shops on 18 July. Shop owners have expressed a keen interest in the outcome of the Masterplan process.

Bob McKillop

How can we minimize the negatives in shopping today? Even ‘born-to-shop’ aficionados get jaded by stop-start traffic, difficult parking, crowds of jostling strangers, bewildering choices of similar goods and anonymous shop assistants with limited knowledge or communication skills!
By contrast, here in Castlecrag some 70 per cent of residents live within a health-giving 10-minute stroll of our boutique shopping cluster. The range of eateries is excellent, specialist meat and fruit & vegetables providores, couturieres, delicatessens, travel, quality books, pharmaceuticals, etc, and backed up by a mid-size Coles Express.

Sometimes individual price tags are a little higher than at mega-stores. Sometimes a particular item isn’t available immediately, but can be ordered in. But all the business-owners want to work harder to retain YOUR custom, because a local resident is more likely to be a repeat or spontaneous customer, and an advertiser to their neighbours.

Finally, do the quantitative and qualitative sums for your household: dollars, hours, travel style and time, and ease of item selection. You may find you are valuing your ‘free’ time at less than a dollar an hour!

The huge success of Castlecrag Fair was guaranteed by generous donations from all (except three) of our local businesses giving several hundred dollars each – and three being $1000 Sponsors: Roger Page Real Estate, Romanos and Yours Beautifully. All of them deserve our custom, -and a word of thanks when you shop there.

When you (eventually) reach the traffic lights at Eastern Valley Way, look up and read the (invisible) banner: “Abandon hope all ye who exit here!” Why drive out into Willoughby gridlock towards joyless consumption? Why not shoulder the backpack, or dust off the shopping stroller, and enjoy a healthy walk to the shops. Buy all the essentials, -and a few non-essentials just to surprise your household. Check out the surprising range of goods and services right here in your front-yard. Bump into friends and catch up with news; relax with some refreshment. Rediscover the joys of local shopping. (Oh, did we mention a small contribution to saving Planet Earth? ‘Think globally, Act locally’.)

Bruce Wilson

Willoughby District Historical Society

Are you interested in our local History? The Willoughby District Historical Society is seeking new members. The WDHS operates a museum in Boronia, 58 Johnson Street Chatswood, a federation style brick cottage built in 1912 and bequeathed to the Society as a Museum in 1988 by Mrs. Sonya Narelle Kirkham. It presents a fine collection of household items from the Inter-War era, material on Willoughby’s industrial history, photographs and graphic material, including plans and advertisements for sub-divisions planned by Walter Burley Griffin. The kitchen, which has been restored to its 1930s glory by Society volunteers, was officially opened by the Mayor of Willoughby, Pat Reilly, on 22 May. The museum is open 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 10am–4pm and the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month 1.30pm–4pm; school tours and other groups are welcome by appointment. Admission is by donation.

The Society holds general meetings at 2pm on the first Monday of the month (except January) at the Dougherty Centre, 7 Victor Street Chatswood. These are addressed by guest speakers who cover an interesting range of historical subjects and afternoon tea is served. Visitors are most welcome. The WDHS has a weekend tour scheduled to Orange and Millthorpe on 1-2 November to meet with the historical societies in those centres and explore the historical sites.

For information about the Society and membership, phone 9410 3203 during Museum opening hours, or call Mary Thom on 9419 5851 or Betty Doggett on 9417 4192. For information on the Orange-Millthorpe tour you can also contact Bob McKillop at 9958 4516.

Castlecrag residents will be aware of the large area of land between Eastern Valley Way and Alpha Road with a prominent ‘For Sale’ sign. This is former Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) land that was reserved for the Warringah Expressway corridor under the County of Cumberland Planning Scheme in 1951. The corridor was subsequently abandoned by the NSW Government in 1977 and the land was rezoned primarily for residential (low density housing) and open space purposes.

In 1999-2000 Willoughby Council joined with the RTA and the Department of Urban Affairs & Planning to produce a land planning strategy for the surplus corridor land in the Willoughby Council area. The land Willoughby bounded by Eastern Valley Way, Windsor Road, Mowbray Place, Remuera Street and Alpha Road, Willoughby was known as Precinct 2 in the strategy, which was completed by JBA Urban Planning Consultants Pty Ltd in June 2000. The land use in Precinct 2 had been a mixture of low density residential housing and public open space. The outcome of the strategy was to allow medium density residential (110 dwellings) and public open space (1.5 hectares).

In 2002 Landcom was appointed to co-ordinate the development of the Precinct 2 housing and new public park. The Master Plan for the precinct involved extensive community consultation, which resulted in the proposed new dwellings being reduced in number to 80 townhouses. Landcom subsequently withdrew from further involvement in the scheme, resulting in the site being offered for sale to a new developer. At its meeting on 23 June 2008, Council delegated authority to the Mayor and General Manager to finalise a Deed of Covenant to bind the new owner of the land (now known as Willoughby Market Garden) to complete the existing Masterplan and development approvals.

As reported in past issues of The Crag, the area has a long history as the site of extensive Chinese market gardens. I was therefore interested to come across a report in the Daily Telegraph of Friday, 12 September 1913 with the heading ‘Opium Den Discovery at Willoughby’. While the article reflects social mores and attitudes of that era, I thought that readers might be interested in some extracts from the piece as follows:

The Chief Secretary has received a report from Supt. Goulder in regard to an opium den in Willoughby. Publicity was recently directed to this place owing to a quarrel between a habitual opium smoker and the Chinese who kept it. According to the information now in the possession of the Chief Secretary, the opium smoking took place in a cottage on the outskirts of Willoughby, towards Middle Harbour, about 2½ miles from Chatswood station.

“Until recently,” says Inspector Goulder in his report, “the locality consisted almost entirely of gardens worked by Chinese, but the bulk of the land has been sub-divided for residential purposes. The cottage referred to has been in the occupation of a Chinese for a number of years and a white woman about 40 years of age who has lived with the Chinese for many years. The front part of the cottage was tenanted by another Chinese of advanced year, and for a number of months another white woman has been living there. This latter stated her age to be 31 years, and that she had been living with Chinese for about 18 years.”

The report goes on to point out that the Chatswood police appeared to have suspected that opium-smoking was carried on at this place, which they searched for opium on several occasions. In March 1911, the police detected a number of Chinese smoking opium, and four of them were successfully prosecuted. The report claims that there was no doubt that the older Chinese men had been visited for some months by a number of white women and men from various parts of the metropolitan district, and the cottage was no doubt an opium shop for the sale of opium.

Bob McKillop

Pam’s Café

The Crag welcomes the new owners of Pam’s Café, Lisa and Cornel Chow, to our community. Lisa and Cornel formerly operated a café business in Smith Street in the East Chatswood industrial area, which they sold three years ago to take a break and be full-time parents to their three children. They have lived in Middle Cove for 18 years and love the area because of its strong sense of community. In their new venture at Castlecrag they hope to build on the friendships they have established in the area and foster new ones. Patrons at the café will notice that it is business at usual at Pam’s with the same staff still providing efficient and friendly service.

Big Morning Tea

The Castlecrag ladies committee for the ‘Big Morning Tea’ held on 22 May wish to thank the Castlecrag community for their most generous support in our fundraising efforts for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The tea was a great success, with over $1500 raised for the foundation. We thank all the wonderful Castlecrag friends and neighbours who came to the event with all the cakes and biscuits – we appreciate your support, time and company!
The committee – Jill Moffatt, Diedre Phoon, Gloreen Goldin and Jennifer Kos – also extend their thanks to the following Castlecrag businesses for their most generous support in our fundraising efforts : LJ Hooker, Richardson & Wrench, Dr R Barratt, Castlecrag Post Office, Swimaster Pool Shop, TravelPlan, Castlecrag Meats, Ganache Patisserie, Sydney Butcher Boys, Gourmet Source, Burley’s Restaurant, Clipso, Vald’arno and Martha’s Restaurant.

Jennifer Kos

Honours for Castlecrag residents

Congratulations to Professor Geoffrey Duggin who was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to renal medicine and toxicology in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year. Professor Duggin was honoured for his medical work as a clinician and researcher, and for more than 30 years of work for professional associations. He founded the toxicology unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1980 and headed the unit until 2007. He also worked as a senior renal physician at RPA Hospital for more than 30 years.
We also report that Harold Spies has been inducted into the Allen Strom Hall of Fame where his name will be inscribed on a shield and on permanent display. The award was established by the Nature Conservation Council (NCC) in memory of the late Al len Strom’s untiring dedication to conservation and education in New South Wales. Nominees for this award need to have made a constant and invaluable contribution to the environment over a number of years and to have displayed qualities of integrity, reliability and commitment. Harold has been actively involved in conservation matters in Castlecrag and Willoughby for over 25 years, as a member and President of the Castlecrag Conservation Society (CCS), a member of the Willoughby Environmental Protection Association (WEPA) and until last year a member of WEPA’s Sugarloaf Bush Regeneration Team; in addition he has been a tireless campaigner in many local environmental issues.

Sally’s Bookshop

As residents will be aware, Sally’s Bookshop closed on 30 June. The Castlecrag community is the poorer that our little shopping centre was unable to sustain a viable book-selling business Sally has moved to a new home at Taree where her mother is busy implementing plans for her new life! I am sure all Castlecrag residents will join the Progress Association in wishing Sally all the best in her future adventures.

Chamber of Commerce

Further to our report in the April issue of The Crag, the committee of the Northbridge & Castlecrag Chamber of Commerce is proceeding with incorporation of the new organisation. The purpose of the Chamber is to promote the local business districts of Northbridge and Castlecrag and to champion the interest of its members to key stakeholders, particularly local government. A contact database of 141 business in Northbridge and 53 in Castlecrag has been drawn up and membership promotional material is being developed for distribution to these organisations. Further information about the Chamber can be obtained from Marko Delatovic at the Northbridge Golf Club, phone 9958 6900.

Climate Change forum

On 29 May Gladys Berejiklian MP arranged a public forum at the Dougherty Community Centre at which Ms Louise Wilson, a local resident, writer and lecturer at UTS, presented an information session on ‘Sustainability and Culture Change’ covering such topics as the science, the evidence, and the impact of climate change. Louise had been trained by former US Vice President, Al Gore as a ‘climate change messenger’. The presentation was followed by questions from the audience and discussion on various related matters.

Kidz Club

Building on the success of the January Children’s Holiday Club held at St John’s Church under the auspices of the Anglican Parish of East Willoughby (St James, Castlecrag and St Johns, East Willoughby), the July Club held on 10 and 11 July was attended by an increased number of children (44 on one day and 39 on the other). Pastoral Assistant Richard Sercombe and volunteers from both churches plan to hold another club in January 2009.

On 10 November 1925, the residents of Castlecrag came together in the basement of the then recently-opened shops (now the Griffin Centre) for what was to be the inaugural meeting of the Castlecrag Progress Association. Edgar William Herbert was elected president and Walter Burley Griffin served on the executive committee.

In celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Castlecrag Progress Association (CPA) we remember its many achievements and those who have contributed to its proud record.

Edgar Herbert was a pioneer of physical education in Australia and, while working with the YMCA in Melbourne, he and his wife had become friends of the Griffins. When Herbert came to Sydney in 1923 to work with G Z Dupain (father of Max) at the Institute of Physical Education, he made his home in Castlecrag. The Herbert family initially lived in the King O’Malley house on the site of the present hospital, then moved to the end of Edinburgh Road. Herbert served as president of the CPA until 1929 and was also an instigator of the Community Circle.

Edgar Deans, who arrived in Castlecrag in 1928 as Secretary to the GSDA, was another key figure in the Progress Association. He served as its president for four years and as secretary for 13 years. He was also secretary and president of the Willoughby Federated Progress Associations and a Mayor of Willoughby.
The early concerns addressed by the Association included the establishment of a Government Infants’ School, better transport access to the city by construction of an arterial road from East Lindfield to North Sydney (now Eastern Valley Way), the upgrading of Edinburgh Road, undergrounding of electricity wires, sewage services for the peninsula and tree planting along Edinburgh Road.

Over the period 1944 to 1964, the Progress Association ‘retired’ in favour of the Castlecrag and East Willoughby Community Advancement Co-operative Society Ltd, which was formed to raise funds for and build a Community Centre. The centre was opened in 1947 and the Castlecrag Community Library opened its doors in 1951. Both facilities continue to serve the needs of our community.

The resurrected Progress Association arranged for the construction of the Griffin Memorial Fountain in 1965 and initiated tree planting at the shopping centre. By the 1970s, traffic issues were of increasing concern in the community and the Association led a successful campaign to stop the construction of the proposed Warringah Freeway along the Northern Escarpment of the peninsula. Traffic calming measures and the need for a right-hand turn signal at Eastern Valley Way were dominant issues in a survey of residents conducted in 1981.

The CPA commenced a community newsletter, Castlecrag News in 1974 and this became The Crag in March 1978. It has maintained a regular production schedule since then.

More recent community events sponsored by the Progress Association, notably the Castlecrag Community Fairs, and its achievements are being chronicled in the history series. The Association celebrated its 80th birthday at a special dinner held at Christine’s Restaurant on 18 November 2005. The Guest of honour, long-term Castlecrag resident Joyce Batterham, entertained the guests with a memorable presentation on the early days in the suburb.

Bob McKillop