Category: Crag Archives

Burley’s café and restaurant

Many residents will be aware that a new café and restaurant, Burley’s opened at Shop 5, The Quadrangle, in early March, which was formerly Lunch Café & Restaurant. The owners, Malcolm and Janet McLune, have named their venture after Castlecrag’s famous founder and designer, Walter Burley Griffin. Featuring refurbished premises and Modern Australian cuisine, Burley’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as coffee anytime in between. The chef aims to have regular changes of menu and also offers daily specials.

Sydney Butcher Boys

The butcher’s shop in The Quadrangle is under new ownership. Ian Goldfinch, trading as Sydney Butcher Boys, renovated the premises and gave the shop a new image for it’s re-opening on 1 March. Ian previously worked for butchers in the eastern suburbs. Sydney Butcher Boys at Castlecrag is his first venture as an owner and his father and mother, John and Sandra, are currently assisted with the business. Ian offers a large range of gourmet meat products, with special lines such as Moroccan basil pesto lamb rumps and Batong Boerewees from South Africa.

Books of local interest

Sally’s Bookshop now has in stock a book about the early days of our community here in Castlecrag and another will be launched there on 31 May. Communism a Love Story by Jeff Sparrow is a biography of Guido Baracchi, a colourful resident of Castlecrag between 1937 and 1945 (and again in 1950). Baracchi’s time in Castlecrag stemmed from his friendship with Walter Burley Griffin in Melbourne. It was characterised by a number of romantic liaisons.

The Crag by Wanda Spathopoulos will be launched at Sally’s Bookshop at 6.30pm on Thursday 31 May. It is a memoir of Wanda’s life in Castlecrag during its early years. A daughter of Edgar Herbert, the physical educational pioneer who lived in Castlecrag from 1927, Wanda is one of the few remaining people to have personally known Walter and Marion Griffin. All are welcome to the book launch, but bookings are essential for what promises to be a very interesting evening –
Phone: 9958 5007. Sally Crawford.

Are you searching for another playground to visit with the children? Make your way to Warners Park, which has recently been refurbished by Willoughby City Council.

The enclosed playground is suitable for young children, though the older ones will be well occupied on the massive climbing frame. A paved bike path for the trikes and bikes with training wheels encircles the sand pit, complete with a water pump, perfect for building dams and rivers. Adults are catered for as well, with two gas barbecues and three covered picnic tables waiting to host the next family outing.

Warners Park is accessible by car through Northbridge by following the signs to The Outpost. For an even more memorable approach, walk down to The Rampart, follow the trail through Keep Reserve and enter the park through the bush.

Jennifer Kos

Things seem to be ‘hotting up’ on the subjects of environmental sustainability and its close cousin, climate change. The loss of most winter crops in southeastern Australia due to utter failure of spring rains and severe bushfires this summer tied up resources and caused severe losses, while Al Gore’s compelling film convinced many about the Inconvenient Truth of global warming has generated widespread discussion within our community. These events lifted public awareness to a new level and the Stern Report from Britain and local political developments since have at least maintained that level.

Willoughby City Council has been encouraging greater awareness of sustainability issues through many of its ‘e-Restore’ suite of programs over several years. We now have a larger and more loyal group of volunteer bush-carers than any other council in New South Wales. Our recycling achievements are also the envy of many local government councils. The e-Restore program was funded by a levy on rates. That levy was introduced and extended with very little objection. So I draw the conclusion that most ratepayers are in favour of our actions. However, a paucity of new faces at e-Restore events suggests that many ratepayers remain largely uncommitted. Perhaps they remain ‘on the fence’ with thoughts such as ‘I just don’t have time’, ‘what impact can I have?’ or ‘what impact can Australia have?’

Some leaders, such as Al Gore and Tim Flannery, exhort us to start the change process with small steps in our own lives – steps like recycling, saving water and reducing our energy consumption. Others, like Clive Hamilton of the Australia Institute, say that we need to be ‘told’. He points out that leaded petrol, with its health risks, was not abolished by people deciding not to buy it, but by prohibition through government legislation. But which politician or party will be brave enough to propose such legislation in the face of powerful vested interests while the public appears apathetic? Both views are correct: let us have voters demanding political (and corporate) change and backing it up with visible actions of our own. Obvious activism in Willoughby might involve joining a Sustainability Street group. We might choose to buy ‘green’ power, ie, electricity that is generated from renewable sources. If we believe in the power of the market, we might be prepared to advocate (or at least acknowledge to friends and colleagues) the logic of higher prices for energy and water.

A recent commentary on the level of affluence in present-day Australia mentioned that we now spend a smaller proportion of our income on water and most forms of energy that at any time in the past. The economic ‘system’ encourages us to use more. How many of us are prepared to concede that, in terms of protecting the environment, the system is not working and needs to be changed? Perhaps Australia can be the place that makes the necessary changes and shows that possibility to the rest of the world.

Furthermore, can we here in Willoughby be at the forefront of that change process? We are well placed to do so: affluent, educated and progressive. It seems to me that this must be where not only our priority but also much of our energy must be directed as a community. For me, many of Willoughby’s traditional concerns become inconsequential by comparison.

To paraphrase from an epoch-changing book: what profit for mankind if we gain the whole world but lose the planet?

Councillors will be addressing the future of e-Restore and its stance on sustainability and climate change in a full day workshop in late April. Watch this space. I would welcome any thoughts you may have on how and when we might involve you, our constituents.

Clr. Barry Thompson (Naremburn Ward)

Phone: 9412 1596; Email: Barry.Thompson@willoughby.nsw.gov.au

Mark Sabolch, the Water Management Engineer at Willoughby City Council, was guest speaker at the Progress Association’s AGM on 16 May 2004. He spoke about water in Castlecrag from both the perspective of an environmental water engineer, and that of a boy who grew up in the 1960s environment of Castlecrag.

Mark’s early childhood was in Castlecrag, his architect father having built the family home in The Bulwark. The house applied many of Walter Burley Griffin’s principles, with its flat roof and grey brick finish melding into the bush setting. The blocks on either side were vacant, so his early educational experiences were of the ‘enchanted bush’.

While Griffin’s achievements in relating the built to the natural environment are well known, the relationship of the fabric of Castlecrag to water is less appreciated. Griffin saw the importance of keeping the creeks as nature reserves to maintain the aesthetics of the bush and to ensure that the bays received clean water. The Castlecrag landscape design provides ‘zones of transition’ from the built to the natural environment.

As the built environment has become more dominant, native vegetation has been lost and the creeks and bays have become degraded, especially after storms. Mark presented photographs of recent examples of pollution from litter and scouring of creeks in Willoughby. Often sediment from building sites and other man-made interventions is deposited in the creeks and this kills off the biological life of the creek. He included extreme cases where chemical spills had caused major fish kills in our local creeks.

Willoughby Council is monitoring the environmental condition of the creeks by sampling the water and sediment, and measuring the presence of sensitive animal and insect species, such as the damsel fly. On the Signal Index of water quality, which uses a 1-7 scale with less than 4 being severely impaired, all the Middle Harbour creeks rate around 3.3. Against the AusRiverAS biotic index, the Willoughby creeks averaged around ‘D’ (impoverished). Thus, the creeks draining into Middle Harbour are in poor condition environmentally.

The key issue is, do people care? This is a difficult question to answer, but testing under the Streets to Creeks project suggests that residents are now more aware of where stormwater from their street goes. The results show, however, that residents regard problems associated with urban density and its impacts more highly than those of stormwater and water quality.

Mark spent some time outlining innovative stormwater management practices to reduce environmental impacts in future. These include vegetative drains in the median strip of roads, the use of roof gardens and greater use of rainwater tanks. A demonstration rainwater tank with plumbing for internal use and planter boxes that collect roof runoff have been installed at the community centre at Warner’s Park and there is optimism that innovative stormwater management practices will be applied to the LandCom development site at Willoughby Market Garden Park.

The Walter Burley Griffin Society website has won the 2007 EnergyAustralia National Trust Heritage Award for Interpretation and Presentation, Community Groups. The National Trust awards have been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the heritage world.

Meredith Burgmann, President of the Legislative Council, and ABC broadcaster David Marr presented the awards at the Westin Hotel in Sydney on 12 March 2007.

The website, which went live in mid 2006, promotes a greater understanding and appreciation of the work of Marion Mahony Griffin and Walter Burley Griffin and encourages the conservation of their extensive work. It contains thirty-five sections covering the lives and works of Walter and Marion Griffin, the influences that shaped their work and an impressive photo gallery. These were written and designed by members of the society with expertise in various fields. The site also contains downloadable student activity sheets for primary and secondary school teachers.

In selecting the Griffin website for the award, the judges said: ‘It is an impressive achievement from a community-based organisation, about important 20th century architects. It deals with their work both in Australia and overseas.’

The informative heritage site also received praise from members of the community. Scott Robertson, an architect and member of the National Trust’s Urban Conservation Committee said: ‘it is still one of the best, most useful websites I have seen and used. A model of what information websites should be’.

The use of the internet and the electronic media is becoming an important tool in conservation. Tina Jackson, Executive Director of the National Trust of Australia said: ‘Just as heritage may be intangible — much more than just bricks and mortar — we must use electronic communication to get the heritage conservation message across to new and wider audiences.’

Adrienne Kabos, the committee member of the WB Griffin Society who oversaw the development of the website, said: ‘the website is the work of a team of 30 people and this award is a very nice acknowledgment of their expertise and commitment’.

Congratulations go out to all those in the community involved in the project.You can visit the website at www.griffinsociety.org

Jacqueline Levett

The retiring President, Kate Westoby, presented her third annual report to the Annual General Meeting on 16 May, as follows:

The past year has been a successful one for the Progress Association. Our main activities were:

The Castlecrag Community Fair, held on 4 June 2003, was once again a very successful event with a number of community groups and local businesses involved. The Progress Association ran its highly successful trash and treasure stall under the splendid management of Kathy Rosenmeyer. Money raised has been put aside for the restoration of the Griffin Fountain and other community projects.

General meetings. James Smallhorn spoke at the August meeting on the Griffin Fountain, covering the restoration plans and the costs. A community forum was held at our October meeting where a range of issues and ideas were discussed such as Development Applications, traffic problems, tree plantings on Edinburgh Road and the recording of oral histories from long time residents. Willoughby Council’s Traffic Manager, Tony Lehmann, spoke about traffic management in Castlecrag at the February meeting.

Council’s Development Controls. During the last year Willoughby Council has revised some important DCPs – notably DCP 19(Heritage and Conservation) and DCP 27(Notifications). The Progress Association made submissions on these and we are pleased to report that, generally, the revisions have clarified and tightened the processes and the controls. However, this Association has ongoing concerns about the need for more rigorous application of the Controls.

Traffic. After a longstanding effort by the Progress Association I am pleased to report that there has been some action by Council during the year, the most notable being the completion of the roundabout at the corner of Edinburgh Road, The Postern and Rutland Avenue. The other planned calming structures have been placed on hold pending change in traffic speed and/or accidents. However, some line markings will be painted on Edinburgh Road to demarcate cycle lanes and parking spaces. Other minor traffic improvements have been made in Sunnyside Crescent and The Bulwark.

Federation of Progress Associations. Traffic has also been a major issue for the Federation of Progress Associations, which established a subcommittee to examine traffic issues in Northbridge with representation from Castlecrag, South Willoughby, Naremburn and Northbridge. The Federation has been able to establish an umbrella Public Liability Insurance policy that has enabled the five participating Progress Associations (including Castlecrag) to significantly reduce their premiums. Also, through the Federation we have been actively providing input into the planning process of Civic Place. We therefore, note with satisfaction, the endorsement of the project by Willoughby’s citizens at the Council poll conducted at the March Council elections. We thank Bob McKillop, Elizabeth Lander and Gay Spies for representing our association on the Federation throughout the year.

The Crag. Kerry McKillop and Elizabeth Lander continue as editors of The Crag publishing four issues culminating in Number 150 in April 2004. We have continued with the serialisation of the history of Castlecrag, which has generated considerable public interest. Thanks are in order to Bob McKillop, Adrienne Kabos, James Werrick and Elizabeth Lander for putting this series together. We thank all the advertisers for their support and we ask the community to get behind the local businesses that support us. Thanks to our devoted volunteer deliverers: Mac and Annette Robertson, Judith Keller, Lisa Sherington, Jill Newton, Gay and Harold Spies, David and Joanna Harrop and Marie Clifton-Bassett. Thanks also to our expert ex-postman Harry Fox for delivering The Crag. We are proud of our newsletter.

Website. I reported last year that we were about to establish our website. However, we had some technical difficulties so we advertised in The Crag for a volunteer to manage the website. I’m pleased to report that Annette Frith has come forward in response and with her help the website has been updated and established with a new ISP. Please check our site at: www.castlecrag.org.au. We welcome any comments and suggestions for further improvement.

Committee. Finally, I would like to thank the members of this committee for all their hard work. They are all people with a love of this area and are committed to enhancing and protecting our natural and built environment as well as encouraging a sense of community. A lot of work is carried out throughout the year such as, responding to DAs and DCPs, creating The Crag and producing the Fair, to name just a few tasks.

Kate Westoby

The St James Church community is proud of the new sign now displayed outside the entry. It is a custom-made hand-carved designed to complement the wonderful Bib Milder sculpture. This sculpture, depicting the life of James, is featured on the main vestry wall. ‘Danthonia’ designed and crafted the new complementary sign facing Edinburgh Road. Please come by and have a look.

June Raymond

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” – Mark Twain

Last year’s drought and this year’s water restrictions mean that many of our gardens, and the bushland reserves, are stressed. As well as having less water in the soil, trees are being targeted by our native fauna, which includes possums and many native insects. They are looking for a quick meal but finding that there is less to choose from this year.

The way in which native trees respond to these conditions is by survival strategies that they have evolved over eons. Trees reduce their water demand during the tough times by losing leaves, or their smaller branches might die.

In nature, after the stresses are past, trees often recover. Typically, new shoots that have been dormant in the trunk and at the base of the tree spring back to life when the drought ends, much as we see trees recovering after bushfires.

Sadly, we have been seeing a lot of very grand trees chopped down in recent months because they look dead. Given time, they might have recovered.

The most valuable plants in any landscape are the mature trees. These form the basic structure of the bushland and gardens, and will take decades to replace. We are lucky in Castlecrag that many of our special garden trees – Angophoras, Sydney Peppermints, “Old Man Banksia” to name a few – are relics of the original bushland. They keep the links and wildlife pathways from the bushland through the built-up parts of Castlecrag. Some of these trees are a hundred years old and more. Replacing them will take longer than our lifetimes.

At present, the possums in our area are feasting on these new shoots and making it hard for some trees (such as Angophoras) to recover. We love the possums, but this is the time to exclude them from favourite trees by a possum guard (see below).

Of course, trees can become stressed because of other causes: for example, changes in drainage, too many nutrients, or insect attack. But care for a tree is worthwhile, and consult an expert if in doubt. The chainsaw should only be a last resort!

So . . . here are a few ideas:

1. Even if a tree appears to be dead, give it a little time to see if it might recover. Seek the advice of an expert arborist.

2. If dead branches might be dangerous, have these removed carefully, but keep the living parts of the tree to recover.

3. Stop possums eating the new regrowth shoots by possum-guards around the trunk.

4. Plant some new native trees to replace the ones which might have been lost in years past. We all enjoy our native birds, so every garden in Castlecrag should have at least two native trees!

AN EASY POSSUM GUARD

This works well if there is no direct branch-to-branch contact with other un-guarded trees. You might need to put guards on several trees.

Wrap a sheet of heavy flexible plastic around the tree trunk and secure it with grey duct tape. The plastic needs to be heavy enough that the possums can’t dig their claws into it. When wrapped around the tree it needs to be about half a metre high. We used a sheet of clear polypropylene – very flexible and easy to handle; we bought it at Eckersley’s Art Supplies, 21 Atchison St., St Leonards for $9.

We placed a guard on an Angophora that had lost all leaves and appeared to be “dead”. Within two weeks, new shoots 20cm long had grown from the trunk. They will become the new branches. We plan to leave the guard in place for at least six months, until the new branches are strong.

Lorraine Cairnes, Castlecrag

LIVING WITH POSSUMS

Possums are native marsupials. In the bush, they feed on leaves, buds, flowers and fruits. Brush-tailed and Ring-tailed possums are found in Castlecrag, and some of their rarer relatives, including Sugar gliders.

Possums have adapted well to contact with people. Most of us have learned to get along with these beautiful creatures, whose home we now share. Visitors from overseas are entranced to see such appealing wildlife so close to the city.

However, at times this contact can be noisy and messy – particularly if the possum takes up residence in the roof of your house!

In the next issue of the Crag we will provide more information on living in harmony with possums. In the meantime, remember that possums are protected in NSW and catching possums without a licence is illegal in NSW.

Licences to trap possums on your property are issued by NPWS free of charge from any NPWS office. A pest control company, licensed by NPWS, can trap the possum for you, or traps are available for hire from some pest control companies.

Well-known Castlecrag identity Harold Ruby was named at Willoughby City’s ‘Citizen of the Year’ at the Australia Day ceremony in Chatswood on 26 January. A film and TV producer, director, cinematographer and winner of many international awards, Howard has lived in Castlecrag for 35 years and has been active in community affairs during this period, particularly in his role as President of the Haven Amphitheatre Management Committee. Howard is a past President of the Progress Association and has served on the Committee for many years.

A large contingent of Castlecrag residents was present at the Willoughby City Australia Day Ceremony on the Civic Centre lawns to see the presentation of the award. The citation stated that Howard received the award for:

Long standing and continuous commitment and service to the Castlecrag and Middle Harbour community through various community groups, most notably the Haven Amphitheatre, where he has led the renaissance of the space into a living community theatre.

Matthew McKeighery won the ‘Bushcare Golden Spade’ award presented to him at the annual Volunteer Bushcarer’s Christmas barbecue held in December 2006. Matthew, who is Convenor of the Keep Reserve Bushcare Group, and is also involved in a number of other Castlecrag Community groups, gained the award for his contribution, participation and enthusiasm in the Volunteer Bushcare program.

The previous issue of The Crag highlighted the problem of vandalism, or at best thoughtlessness, in Griffin Reserves caused by those who value harbour view over all else and serves as a vigilance call to all of us who treasure Castlecrag’s bushland heritage.

Restoration of The Buttress Reserve has been achieved through careful consultation and planning, hard work and financial contributions of adjoining residents working with Council’s bush regenerator, Pamela Batters – a lovely Yorkshire lass.

Over the past five years Pamela’s skill and sheer, hard physical work has transformed what was essentially a devastated, bamboo-infested wasteland into natural bushland complete with a dry, rock-lined creek that solves adjoining neighbours water run-off problems. Before planting was commenced all immediate neighbours were consulted extensively on the scale and form of flora so that views would not be impeded. Species were limited to those that would not exceed 6 metres and it was agreed that self-sown “mongrel” eucalypts would be removed if they threatened views and used for mulch.

Careful selection and placement of small trees and shrubs, generally no more than 2-3 metres in height, and their nurturing from tube stage by Pamela in a labour of love has created a place of natural beauty complemented by some quite remarkable rock formations. Her inspirational work has had other unforeseen spin-offs in the immediate community, enthusing adjoining neighbours to clear and plant their gardens empathetically with native flora.

Wanton destruction of her caring, considered work was devastating and almost destroyed Pamela’s motivation to continue, but I am pleased to report that she was back on the job in The Buttress Reserve this week, removing invading weeds and continuing her good work for the benefit of our community. We are indeed fortunate to have such a motivated person as Pamela working for us, and she deserves our support and vigilance in nurturing and protecting Castlecrag’s very special and unique bushland heritage.

John Steel