Ku-ring-gai Clippings Vol 32

There's A Get-together Spirit In This Suburb

The Sydney Morning Herald Friday 20th October 1950

RESIDENTS of the Sydney suburb of St. Ives have decided to build a modern community centre as a War Memorial.

This will embrace:
* Tennis courts.
* A library.
* Sports oval and village green.
* A bowling green.
* A hall and club-rooms.
* A kindergarten and a day nursery.
* A baby health centre.
* A children's playground and memorial gardens.

The community centre idea was originated by a St. Ives resident and veteran of World War I, the late Mr. James Maunder. He decided that social, cultural, and sporting amenities, which could be enjoyed by present and future generations, were a more fitting tribute to the dead of both world wars than a monument or statue.

[Comments: It is believed that this is the same J. Maunder who was connected with the St. Ives Cricket Club and whose photograph can be seen at

http://passingparade-2009.blogspot.com/2009/06/death-of-dr-claude-tozer.html

J. Maunder is the man on the right in a suit. From this article he appears to be the man behind the idea of the St. Ives Village Green and Community Centre]

The Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council responded whole-heartedly to the plan. It donated a site of 20 acres and agreed to construct buildings and develop the land.

A community spirit was to be encouraged by leaving the provision of equipment, staffing and supervision in the hands of the residents.

A member of the Community Centre Committee said: "The point is to recapture the co-operative and colourful spirit embodied in old English village life. Unfortunately this has largely been lost in the impersonal competition of the twentieth century.

"This is an experiment. It will succeed only if the people of St. Ives put their backs into it all the way.

So far the signs are encouraging. The children's playground has already been established. Two tennis courts have been made and a village green has been graded and planted. A vigorous committee consisting of a company director, a wool buyer, a local shopkeeper, a tobacconist, an orchardist, an advertising man, a stock and station agent, and a retired bus owner have worked out plans for an old-style fair based on the traditions of the village of St. Ives in Cornwall.
It will take place on Saturday to raise funds for equipping and staffing the centre.


AGRICULTURAL SHOWS

The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 18th January 1921

ST. IVES. - The first exhibition of the St. Ives A. and H. Association was opened on Saturday by Mr. W. F. Fitzsimons, president of the Ku-ring-gai Shire Council. About 8500 people were present, and between, 700 and 800 entries were received.

For the patron's cup, for the best collection of fruit grown in Ku-ring-gai Shire, F. Chilton was first, and M. H. Reynallt second. Other awards were: - Best collection of summer fruit. N. E. Harrison; best collection of citrus fruit, W.G. Russell: best display of fruit (fresh, dried, and preserved), A. Coupland; best collection of vegetables, H. Britten. The poultry, domestic, and fine arts sections were well filled. A lengthy list of ring events occupied the afternoon.

Additional comments – this was the first St. Ives Show and was opened at Hassall Park on Saturday 15th January 1921.

STOLEN CASH-BOX.
RECOVERED AT KURING GAI CHASE.

The Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday 26th March 1930

A cash-box, which was stolen during the Christmas holidays from the safe in the office at the Kuring-gai Shire Council Chambers, Lane Cove-road, Pymble, was yesterday recovered in the grounds of the Kuring-gai Chase.

It contained only a crossed cheque for £1 and one penny, whereas notes, silver, and copper to the amount of £150, and the cheque, were in the box when it was stolen.

John Drew, a returned soldier, of Turramurra, was walking through a section of Ku- ring-gai Chase known as Lovers' Retreat, when he found the cash-box. It had apparently been buried In some sand by the thieves after they had prised it open and taken the contents. Evidently the box had been washed up by the recent heavy rain.

KU-RING-GAI SHIRE'S NEW BUILDING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 26th June 1909

Sir, -The letter dated the 21st inst., over tho signature of Councillor W. T. Wait, president of Ku-ring-gai Shire, which appeared in your columns of the 22nd, idem has been carefully read by me, but I am surprised that he has not treated the question in a business like manner, as he seems to be all at sea, and does no appear to be au fait with tho subject under review.

Mr. Wait intimates that certain misleading statements have been published relative to the Ku-ring gai Shire, to the effect that it was the intention of the council to build a Town Hall. He then proceeds to show how misleading these statements are by stating that the council decided to purchase a piece of land, the intention of the council being to build offices necessary for the present requirements, leaving space sufficient at the back for extension and the erection of a shire hall at some remote date.

The misleading statement that President Wait complains about is as to the time when the Shire Hall is to be erected, but all the ratepayers know that it could not be immediately built, as the council has not yet acquired tho power to erect a shire hall, and is not in a position to borrow the money at present.

And this outlay of £1400 (at the least) is to be incurred because sometimes when the Parish Hall is engaged five people have to temporarily occupy a small room. And who are these people? There is the shire clerk and his assistant, and the engineer. Both the clerk and the engineer have a considerable amount of outdoor work to do, and as the trustees of the hall have discontinued letting it for other than their own church purposes during the daytime, it does not seem as though any great inconvenience is likely to occur in this direction in the future.

Mr. Wait's figures, contained in his letter published by you on Tuesday, are inaccurate, which he admitted at the indignation meeting, held on Wednesday night last, at Gordon. The exact financial position, if the new shire building be erected, is: -Five per cent on land value, £600, £30; 5 per cent, on building value, £800, £40; total Interest, £70. Interest on land, £30, and rent at present paid, viz , £32; total of £62, leaving a Dr. balance of £8, to which it will be necessary to add the following charges; Lighting and office-cleaning, say, £26 per annum; depreciation, repairs, etc., to building, 2½ per cent, on £800, £20 per annum; Insurance on building and contents, £2 Is per annum; caretaker, say. £26 per an- num; making a total cost of £82, or, say, £1 11s 6d per week, more than it is costing the shire at the present time for office rent, in addition to the cost of building, £800.

If the council remains in the occupancy of the Parish Hall, Gordon, the position is: Rent, £32 per annum; loss of interest in £600, £30; total, £62. Two machine-made rooms for the use of engineer and clerk, to be made to intercommunicate with general office and to be the property of the shire, for use later on in connection with outdoor offices of future building, say, £50 at 5 per cent. interest, £2 10s; total, £64 10s per annum; or, say, £1 5s per week. (These rooms to be added, if necessary, to obtain additional accommodation.)

Tile charges to the new building are based as low as possible, and the position is as follows;

New building cost £800. Loss of £8 referred to above, and upkeep £82 per annum more than we are paying for office accommodation now, and the loss of the use of the £800 for very necessary road works in the shire. All this expenditure is to be incurred to save the present rental of £32 per year (a loss of £122 per annum, made up as follows: £40 Interest on building outlay, and £32 for upkeep), and a little inconvenience to some of the officers of tho council; while many necessary repairs and improvements in the shire have to stand over. Where does the good business that President Wait refers to come in here?

It is a pity that President Wait, when letting us know the cost of the Willoughby Town Hall, did not tell us how many years this municipality was incorporated before it was decided to build a Town Hall; also what their administration expenses and revenue are. Their town clerk (Mr. A. A. C. Bastian) informs me that their general rates revenue is about £11,000 (as against this shire's £6000), and their administration expenses are only 10 per cent, of their total income (as against a cost of 20 per cent, to the rate- payers of Ku-ring-gai Shire for similar expenses); and it was quite 40 years after their municipality was incorporated before they decided to build a Town Hall.

A. H. H. ALDWORTH.
June 25th

SPORTS FACILITIES IN RESERVES

The Sydney Morning Herald Thursday 11th March 1948

Sir,- West Roseville Park is one of 130 reserves in Ku-ring gai. Its area is four acres out of a total of about 2,800 acres (15 per cent, of the municipality), dedicated for recreation purposes. It is one of hundreds of lovely spots in the area.
There are not a dozen playing fields. For many years, Council has been bombarded by sports organisations for the provision of additional playing areas. Up to now there is not a single area west of the Pacific Highway available for organised sport, and as a result of a decision in August last, five areas are being prepared as playing fields, one being West Roseville, and another Vernon Street (Kissing Point Road, Turramurra).

"Waratah" is not fair in his comment on Council's action in Lindfield Park. It is not "ruining a district heritage" of 120 acres. The part being laid out for tennis courts is less than half an acre, on which there was only one decent tree. The work is being done on the strong representations of local organisations.

The question is, shall Ku-ring-gai Council leave its reserves in their natural state forever, or shall it make reasonable and well considered provision for some organised sport?

W. CRESWELL-O'REILLY, Alderman, Ku-ring-gai Council.

LETTERS
TREE PRESERVATION.
TO THE EDITOR OP THE HERALD.

The Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday 25th March 1931

Sir,- All the members of the Ku-ring-gai Council and Its officers are delighted with the stand that the people are taking with regard to the destruction of trees. Hitherto it has been the habit of persons in that and other municipalities to destroy every piece of growing timber that could be seen, fired no doubt by the absurd story about George Washington.

For a long time now we have been engaged in a fight for the prevention of this spoliation of our natural beauties, and an attempt to prevent the various suburbs from being made into London suburbs-without a tree in them.

We have been able to obtain a great many creeks full of good timber and saplings, which are vested in the council and looked after by them, and in one case, at the Killara Oval, when we were making improvements there it cost us nearly £50 more to avoid cutting down a most beautiful red-gum which was a joy to everybody.

In spite of our efforts, however, there are people who go out of their way to destroy trees because they are on a footpath, or perhaps in some street.

We have everywhere encouraged the planting of trees and the preservation of them, and we are delighted to know that many of the ratepayers agree with us in this, and that the Rangers' League is also assisting in every way possible.

I am, etc.,
H. E. MCINTOSH.
Chairman Parks and Health Committee,
Municipality of Ku-ring-gai.
March 23.