Tuga Pastries: Sydney’s very own piece of Portugal, baked in the heart of the Eastern Suburbs. Tuga Pastries has become one of the Eastern Suburbs’, and Sydney’s, most talked-about bakeries. And their reputation wasn’t built on fast-fading hype. It was built on tradition, heritage, premium ingredients and closely guarded family recipes that have been passed down through generations. Founded in 2017 by second-generation baker Diogo Ferreira, Tuga Pastries was created to continue and honour a family legacy that began decades earlier. The name itself, Tuga, is a colloquial Portuguese term for someone from Portugal - a nod to identity, culture and belonging that sits at the heart of everything the brand represents. His father, Agostinho Ferreira, arrived in Australia in the 1980s, bringing with him the traditions and techniques of Portuguese baking. At a time when authentic European-style pastries were still rare in Sydney, his work introduced a craft defined by discipline, precision and cultural pride - the foundations for what would eventually become Tuga. At the heart of the brand is the Pastel de Nata, Portugal’s iconic tart. More than just a signature item, it is a cultural cornerstone of Portuguese baking and café life. With its crisp, layered shell and rich, caramelised sauce, it has become the defining product of Tuga Pastries. Each small batch reflects a family recipe passed down through generations, still closely guarded and made in-house with a focus on quality ingredients and traditional technique. What started as a single neighbourhood bakery has grown into a multi-location brand, backed by a production hub in Marrickville in 2024 and an ever growing cult following that stretches well beyond the Eastern Suburbs. Since first opening in 2017, expansion came quickly, with new sites opening in Alexandria in 2021 and Tuga x Village Clovelly in 2023 - right as the hospitality industry was being reshaped by COVID-19. “There were moments where I genuinely thought we might lose the business,” Diogo reflects. “But the support from the local community was incredible. People really made an effort to support small businesses, and that changed everything for us. In many ways, it strengthened who we are and our connection to the people around us.” That connection is especially visible in Clovelly, where Tuga is a part of the local landscape. The suburb's coastal rhythm, strong sense of community and appreciation for quality local operators made it a natural fit for the brand. The opening Tuga x Village further cemented that presence - a space designed not just for coffee and pastries, but for connection. This sense of community continues to guide Tuga’s growth, with a new CBD store set to open soon. Each week, Tuga continues to evolve its offering, balancing its core classics with a rotating selection of artisanal pastries - a point of difference that keeps the menu dynamic while staying anchored in tradition. Behind the scenes, thousands of pastries are produced each week, all shaped by the same philosophy of small-batch precision and the highest quality ingredients. Now approaching a decade since its foundation, Tuga Pastries stands as both a much-loved local fixture and a broader example of how heritage businesses can grow without losing their identity. Built on family history, shaped by community, and refined through craft, it remains - at its core - a small piece of Portugal, quietly baked into everyday life right across Randwick City and beyond. Tuga Pastries - Shop 6 Tuga x Village - Shop 1 231 Clovelly Rd, Clovelly tugapastries.com.au

By ALEC SMART Are you looking for things that go bump in the night? Check out our guide to the most haunted locations right across Sydney. Supernatural fears have accompanied humans since the dawn of time, when we first descended from the trees and took up residence in dark and spooky caves. Spirituality and religion have attempted to explain or exploit these quirks of our overactive imaginations, with bizarre or often bloody consequences. Gladesville Mental Hospital, Bedlam Point, Gladesville. Photo: Alec Smart But despite clambering higher up the food chain from prey to alpha predator, our species seems unable to shake off our fears of the unknown...and the undead. Whether scary stories give you the chills or make amusing cautionary tales, like unwanted hitchhikers clinging on the back of a moving truck, ghost legends remain attached to our folklore. Our city is no exception. Sydney’s ghoulish ghostly spirits spook dogs and cause chills, with footsteps often heard from unseen feet. Here we’ve identified a number of haunted places in Sydney, several of which are in close proximity to your neighbourhood. If you decide to visit these spooky spots after dark, remember to tell others where you’re going. Ghosts Sites in Sydney City Centre Royal Botanic Gardens, Central Sydney. A large collection of approximately 1000 Aboriginal artefacts and artworks was exhibited in the purpose-built Garden Palace for the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879. Tragically, on 22 Sept 1882, a fire engulfed the building, destroying “every publicly-owned artefact of the Aboriginal tribe, Eora, who inhabited the area before European settlement” as well as the results of the 1881 Census and other assorted government records along with sculptures and works of art. The Garden Palace, a reworking of London’s doomed Crystal Palace (itself destroyed by fire in 1936), the former site is now enclosed within Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens at the southwestern end near Macquarie Street. Although there is little trace of the Garden Palace where a Cupid statue now stands, it is among several sites in the Botanic Gardens reputedly haunted by various spectres. Rathborne Lodge, the 1856-built former residence of the Governor’s gardener towards the south-east corner, is reportedly haunted by a female ghost. Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket, City A male ‘phantom’ was reportedly seen roaming around the theatre premises during a refurbishment. Hyde Park Barracks, Central Sydney The former barracks, hospital, convict accommodation, mint and courthouse located at Macquarie Street in the city centre was once a prison housing over 800 convicts. Numerous noisy ghosts reportedly wander the premises, some with heavy footsteps, including a very vocal former superintendent who has been heard using ‘extremely foul language’. A woman dressed in white has also been observed loitering beneath a fig tree in the forecourt or ‘floating across the theatrette’, and a man in prisoner’s uniform ‘hovers’ in a hallway. Ghosts of Sydney City South Mortuary Station, Regent St, Chippendale Mortuary Railway Station, also known as Necropolis Receiving Station (now known as Regent Street Railway Station), was a platform on Sydney's Rookwood Cemetery railway line. It also hosted funeral trains to Woronora General Cemetery in Sutherland and Sandgate Cemetery, Newcastle. Funeral parties boarded special trains that transported them directly to the cemetery, with coffins loaded into a dedicated carriage behind the mourners. The ornate Free Gothic style sandstone building (still standing) opened in June 1869 (although funeral services began in January) and continued as a funeral terminus until 1938, and thereafter used to transport (live) horses and dogs, followed by parcels from 1950. The dedicated cemetery line wasn’t closed until 3 April 1948. The spirits of the departed who never departed the station are said to roam the platform. Mortuary Station, Regent Street, Chippendale. Photo: Alec Smart Central Railway Station, Haymarket Devonshire Street Cemetery was Sydney’s principal graveyard from 1820 to its last burial in 1866, when it was over-capacity. Over the next two decades the site fell into ruin. In 1901, to allow construction of Central Railway Station, NSW Govt paid for the disinterment and relocation of 8,500 remains to metropolitan cemeteries chosen by those closest to the deceased. The remaining 30,000+ unclaimed bodies were dug up and transported on a specially-built tram to La Perouse and buried in the new Bunnerong Cemetery. Construction of the railway proceeded, with Central Station opening on 4 Aug 1906. During the 1960s-70s, four tunnels were dug and four platforms built. Platforms 24 & 25 for the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line were opened in 1979, however, above them, platforms 26 & 27, intended for an airport line, were never utilised. (When an airport line was eventually constructed for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, modern trains were too heavy for the load-bearing limits of platforms 26 & 27.) The ghostly abandoned platforms included corridors leading to a disused station master’s office and toilets, and a disused jail cell complete with chains for shackling prisoners. Several rail employees and assorted other explorers have reported hearing voices there, despite the deserted platforms being deep underground beneath earth and concrete. In 2019-20, workers adapting platforms 26 & 27 to house 17 new power and communications rooms for the Sydney Metro Rail reported hearing the sounds of children playing on the platforms. Central Station, Haymarket. Photo: Alec Smart Ghosts in the Rocks + Millers Point The historic Rocks and Millers Pt neighbourhoods host many ghost tales, some attributed to the arrival of ‘black death’ in Jan 1900 via bubonic plague-infected ship rats, eventually killing 103 people. Hero of Waterloo Hotel, 81 Lower Fort St, Millers Point In 1849, Thomas Kirkman, landlord of this heritage-listed pub, reputedly pushed his wife Anne down the stairs to her death. Anne Kirkman’s ghost is believed to play late night piano music in the bar, and the venue website claims: “After upstairs functions rooms are reset for a new day, several chairs can be found facing the fireplace the next morning...” A popular venue for ghost tours, a smugglers’ tunnel that reportedly once coursed from the cellar under the road was allegedly used by press gangs to ‘shanghai’ wayward seafarers. A young man too tipsy to return home might be pushed through a trapdoor into the basement cell. There he was bundled on a wheelbarrow and pushed through the tunnel, and later wake up a sailor on board a ship in the King’s Navy. The basement cellar shill has shackles on the wall. The notorious cellar of the Hero of Waterloo, Millers Point. Photo: Alec Smart Observatory Hill, Upper Fort Street, Millers Point Observatory Hill was first named Windmill Hill by British colonists, because it was the site of Sydney’s first windmill. It featured a sandstone tower fitted with wheat-grinding machinery, built by emancipated Irish convict John Davis in 1796, why the area is known as Miller’s Point. The windmill finished operation in 1800 when it was superseded by another further south, and Fort Phillip was built on the site – hence the name Fort St. From 1825 the east parapet of the fort signalled to ships in the harbour via flags and semaphore, which lead to another name change: Flagstaff Hill. In 1825 a hospital was built on the site, which in 1848 was converted to a primary school (still operating). In 1857 an observatory and astronomer’s residence were built at the hill’s peak, although it closed in 1982, due to light and pollution disrupting clear viewing, and is now a museum. Spirits reputedly still linger in the Signal Masters cottage. A ‘sad-looking’ boy, dressed in a white shirt with dark pants and carrying a chain in one hand, has been seen at the hilltop. He is reportedly the ghost of a 15-year-old ship’s cabin boy who was killed in a street fight nearby in the late 1880s. A ghost tour operator claimed her uncle George, an illusionist magician from the early 1940s who performed under the stage name ‘Chandalu’, loiters at the top of Observatory Hill. Recently, a woman published a night photo of a blurry man in an old-fashioned formal winter coat walking past the south facade of Sydney Observatory. Taken on 5 July 2008, she claimed the area was deserted at the time, apart from herself and her husband. Ghost Sites in Sydney City Inner-East Darlinghurst Gaol, Forbes St, Darlinghurst Once known for its brutality, the writer Henry Lawson (who served a short sentence within its walls) coined it ‘Starvinghurst Gaol’ due to the meagre rations the inmates received. Home of the National Art School since 1995, seventy-six people were hanged on the premises. Between the gaol’s opening in 1841 and 1852, public hangings took place on a temporary scaffold erected above the main gate on Forbes Street. Thereafter, until 1908, executions continued inside the prison walls on a permanent scaffold in a corner of E-wing. Some of the more (in)famous characters who dangled at the end of the hangman’s noose include bushrangers. Thomas and John Clarke; Irish Nationalist Henry O’Farrell (who on 12 March 1868, shot Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Alfred in the back whilst the prince was attending a picnic in Clontarf); notorious gay bushranger Captain Moonlite; Louisa Collins, the last woman hanged in NSW; and Jimmy Governor (the subject of the Thomas Kenneally novel and Fred Schepisi film Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith). Many restless souls reputedly haunt this site, including executed prisoners. One of the apparitions is a ‘bodyless head’ near the men’s toilet block, adjacent to where the post-1852 scaffold stood. Darlinghurst Gaol. Photo: Alec Smart Tusculum House, 1-3 Manning Street, Potts Point A female figure dressed in an old-fashioned nurse's uniform, reportedly haunts the balcony of this 1831-built mansion (now offices) and occasionally trigger burglar alarms. Victoria Barracks, Oxford St, Paddington Australia’s premier military training centre for a century (although it was occupied by British troops until 1870), the Regency-style Edwardian barracks were constructed between 1841-1846 by convict labour, with the Garrison Hospital, District Military Prison and Barrack Master’s bungalow built alongside. According to Army Museum of NSW: “the prison is reputedly haunted by a ghost, Charlie the Redcoat, who hanged himself while incarcerated for shooting his sergeant.” Ghosts in Sydney Inner West Newtown Camperdown Cemetery, Church St, Newtown Adjoined to St Stephen’s Church, Newtown, the graveyard is referred to as Camperdown Cemetery because it was originally part of a property called ‘Camperdown’, bought from Governor Bligh’s son-in-law. He died shortly after it was opened in 1848 and his remains were the first to be interred. Approximately 18,000 people were buried there over the next century, 16,000 within the first 20 years, because it was the Anglican Church’s principal cemetery. It remains Sydney’s oldest surviving cemetery – two predecessors, Old Sydney Burial Ground and Devonshire Street Cemetery are now beneath Town Hall and Central Station, respectively, their occupants long ago reburied elsewhere. Ghosts don’t often haunt graveyards, because their lives ended elsewhere, although a few ghosts loiter among the tombstones: a man dressed in brown who sits atop a gravestone, and a military figure who peers towards the sky from a telescope. Bathsheba, a senior matron at Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary (now Sydney Hospital) from 1852-66, is often claimed to roam the premises, but that’s probably because her surname was, strangely, ‘Ghost’. However, an horrific murder occurred in the grounds of Camperdown Cemetery on 11 June 1946, and some say the victim’s soul still haunts the premises. Joan Ginn, 11, was abducted when she went out to purchase bread from a milk bar on King St, and led to the graveyard where she was raped and bludgeoned to death. Although witnesses recalled Joan was last seen accompanied by a ‘dishevelled’ man in an overcoat with his hat pulled down over his eyes, the crime was never solved. The graveyard was then in a ruinous state and overgrown with long grass, and the heinous murder spurred the authorities to act. On the western side they removed the tombstones and converted the cemetery into a memorial grassed field – Camperdown Memorial Park - however, the remaining graves in the walled-off smaller section surrounding the church are still in terminal decline. Camperdown Cemetery, St Stephen's Church, Newtown. Photo: Alec Smart Flour Drum Cafe, 531 King Street, Newtown In Feb 2015, when new proprietors moved into Flour Drum Café, they reported strange paranormal activity on the premises. Media coverage quoted the new owner as saying “glass jars would strangely get broken. Taps would come on. We'd make sure we turned all the lights off and we'd come back and they would all be on.” A previous manager revealed that two customers on separate occasions had seen a “little girl in a petticoat”. The ghostly girl was apparently placated when the new proprietors found a dolls’ house in the street, and brought it back to the café. "As soon as the dolls' house came in the trouble stopped," they declared. However, there has been a murder on the premises. According to the Canberra Times, on 22 June 1942, “while working in his fruit shop in King Street, Newtown, Sebastiano D'Andrea, 45, an Italian, was shot in the stomach by an intruder and died later in hospital…” On 15 July 1944, an 18-year-old labourer, John Henry Joseph Woods, was arrested and on 5 Sept convicted for the murder of the Italian fruiterer. He escaped the death sentence and was sentenced to life imprisonment instead because he was under 18 at the time he committed the crime. Perhaps poor Mr D'Andrea’s spirit is still haunting his former fruit shop. Ghosts in Glebe + Annandale The Abbey, 272 Johnston St, Annandale The Abbey is a heritage-listed 50-bedroom Federation Gothic style mansion built by architect and Freemason John Young in 1881 of quarried Pyrmont sandstone. It is the most stylish of eight properties built by Young along a ridge above Rozelle Bay (two of which were demolished to build apartments). Young, the builder of St Mary’s Cathedral in the city, decorated The Abbey in Masonic symbols. Gargoyles on the tower are rumoured to have been spirited away from St Mary’s by Young. It is reportedly haunted by a “lady in white” who roams the house and grounds, and doors and windows are said to open by themselves. The Abbey, Johnston St, Annandale. Photo: Alec Smart Railway embankment, Glebe (behind the Jubilee Park viaduct) Two 12-year-old boys were sexually assaulted and murdered here, six months apart, by the same killer in June 1976 and January 1977. [On 9 July 1976, Garry Barkemeyer was sexually assaulted and clubbed to death with a rock. Gary was lured with a younger friend to Jubilee Park from a park on Pyrmont Bridge Rd, with the promise of money if he helped stack boxes. After the younger boy was instructed to wait, Gary was led by his killer behind the Jubilee Park viaduct into a forested glade where he was raped and murdered. The killer told the other boy to go home after the heinous crime was committed. The victim’s bicycle, upon which the two young lads travelled, was later fished from Iron Cove by Callan Park. On 30 Jan 1977, Wayne Nixon, who was enticed by his killer from Leichardt Pool earlier in the day, was stabbed multiple times in the chest, stomach and legs after being sexually assaulted.] Mark Gregory, 17, was arrested a year later and charged with both murders and in March 1978 convicted and given two life sentences. Glitch: The murders are often described as happening on the ‘Street with no name’, the driveway between Jubilee Park and the viaduct, although they took place in the forest on the other side, now encircled by fencing. Overgrown path behind Glebe Viaduct, Forest Lodge. Photo: Alec Smart Light rail tracks beside Jubilee Park, Glebe In January 1966, a railway worker named Jock attempted to rescue an injured possum on what was then part of the Rozelle to Darling Harbour Metropolitan Goods Line (now the route of the Inner West Light Rail from Central to Dulwich Hill). In the fog near what is now Jubilee Park tram stop he was tragically struck and killed by a goods train that roared out of the mist. Glitch: The legend claims the killing happened the day before the line was permanently closed – yet the line was closed in January 1996, after goods trains declined, not 1966, when it was a busy freight line. Federal Park car park, Annandale In 1976, a girl’s body was alleged to have been found “dumped in the carpark”, which suggests it was Federal Park. Glitch: The legend describes the young victim as “thought to have been the victim of Sydney's first Satanic murder.” Paranormal websites all repeat the same information, often word-for-word, however, there are no police files nor newspaper reports of a girl’s body found near Jubilee Park in 1976, nor why it might have ‘Satanic’ elements. Jubilee Park Grandstand, Glebe In the early hours of 24 August 1999, Reginald Mavin, 65, was clubbed to death in his sleep by an unknown assailant as he lay on an old mattress in the grandstand overlooking Jubilee Oval. The former ambulance driver was one of four unsolved killings of vagrants over nine months between 1998 – 1999, known as the Starlight Hotel Murders, because the victims slept outside, often under the stars. All of the unsolved murders shared common characteristics: the victims were bashed with heavy blunt objects (never found), they were all attacked as they slept, and each suffered mental illness or alcoholism. The other three were: Joanna Franklin, 30, behind shops in Wattle Place, Ultimo, on 6 Nov 1998; Adam Murray, 59, by Robert Burns statue near Speakers Corner in the Domain, on 28 Nov 1998; and Ronald Cross, 59, in an alcove near the underground entrance to the Domain car park off Sir John Young Crescent, on 20 June 1999. "Street with no name" - Jubilee Park, Glebe. Photo: Alec Smart Haunted 268 Glebe Point Road, Glebe On 18 May 1968, Simon Brook, aged 3, was abducted and brutally murdered, his body found the following morning in grass behind a construction site of new units at 268 Glebe Point Road. He had been suffocated with two wads of newspaper jammed down his throat, but also had his throat slashed and the lower half of his body was stripped and slashed with the same razor, found lying between the boy’s shoes. Although it’s listed as an unsolved murder, Simon’s parents, who lived in Alexander Lane near Jubilee Park (where Simon was last seen watching kids playing), are convinced his killer was Derek Percy. Percy, the primary suspect, who died of cancer, aged 64, in a Melbourne hospital on 24 July 2013, was linked to the disappearance of nine children. Percy was also one of three suspects accused of the infamous 1965 Wanda Beach murders near Cronulla. In 1969 he was jailed for life for the murder of a child on a Melbourne beach. Ghosts in Lower Parramatta River Cockatoo Island, western Sydney Harbour Originally a forested, 12.9 hectare island named Wa-rea-mah by Indigenous Australians, British colonists levelled and extended the sandstone plateau to 17.9 hectares. From 1839, when barracks and silos were built, to 1869, Cockatoo Island was used for grain storage and a harsh punishment prison for convicts who re-offended and, from 1857, shipbuilding and servicing of naval vessels, which continued until 1986. In 1869, after several reports described the prison administration as ‘brutalising’ and ‘terrible in depravity’, convicts were relocated to Darlinghurst Gaol, and in 1871 the island transitioned to the Biloela Reformatory and a separate Industrial School for Girls. At the Reformatory, orphaned and ‘wayward’ girls aged 8-18 (some convicted of crimes), were housed in dormitories and cruelly trained for a life of domestic servitude. Girls who misbehaved were locked up in the same solitary cells previously used to confine unruly convicts. In 1879, after an Inquiry, the reformatory girls were relocated to Watsons Bay and in 1888 the Industrial School girls moved to Parramatta. The former confinement sector reverted to a prison to alleviate overcrowding at Darlinghurst Gaol, remaining ‘temporary’ in status until its closure in 1908. The combination of deaths in custody, maltreatment of children and fatalities of ship-workers means a variety of spectres haunt the island, including a schoolgirl named Millie who wanders Biloela House. Cockatoo Island, western Sydney Harbour. Photo: Alec Smart Callan Park Hospital for the Insane, Balmain Rd, Lilyfield Callan Park Hospital for the Insane, consisting of over 130 buildings, was opened in 1878 on the shores of Iron Cove. The facility was launched with the stated intention to improve patient’s lives through psychiatric treatment, a relatively new medical discipline. Previously, disturbed inmates were chained up and beaten like wild animals, as no remedial drugs or therapies were available to treat various mental disorders. However, Callan Park’s reputation almost a century later revealed administrators systemically failed to implement humanitarian relief. The Stoller Report of 1955 confirmed overcrowding, squalor and stench. A 1961 Royal Commission found staff were starving, intimidating, assaulting and failing to clean patients. Callan Park eventually became Rozelle Hospital, and the last patients left in April 2008. It is said many bodies of patients were buried anonymously in unmarked graves. Some died through neglect, others, ignored by their families due to the ongoing social stigma of mental health, just wasted away in the institution. Ghostly figures are said to wander the grounds, and icy chills experienced in the heritage-listed Kirkbride, the central block of former treatment rooms and patient dormitories. A supernatural horror feature film, Ravenswood, was filmed over 2 weeks in 2016, mainly at night, and the crew reportedly experienced constant “eeriness”, with one member refusing to return to the film set after he was spooked by something. Callan Park Mental Hospital, Balmain Rd, Lilyfield. Photo: Alec Smart Gladesville Mental Hospital, Bedlam Point, Gladesville Originally known as Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum, Australia’s first mental hospital was built on the aptly-named Bedlam Point beside Parramatta River. Opened in 1838 with 60 patients for a new trend of humanely treating the mentally afflicted, by 1844 there were 148 inmates and rumours of cruel punishments including prolonged restraints and sexual abuse of female patients - which persisted for decades. A July 1850 Medical Board of Inquiry convened to investigate the deaths of two patients found that the institution was to blame. In Jan 1869, new methods of treating psychiatric disorders prompted a name change to Hospital for the Insane, to suggest a departure from the previous tactic of isolating mentally ill people from society. However, brutal treatment continued, with patients detained for ludicrous disorders such as ‘sexual intemperance’, ‘overwork’, ‘sun stroke’ and ‘nostalgia’, often treated with repeat electric shocks. There were many deaths, including a few employees attacked by patients. Records reveal 1,228 patients are buried on the north-eastern corner of the 25.4 hectare site in unmarked graves. Although the names of 923 of the deceased are listed on Health Department records, the identities of those in 305 graves are untraceable. Their ghosts are said to wander the asylum grounds, parts of which are now derelict. In the 2011 Head On Photo Festival, photographer Yvette Worboys held an exhibition of the hospital’s derelict buildings, titled Ghosts. She claimed ‘psychics’ detected a spectral presence in her photo of a white brick wall covered in vines, loitering to the left of an empty doorway. Abbotsford Animal Quarantine Station, 50 Spring St, Abbotsford Adjacent to Parramatta River, and now a public park called Quarantine Reserve, the Abbotsford Animal Quarantine Station, initially housed livestock and pets that were imported to Australia and brought her by punt. Built between 1917 and 1930 and relocated in 1980 to Wallgrove, the waterfront site was chosen because the original Quarantine Station at Bradley’s Head was chosen for Taronga Zoo. The animals kept here were quarantined and monitored by vets until they were cleared as disease-free and released to their owners. Park users have reported strange animal-like sounds and apparitions of creatures on the reserve. Ghosts in Sydney North Shore Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery, Gore Hill, St Leonards Established in May 1868, the graveyard was subdivided into different religious denominations – unlike the Anglican-run Camperdown Cemetery. 14,456 burials took place between the first interment in 1877 and its last in 1974, although most took place in the three decades from 1900 - 1930. Only 8,000 graves feature headstones, like Barney Kieran, a record-breaking world champion swimmer who died in 1905 aged 19, following an appendectomy. The rest, including remains transferred from the redeveloped Devonshire St Cemetery, are unmarked. Australia’s first Saint, Mary MacKillop, was buried in the Catholic section from 1909 to 1914, when her remains were exhumed and transferred to the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel in North Sydney. Ghost tour guides suggest MacKillop was relocated because Catholics were scooping dirt from her grave site as a souvenir to pray on, and there was worry they’d eventually dig down far enough to expose her remains. Ghost-watchers claim there are resident spectres in Gore Hill Cemetery, perhaps unfortunate people who passed-on from Royal North Shore Hospital alongside. Among these were several victims of the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, which caused 3,902 deaths in Sydney of the estimated 20,000 nationwide (and 20 million worldwide). Also among the spectres reported are “a woman in black Victorian garb perhaps dating from the 1870s”, said to be mourning a child, and “the dark silhouette of a walking old man.” Gore Hill Cemetery. Photo: Alec Smart The Quarantine Station, North Head, Manly The Q Station, on an isolated stretch of forested headland leading down to a cove, was utilised to intern those arriving by sea to Sydney if they were infected (or suspected to be infected) with contagious diseases.. From 1833 to 1954 the facility, including shower units at the dockside, a hospital and dormitories, quarantined and treated over 26,000 contaminated immigrants with diseases like Bubonic Plague, Cholera, Influenza, Smallpox, Tuberculosis and Typhoid. However, there were many deaths of people too sick to be allowed into the community. Visitors have since reported sightings of spirits and mysterious figures, especially at the haunted shower block. Wakehurst Parkway, Garigal National Park Wakehurst Parkway is a 14km road between Seaforth and Narrabeen through forested Garigal National Park. The resident ghost, ‘Kelly’, sometimes seen at Middle Creek Bridge, was long thought to be wearing a nun’s habit. However, it has recently been suggested she is wearing an old-style nurse’s uniform typical of those working at the Quarantine Station hospital on North Head in the early 1900s. Quarantine Station, North Head, Manly. Photo: Alec Smart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other haunted inns with spirits beyond the alcoholic kind: Carlisle Castle Hotel, 17-19 Albermarle St, Newtown Lord Nelson Hotel, 19 Kent St, The Rocks Russell Hotel, 143A George St, The Rocks Empire Hotel, 32 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross Australian Heritage Hotel, 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks Mill Hill Hotel, 59 Oxford St, Bondi Junction Further Afield Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay Henry Head Battery, La Perouse Old Government House, Parramatta Parramatta Gaol, Parramatta, Sydney Studley Park, Carramar St Bartholomew’s Church, Blacktown James Busby High School, Green Valley K Block, TAFE College, Liverpool Town Hall Theatre, Campbelltown Fisher’s Ghost Creek, Campbelltown Macquarie Fields train station, Macquarie Fields Old Helensburgh Railway Tunnels, Helensburgh Waterfall Sanitorium, Waterfall St Thomas’ Anglican Church, Mulgoa Rural St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood Redbank Range former railway tunnel, Picton Studley Park House mansion, Camden Monte Christo Homestead, Junee Maitland Gaol, Maitland Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Milparinka former gold mining town Berrima Court House, Berrima. Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon National Park Lithgow town, Blue Mountains Bald Hill Tourist Mine former gold mine, Hill End St John’s Orphanage, Goulburn Castlereagh General Cemetery, Castlereagh ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ghost tours https://www.ghosttours.com.au/ http://www.sydneyghosttour.com/ https://www.lanternghosttours.com/ https://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/en/see-and-do/tours/ghost-tour/ https://www.qstation.com.au/ghost-tours.html =========================================================== Photos by Alec Smart

We tiptoed around several ‘haunted’ locations in the Glebe + Annandale environs after dark, listening for phantom footsteps whilst watching for spooky spirits. Warning: some of these sites are not for the faint-hearted. More on Glebe By ALEC SMART Lady in White Ghost at The Abbey, Annandale The Abbey at 272 Johnston Street is a heritage-listed 50-bedroom Federation Gothic style mansion built by architect and Freemason John Young in 1881 of quarried Pyrmont sandstone. It is the most stylish of eight properties built by Young along a ridge above Rozelle Bay (two of which were demolished to build apartments). Young, the builder of St Mary’s Cathedral in the city, decorated The Abbey in Masonic symbols. Gargoyles on the tower are rumoured to have been spirited away from St Mary’s by Young. It is reportedly haunted by a “lady in white” who roams the house and grounds, and doors and windows are said to open by themselves. "Street with no name" - Jubilee Park, Glebe. Photo: Alec Smart The Haunted Federal Park Car Park, Annandale In 1976, a girl’s body was alleged to have been found “dumped in the carpark”, which suggests it was Federal Park. Glitch: The legend describes the young victim as “thought to have been the victim of Sydney's first Satanic murder.” Paranormal websites all repeat the same information, often word-for-word, however, there are no police files nor newspaper reports of a girl’s body found near Jubilee Park in 1976, nor why it might have ‘Satanic’ elements. Light rail tracks beside Jubilee Park, Glebe In January 1966, a railway worker named Jock attempted to rescue an injured possum on what was then part of the Rozelle to Darling Harbour Metropolitan Goods Line (now the route of the Inner West Light Rail from Central to Dulwich Hill). In the fog near what is now Jubilee Park tram stop he was tragically struck and killed by a goods train that roared out of the mist. Glitch: The legend claims the killing happened the day before the line was permanently closed – yet the line was closed in January 1996, after goods trains declined, not 1966, when it was a busy freight line. The Abbey, Johnston St, Annandale. Photo: Alec Smart Murder at Jubilee Park Grandstand, Glebe In the early hours of 24 August 1999, Reginald Mavin, 65, was clubbed to death in his sleep by an unknown assailant as he lay on an old mattress in the grandstand overlooking Jubilee Oval. The former ambulance driver was one of four unsolved killings of vagrants over nine months between 1998 – 1999, known as the Starlight Hotel Murders, because the victims slept outside, often under the stars. All of the unsolved murders shared common characteristics: the victims were bashed with heavy blunt objects (never found), they were all attacked as they slept, and each suffered mental illness or alcoholism. The other three were: Joanna Franklin, 30, behind shops in Wattle Place, Ultimo, on 6 Nov 1998; Adam Murray, 59, by Robert Burns statue near Speakers Corner in the Domain, on 28 Nov 1998; and Ronald Cross, 59, in an alcove near the underground entrance to the Domain car park off Sir John Young Crescent, on 20 June 1999. Overgrown path behind Glebe Viaduct, Forest Lodge. Photo: Alec Smart Murders on "the Street With No Name" Two 12-year-old boys were sexually assaulted and murdered on the railway embankment behind Jubilee Park, six months apart, by the same killer in June 1976 and January 1977. [On 9 July 1976, Garry Barkemeyer was sexually assaulted and clubbed to death with a rock. Gary was lured with a younger friend to Jubilee Park from a park on Pyrmont Bridge Rd, with the promise of money if he helped stack boxes. After the younger boy was instructed to wait, Gary was led by his killer behind the Jubilee Park viaduct into a forested glade where he was raped and murdered. The killer told the other boy to go home after the heinous crime was committed. The victim’s bicycle, upon which the two young lads travelled, was later fished from Iron Cove by Callan Park. On 30 Jan 1977, Wayne Nixon, who was enticed by his killer from Leichardt Pool earlier in the day, was stabbed multiple times in the chest, stomach and legs after being sexually assaulted.] Mark Gregory, 17, was arrested a year later and charged with both murders and in March 1978 convicted and given two life sentences. Glitch: The murders are often described as happening on the ‘Street with no name’, the driveway between Jubilee Park and the viaduct, although they took place in the forest on the other side, now encircled by fencing. 268 Glebe Point Road, Glebe On 18 May 1968, Simon Brook, aged 3, was abducted and brutally murdered, his body found the following morning in grass behind a construction site of new units at 268 Glebe Point Road. Although it’s listed as an unsolved murder, Simon’s parents, who lived in Alexander Lane near Jubilee Park (where Simon was last seen watching kids playing), were convinced his killer was Derek Percy. Percy, the primary suspect, who died of cancer, aged 64, in a Melbourne hospital on 24 July 2013, was linked to the disappearance of nine children. Percy was also one of three suspects accused of the infamous 1965 Wanda Beach murders near Cronulla. In 1969 he was jailed for life for the murder of a child on a Melbourne beach. Callan Park Mental Hospital, Balmain Rd, Lilyfield. Photo: Alec Smart Callan Park Hospital for the Insane, Balmain Rd, Lilyfield Callan Park Hospital for the Insane, consisting of over 130 buildings, was opened in 1878 on the shores of Iron Cove. The facility was launched with the stated intention to improve patient’s lives through psychiatric treatment, a relatively new medical discipline. Previously, disturbed inmates were chained up and beaten like wild animals, as no remedial drugs or therapies were available to treat various mental disorders. However, Callan Park’s reputation almost a century later revealed administrators systemically failed to implement humanitarian relief. The Stoller Report of 1955 confirmed overcrowding, squalor and stench. A 1961 Royal Commission found staff were starving, intimidating, assaulting and failing to clean patients. Callan Park eventually became Rozelle Hospital, and the last patients left in April 2008. It is said many bodies of patients were buried anonymously in unmarked graves. Some died through neglect, others, ignored by their families due to the ongoing social stigma of mental health, just wasted away in the institution. Ghostly figures are said to wander the grounds, and icy chills experienced in the heritage-listed Kirkbride, the central block of treatment rooms and former patient dormitories. A supernatural horror feature film, Ravenswood, was filmed over 2 weeks in 2016, largely at night, and the crew reportedly experienced constant “eeriness”, with one member refusing to return to the film set after he was spooked by something. Check out our post on ghost sites in Sydney here. ================================================ Further Afield Royal Botanic Gardens, central Sydney Capitol Theatre, Haymarket, City Hyde Park Barracks, central Sydney Mortuary Station, Regent St, Chippendale Central Railway Station, Haymarket Hero of Waterloo Hotel, Millers Point Observatory Hill, Millers Point Darlinghurst Gaol, Forbes St, Darlinghurst Tusculum House, Potts Point Victoria Barracks, Paddington Camperdown Cemetery, Newtown Flour Drum Cafe, 531 King Street, Newtown Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour Gladesville Mental Hospital, Bedlam Point Animal Quarantine Station, Abbotsford Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery, St Leonards The Quarantine Station, North Head, Manly Wakehurst Parkway, Garigal National Park Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay Henry Head Battery, La Perouse Old Government House, Parramatta Parramatta Gaol, Parramatta, Sydney Studley Park, Carramar St Bartholomew’s Church, Blacktown James Busby High School, Green Valley K Block, TAFE College, Liverpool Town Hall Theatre, Campbelltown Fisher’s Ghost Creek, Campbelltown Macquarie Fields train station, Macquarie Fields Old Helensburgh Railway Tunnels, Helensburgh Waterfall Sanitorium, Waterfall St Thomas’ Anglican Church, Mulgoa Rural St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood Redbank Range former railway tunnel, Picton Studley Park House mansion, Camden Monte Christo Homestead, Junee Maitland Gaol, Maitland Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Milparinka former gold mining town Berrima Court House, Berrima. Trial Bay Gaol, Arakoon National Park Lithgow town, Blue Mountains Bald Hill Tourist Mine former gold mine, Hill End St John’s Orphanage, Goulburn Castlereagh General Cemetery, Castlereagh Gore Hill Cemetery. Photo: Alec Smart ======================================

Many people still see architects as an unnecessary luxury, but Abigail Larkin believes you should consider architects not only a necessity but an asset. All building works require various approvals, whether through Complying Development or through Local Council’s Development Application process, which in itself can be complicated. For example, in parts of Turramurra, the zoning has changed from Residential to Environmental - many properties now lie in a Bushfire Zone or a Biodiversity Region which can add a level of complexity to planning approvals. So, you need someone who can help draw up plans; should that be a draftsperson, building designer, or architect? Here’s a rundown of what each one does. Designers may have done similar courses as draftspeople but may generally be more experienced (or may have studied architecture but not completed qualifications to be registered). Architects must study a minimum five year university degree, log several post-grad years worth of hours, complete more exams, be formally registered with Board of Architects in their state, earn yearly continuing professional development points (further study and industry engagement), and have Professional Indemnity Insurance to be legally called an architect or use terms such as architectural designer. Architects are generally more experienced with complex design solutions and navigating the minefield of compliance and they have a higher level of design and construction experience and legal responsibility. Architects are the only professionals who can administer building contracts (draftspeople/designers cannot legally do so). Most people just go with an HIA contract that is designed by builders for builders. This may not have the cover you need which can become a huge issue since most problems will occur during the building process. Having your architect onsite during construction will help ensure the design is adhered to and you’re getting what you paid for. The architect acts as your agent. An architect is qualified to see you right through the building process; they can use measures within the contract to avoid issues, certify progress claims or variations charged by the builder, and inspect the works; they have the power under the contract to do so. They are skilled in maximising opportunities for your site, budget and taste. A reputable builder won’t mind being held to account and will often prefer the collaborative process to get the best result for the client. Architects aren’t necessarily expensive, especially smaller firms who are not charging percentage costs. Renovating can be expensive and you want to get the most value out of the experience: start with a good design, then have someone guide you through the process - from concept sketches to completion. In Australia, there are no restrictions on who can draw up plans for a house. In NSW, there are no licensing requirements for designers, so levels of experience and qualifications can vary widely. You just have to look at the many houses being built with cookie-cutter styles. Do your research and build your dream without any nightmares. M: 0418 998 368 E: abigail.larkin.architects@gmail.com www.facebook.com/abigail.larkin.architects

Living near native bushland comes with some serious due diligence. We’ve already discussed the importance of fire prevention, but there is also something much smaller and insidious that requires attention, especially at this time of year. Ixodes holocyclus is not the name of a Roman emperor or exotic plant; it is the latin name for the Australian Paralysis Tick. Of the 70 tick species known to exist in this country, the Paralysis Tick is the most toxic and, unfortunately, the most common found along the eastern seaboard. As its name suggests, the Paralysis Tick can cause paralysis in animals and some humans, and, in certain cases, may even lead to death. People who are allergic to ticks may also suffer throat swelling and anaphylactic shock as a result of a bite. So, while not everyone will have a severe reaction, it’s important to take ticks seriously and deal with a bite as soon as possible. Ticks are found in tall grass and bushland in areas that are humid and moist. They cannot jump or fly, so they climb to the top of ground vegetation then cling onto a passing leg or animal body. If you plan to walk through bushland with children and pets, ensure that you are all adequately protected. There are a number of tick and flea products that will provide a pet with a high degree of protection, but nothing available on the market is 100% foolproof. That’s why you should regularly check you pets for ticks. Feel the skin for small lumps, then look through the fur very carefully, especially around the head area. Depending on its life stage and how engorged it is, the tick will appear like a very small, shiny bean, that may be pale grey, reddish-brown or black. You can use a tick twister or fine-tipped forceps to remove the tick, but make sure you don’t squeeze the insect. If you’re unsure, or if your pet is already showing severe symptoms such as vomiting, inertia, difficulty breathing, or other signs of illness, then it’s best to head straight to the vet. Humans who have been bitten may show the above symptoms as well as rashes, fever, headache, soreness. Always err on the side of caution and seek medical advice in the presence of any symptoms. Of course, prevention is best. Use an insect repellant that is effective against ticks and wear long pants and sleeves when wandering into bushy areas. For more information visit www.kmc.nsw.gov.au and search “ticks”.

We catch up with Mike Galvin, vice president of Surry Hills Creative Precinct and founder of Darlo Darlings, to chat about all things Surry Hills & Darlinghurst. More on Surry Hills Interview - Darlo Darlings Founder Mike Galvin So, how did it start and what is it about? “I started Darlo Darlings in April 2018 with the mission to create an inclusive, neighbourly and positive place for residents and business owners from Postcode 2010 to connect. What events does Darlo Darlings provide? “The events are aimed at bringing locals together,” Galvin explained, “and highlighting local businesses and the charities we support, including Rough Edges for our homeless and marginalised community and The Girls & Boys Brigade, for our marginalised youth. How many people are now involved in the community? “Darlo Darlings has around 6,000 members,” Is Darlo Pantry literally operated from a kerbside? “The pantry was born from the need created by essential services for the homeless closing down. The concept was that residents could bring items from home, or pick up a few extra things at the supermarket, and place them on the shelf for people in need. “Darlo Pantry was a huge success and helped so many people, not just our homeless, but also locals who had lost their jobs during Covid. As essential services started to resume, the pantry continued for some time, and around October 2020, we decided to alter the concept from a kerbside service, to a mobile service, utilising the One Meal Makes a Difference giving-table on Saturdays at Green Park in Darlinghurst. What activities have you planned for the future? “It’s an exciting year for Darlo Darlings; we have resumed our in-person events, and have a great calendar of events planned. We will also be resuming our Darlo Gaol Tours at the National Art School, as well as creating new experiences that bring people together and make living in Postcode 2010 an even more enjoyable experience.” ------------------------- Darlo Darlings Email: darlodarlings2010@gmail.com FB: www.facebook.com/groups/darlodarlings Insta: www.instagram.com/darlodarlings Twitter: www.twitter.com/darlodalrings =======================================

Last issue, we published a feature on the amazing ‘Wheels for Ryan’ fundraiser which was started in the local community- we caught up with Suzanne Mann to hear about the outcome. When we first started out we truly thought $40,000 would get us to our goal but we came up against a lot of hurdles. In the end we needed about $75,000 to get a vehicle that was truly appropriate and gave Ryan all the bells and whistles he needed - we realised that we needed a Mercedes Sprinter. We truly pulled out all stops and we’re only able to reach our goal using numerous angles, and building a network of compassion among local businesses/community members. We even had Mercedes Benz Castle Hill on board who reduced the price for us and helped with all of the modifications we needed. Most notably, our My Cause page raised over 34k, and another local father, Greg Johnson, was able to raise over $25,000 through his own My Cause by riding the elevation of Everest in ONE DAY on a street near where he lives in Wahroonga. We have to give special mention to the Lions Club Hornsby who made the final, incredible donation that allowed us to push over the line and purchase the Van within 4 months of our original meeting with Ryan and his family. It took a month for the car to be converted and before school finished for 2020, the Kim Family were able to drive Ryan to and from school, giving him the freedom and independence every 10 year old deserves. Unfortunately, we can never cure Ryan but we can ALWAYS CHOOSE to make a difference in someone’s life. It isn’t always by money. Sometimes it's by time, spreading the word or simply listening. I feel we showed Ryan true love and we showed all of our children how together we can all make a difference. Thank you to all of the incredibly generous local community members and businesses that supported us!

By ALEC SMART Read more about Turramurra As lovers of ancient history are no doubt aware, a Sphinx is a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of either a bird of prey or a human, although cats and sheep heads were often featured. Sphinx statues were primarily deployed as guardians of temples and tombs. The Sphinx Memorial in North Turramurra. Photo: Alec Smart Egyptian versions, of which the Great Sphinx of Giza (carved 2500 BCE) and the smaller Sphinx of Memphis are the most famous examples, usually featured male heads. Ancient Greek versions also had eagle wings and were typically female. The word ‘Sphinx’ is possibly derived from the Greek Σφίξιμο – Sfíximo, meaning ‘squeeze’, or σφίγγω – sfíngo, meaning ‘tighten’, both of which refer to how lions kill their prey: by suffocation. Surprisingly, Sydney has its own Sphinx statue. Turramurra's Sphinx, like the Egyptian original, is also missing its nose. Photo: Alec Smart Carved between 1926-1928, it is considerably younger than its source of inspiration – the Great Sphinx of Giza - by some 4,400 years, and only one eighth the size of the 73m long, 20m high original. Located here in 2074 postcode, Sydney’s own Sphinx is the centrepiece of a secluded war memorial near the southern entrance to Bobbin Head, at the edge of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in North Turramurra. Although debate surrounds the origins and inspiration for the celebrated Great Sphinx of Giza (probably the little-known Pharoah Khafre) the North Turramurra Sphinx was chipped out of the surrounding sandstone by former stonemason and retired WWI soldier Private William Shirley. Private Shirley was convalescing at nearby Lady Davidson Private Hospital on Bobbin Head Rd. The hospital, according to its website, was “built in 1920 by the Department of Defence to treat ex-servicemen who had contracted tuberculosis during World War 1.” Private Shirley was indeed afflicted with tuberculosis. His lungs were also weakened by gas attacks on the First World War battlefields of the Western Front across France and Germany, the meandering line of fortified trenches that brutally extinguished the lives of so many young men. Half the headdress is missing. Photo: Alec Smart Shirley trained in Egypt prior to his military deployment in Europe, so he may have seen the original Sphinx that inspired his life’s legacy. However, there is speculation the medical superintendent at Lady Davidson Hospital suggested the Sphinx project to the former stonemason, to utilise his talents and focus his thoughts away from his rapidly declining health. Private Shirley’s lung damage inhibited his ability to work longer than two hours a day, so it took a year and a half to complete his mission. He died the following year, in 1929, never seeing his stonework unveiled as the centrepiece of a war memorial in 1931, that also includes two tiny pyramids. It is now known as the Sphinx Memorial. Time has eroded the soft sandstone of the Turramurra Sphinx, and part of its headdress has detached. Like the Great Sphinx of Giza, it too is missing a nose, although the Egyptian monolith had his chiselled off, possibly by a Moslem leader to deter Egyptian peasants from worshipping it (the Sphinx was linked to the sun god, Horus). Address: The Sphinx Memorial is located next to the southern entrance of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on Bobbin Head Road. Turn right onto Sphinx Road and follow it approx. 400metres to the memorial. Park entry fees: $12 per vehicle per day. The Sphinx carpark closes 5.30pm Monday to Sunday Bobbin Head gates are closed 8pm - 6am (summer time), 5.30pm - 6am the rest of the year. Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park website: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/historic-buildings-places/sphinx-memorial ================================

Despite few people knowing the full size of the Rosedale Farm, there is a road-side fence that seems to be growing in popularity week to week. Behind it, Atlas, a 16.3-hands Bay Warmblood horse, has managed to make an extensive group of friends from his paddock! Often you can see groups of kids, parents and dog walkers dropping in to give Atlas a pat, and of course, bringing some of his favourite food - carrots. Atlas was purchased by our founder, Georgie, in 2018. He was extremely emaciated, covered in scars and aggressive in behaviour. Through a careful, 4-year-long rehabilitation program - and the kindness of all his friends in St Ives - he is now a big, beautiful, happy boy who is about to start his career in dressage!

A walk among the Blue Gums and scattered sunlight of Dalrymple-Hay, St Ives By ALEC SMART Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve is featured as one of Ku-ring-gai Council’s prime nature walks, and on National Parks and Wildlife’s (NPWS) discovery program. The towering arboreal canopy of blue gum high forest, dominated by blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) and turpentine, with its dense mid-storey of shrubbery and understorey of native ferns, provides a safe habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna - popular with bushwalkers and wildlife watchers. Blue gum high forest is a distinct community of trees, orchids, grasses, shrubs and assorted ground-covering flora that is unique to the Sydney region and not found elsewhere in Australia. So-called ‘high’ because of the sky-conquering canopy its tall trees create, providing food and shelter for a diverse range of airborne and ground-dwelling native animals and insects. Endangered Several species of eucalyptus trees are known as ‘blue’ gums, one of which, Eucalyptus saligna, the Sydney blue gum, is typically the main component of blue gum high forests, and they live for over 200 years. Blue gum high forest is endangered and found in limited pockets across the northern suburbs of Sydney, including Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Lane Cove, Willoughby, Baulkham Hills, Ryde and Parramatta, the largest of which is less than 20 hectares and all surrounded by urban development. Historically covering large areas of the shale-capped ridge-tops of Sydney’s northern districts, less than 5 per cent of the estimated 3700 hectares of blue gum high forest that was prevalent throughout the Sydney basin, prior to Europeans’ arrival in 1788, is still standing. Of this, less than 1 per cent of the total area of blue gum forest is protected inside national parks. Timber! This reduction is because of the historic popularity of the tall, straight Sydney blue gum for timber production. Throughout the 1790s and well into the 1800s, the tallest trees, which can reach over 30 metres in height and 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. In St Ives, the 10.768-hectare Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve, incorporating neighbouring Browns Forest and bounded by Mona Vale and Rosedale roads, was declared a protected forest in Jan 1972. It was named after government surveyor Richard Dalrymple-Hay, first Chief Forestry Commissioner for NSW. Dalrymple-Hay acquired the tract of land in the 1920s as a ‘demonstration forest’ after it was ignored by timber merchants. However, it wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Dalrymple-Hay and blue gum high forest in general was formally recognised as environmentally-threatened, thanks to intense lobbying by groups such as STEP (South Turramurra Environmental Protection). It was another decade, in 2005, before the Commonwealth Minister for Environment and Heritage listed blue gum high forest in the Sydney Basin as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Flora Around 180 native plants have been identified in Dalrymple-Hay reserve, including shrubs like maytenus and hairy lolly bushes (aka downy chance); small trees like muttonwood and the parasitic native cherry tree; ferns like false bracken (aka rainbow fern); and large trees such as turpentine and several species of Eucalyptus ranging from the dominant blackbutt and Sydney blue gum to grey ironbarks and angophora (aka Sydney red gum), many of which are over 40 metres in height. Fauna Dalrymple-Hay sustains a fascinating array of native wildlife. Among the high flyers are: bats, including the grey-headed flying-fox (Australia’s largest bat, which eats the flowers of the blue gum and is an essential pollinator and seed disperser), and several insectivorous microbats from Sydney’s 19 recorded species; parrots, including rainbow lorikeets, king parrots, crimson rosellas, sulphur-crested and the critically-endangered glossy black cockatoos; and other birds ranging from pardalotes, white-eyes, currawongs, wrens, black-faced cuckooshrikes and powerful owls (that prey on ringtail possums). Other tree dwellers include the possums: ringtails, brushtails and sugar gliders. Further down on the forest floor, elusive swamp wallabies have been spotted as well as the ubiquitous brush turkeys, which provide an essential service for blackbutt and blue gum seeds that need bare sunlit soil to germinate, by raking up leaf litter and exposing the earth. Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve and Browns Forest Where: St Ives, on Sydney’s North Shore, approx. 20km from the CBD via Pacific Hwy then Mona Vale Rd Open: sunrise to sunset Best time to visit: early morning when the birds are singing Entry: via Mona Vale Road (to the west) or via the corner of Vista Street and Rosedale Road (on the eastern side). There is no public transport to the reserve nor public car parks in the vicinity. Web: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/dalrymplehay-nature-reserve Photos: Alec Smart ===================

Neighbourhood Media caught up with St Ives local and talented photographer, Robyn Connacher, and enquired about her artistic eye. How long have you been doing photography? I’ve always loved being in nature, the beach and bush walks and taking photos of beautiful scenery and did art at school, “back in the previous century!” Once my kids went to school I did art classes at the Blue Door Art studio here in St Ives, where I developed my eye and enjoyed doing amateur paintings, particularly of scenery. When did you start to share your images online and why? At the same time I studied massage therapy (pre-kids I was a business studies teacher) and in 2014 set up St Ives Therapeutic Massage, which I still do today. As my massage practice took off I no longer had time or the headspace to paint and started taking and editing more and more photos on my iPhone. Is photography your full-time job and if not, would you be happy to share with us what you do outside of photography? In 2017 I set up a separate Instagram account for my photography (with the help of my teenage son, who has also taught me how to take long exposure shots). I combined my love of the outdoors (I walk/run) with my love of sharing what I see. I want more of us to connect with nature and realize that natural beauty can be all around us, although recently one of my family members said to me “you made it look way prettier than it actually is!” I am basically self-taught and use the iPhone editing function, combined with Instagram, to edit my photos. I have found the iPhone 11 Pro great - it takes lovely shots but is small enough to carry around and I can “jump around” easily (no need for a tripod). To get the long exposure shots I’ve got to make sure my hand is incredibly steady. Where are your favourite places to photograph and why? My two favourite places to photograph are: the local Ku-ring-gai environment, bush trails, waterfalls (there is such diversity - I love the soaring trees, the extreme natural beauty and the way the light falls in the bush). I also love the northern beaches - beautiful for sunrise and sunsets and reflections. The beach/sea has a certain energy - sometimes soft and reflective and sometimes extreme and dangerous - that isn’t there in the bush. I love them both. Where would you most like to photograph, given the chance? I’d love to go to New Zealand South Island again - I was there in 2016 and loved the scenery and would love to return just to take loads of photos and share them. After that, definitely Tasmania - same reason: extreme natural beauty. There has been a lot of rain recently, has this had an impact on your work? Absolutely! The rain has increased the number of long exposure shots that I have taken - rivers, waterfalls and reflections in the puddles. Obviously the light is different (more grey and subtle) and I’ve been taking more middle-of-the-day photos rather than sunrises and sunsets. I’ve kept closer to home and have taken far more St Ives photos and fewer beach photos. What's the most interesting thing you have ever photographed? Most probably a wombat on a recent trip to Tasmania. They look so slow and sluggish but can move at the speed of light! In February we went on a 25th anniversary trip to Tasmania, most particularly Cradle Mountain. I loved photographing wombats in their native environment at sunset - that national park is so absolutely amazing. What's the grand plan when it comes to your photography; what does the future look like? I would love to grow my social media following with followers who are interested in seeing beautiful places. My dream would be to travel to beautiful places to promote and to photograph them and have all my expenses paid! On a local level, I’d love to encourage, through my photos, more people getting out to experience nature - it is so good for both our physical and mental health. It would be great if social media (and photos) encourage well-being and experiences to a greater extent, and less about wanting “things”. What are your top 3 tips for budding nature photographers? Angle - take your photos from different heights: squat low for example to get reflections in the puddles, or reach up high to get a wider view. Solo - sometimes you need to be alone for the best photos; you might need to take multiple images just to get the right one. Don’t zoom in – instead, take your picture and crop what you need out – or get up close to take better quality images. Conducive Light - the middle of the day tends to have to brightest light, which is too strong for good photos. Try the hour or two around sunrise and sunset. Where can we see more of your work? Follow my Instagram @robsthroughmyeyes

Monika’s Doggie Rescue is a NO KILL Shelter, helping dogs that have found themselves on Death Row in various pounds across Sydney find their forever homes. All dogs rescued from the pound are microchipped, heart worm tested and given a basic health check + vaccinations from a qualified veterinarian. After returning to health, they are then put up for adoption. Monika’s Doggie Rescue also offers an amazing ‘dog-walking’ program, which is fully available to the public.