By Alec Smart More on St Ives The history of Sydney Grammar School starts in 1954, as St Ives Sydney Grammar Preparatory School, when St Ives was transitioning from a fruit-growing farming district into a suburb. St Ives Sydney Grammar Preparatory School's first headmaster, Roy Dent, with students, 1956. Photo: SG Archives But why was a site in St Ives chosen for the school, then isolated from public transport and surrounded by orchards, when other private schools in the region (eg: Knox, Ravenswood, PLC, Barker) established themselves along the main North Shore line rail corridor? To best answer that we need to wind the clock back a century, when Sydney Grammar’s main school in the city opened alongside Hyde Park, a public common in what was formerly swampy marshes and an Aboriginal ceremonial conflict site. Hyde Park, the first public park in Australia, and named after the London Hyde Park by Governor Macquarie in 1810, was a military parade ground, horse racing track, sports arena, kids’ playing fields and the site for Sydney’s main cricket ground until the SCG opened in 1868. In 1832, its eastern boundary, College St, where the school’s main campus is situated, was built. Sydney College c1840 on College St, Darlinghurst, the eastern edge of Hyde Park. Painting: Edward De Sauty Imposter Headmaster at Sydney Grammar School Prior to this, the forerunner of Sydney Grammar, the Sydney Public Free Grammar School, was opened in 1825 by emancipated convict Laurence Hynes Halloran on the corner of Philip and Hunter streets in the city (which closed a few years later, with Halloran mired in debts). Sydney Grammar’s archive states: “The fact that Halloran had been able to establish a School in Sydney is remarkable, considering his turbulent past. Sentenced to seven years of transportation to New South Wales from England in 1819 for repeatedly impersonating a clergyman, forging testimonials and currency, he was declared “an imposter of the most dangerous kind”. His past further reveals he also murdered a man with a sword after being challenged for a trivial interference while serving as a tutor in the Royal Navy in 1783.” However, Governor Lachlan Macquarie, the fifth Governor of NSW (1810-21), championed Halloran’s educational skills. A strong advocate of elevating the social standing of skilful and entrepreneurial former miscreants, he declared Halloran was “by far the best and most admired instructor of youth in the colony.” St Ives students enjoy drinking milk, 1959. Photo: Roy Dent / SG Archives Sydney Grammar Hyde Park headquarters Sydney Grammar School, a private, non-denominational education establishment in central Sydney, opened on 3 August 1857 in the ‘Big School’ on the east side of Hyde Park, on College Street, Darlinghurst. The foundation stone of the historic Big School building was laid earlier on 26 January 1830 when it was purpose-built to house Sydney College (hence why the address is in ‘College’ St), which closed in 1850, a casualty of the 1840s economic depression. In the years between the College’s closure and Grammar’s tenure, the University of Sydney temporarily occupied the premises, which consisted of a large main room with smaller classrooms in the basement. Unlike many schools, Sydney Grammar School was founded by Primary Legislation in the NSW Parliament, known as the Sydney Grammar School Act 1854 – meaning serving ministers in the NSW Government voted on a Bill to bring it into being. According to the school’s history webpage, “Sydney Grammar School was founded by Act of Parliament in 1854, after Sir Henry Parkes, the Father of Australian Federation, tabled a petition from a group of citizens concerned that the fledgling University of Sydney should have a ‘nursery’ to provide it with well-prepared undergraduates.” The 'Big School' on College St, Darlinghurst, c1925. Etching: George Marler Thereafter, in 1856, the Big School building and surrounding land was acquired and over time developed and expanded into the modern school site. University of Sydney (founded 1852) relocated to its purpose-built new site in Camperdown in 1859, the former Grose Farm, and Sydney Grammar became a ‘feeder’ school to the university. Amidst the orchards Sydney Grammar has two preparatory schools, St Ives and Edgecliff, the former preceding the latter by two years. In Sydney Grammar’s online archive, the St Ives chapter reveals, “Grammar’s first preparatory school opened on 9 February 1954, under the Headmastership of Mr Roy Dent, formerly Senior History, Geography and Economics Master at College Street. “By June, 85 day boys were attending the school and it was declared a huge success. The second stage of its development was to build several dormitory blocks designed to take up to 30 primary level boarders, an assembly hall and other necessary additions. Unlike its counterpart at Edgecliff, St Ives Prep had a wealth of surrounding land previously being a site for citrus orchards of around 14 acres.” 2075 magazine has previously written about one of the neighbouring orchards. A row of 18 historic pear trees of the nashi (Asian) variety, perhaps over a century old, are growing directly opposite the school, behind a bus stop on Mona Vale Rd. St Ives Sydney Grammar Preparatory School 1967. Photo: Max Dupain / SG Archives In Shorelife magazine, an interview with record-breaking tennis legend John Newcombe (who resides in Pymble) revealed he attended Sydney Grammar St Ives Preparatory for his primary school years. The 79-year-old former world number one in both singles and doubles tennis, said, “When I drive along Mona Vale Rd, past Grammar Prep, I still have memories of big orange orchards, which are ovals now… The orange orchards got me the cane. Six on the bum. You were forbidden to go down to the orchards, so we always used to go there and have orange fights. You would get sprung and then you would get six [strokes of the cane]!” Railway rumblings Considering most of the privately-administered schools on Sydney’s North Shore are along the railway corridor from North Sydney to Hornsby, why is the Sydney Grammar St Ives Preparatory and Brigidine College, a girls’ Catholic secondary school a short distance away, located in the comparatively remote St Ives? Especially as when they were both established in 1954, St Ives was relatively unpopulated, because it consisted mainly of the aforementioned orchards and a network of market gardeners. This was because there was a serious proposal to construct a railway line from Gordon to Mona Vale, which would have run in close conjunction to Mona Vale Rd, passing through St Ives. (Mona Vale Rd, cleared and bitumen-coated in the 1930s, was previously known as Pittwater Rd along the eastwards stretch to the Northern Beaches, and Stoney Creek Rd from St Ives west to Lane Cove Rd – now Pacific Highway. It was a city-bound dirt track for the horse-drawn timber wagons of the district’s first landholder, magistrate and emancipated convict, Daniel Dering Mathew.) St Ives Sydney Grammar School's music students, 1975. Photo: SG Archives As 2075 magazine has previously explored, St Ives was initially identified by European settlers as a prime timber district; then, from the 1850s, after the forests were felled, fruit trees were planted in their stead. St Ives was not connected to the Sydney electricity grid until 1914. Yet, it was not rezoned from ‘rural’ to ‘residential’ until 1959, five years after these two schools were opened, when new streets and houses populated the suburb. In November 1911, the first formal proposal for a rail route between Gordon and the Northern Beaches was raised by the President of the Ku-Ring-Gai Shire Council, Rev Paul Clipsham, who said: “It would run through St Ives one of the most thriving fruit growing districts in the state. It would carry heavy consignments of fruit to Sydney and doubtless when communication with Broken Bay was opened up much of the fish supply of Sydney would be carried by it.” However, it was voted down, due mainly to the sparse population and lack of infrastructure in the vicinity, and because a tramway along the same route was already in consideration. St Ives Sydney Grammar Preparatory School 1967. Photo: Max Dupain / SG Archives In June 1921, the railway was seriously reconsidered, when John Estell MP, the NSW Secretary for Public Works and NSW Minister for Railways, inspected a proposed route from Gordon to Narrabeen through St Ives, and announced he’d “recommend” to his colleagues a new rail link to the coast. It didn’t eventuate. Public pressure for a railway line to the coast increased as the St Ives population expanded over the coming decades. With the major development of infrastructure in the 1950s and the subsequent influx of settlers, residents felt confident St Ives would be linked by rail to the main North Shore Line at Gordon. Indeed, the Department of Main Roads, in their 1957-58 Programme of Works, approved widening Mona Vale Rd to overcome constant traffic congestion. Hence why it made good sense to establish Sydney Grammar Preparatory School on Mona Vale Rd, the proposed rail route. History of Sydney Grammar School and High Achievers Meanwhile, the school, initially built among the old citrus groves, expanded their playing fields as the orchardists alongside subdivided and sold their farmlands. A kindergarten was added to the infants and primary and its student intake increased to around 440 pupils, educated up to sixth grade, most of whom came from the surrounding district. Nevertheless, despite the St Ives campus’ relative isolation, Sydney Grammar, along with its senior school in the city, distinguishes itself as a high-achieving educational establishment. Story time for St Ives School students,1960. Photo: SG Archives For example, in the 2022 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), Sydney Grammar secondary school was in the top 10 best performing schools nationwide, and the top performing private school, a distinction it also achieved in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2013. Furthermore, notable alumni include three former Prime Ministers (the 1st, Edmund Barton, 20th, Billy McMahon and 29th, Malcolm Turnbull), Olympic gold medal swimmer Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton, and bush poet and author of Waltzing Matilda, Banjo Patterson, as well as outstanding achievers in the world of science, creative arts, sports and academia. However, the school students, and indeed the rest of the population of St Ives, are all still waiting for the arrival of that Gordon to Northern Beaches train service… St Ives Sydney Grammar website Sydney Grammar History archive Sydney Grammar Photo archive St Ives Sydney Grammar Preparatory School, 1960. Photo: SG Archives

More on St Ives How long have you been with IGA, and at St Ives? My wife and I started the business at the end of 2012. I had a mentor from the Chriss Family [who manage five IGA branches on the Upper North Shore] that assisted us to set up the business, as this was a complete career change for both of us. My wife Sarai was involved in customer service for Blackmores Pharmaceutical and I was in a family international furniture removal business. Did you grow up or live in St Ives? What do you love about the area? I grew up in Collaroy on the Northern Beaches and was originally born in South Africa. My family migrated to Australia in 1980 and this 5 year old really didn’t have much connection with South Africa. I am of South African Indian origin and my wife is a Kiwi. I support the Wallabies and she naturally supports the All Blacks! My almost 20 years of marriage has been tough to watch from a Rugby point of view! I rediscovered my South African culture and was also introduced to a number of other cultures in our area. The melting pot of St Ives has been a great experience for our little store. Everyone has been welcoming and always supporting our business to ensure we remain in the area. We didn’t really think at first that St Ives has a community. We were so wrong! And after setting up the St Ives Community page on Facebook we have experienced a lot of love for our business, along with other businesses. We have helped the community see what a beautiful environment we live in and it has helped us to be more connected. What's great about IGA St Ives? Why should people shop there? People have choices and we should not only be supportive of our business, but be supportive of the Jonty’s from Stanley Street, and the Growers down the road from us. In 2018/19 it was a tough year for a number of retail food outlets and we can’t survive without the support. Sure you will pay a little more for smaller retail services due to economies of scale, however we still offer over 1300 specials a week in alcohol and grocery. We support our locals by offering free delivery within St Ives for over $30 spend. We have a number of our elderly customers that just want to have a chat to order, so we offer this service. We provide a lot of pre-ordered meat and bakery goods for the local Jewish Community. They have supported us and spread the word in the community during holiday commemorative events. We will also do our best to locate odd items for customers. Another great reason to shop with us is to avoid the large crowds, listen to some funky music in store, have a laugh with our beautiful staff, and simply enjoy the experience of shopping again. Have you got any tips for buying fresh produce? Seasonal fruit is always the best choice. It’s a tough one when we have customers that request plums when they are out of season and imported. We prefer not to have these fruit from overseas, however if the demand is there we will happily bring them in for customer. A good tip for avocadoes is not to put green hard avocadoes in the fridge as they will brown on the inside. You can wait until the avocadoes ripen darker and then put in the fridge to give longevity. What is the strangest/most amazing thing that has happened in the store? Throughout the years, we have had the best staff and some are still with us from 2012. We have a lot of siblings that have continued the tradition and joined our family. Even after leaving, a number of them still come in to inform us what they are doing in life and convert from staff family to friends. The most amazing thing about our store is mentoring young students through issues that they may not feel comfortable talking to parents about and helping them through life. I can give you a number of funny stories and funny customers, but I think helping kids has been amazing. Not all have been successful, but without doubt the majority are some of the best staff in the area.

What a time to be thinking of buying or selling property! Since the current COVID lockdown began, the McConnell Bourn team has successfully sold in excess of $56 million worth of property across the North Shore, including St Ives. McConnell Bourn’s record-breaking sales numbers for July might come as a surprise to many, but not for the savvy buyers and sellers swept up to their advantage in the momentum. With the extension of the LGA Restrictions, many of our owners came to realise that waiting to see the end of the lockdown might mean waiting till 2022. As such, clients are realising that it is in fact an opportune time to take advantage of the lower volume of properties currently being offered for sale and the consistently strong buyer appetite. This combination is causing exceptional jumps in the median house price across the North Shore. As you can imagine, we’ve left no stone unturned to make sure we continue to provide our legendary property marketing and negotiation facilities. Like other agencies, McConnell Bourn has embraced an online auction feature. Ours is called “The Zoom Room”, which is proving to be a very successful and popular function. The Zoom Room provides a friendly and easy to access facility as a means of harnessing competition to maximise a sale price, just like in-person auctions do. Harnessing and adapting to this technology, our very own talented and hugely successful Auctioneer, Vic Lorusso, plays a crucial role in achieving the best possible outcome and sale price on auction day. Vic has mastered the art of teasing out quite literally tens of thousands of unexpected additional sale dollars for vendors who chose McConnell Bourn to market their property. We believe our Zoom Room is superior to any other online auction technology currently in use in the market and best replicates the benefits of an in-person auction. The success of this new way of transacting property is evident in the sharp rise of the number of sales contracts issued per McConnell Bourn campaign, averaging 19, an average of 22 days on market, an average number of registered bidders increasing to 10, and an auction clearance rate of 100%. In addition to auctions, McConnell Bourn has successfully transacted many properties ‘off market’ over the past few weeks, evident that clients wishing to take advantage of the number of qualified buyers and sell their property, without having to undergo a typical campaign, is very advantageous in the current climate. The increased interest in property is by no means restricted to property sales. Our Property Management team has been busy continuing to manage and lease property across the North Shore. In particular, the team are seeing an ongoing demand for available rental properties, particularly houses, which is stabilising rent values. If you’re thinking of selling, buying or leasing property, or would simply like more information on the North Shore property market, please get in touch on 9496 2777. We’ve definitely got an “Open for Business” sign hanging on our office door. McConnell Bourn Ph: 9496 2777 www.mcconnellbourn.com.au

More of St Ives Avondale Pony Club is one of St Ives’ best preserved pieces of history, having withstood the test of time over the last 60 years to remain one of Sydney’s most popular pony clubs. The first committee meeting was held on 12 May 1951 by four very dedicated young ladies, who had a dream of bringing together like-minded horse lovers to form a pony club. With the help of enthusiastic (or long-suffering!) parents and relatives, the girls were able to build a club almost immediately, with Lesely Maxwell elected as the first president. The original Avondale Riding Club grounds were actually at the northern end of Westbrook Avenue in Wahroonga (now a residential area). In 1957 approval was granted to develop a scrubby rock escarpment at the end of Catherine St, St Ives, into an area that was appropriate for horse activity - and so the hard work began! After many years of labouring, filling glass and levelling ground, the beautiful grounds St Ives residents have access to today started to take shape. Avondale Riding Club developed a reputation for producing riders that excelled in various forms of riding and mastered skills around basic horsemanship and care. Whilst encouraging versatility across various disciplines the club became quite prominent in the dressage scene and until 1988, held the NSW Junior Dressage Championships, where Avondale riders figured prominently many times. Edwina Tops-Alexander, one of Australia’s best show jumpers and highest-ranked female riders internationally, also started her riding career at lil’ old Avondale! Today, Avondale boasts a cross country course, various colourful show jumps and a full-size sand dressage arena. The club welcomes members of almost all ages (8-80) and anyone wanting to join will simply need to join Pony Club NSW and complete the registration form on the website. Pony Club members do require their own horse or a lease pony. Avondale also offers ground membership options open to any riders wanting to use the amazing facilities. It has taken a village to keep this little slice of paradise maintained and open for people of all ages to utilise; aside form horse riding, a lot of locals use the grounds for exercise or recreational purposes. Having been around for over 60 years, the Avondale Committee always welcomes support from the local community in maintaining the grounds - they are currently holding a fundraiser to improve and upgrade some equipment! Avondale Pony Club Catherine Street, St Ives Website FB: www.facebook.com/groups/AvondalePonyClub Ph: 0410 401 621

More on St Ives The area now known as St Ives was originally - towards the end of the 19th century - called Rosedale, named after a prominent estate established by the first European to be granted land in the district, David Matthew. Here's a little St Ives history. By ALEC SMART The original Headmaster's Cottage from the first school in St Ives. Photo: Alec Smart However, the region of Roseville, 8km to the south-east, which was first settled in 1814, had a very similar-sounding name and town planners realised there was a strong likelihood mail would get mixed-up between the geographically close neighbourhoods. So, a name change was inevitable. There is a direct historical link between the two suburbs and how they developed from land grants to prominent European settlers, who extracted the timber and cleared them for orchards and farms until, finally, they were subdivided into residential zones, businesses and infrastructure. St Ives History Starts With Timber St Ives’ origins as a settlement began when the region was identified as a source of prime timber, known as blue gum high forest because it featured the tall, straight and highly sought-after Sydney blue gum. Throughout the 1790s and well into the late 1800s, the tallest trees, which can reach over 30 metres in height and spread 8 metres across their base, were felled for houses, wharves, bridges, fence posts and rail and tram sleepers. The wood, which is hard, even-textured and easy to shape, was also highly prized for boatbuilding, wall panelling, flooring and furniture production because of its rich dark honey colouring. Once the trees were felled – much of it by unregulated lumber traders who carted it down dirt tracks to boats waiting in Pittwater and Middle Harbour Creek - the prime soil was cultivated for growing fruits, and orchards sprung up in orderly rows. These replaced the diversity of the native forests and dispersed the wildlife, and set the course for an agriculture-based economy to sustain the ever-expanding British colony. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia’s third-oldest national park that eventually enclosed and protected the region, was not declared until 1894. Until then, there was little regulation of timber felling – which led to the current critically endangered status of blue gum high forest, once dominant across the Sydney region, as well as the similarly endangered turpentine ironbark forest. Dalrymple Hay - the last of the critically endangered blue gum high forest. Photo: Alec Smart First St Ives Settlers The first four of the most prominent European settlers on the Upper North Shore, who felled the forests then cleared the ground for agriculture, were Michael Fitzgerald, William Henry, David Matthew and Richard Archbold. Archbold (who would later purchase Fitzgerald’s estate in 1857), farmed alongside Matthew, a timber merchant and magistrate. Matthew extracted timber from a 400 acre plot of land he was granted in 1819 and named Clanville Estate. Archbold operated from a neighbouring 600 acre estate. Archbold’s son-in-law lived on their property in a stone cottage called Rosa Villa, from which the suburb ultimately derived its name. In 1819, St Ives history started in earnest. Matthew returned to England, purchased saw milling machinery, and imported it back to Sydney. In 1823 he was granted an additional 800 acre plot of land 8km further north from Clanville, in a forested region that encompassed present-day east Pymble and central St Ives, which he named Rosedale. He was the first European to settle in this area. (Rosedale Rd now runs through his former estate, from Mona Vale Rd at St Ives Village Shopping Centre south towards Gordon Station.) Junction of Cowan Rd and Pittwater Rd (now Mona Vale Road), St. Ives, circa 1909. Image courtesy Ku-Ring-Gai Historical Society. In 1824 Matthew set up his saw mill on the junction between a dirt track – Cowan Rd – and a cross-street known as Stoney Creek Rd (later renamed Pittwater Rd, then Mona Vale Rd) that he cut into the forest to enable carriage of his timber to the city. A water trough was established near here for the teams of horses deployed to haul the timber south to Sydney Harbour or north to Pittwater, for transportation via sea to the rapidly expanding British colony. In 1830, David Matthew sold Clanville further south to his neighbour, Richard Archbold (who cleared the remaining trees and planted orchards), and focused on felling the trees around Rosedale. Rosedale Farm By the 1860s, after most of the timber in the region was extracted and the ground levelled for agriculture, Matthew and the other major landholder, John Ayres, subdivided and sold off their estates – the latter’s named Rosedale Farm. A network of orchardists developed and the community of Rosedale became renowned for its fruit, whilst Chinese market gardeners cultivated vegetables in the area around what is now St Ives Village Green. The history of St Ives records that some of the major landowners gave their names to streets or neighbouring suburbs, such as George Mudie (Mudies Rd), John Ayres (Ayres Rd) and James Terrey (Terrey Hills). In the 1880s the population of Rosedale expanded further as the estates were subdivided into smallholdings with resident market gardeners and a small dairy. However, because Rosedale was isolated from the railway, it was not connected to the Sydney grid of electricity until 1914 so the region consisted primarily of orchard growers and tenant farmers (the area was not rezoned from ‘rural’ to ‘residential’ until 1959, when new streets and houses contributed to a massive population influx). Meanwhile, Rosa Villa cottage was demolished circa 1895 to make way for the North Shore Line railway between St Leonards and Hornsby (completed May 1899 and opened on 1 January 1890. The line was then extended south to Milsons Point to link up with a jetty for ferries crossing Sydney Harbour. This latter section opened on 1 May 1893). Archbold’s land was subdivided and sold for residential development and infrastructure. St Ives, Cornwall, UK - an unlikely inspiration for the Sydney suburb. Photo: Alec Smart Origin of St Ives Name On 10 November 1885, Rosedale Post Office opened, followed a few years later by Rosedale Public school on 6 May 1889. It was another 11 years before the suburb was renamed St Ives. Some people think St Ives was named after the historic fishing village in Cornwall, south-western England. That town was named after the Irish Saint Ia, whom, legend has it, touched a floating leaf with a rod after praying for transport to England, and it enlarged into a vessel strong enough to carry her across the Irish Sea and deposit her on the Cornish shoreline. However, St Ives history of the name suggest that it was most likely named after Isaac Ellis Ives who arrived in Sydney in 1857, aged 17, and managed warehouses for Tooth & Co brewery before becoming a politician. In 1885 he was elected to represent the ward of St Leonards in the NSW Legislative Assembly (Lower House), which encompassed the Rosedale and Roseville districts, serving until 1889 when he retired. During that time, he successfully petitioned the Postmaster General to approve the 1885 construction of the post office in Rosedale, and later lobbied for the public school. The original Headmaster’s Cottage still stands at the corner of Rosedale Rd and Porter’s Lane, now a restaurant (for years inside the grounds of the former St Ives Central Public School). Ives then became a City of Sydney Councillor, serving from 1893-98, during which time he was Mayor of Sydney from 1896-97. Ives used to row back and forth across the harbour between The Rocks and his home in Mosman, and Watermen’s Steps, the point from which he departed on the city side, were renamed Ives Steps Wharf in 1896, during his term as Mayor. Renaming of Rosedale The rural community of Rosedale was renamed St Ives in approximately 1900, most likely in Ives’ honour, a year or so after he retired from politics. Ives himself died in 1906, aged 66. Isaac Ives, Sydney Mayor 1896-97, the most likely candidate who inspired the Sydney suburb named St Ives. Photo: Wikimedia/Sydney Council ====================================

More on St Ives An excellent butcher is a necessity in any suburb. Thankfully for St Ives, we have a Craig Cook – The Natural Butcher store, managed by Glenn Wright. We spoke to Glenn about his role and what it’s like serving up great produce to the community day after day. Glenn, what brought you to the store manager role at the St Ives store? It was actually by accident. I started at the Northbridge store, and the manager position for St Ives became available. I applied for it, and the executive team thrust me into the role, and the rest is history! The Natural Butcher has served the St Ives Community for over 15 years. What has your experience been like being a part of such a community fixture? Well, I’ve only been in my role for four years. But I love it. Being a part of a community has a special feel to it. Very fulfilling. I know Craig Cook’s fresh produce is a usual topic around the dining table; it's a special feeling knowing that our service and products become a part of the family dinner discussion. What can you tell about your excellent team? They're incredible, and that’s an understatement! We all come from different backgrounds with different specialities and skills. When we work as a team, we can give the community a wealth of knowledge from our different niche passions of meat and food. Why do you think the St Ives Community continues to support your store? Friendly demeanour, fresh produce, attention to detail, customer service and the ability to meet specific needs and special requirements. I believe by staying consistent with these qualities, the community will continue to trust and support us. What sets The Natural Butcher apart from other butchers? Our master craftsmanship, I believe, is what sets us apart. We continually refine and build on our trade skills, staying ahead of industry development and leading the way in product development. We can stand above other butchers and continue to be at the forefront of the trade. Glenn, as store manager, what keeps you committed to the store and its customers? The most rewarding part of my job is hearing how they made the meal. Whether it be a party/family BBQ or just a Wednesday night dinner. Hearing how what we did made the occasion more special is why I am so committed to the role and its customers. The store is a sponsor of St Ives Football Club; why do you feel it is important to support the community in this way? We like to support and give back to the community that supports us. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? We're open 7 days a week from 6:30am – 5:30pm. We love what we do, and we do what we love for the community we serve. In the mood for pork chops? What about an excellent beef rump? For high-quality, premium meat, you can visit Craig Cook – The Natural Butcher, St Ives in St Ives Shopping Village at 111/172 Mona Vale Road, St Ives.

More on St Ives Keep the oceans clean and your garden looking great with Elho’s pots, and the new sustainable Ocean Collection line. Origins of Elho And Sustainability Eco-conscious Dutch greenwares brand Elho began as a small family business in 1964 and has been focusing on sustainability ever since, with all products designed and manufactured in Holland. Additionally, Elho create their beautiful designer pots by using over 8 million kilos of waste each year! Not only do Elho’s pots and amazing products work to save the planet, but they’re also built to last a lifetime - designed with long-lasting colours, UV protection, lightweight and frost-resistant materials – they are the perfect addition to any home. What’s more, all of their products are made using renewable energy via wind power. In March of this year, scientists reported that there were more than 170 trillion plastic particles floating in our oceans, with the rate of plastic waste entering aquatic environments set to more than double by 2040 unless plastic production is slowed. Now, making use of recyclable materials and re-claimed waste particles is more important than ever. We can hardly go online or watch television today without seeing images of polluted oceans; thankfully, Elho is trying to change that by bringing sustainability into the garden and home! Their newest range, the Ocean Collection Designer Pots, is made - as all Elho pots are - with 100% recycled materials. This collection helps keep our oceans and waterways clean as each pot is made using recycled maritime plastic granules. This includes plastic from items such as fishing ropes, nets, and dragnets. This inventive process of using different, recycled plastics allows for every pot to be unique, with different colour tones and natural marble effects reflecting the colours of the ocean such as “Pacific Green” and “Atlantic Blue”. This makes them perfect for mixing and matching around your home and garden. Not to mention they come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit your needs. Elho is a world-leading innovator in garden pots with selections for all spaces and styles – indoor or outdoor, hanging or floor, balcony pots or raised veggie beds – Elho has all your gardening needs in one sustainable and stylish brand! They also have you covered with an extensive range of gardening accessories, including self-watering inserts and greensense aqua cares – designed to help your plants receive the right amount of water. Finding Elho Pots Elho pots, accessories and their new Ocean Collection can be purchased online and are stocked at most Bunnings and Flower Power stores throughout Sydney – to find your closest store selling Elho pots or to order yours today, head to www.elho.com/au

More on St Ives It was not a career move Diana Taylor anticipated. The founder of Sway Curtains was furthering her expertise as an actuary by studying a Master’s when she ran into a challenge while updating her home: the curtain choices were simply not up to her standards. What began as a personal problem then became a business in 2018, filling a gap in the market that only seemed to offer mass-produced curtains or over-priced, bland designs. She found high-quality European fabric in Turkey for a fraction of the price she was paying in Australia and figured there must be others who were willing to pay good money but who hadn’t received value in return. Thus began Sway Curtains, which first started in Seaforth with Taylor doing home consultations with samples loaded into her car, and then followed with a move to the Belrose Super Centre as the range and business grew. (The brand also has a showroom in Avalon.) If it seems like an unusual career pivot for an actuary, that’s because it is. While most design professionals come from artistic backgrounds, the self-confessed maths geek undertook an interiors qualification and then found she had a technical advantage with her skillset. “Both myself and the people that I hire are very technical and very precise. It looks easy, but there is a lot of knowledge in there and there’s a lot to do when it comes to technical [things], from little hooks to big, motorised tracks,” says Taylor. One challenging job was fitting curtains for the Sydney Opera House. “It was a wavy floor and the curtain had to follow that wave to a one-centimetre height. It was a tedious job. We measured every 20 centimetres and we had to tailor it,” she recalls. “It was quite complex and I was very happy to put my mathematical skills to use.” Her analytical brain also comes in handy when looking to “balance a room”, which is part of the reason why she’s focused on window décor – it’s all about having the greatest influence on the feeling people have upon entering. “Visually, if you come to think of it mathematically, it has a huge impact. You enter a room and the curtains are running three metres high, four metres wide: that’s 12 square metres. A couch might only be one by three metres; a rug is not in your eyeline when you enter a room.” Taylor encourages customers to start in the showroom to curate a shortlist of samples based on the vibe they want for the room, before bringing a Sway design consultant into their space. Allowing more decision time upfront pays dividends when it comes to an interiors’ product that’s designed to dominate a room. “It's a long-term investment that needs to be thought through. We always want to stay with the customer until they find what they like and actually fits them well,” she says. “Whenever I talk to customers, I say, ‘what feeling do you want to get when you enter this room? Do you want it to be formal or do you want it to be casual and relaxed?’ That investment is really important because a curtain can last for many, many years. Five years later when you look at it, it should still represent you and give you that good feeling.” Today, in addition to its exclusive European fabrics, Sway offers an Australian-made range as well, with 50-50 imported versus locally produced materials thanks to its extensive supplier network; its showroom represents the Northern Beaches’ largest range. The brand’s custom fitting service takes four weeks from quote to finish, and in six years of business it has meticulously installed window coverings in more than 1000 homes, plus clients like the Sydney Opera House and the Australian Museum. If there’s one recommendation Taylor wants to share with people looking to update their curtains, it’s to “just go with your heart” and let the professionals look after the details. “Sometimes there is a big risk in overthinking. Let the consultant reason. Having a super experienced consultant means the client has the whole freedom to choose with their hearts.” Visit Sway Curtains (swaycurtains.com.au) at Level 1, Belrose Super Centre, 4-6 Niangala Close, Belrose. Top tips for curtain care Diana of Sway Curtains shares her tips to keep your curtains looking immaculate. How often should people clean their curtains? “It depends where they live. We have people who don't wash them for 10 years, but then we have clients with allergies who want to wash them every year or two because they live next to a busy road or dusty area. Or they have kids who put their hands on it. So it depends on your lifestyle.” How should they clean the curtains? “Curtains can be vacuumed. It’s very efficient.” What about washing them? “For very thick curtains, give them a baby bath. Throw them in the bathtub and wash them like you'd wash a baby – gentle. They don't need any tumbling.” Local favourite Diana’s family enjoys the zipline at St Ives Treetops Adventure, just on the border of Ku-ring-gai National Park. “It's our favourite place in St Ives.” By Adeline Teoh

More on Lane Cove Here are just a handful of highlights from the century and a quarter of Lane Cove’s lifespan so far. Founding of Lane Cove Lane Cove’s first stepping stone to becoming an LGA was as the River Ward - one of two wards that formed North Willoughby Municipality in 1865. A mere 20 years later, the residents were already itching for independence and petitioned for their own municipal status, but it was denied. Persistent and determined, the feisty residents petitioned again a decade later, and in February 1895, the new Municipality of Lane Cove was finally declared. History of Lane Cove Access By Water With much of its perimeter being outlined by the Lane Cove River, it’s not surprising that early access and transport was mostly by watercraft. Ferries have been servicing the area in one form or another since the early 1800s. The Sydney Ferry service from Circular Quay to Greenwich Point is an iteration of a service that was established in 1850 with a route that travelled further along the Lane Cove River. Fig Tree Bridge, built in 1885, was the first bridge to span Lane Cove River. With early versions of the Gladesville and Iron Cove bridges opening at around the same time, Lane Cove was connected (albeit circuitously) to Sydney town by land transport. Then, in 1932, a certain single span, iconic coat-hanger styled bridge joined the northern and southern shores of Sydney Harbour, and Lane Cove was suddenly not so far away from the big smoke. The opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge led to a huge uptick in residential and commercial growth in the Lane Cove LGA. The Swan Family The Swan Family owned a large parcel of land which they had purchased in 1895. They had tried various commercial ventures including growing strawberries and watermelons but it wasn’t until around 1910 that they finally lighted upon a successful idea. Inspired by the popularity of other pleasure grounds in the area, the family landscaped their property, placed painted cut-outs and sculptures of fairytale characters all around, installed a kiosk, wooden pirate ship, slippery dip, upside-down house and other playground attractions and christened the location Fairyland Pleasure Ground. It was a huge success. A dance hall was added in 1930 along with a netted enclosure in the river so that people could swim. Fairyland lasted until 1969. The land was acquired by National Parks in the1970s, now forming part of Lane Cove National Park.

More on Lane Cove By ALEC SMART Here is the story about the best kayaking on the Lane Cover River, Sydney as it joins the Parramatta River and Sydney Harbour. A Navy punt passes Fig Tree House. Photo: Alec Smart About the Lane Cove River, Sydney The 2066 postcode region is dominated by the Lane Cove River that flows 15km from a confluence of creeks, snaking its way south into coves and bays before joining Parramatta River on the western edge of Sydney Harbour. The indigenous Cammeraygal people called the area where the two rivers met ‘Mookaboola', which literally means ‘meeting of waters’, while Lane Cove River was known to them as Turrumburra (or Turranburra). Covering a catchment area of around 95 square kilometres, Lane Cove River is separated by a weir mid-way near Fullers Bridge. Its narrow, freshwater upper reaches lie within the forested Lane Cove National Park, while the lower section is a tidal estuary characterised by mangroves and oyster-covered rocks between private wharves and waterfront properties. Seen on a map, the four peninsulas that make up the lower region of the 2066 postcode, around which the river flows west to east – Linley Point, Riverview, Longueville, Northwood – could be described as four ‘fingers’ (albeit taking into account those fingers would be lopped off at the first knuckle!). Lane Cove River, seen from Longueville. Photo: Alec Smart Kayaking on Lane Cove River in Sydney With a friend I set out to explore the bays characterising the aforementioned four fingers, paddling downstream on kayaks. We dropped into the dark green river at Cunningham’s Reach on Linley Point, where there is convenient waterside parking accessible from Burns Bay Road, and stone steps descending into the water. The tide was out, and as we paddled beneath Fig Tree Bridge we came upon a sandbank where a pelican sun-baked beside a few squawking seagulls. Adjacent to the bridge, in Hunters Hill to the south, is historic Fig Tree House, an attractive yellow timber and stone cottage built in 1836 by successful businesswoman Mary Reiby. Mary, whose portrait appears on one side of the orange $20 note, was an English-born merchant and shipowner. However, she originally arrived in chains among the Fourth Fleet of convicts on the Royal Admiral in 1792, after she was sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing a horse. Fig Tree House, Hunters Hill. Photo: Alec Smart Kayaking in Burns Bay, Sydney To enter Burns Bay, we paddled around Linley Point, one of Sydney’s smallest suburbs, which has only 131 houses, including heritage-listed Linley House (now a privately-owned B&B), and Carisbrook (now a museum of life in the 1880s). In the 1860s this area was utilised as an abattoir by the Ludowici and Radke tanneries, where no doubt the blood from slaughtered stock washed into the cove to feed hungry sharks. Riverview, the peninsula to the east of Burns Bay, is dominated by the playing fields and buildings of St Ignatius, a boys-only Jesuit school. On the shoreline at the tip of Riverview is a small two-tone pagoda with an Indian-style domed roof, in which newly-married couples often pose for romantic clinches after they’ve tied the knot. Indian-style pagoda on the shore of Lane Cove River, Riverview. Photo: Alec Smart, Tambourine Bay on the Lane Cove River Tambourine Bay, between the peninsulas of Riverview and Longueville, was a popular fishing cove for the Cammeraygal, who used multi-pronged fishing spears (which British colonists called ‘fizz-gigs’), nets woven from tree fibres, and hooks carved from bones. Fishing was done from rock platforms or bark canoes; fires were often lit on stone slabs in the canoes where fish were cooked fresh as soon as they were pulled from the water. There used to be a tidal swimming pool in Tambourine Bay, built circa 1930 and mainly used by St Ignatius students for swimming tournaments and training, but it was demolished in 2015. As we followed Longueville peninsula around into Woodford Bay, we observed caves set into the overhanging sandstone strata, where the Cammeraygal people lived along the shoreline in close proximity to the seafood on which they thrived. Woodford Bay, between Longueville and Northwood, is densely packed with anchored yachts. Woodford Bay Bicentennial Reserve on the Longueville side features a sea pool with a walkway along one edge. It is staked with timber fencing to shark-proof the enclosure (although some of those wooden bars are missing with gaps wide enough for a hungry bull shark to swim through!). Dinghies on the beach at Woodford Bay, Longueville. Photo: Alec Smart Woodford Bay and Home Woodford Bay is where a military stockade was built in 1790, during the time the European settlers began expanding north from their Sydney Cove settlement and encountered Aboriginal resistance during land clearance. A permanent garrison of soldiers here clashed with the Indigenous inhabitants, among them feared resistance leader Pemulway. The final part of our watery journey took us around Northwood, named after Northwood House, the first estate to be built on the headland in 1878. After owner Jane Davys’ death in 1903, it was sold to Abdul Wade, a camel breeder from Bourke who kept his camels on the grounds before losing the house in a poker game. Gore Creek, between Northwood and Greenwich, is a small inlet that features more mangroves than waterfront properties. It is the last cove before the Lane Cove River flows out between the Woolwich and Greenwich peninsulas into Parramatta River. Then we undertook the long paddle back to Cunningham’s Reach... Burns Bay, Riverview. Photo: Alec Smart ---------------------------------- On weekdays, Captain Cook ferries visit wharves at Northwood, Longueville, and Riverview College: www.captaincook.com.au/sydney-harbour-cruises/ferries/lane-cove-ferry/ Lane Cove Kayakers racing and fitness club: www.lcrk.org.au/ Kayaks and small boats for hire in the upper (freshwater) area of Lane Cove River, above the weir: www.lanecoveboatshed.com.au/ Waterfront parks and facilities: www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/Community/ParksandRecreation/Pages/Parks.aspx

With New Year's Eve upon us, Neighbourhood Media’s own Robert Everett shares his tips and tricks for hosting your own summer dinner party. I love to cook and inviting friends over to eat has always been one of my favorite things to do. However, dinner parties and BBQs can stress me to the point where, once the last pot is washed and the dishwasher has been loaded, I have been known to exhale a passionate “never again!” That’s why I have some hard and fast rules when it comes to hosting dinner parties, and they have held me in good stead and made life much easier. KEEP IT SIMPLE. My first rule is simple: keep it simple. Beans on toast is maybe too simple, but unless you’re cooking for your boss or Nigella Lawson the food at any dinner party is and always should be secondary; it is the conduit, the excuse for conversation, friendship and a good evening. Sweating away in the kitchen for the day only to be too tired or frustrated to enjoy some good company is no fun for anyone, so keeping things as simple as possible leaves you free to enjoy the reasons for inviting friends over in the first place. And this brings me to my second rule: TRIED AND TESTED Whether it is the traditional BBQ in the garden or a sit-down at home, now is not the time for experimentation. Just because Nigella can do it with one eye closed while writing her latest best seller doesn’t mean us mere mortals can as well. Do what you know. Dinner parties can and often are a stressful minefield, so lessen the stress and rustle up an old favorite you absolutely know you can nail. ACCEPT FAILURES (and serve them anyway) We all have failures, but does it really matter if it looks like it’s already been eaten? No. My Steamed Orange pudding incident of 2018 has gone down in the annals of dinner party infamy amongst my friends and still causes mirth to this day. I may never live down serving something that looked like a steaming pile of something else, but the laughter it caused made it worthwhile. Embarrassing? Yes. Tasty? Absolutely. IT’S ALL IN THE PRESENTATION Setting a table, or decorating the garden or terrace makes the simplest of servings something special. I have a tendency to go a bit far when I’m setting my table for friends, but for me that’s the fun part. Candles in jam jars, swathes of Rosemary in terra-cotta pots from the Reject Shop (if not the shed), a dozen vases and mismatched teacups from Vinnies with a few flowers and tea-lights. It is a chance to really set a mood for the evening’s entertainment and conversation. I have repurposed pretty much everything in the house at one time or another in the pursuit of knocking up a centrepiece that makes the table look inviting. There is no right or wrong way to achieve this. Whether pauper or prince, using one’s creativity to garnish the table and the food is such a fun way to delight guests and welcome them. Bon appetite!

It's a new year, and that means we've got a long summer ahead of us. It is more important than ever to ensure your pet is kept safe from heat related illness. Dr Paws offers our readers expert advice on how. Heatstroke is a serious concern for our four-legged friends, which is why as pet owners it is important to take steps to ensure your pet is feeling cool and comfortable throughout the summer period. Tips for staying cool: 1. Ensure cool shelter with good ventilation is available. Keeping pets indoors with air conditioning on warmer days is ideal. 2. Freeze ice blocks and place them in your pet’s water bowl. 3. Purchase a small paddling pool that they can sit in to cool off. Alternatively, if your fur friend doesn’t enjoy swimming then you can either wet their paws or mist their face with water. Placing a cold wet towel around them is another good option. 4. Limit walking time to either early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the hottest hours of the day. Walking on extremely warm pavement can be painful for pets’ sensitive paws, and should be avoided. 5. Never leave them in a car on a warm day. Even when parked in the shade, hot cars can prove fatal for pets. Signs of heat-related illness - Excessive panting - Dizziness, staggering - Lethargy, weakness - Drooling, salivating - Vomiting If your pet is showing any of these signs then we highly recommend calling Dr Paws Lane Cove on (02) 9428 1174 and our friendly team will be able to help. www.drpaws.com.au/lanecove/