Flrnten Flill Trust JournalVOLUME VII No. 3 October. 1978

LANE COVE RIVERFORESHORES

tI,l

STOP PRESS: Minister for Local Government Visits"Hunter's Hill, Gives Clue - Amalgamation? See p.4!

ANNOUNCEMENT INSIDE: Lane Cove ValleyExpressway to be subject of Environmental ImpactStudy - Minister for Transport.

Latest Addition Picnics for PreservationBoronia Park Walk

The success of the Pools has enabled the State Governmentin recent years to offer grants on a dollar for dollar basis tolocal councils for projects in the area of sport and recreation.

Two years ago, Hunter's Hill Council drew up a list ofsuggestions for grants, including a request for $2,500 toconstruct a walking track along the banks of the Lane CoveRiver. When the application proved successful, Councilmade its $2,500 available, and construction on the pathbegan during 1978. Undergrowth was cleared, weeds werecut back and the path was marked where necessary with logsand signs. There was minimum disturbance of the naturalbush and the path followed the natural contours ofthe land.The entrance to the walk is at the end of Baron's Crescent.near the Meyers Avenue flats. At first, it runs over largerocks high above the river, then dips to a lower level andwinds its way around to a fine stand of mangroves belowPark Road. From there on there is a canopy of green, andboards are placed in damp areas until eventually the pathemerges at the bottom end of Blaxland Street. From there, ashort, sharp climb takes walkers to the junction of Baron'sCrescent and Blaxland Stredt.The path was officialy opened in May of this year. Sincethen, many hundreds of people, both local and visit ing, haveused the track. Its greatest appeal is probably the peace andquiet of this riverside setting, The profusion of nativeIiowers and the orolific and varied birdlife have lednaturalist Vincent Serventy to write articles for the NationalTimes and the Sun Herald, detailing the natural bushlifewhich should be preserved. As well, patterns of rockformations and wide expanses of water give pleasure farremoved from city strata.Recently, it was announced by the Minister for Sport andRecreation that a further $4,000 is to be made available toCouncil to continue the walk along the shore of BoroniaPark up to Boronia Avenue. Possibly the western end mayone day be extended, by means of a walkway over thewater's edge, through to the old tip at Buffalo Creek.In its original town planning document, Town Planning andProposed Historic Districts (Part l), the Hunter's Hil l Trustadvocated foreshore reserves accessible to the public aroundthe perimeter of Hunter's Hill. Acceptance of natural areas- here the meeting point between water and land whichprovides breeding ground for wildlife and beauty for humankind - is a step forward.

HISTORIC HEADSTONESLongtime resident and Hunter's Hill identity ClemO'Donnell has contacted the Trust and requested the Trust'sinterest and help in securing the future ofseveral headstonesat present in the churchyard at St. Charles Church in Ryde.If, as appears possible, the headstones are to be moved fromtheir present positions, Hunter's Hill would be anappropriate resting place for the monuments of DidierJoubert and members of the Bondietti. Makinson.Heydon, Fitzpatrick families as well as others. The Hunter'sHill Trust has rather tentatively approached these familiesto ask how they would feel about having headstones of theirancestors moved to Hunter's Hill, and most have expressedapproval.A committee has been formed, of Trust representatives,along with representatives of the Historical Society and thechurches involved. The Committee has met to discuss thefeasibility and desirability of moving the stones to a spot orspots in Hunter's Hill, and will approach Hunter's HillCouncil for its opinion. Anyone interested in such a projectin any way is invited to contact this Memorial committeethrough the Trust address.

A picnic was held for Trust members and fiiends atMornington Reserve (below Vernon Street), on Septemberl7th. The purpose was to acquaint residents with a foreshorereserve which adds to the treescape of the peninsula as wellas providing an area for passive recreation. Picnics in otherreserves will be planned for the future. Such picnics will beBring-your-own-food, and the Trust will supply coldbeverages and a donation box. This first picnic was soenjoyable that there were requests for weekly events. If theday is f ine, telephone a Trust member; a loaf of bread, a jugof wine and two Trust members make a picnic.

Hunter's Hill has a number of delightful waterfront reserveswhich are not obvious from street levels. In some cases, theseare being alienated from the public by owners of landbordering a reserve; garden planting, rubbish disposal andburning off spots can effectively annex parkland, thusdiminishing reserves and making boundaries difficult toidentify. The Hunter's Hill Trust feels that people should beaware of the land which the Municipalitv has acquired foreveryone's use.

STATE ELECTIONThe Hunter's Hill Trust requested answers to the followingquestions from the Liberal and Labor candidates in Fullerelectorate:

l. What initiatives is your party planning (hasaccomplished) with regard to Hunter's Hill'sa. preservatlonb. town planc. open spaced.' transporte. amalgamation?

2. If elected, what stand will you personally take onthese issues?

The Hunter's Hill Trust is not a partisan organisation, buthas noted that decisions which affect our policies are usuallymade on governmental levels.

Alderman Rodney Cavalier, Laborl . a. and b. The Wran Government passed through

Parliament the Heritage Act - interim andpermanent conservation orders will preserve largeparts of Hunter's Hill. The Lane Cove ValleyExpressway, the most significant threat to Hunter'sHill, is now the subject of an Environmental ImpactStatement. Liberals are committed to freeways.The Wran Government is still funding RegionalGrowth Centres and taking population pressure ofSydney.

The Wran Government is committed to acquisit ionof open space in inner city and underprivilegedareas. The Government has spent 1.8 mill iondollars acquiring open space along the ParramattaRiver. More locally, the Gov. has offered half thepurchase price on Kelly's Bush, and I am hopeful ofa lot more.

The Wran Gov. has reduced fares by 20Va and hasimplemented a five year, one thousand milliondollar program. In the last year of the Liberal-Country Party Government, 59 million passengerjourneys were lost. Transport under Wran isregaining those passengers.

e. None.

My record, as a political activist and alderman ofHunter's Hill, speaks for itself. I have never deviated

c.

d.

2.

Annual General MeetingThe meeting was held on May 24th, at the Villa Maria Hall,following a sumptuous repast provided by voluntary ChefsTo The Trust (membership open).The Committee for this vear was elected. and at the firstCommittee meeting officl bearers were selected:

President, Ewan Cheyne-MacPhersonVice-Presidents, Alice Oppen and

Alec DircksSecretary, Fred HindeTreasurer, Peter PinsonMembership Sec., Anne McNallyMinute Sec., Melinda Buckland (on leave)Cente Manager, Marjorie FitzGerald (on leave)Social Secretary, Joan CrollSales Manager, Helen Sheffer

Co-opted members for 1978-79:Jan BuddDavid BryantRon Barrelle

Members of the Committee will welcome suggestions,information and involvement. Contact any memberpersonally, or telephone 89-5175 or 89-2035.The speaker was Professor Frank Talbot, environmentalspecialist at Macquarie University. Prof. Talbot's talkfeatured two aspects of the Lane Cove River, wildlife andpollution:Studies done at Macquarie University indicate that there arefiftv-six species of fish in Brown's Waterhole, for instance,bui that ftris is a lower number than would be found in ariver untouched by a human population. Eighteen species ofwaterfowl have been found, and he suggested that the widerthe fringe ofnatural bushland on either side ofthe river, the

more protection there is for breeding fowl. People are stillshooting for sport along the Lane Cove River (perhaps theTrust could offer a bounty for the heads of hunters?). Manyspecies of mammals, in some areas half the species, havebeen eliminated wombats, wallabies, native rats,platypuses. Domestic animals, principally cats, account forthousands of killings a year along the long border ofreserves. Fire frequency in these areas has increased, thusreducing the dense material which is important to thebreeding of small mammals. There is nothing we can do tobring back these animals and little chance of protectingthose remaining because the natural area is a long, thinfringe easily invaded.Water pollution, however, is reversible, as has been shownwith the Thames. More information is needed aboutestuaries, and what we do do to systems should be donemore sensitively. We use tips until the last possible moment,destroying more mangroves, filling up more gullies. Thereare heavy weed infestations, and studies have not yet beendone to see how much of the biodegradable material presenfin the river is from land run-off from gardens and how muchis from sewers. The growth of population in the Parramattaarea has resulted in an over-loading of the sewerline, whichresults in overflows above Figtree Bridge many times a year.The river cleans itself within three to five days; it is normallya very clean salt water river and only in heavy rain is it adirty water. The siltation pattern has changed with thepopulation increase; where it used to be sandy, now it isgetting more muddy. The silt has increased by four feet inTambourine Bay.Solutions are simple to see but difficult to ensure. To enlargethe sewerage system would cost from fifty to one hundredmillion dollars. The visual aspect of the river we can protect,but it will take a concerted effort to learn enough to ensureprotection of other aspects of the river system.Professor Talbot's talk was received with enthusiasm. and itsenerated keen discussion.

from the view that the Municipality of Hunter's Hill hasunique features, is part of our national heritage andmust be preserved. As an ALP candidate, I have hadpersonal access to the Ministers of the WranGovernment. My achievements are on the board: it wasmy intervention that blocked a boat ramp and ancillaryparking facilities at Clarke's Point and secured thefunds to extend the Boronia Park Walkins Track. Mostimportantly with a lot of help from local leople, I havepersuaded Peter Cox (Minisister for Transport) toannounce that there will be no action at all on the LaneCove Valley Expressway and that an EnvironmentalImpact Study will be undertaken; local people will beconsulted.

Peter Coleman, Leader of the Opposition, Liberall. a. The Liberal Party is in favour of the most stringent

provisions for the preservation of the historicquality of Hunter's Hill including its builings,properties and landscapes. Local Advisory Com-mittees should assist the Council in this work.Compensation should also be available toindividuals who may suffer financially frompreservation decisions, and the Government mustassume responsibil i ty for this compensation.

b. The Liberal Party requires such concepts includedin the Town Plan but until the negotiations with thePlanning and Environment Commission arecomplete and made public, I can comment nofurther on that.

c. We are in favour of expansion of open space in themunicipality. You will recall the Liberal Govern-ment's acquisit ion of Clarke's Point, Woolwich,which was characteristic of Liberal Policv. The

whole of Kelly's Bush should also be open spaceprovided that cost of its purchase is not a burden onthe residents. My Party also believes that thenearby Bedlam Point in Ryde Municipality shouldbecome open space and I have spoken several timeson this in Parliament.

The Party supports the reintroduction of nightbuses to serve ttre ferries and wants the Huntley'sPoint ferry service increased. It also wants toexpand weekend ferry and bus services andintroduce mini-buses. It opposes the ideas of 24hour clearways which would destroy shoppingcentres such as Gladesville.

The Party is totally opposed to imposedamalgamations and in Government will recon-stitute the Boundaries Commission to prevent itinstituting reviews on Councils' boundaries on itsown initiative and to require that amalgamationtakes place it will have to have majority approval ofall persons affected in each area in a referendum. Itis clear to the Liberal Party that the Labor Partyhas deferred action on this purely for electionpurposes and because the Liberal Party has hadcontrol of the Legislative Council. As far asHunter's Hill is concerned there is no justificationwhat-soever for even considering the question ofamalgamation.

2. I personally support all these policies and as you knowhave worked along these lines over the past l0 to I Iyears.

The Hunter's Hil l Trust asks its members to consider thecandidates, their views, and the past record oftheir parties.

d.

TRUST ACTIVITIES

Membership FeeTlncrease

With ereat reluctance, the Committee feels that membershipfees sfr'outd be increased, for the first time since the inception;f the Hunter's Hill Trust. It is hoped that members will lookback over the ten years and decide that fees have been toolow in the past, especially in-comparison with other groups'

The need for a strong, representative Hunter's Hill Trust wille xist for a long time to cbme. Its formation led to more.opentown planniig, with public discussion. and virtual

"ii-inrii.ttl of fhe sort of home unit expansion which was

Christmas CruiseA Christmas Cruise will be held this year' on NovemberfSti, i Wednesday. Remember the Cruise last. year?

Cftii'ttrnur fare - turkey, ham, salads, pavlovas and cake,

chamDagne - those Trust chefs again! Reserve tickets soon;il;trr" are limited to avoid that 'sinking' feeling' The

Ci"it" will be held aboard the MV Eve (tickets $10'00) and

*iU foUo* a General Meeting to be held at the Croll's home ,++--ffte Point Road. Every effort will be made to suit

embarking and debarking iimes to members' needs, but

advance notice will be necessarY.

elimination of the sort nit expansion which was

HOUSE INSPECTIONA House Inspection wil l be held in March,,centeringon Bateman'i Road. Houses will include 2' 16,22 and29 Bateman's Road. Details concerning the date andticket applications will be published in the next

JOURNAL.

JENSEN SAYS NOTO AMALGAMATION HEREThe Minister for Local Government, Mr. Harry Jensen,visited Hunter's Hill on September 25, and was asked for hisview on the possibility of amalgamation here. He said thatany area thai was viable, economically sound and enjoyingpobular support would not be amalgamated, and thatHunter's Hil[ would not be amalgamated with another areawhile he is Minister. The best clue, he hinted, was his readyapproval for the loan to rebuild the Town Hall; he would notapfrove loans for places without a future.6Ed. tong life to Mr. Jensen and Hunter's Hill!)

threatening to engulf the area.

The Hunter's Hill Trust compiled historical and archi-tectural information and has supplied this to State andFederal Governments and the National Trust. Registers arenow being compiled from this information. The Hunter'sHill Trusiwill c6ntinue to publicise the.need to preserve themanv old buildings which are becoming recognised as aclassic form of niieteenth century Australian architecture'Sione walls, trees and bushland open space are essentialsurroundings for these buildings,. and Hunter's Hill hasbecome a -sought-after residential area because theseelements are being Protected.

However, a quick look along the streets of Hunter's Hill willrfro* tttut fiirther improveilent in development control issorely needed. Should the long-awaited Town Plan prove toLe leis than perfect after compromises between levels ofsovernment and elements in the community, the Hunter'silill Trust will be busy indeed.

Government bodies ask how many members there are in theTrust, and it seems possible that they tailor their response tothe number of people behind our requests' Please be one ofus, and add to our strength.

Life membership has now been introduced, for thededicated and the forgetful.

Do something for your area - JOIN the Hunter's Hill Trust

MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name..

Address

Telephone .

Postcode.. . .

Willing to help with

The Hunterc Hill Trust,Box 85. Hunter's Hill,2l l0

Type of MembershiP:SingleFamilyPensionerStudentLife Member

1978-79$2.004.001.001.00

1979-80$ 5.00

10.001.001.00

75.00The Trust

The Hunter's HilI

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