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3 1 1

Usdi iblu

the balmainassociation

Incorporatednews sheet

T H e P e n i n s u l a

V o l 4 2 N o 4 I s s u e 3 0 5 F o u n d e d N o v e m b e r 1 9 6 5 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7

P R E S I D E N T ' SR E P O R T

P r e s e n t e d a t t h e B a l m a i n

Association's ACM on 3'^'^ Oct. 2007

As President of the BalmainAssociation for the past year, Ihave greatly enjoyed working

with our highly dedicated,knowledgeable and resourceful team ofoffice bearers and committee membersto implement and sustain thelongstanding aims of the Association topreserve the heritage, amenity,character and historical records of thea r e a .

A major responsibility of theAssociation continues to be themaintenance and management of thehistoric Watch House, which is kept inexcellent condition and fully bookedfor exhibit ions and local functions. Theactivities in the Watch House of theAssociat ion i tself have included the

very popular Children's Photographydisplays and the Sandstone Heritagee x h i b i t i o n .

People are welcome at ourmonthly meetings, and the regularSaturday attendances of HistoryCommittee members enable vis i tors tointeract directly in obtaining and giving

histor ical informat ion and mater ia l .This activity supplements the ongoingpostal, phone and email communicationwhich is distil led and included in the

regular newsletters, a much appreciatedresponsibility of our Editor.

In addition to all this, we areconstantly contacted over and involvedin local plamiing and heritage issues.This year has included strong concernsover the Multiplex and Tigers sites.White Bay, Rozelle Bay, BirchgroveOval, Mort Bay Park, Rozelle Hospitaland Callan Park. Constant themes are

opposition to ad hoc over-development,traffic congestion, pollution, inadequateregional open space and facilities andlack of government consultation andrespect.

The resilience of the

community's spirit is maintained bysuch events as Back to Balmain and theRozelle School Re-union, which theBalmain Assoc iat ion wi l l cont inue to

participate in and foster.Looking forward, we also plan

to pursue ideas to engage more youngpeople and new members. This includesrevitalizing our brochures and website.I am confident that the next year will beproductive and, above all, enjoyable forall of us.

J a n e W a r d

C o m m i t t e e

photo.Standing:C h r i s t i n a

Ritchie,K a t h l e e n

Hamey,AndyMitchel l ,A n n

B a s t o c kand RogerP a r k e s .

S e a t e d :

Rita Ellis,J a n e W a r d

a n d Va l

Hamey.

B A M A N A G E M E N T C O M M I T T E E

P r e s i d e n t : J a n e Wa r dV i c e P r e s i d e n t : D i a n a C a r d e r

Secretary: June Lunsmann;Treasurer Val HameyAssistant Treasurer Andy MitchellP u b l i c O f fi c e r : B o b E l l i sNewsletter: Fergus FrickcCommittee: Ann Bastock. KathleenHamey, Rita Ellis, Roger Parkes, GeorgeCooper, Christina Ritchie.History Committee: Bonnie Davidson,June Lunsmann, Rita Ellis, KathleenHamey, Diana Carder.Wa t c h H o u s e H i r e ; J u n e L u n s m a n n .

A u d i t o r : T i m P o t t e r

T O U R G U I D E SS O U G H T

For many years Kathleen Hamey hasconducted heritage tours and walks inBalmain on behalf of the BalmainAssociation. The tours have been a

great success thanks to Kathleen'sremarkable knowledge of Balmainhistory and her delightful way ofenthralling and enthusing residents andvisi tors al ike.

Kathleen has decided to hang upher portable amplifier, take down herheritage guide shingle and concentrateon all the other community activitiesshe is involved in. If someone, or someothers, are interested in taking overKathleen's guiding or wish to beinvolved in some way please contactKathleen on 9818 4954

I N T H I S I S S U EPage1 P res iden t ' s Repo r t , Gu id i ng .2 T i g e r s ' C e n t e n a r y3 M a y o r C a r o l y n A l l e n4 Res idency Tes t fo r Ba lma in ,

Ballast Point, Cockatoo Island5 D u n n i e s , T h e W a l l A g a i n6 C a r b o n O f f - c u t s7 B a s k e t W e a v e r s , T r e a s u r e r ' s

Report, Dog Notice8 W h a t ' s o n i n t h e W a t c h H o u s e ,

Photographic exhib i t ion

T H E C E N T E N A R Y O F T H E B A L M A I N T I G E R S

N'ext year (2008) will see the 100'*' anniversary of theBalmain District Rugby League Club. Sadly, (for all the'true believer' Tiger fans) there is no truth in the oft-

stated claim that Balmain was the first rugby league club inAustralia ... but it was mighty close to the truth. Ray Chesterton,in his well-researched book Tiger. Tiger Buniing Bright says,"The Sydney rugby league competition was finally and officiallylaunched early in 1908 and the first club to form was Glebe. Fordecades, the (now defunct) Newtown Club was thought to havebeen the First club, but a recent investigation has shownconclusively that Glebe was the first; on the 9'*" of January 1908at the Glebe Town Hall. Newtown was formed on the 14 ofJanuary 1908. Souths followed on the 17'*' of January and thenBalmain on the 23"* of January 1908 at a public meeting at theBalmain Town Hall". Other clubs to participate in the inauguralyear were Norths, Wests, Cumberland and Newcastle. Annandalewas to form a club in 1910 and Sydney University in 1920.

Birchgrove Oval was the headquarters for the newlyformed rugby league club. It was there that, on the 20'*' of April,the first game was played by Balmain in the 1908 competitionyear. Two games were played at Birchgrove on that day. TheTigers defeated Wests 20-11 and Souths defeated Norths 11-7.

Balmain's first jumper had black and gold horizontalbars. It was the same colour and design as the rugby union club.The union competition had 11 clubs by 1907, having beenformed in 1874. The league club logo was a football with a tigeron one side and a kangaroo on the other. Undcmeath was written"Balmain District League Football Club. Founded 1908."

The origin of Balmain's black and gold colours is notknown for certain. One theory is that the colours were those ofthe blackwattlc trees in the nearby Blackwattle Bay. Anothertheory is that they were adopted after Balmain local. Bill Beach,a champion rower, used a black and gold jumper while defendinghis world title in England. The latter theory was put to me by alocal octogenarian, longtime Balmain resident and ardent Tigersupporter, Mrs Betty Fountain.

"Pony" Halloway clears the ball from a scrum In a matchagainst Newtown circa 1915. Photo from Tiger, Tiger BurningBright by Ray Chesterton, Playrlght Publishing Pty Ltd,Sydney 2000. Reprinted with permission.

Balmain, in the early days were better known as "TheWatersidcrs" because they were located at Birchgrove Oval andplayed there. Birchgrove Oval was the first 'home ground' forthe Balmain Rugby League team. Snails Bay was an active partof Sydney harbour and was used to unload timber mainly. Thearea was essentially working class and was a provider of playersfor the football teams of the area. Later, the team was moved toWentworth Park, but this proved unpopular with the supporters.Tlicy then moved back to Birchgrove Oval, but this was againunsatisfactory because it could not properly cater for the largecrowds being attracted to the games. In 1928, a deal was struckwith the rugby union team and the League team moved toDrummoyne Oval. Then, in 1934, it was decided to makeLeichhardt Oval the home for the Tigers.

Birchgrove oval in 1902

On the 27"" of July 1999, in a vote of 299 to 95, the BalmainRugby League Club decided to merge with the Western Suburbs RugbyLeague Club (known as 'The Magpies'). So ended 92 years of historyfor both these inaugural clubs. The merged club is now known as theWests Tigers.

Birchgrove Oval in 2007

But "The Tigers" is still a strong rallying call for all theaficionados of the game. And the team has gone from strength tostrength. In 1999 Balmain finished third last in the competition andWests, their new partners, finished last. In 2005, Wests Tigers won thecompetition. A resurgence indeed. The strong support for the clubcontinues. At their evening game played against the North QueenslandCowboys on Monday 30'** of July 2007, the Wests Tigers attracted acrowd of more than 17,000 fans to the Leichhardt Oval. As one whowas there, it was impossible not to be impressed with the diversity inthe crowd; young children, family groups, young men, old players - thelot. A special area is put aside for people with physical disabilities. It isa lovely night out - and the football was good too - The Tigers won54-10. By way of comparison, the Rugby Union Grand final betweenSydney University and Eastern Suburbs was played the previousSaturday and attracted only 5,500 people.

The first rugby league game staged in Australia was playedbetween a NSW side and a team from New Zealand on thel7'*' ofAugust 1907. New Zealand was on the way to tour England playing"northem union" rules, which embraced the changes introduced tomake the game faster-moving than rugby union and, therefore, moreappealing to the spectator. The breakaway code of rugby knew thatpeople came to see fast-moving back-line movements and not thedreary sideline kicking game. The Australian clubs adopted these ruleswhich had been developed in the north of England.

Even those not classified as "dyed in the wool leaguies" cannothelp but notice the impact the football team has on the community. 1remember, as a Glebe resident in 1969, walking up for a tipple at theToxteth and seeing large yellow tiger footprints painted on thefootpath. That was the year The Tigers won the premiership. Theexcitement was highly infectious and when the game was over, theBalmain/Glebe area erupted in a euphoric celebration. Maybe it isbecause 1 am that much older, but the excitement seems less - but itstill pumps along at a grand rate and we all like to sec the Tigers win.And when the game is put on at the historic Leichhardt Oval,attendance is almost obligatory.

Roger Parkes

2

C O F F E E A N D C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T HC A R O L Y N

Carolyn Allen was elected Mayor ofLeichhardt on 26 September 2007and will be mayor until the next

Local Government Election in September2008. The conversation below took placeover coffee at her house under d i fficu l t

circumstances. Her uncle, who she is closeto was dying, she was using an icepack onthe ankle that was sprained the day beforewhile undertaking mayoral duties, anda dog had apparently swallowed one ofher contact lenses. Nevertheless she

was, as usual, cheerful and lookingforward to a year's leave without pay,to concentrate on being Mayor ofLe i chha rd t ! Be low a re he r abb rev ia ted

answers to some questions.

W a s t h e r e l i f e b e f o r e L e i c h h a r d t ?

1 was bom and brought up in Bathurst.My father and uncle had a poultrybusiness. My uncle was a member ofthe Labor Party and was later amember of parliament during theWhitlam years.When 1 completed my leavingcertificate at Bathurst High School Iwent to Sydney University. I was thefirst member of my family to go touniversity. I did an Arts degreemajoring in Geography andEconomics. After that 1 did a Dip. Ed.and started a Grad. Dip. of Town andCountry Planning.Why and when did you come to live inBalmain? One of the student projects 1 wasinvolved in while studying Town andCountry Planning in 1967 was centred onredeveloping Balmain. What I saw was avery attractive and active community. Icame to l ive in Balmain in 1968 but left towork in Europe and Canada from '72 until'79 af ter which I came back to Balmain.

What do you like about Balmain? Balmainappealed initially because it was like acountry town. It was self-contained and self-sufficient. There was great diversity andthere were interesting people. Everyone washelpful. A film group met once a month atEwenton House. We drank with Colgateworkers at the Unity Hall Hotel and weworked on restoring the Watch House. TheDawn Eraser Pool is my favourite place inB a l m a i n .What have been the major changes inBalmain in your time here? Tliere aremore people now, more buildings beingrenovated and extended, more shops open,more cars, more and more cars, more wealth(the blue collar workers have gone), moreand better parks, and the Dawn Eraser poolis cleaner. There are more dogs but less dogshit (more responsible dog owners). Thereare more cafes and restaurants.What would you like to see change inBalmain? I would l ike to see fewer cars andless emphasis on car parking. Perhaps thecommunity members could commit toreducing the number of car trips by 10%.

Some streets could be blocked off to throughtraffic and trees planted in the streets.Possibly parking provided at White Bay orcar use taxed if the revenue could beguaranteed to go into improving publictransport.Where would you like to live if you leftBa lma in? 1 don ' t wan t to l eave Ba lma in .

How have you changed in your time inBalmain? 1 came from a family involved incommunity. When my children beganattending Birchgrove PS I became veryinvolved with the school and communityissues and as an extension of this I becameinvolved in education policy generally andan advocate for public education. 1specifically worked for children from lowsocio-economic backgrounds and thengenerally with social justice issues - at localnational and global levels.Local government is the very foundation ofdemocracy and the area where social capitalis built so I have found it disappointing thatso much time is spent not on communityissues but on individual buildingdevelopments. 1 hope you understand that asone who has worked hard for social justiceand improving amenity for all, I find ituncomfortable to spend so much timeessentially making rich people richer andneeding to approve developments whichdecrease the diversity and affordablility ofhousing in my own community.What do you do in your spare time if youhave any? 1 read a lot: history, politics andhistorical novels are my favourites. 1 belongto two book clubs. I swim, go to the theatre,and listen to music-jazz and opera mostly.Why did you enter local politics? I havesupported independents, including NickOriglass and Issy Wyner, for many years. Atthe last election nobody wanted to benumber one on the Leichhardt CommunityIndependents' ticket so I drew the short

3

straw. 1 think State and federal governmentissues are more important than localgovernment ones but local government is anarm of the State Govemment and as anelected counc i l lo r 1 have some influence onState Governments that 1 would not have asa n i n d i v i d u a l .

How do I refer to you as mayor? I don'tknow. I suppose 1 will be referred to as

"Madam Mayor" on formal occasionsbut I will not introduce myself as themayor to anyone and 1 will not wear themayoral regalia except on occasionssuch as citizenship ceremonies, when asense of occasion is appreciated by theparticipants.What do you hope to achieve in thenext year? Largely to see planneddevelopments such as the renovation ofBalmain Town Hall, the enlarging of theLeichhardt Aquatic Centre and theNor ton Ma in S t ree t come to f r u i t i on .Erank Sartor is requiring all councils todevelop new town plans so this must bedone. Go some way to ensuring there ismore diversity and affordability inhousing: we need to encourage there ten t ion o f two bedroom houses fo r

instance. We need better town planningtools, especially where heritage issuesare concerned .

What are your greatest concerns?That satisfactory outcomes forCallan

Park, White Bay and the Tigers andMultiplex development proposals areachieved. Although I am opposed tobuilding more highways (only better publictransport will solve the traffic problems), theM4 East seems likely to go ahead but it mustnot be a toll road (to prevent increasingtraffic on local roads) and there must beadequate exhaust air filtering to ensuresatisfactory air quality.Are there likely to be a further round ofcouncil amalgamations soon? People talkabout it but I have not seen any evidencethat the State govemment will want toinvolve Leichhardt in an amalgamation.Leichhardt has a population of over 50,000,which makes it much bigger than many ruralc o u n c i l s .

Energy use per capita in Leichhardt ishigh. What, if anything, should be doneabout it? The energy use is a measure of ouraffluence. We can reduce council's footprintand we can assist residents to reduce theirs

through education campaigns andleadership. Community consultation for our20/20 strategic plan indicated thatenvironmental sustainability was a majorconcern of our res idents .What can be done to ensure a goodo u t c o m e f o r C a l l a n P a r k ? W o r k w i t h i n t h e

existing system. I think that a compromisecan be reached. Sydney University shouldnot cont ro l the whole o f Ca l lan Park .Council should maintain and manage theplaying fields.

Residency Testf o r B a l m a i n

HopefulsThe Federa l Governmen t has i n t roduced atest for applicants for Australiancitizenship. It sounds such a good idea wethought we should run with the concept anddevelop a test for residency in Balmain.The test should be a sudden death one,however, and not like the government's testthat has no l imit on the number of t imes

applicants may take it. We also think thatthe test should be an aural one and, to makeit more democratic, there should be a panelor jury of Balmain residents who willdecide whether the applicant is a suitableperson for residency. It should beunderstood that there will no leaking ofanswers because the correctness of theanswers will depend on the jury's views sothe whole process will be fair and noindividual can be held solely responsiblefor the decision. Further suggestions forsuitable questions will be greatlyappreciated. Also being considered is a testfor cur rent res idents who wish to leaveBalmain - but this test will have to wait fora n o t h e r t i m e .

Proposed prospective residency questions:1. How much money have you got?2. Do you believe in mctrcd parking

in Darling Street and itss u r r o u n d s ?

3. Should public whipping becarried out in Loyalty Square forresidents who paint their housesthe wrong colour?

4. Do you support the installing ofan automated barrier system onexit and entry points of theBalmain peninsula which willonly allow a vehicle in when onel e a v e s ?

5. Should Frank Sartor be appointedthe President of the Balmain

republic? Please explain.6. Does your family really require

four 4x4s and where will youpark them?

7. Where will you park your motorcruiser and yacht?

8. Trees a) should be chopped downb) are large weeds c) spoil viewsd) are good for producing woodchips e) block drains f) endangerpower lines g) all of the previoush) other (please specify)

9. How many dogs do you have?10. Do you intend to swim in the

Dawn Fraser pool?11. When was the hundredth cafe

opened in Balmain?12. Docs Balmain have enough

restaurants and hairdressers?13. Should there be real resident

agencies as well as real estateagencies in Balmain?

14. Are you willing to become atrend-setter and reduce the size ofany house or apartment you buyi n B a l m a i n ?

15. Will you throw out usefulhousehold goods in the nexth o u s e h o l d c o l l e c t i o n ?

16. Will you be prepared to searchthrough skips for any useful pieceof wood etc to store in yourhouse because it might come inhandy?

17. Do you know what footpaths aref o r ?

1 8 . W h a t i s t h e B a l m a i n A s s o c i a t i o n :a church, a retirees' club, a drama

society?19. What, besides being close to the

CBD, is Balmain noted for?20. What is there the greatest need

for in Balmain: retirement homes,nursing homes, childcare centres,cafes or service stat ions?

21. Where would you like to live ifyou were refused residency inB a l m a i n ?

22. Do you vote for Labor or TheG r e e n s ?

2 3 . W h a t i s a w o r k e r ?24. Where would you send your

children to school if you wereyoung enough or mad enough tohave any?

25. How will you annoy yourneighbours?

2 6 . I n t h e L e i c h h a r d t L E P s h o u l dthere be a l imit of 10 hairdressers

per hectare?27. Also, what should be the FSR

(fashion sense ratio) allowable inBalmain? (NB it is important thatthe FSR is not too high as thiswould be likely to lead to frock-shop led inflation and a pokermachine drought due to increasedexpenditure on fashion items.)

28. Finish the following sentence inless than 100 words. Gardens arc

unnecessary because29. Complete the next sentence in

less than two words starting withthe letter "s". Leichhardt Council

30. What do you grumble aboutbesides residency tests?

N e w S c h e d u l e f o rthe Completion ofB a l l a s t P o i n t P a r k

As you may have seen site works atBallast Point are winding down.S H FA h a s a n n o u n c e d t h a t C a l t e x ' s

demolition and remediation work is nearingcompletion and is expected to be finished inlate October or early November. Once theremediation is finished there will be a periodof approximately 8 weeks for the site auditorto issue the site audit statement that will saythe site is suitable for use as a park. Giventhis timeframe SHFA anticipates that the workon establishing the park will begin midJanuary. A 10-month construction period forthe park is being allowed for.

I N T E R P R E T I V E S I G N F O R C O C K AT O OI S L A N D

CONVICTS. ORPHANS AND PRISONERS.1839-1911

« n M M « t « M M ^ I Q M C

i - W lU m m w w f w a e e e n n i W w

LIARITIME HISTORY 1847. 1992

C e w i ^ r t e e i O i *

w i w i f N c

C e d u n O s d A

G i y w i ' t C « M * m m a a u t w n

d t v e o u i v t

L e i c h h a r d tC o u n c i l w i l l

i n s t a l l a n

interpretivesign aboutC o c k a t o oI s l a n d i n t h e

park besideFitzroyA v e n u e . T h e

sign is aresu l t o f a

cooperat ivea r r a n g e m e n tb e t w e e n

C o u n c i l a n dt h e B a l m a i n

A s s o c i a t i o n .

4

A N E N D A N G E R E DS P E C I E S

r I The humble "dunny" (Toiletus backyardi)I has almost disappeared from Balmain

and the inner west of Sydney and shouldnow be put on the endangered species register.Some have disappeared because ofredevelopments or additions at the back fencesuch as garages. Others have just beenovergrown, or camouflaged, though not by thetraditional method of the choko vine (Sadlychoko vines also seem to be an endangeredspecies in the inner west. Perhaps there is adependency connection here though it is morelikely that affluenza is the cause of bothdemises.).

Di lapidated and camouflaged

There are of course other species ofthe same genus (Toiletus mdoori) which areseen in ever increasing numbers and must now,on average, have an occupancy rate of close toone per person and, in some parts of Balmain,even two or more per resident. These introducedspecies, like the cane toad, have driven thenative species, such as the (Toiletus backyardiand Toiletuspublici) to near extinction.

A remanent semi-detached dunny

Fifty years ago dunnies wereubiquitous in Balmain though not in as greatnumbers as the newer species. Besides theToiletus indoori there are an increasingnumber and variety of Toiletus consiructiand even rare examples of the "upstairsdunny" (see photo) though this varietyshould more accurately be called the"upladders dunny". There are some whomaintain that upladders dunny is just aclimbing variety of Toiletus constructi.

Photo at the left shows an example ofTo i l e t u s c o n s t r u c t i a n d a b o v e , To i l e t u s

a w a i

Recently though the true "upstairsdunny" has evolved thanks in part to theF e d e r a l G o v e r n m e n t ' s W o r k C h o i c e s

legislation. Although there have been noreported sightings of upstairs dunnies in

Balmain, at least one has been seenelsewhere as the second photograph shows.So far there has not been a botanical name

al located but there have been a number of

suggestions such Toiletus howardi, Toiletuspotiiici and Toiletus awai.

T h a n k s t o F e d e r a l G o v e r n m e n t

initiatives the upstairs dunny and theupladders dunny are on the increase but weshould be paying more attention to thedisappearance of the humble or commondunny. It is of heritage significance and it isbecoming more rare as FSRs increase.While there are still a few surviving onesaround, probably most of those on view arestuffed (with gardening tools usually).

For many years LeichhardtCouncil has encouraged tree planting andenforced tree preservation orders withmiraculous results. Perhaps it is time topreserve the one species that Councilappears to have paid little attention to, the"backyard lavatree" and the attendant dunnylane . An a l t e rna t i ve wou ld be to unde r take

a photographic record of those that are leftstanding or the brick shit-house mightdisappear from our lexicon as well as oursubu rb .

M O R E O N T H EC A M E R O N S T R E E T

W A L L

In a letter headed "Dear Councillor" inthe September issue of The Observer itwas obse rved tha t some beau t i fica t i on o f

the wall separating Cameron Street fromMort Bay Park would be appreciated.David Liddle also suggested the inclusion ofsmall "peep holes" in the wall.

It was subsequently pointed out that therewas another side to the story, as well as thewall, and that Council had been working onimprovements for some time. Carolyn Allenindicated that she had been regularly incon tac t w i th counc i l o f fice rs abou t the wa l l

and that a DA was to be submitted soon sothat the changes could be carried out.

Carolyn also suggested that maybe therecould be a very small community occasionfor the opening of "The Liddle Peep Holes"in the wall when the changes have beencompleted.

5

C A R B O N O F F -C U T S F O RP O W E R S U P P L YS A V I N G

We hear much about carbon offsets and carbon trading and greenpower where electricity

generation is involved but a lot less thesedays about carbon ofT-cuts in the name ofpower supply. In July and August Balmainwas visited by trimmer/lopper employees ofActive Tree Services, a contractor forEnergy Australia. They were intent onreversing the greening of Balmain in thename of ensuring that electricity suppliesare safe from the green terrorists, otherwiseknown as t rees.

Where the power lines go underground inBallast Point Road (above) and an

example of bundled cables in CameronStreet (below)..

For many years there has been talkof underground power supplies and in somecases, notably the Mort Bay housingdevelopment, underground powerdistribution was indeed used. In existing

A hybr id "bureaucra t ree"

residential areas however the cost isconsidered unacceptable. We don't knowwhat the cost would be (the last estimate afew years ago was about S4000 perresidence) and we don't know how muchresidents would be prepared to pay for theelectricity supply to be put underground inparts of Balmain. Nor do we know whatsavings might be achieved by doing this. Itseems that it is t ime to review the situationand consider other possible options such aspartial underground supply (which hasalready been done in parts of Balmain eg thewestern end of Bal last Point Road and theMort Bay development) or, in somesituations, running the cables over the centreof streets or attached to buildings rather thanpower poles, as is done in some otherc o u n t r i e s .

While running the electrical supplyabove the centre of roads may mean the costof extra power poles (one pole each side ofthe street would be needed unless the supportcables could be anchored on buildings), inthe long run this may be cheaper thanslashing trees every two or three years and itwould help lock up some extra carbon aswell. In some streets it may just be sufficientto run the supply lines from one side of thestreet to the other in a few places to avoidsome significant trees and in other cases itmay be necessary to put the cablesunderground in places to avoid some seriousand unsightly lopping. Let us at least have acost benefit analysis on these concepts forsome streets, or parts of streets, to secwhether it would be possible and whetherresidents want changes and what they areprepared to pay for them. And let the cost ofserious apoplexy amongst residents befac to red in .

Failing that, or perhaps instead ofsuch a survey, or together with it, let us havea street-planting scheme that gives us somelarge trees where they won't interfere withelectricity supplies, and other infrastructureand smaller planting where this is notpossible.

In many parts of Sydney and nowin parts of Balmain the insulated cables arebundled together and strung through trees assuch arrangements are less sensitive todamage and therefore do not require brutalhacking. There arc also short stretchexamples of this in Balmain. Perhaps oneshould ask. how often is there a power failurein Balmain because of falling branches? OKthis is because the trees are pruned ortortured before they can threaten ourprecious power supplies! But if they are soimportant perhaps they need to be putunderground out of harm's way and wheremotorists can't run into power poles.

The requirements of EnergyAustralia for the tree trimming are that nopart of a tree must be within 1.5 m of a bare240 volt power line at any time. For bundledcables the requirement is that the cable musthave a vegetation clearance of 0.5 m but thevegetation is allowed to touch the cablesintermittently.

Contractors are required to ensurethat Energy Australia's policies are compliedwith but the contractors are not permitted toundertake any cutting outside the limits setby Energy Australia and so they cannotundertake cosmetic or remedial tree surgery(that is Council's responsibility). Hence theabsurd looking results in some cases (seephoto above).

The cost of installing bundledcables is between S3000 and 55000 per span(from one pole to another). The cost ofmaintaining the Energy Australiarequirements in Balmain appears to be of theorder of 550,000 per year, so cutting trees isa cheaper option than replacing bare cableswith bundled cables in the short term. Unless

we get serious as a community or Councilabout making a contribution or the Federal orState govemment gets serious about carbonoff-cuts as well as ofT-seis, trees willcont inue to be mut i la ted.

An alternative might be to installsome plastic foliage on the existing powerpoles or employ artists to make sculpturesout of them or decorate them or producetotem poles. Perhaps Leichhardt Council andEnergy Australia could agree to investigatethese possibilities further.

6

B a s k e t We a v e r s a n d Tr u eB e l i e v e r s

By Tony HarrisLeftbank Publishing, 2007

' I 'ony's book was launched at Gleebooks on IS'*" September.1. 2007, by Meredith Burgmann, ex-President of the NSW

Upper House, and introduced by Professor Bruce Scates.It is an important addition to the recorded history of

politics in the Leichhardt Municipality, and with specialemphasis on left, right and centre attitudes in the ALP branches,while taking account of the independents who played such adetermining role in shaping the direction of local politics.

The choice of the name for the book gives someindication of what is recorded, bearing in mind Keating'ssneering appellation of "basket weavers" for all the forward-looking elements in and outside the ALP versus the so-called"true believers" who hated any sort of change.

This work is an excellent portrayal of the period of thenineteen-seventies to the nineteen-nineties, calling to mind themany issues which confronted the people of the municipality andcaused many divisions among the lefl, right and centre in localpolitics.

leftward leaning members moving to take over the Branches asTony Harris shows.

Some day, this aspect ofpolitics in Leichhardt,especially a clear spelling out of the meaning and description of"open council", should be fully researched and recorded as abasic element of democracy and transparency in govenunent.

Meanwhile, Tony Harris is to be congratulated on hisresearch and documentation of much of the ALP's history in theLeichhardt Municipality.

Issy Wyner

Treasurer's Report for 2006-7Another pleasing year financially with a surplus again. Our assetskeep accumulating because we are still negotiating with thePublic Works to restore the Watch House sandstone. Someessential plumbing, electrical and roofing work was achieved.Below is a short version of the audited Operating Statement forthe year ended 30 June 2007. The full statement is available onrequest.

Val Hamey

T h e B a l m a i n A s s o c i a t i o n I n c(Incorporated under the Association Act 1984 -

ABN15181806487)

S t a t e m e n t o f F i n a n c i a l P o s i t i o n a t J u n e 3 0

C u r r e n t A s s e t s 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7B a n k B a l a n c e S 3 5 5 8 8 . 2 7 S 2 9 3 9 1 . 6 5Term Deposit S 5 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 S 7 7 0 0 0 . 0 0Cash in hand S7J5 $ 9 J 0To t a l C a s h & B a n k S 8 5 5 9 6 . I 2 $ 1 0 6 4 0 0 . 7 5

I n t e r e s t A c c r u a l SI 76.44 S 1 3 8 8 . 7 2

Sundry Debtors 5 9 0 ^ SI 20^To t a l A s s e t s $ 8 5 8 6 2 . 5 6 $ 1 0 7 9 0 9 . 4 7

C u r r e n t L i a b i l i t i e sCreditors (Subscriptions in advance)

S 9 0 0 . 0 0 5 7 2 0 . 0 0

M e m b e r s F u n d s $ 8 4 9 6 2 . 5 6 $ 1 0 7 1 8 9 . 4 7

One clement in the development of the leftwardtendency in the ALP however, calls for more emphasis than isgiven in Tony's work. This concerns what can only be regardedas the essentia! cause for that development: the fight in theBalmain Branch of the Party over the proposal to establish achemical tank farm in a res ident ia l area in Balmain.

In standing up for the residents' serious concems aboutthe issue, the bulk of the membership of the Branch, includingthe Balmain Ward Aldermen (Origlass and Wyner), wereexpelled from the Party in 1968. This was the spark that ran likewildfire through the ALP in the Municipality, and produced theopen council of 7 independents and 5 ALPers. It also saw Vancouver, BC, Canada shows the way: notices for

dogs as well as notices about dogs.

7

What's on at the Watch HouseFor fu r the r i n fo rma t i on see h t tD : / / b ; i lma i i i - j . s s ( i c i a t i on .o r ' j . a i i

D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y

Friday, November 30, Saturday 1, Sunday 2 and Wednesday5 to Sunday 9 December 12 - 6pm.5 0 : i 0 V i s i o nThe Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand is holdingits annual exhibition, 30:30 Vision. This Touring Exhibitionbegins its journey here at the Balmain Watch House. From thiscollection of works only 16 will be chosen to tour Australia'sRegional Galleries. Our theme this year is 'INSECTS' eitherwhole or part thereof. Works from around Australia & NewZealand will be on sale. Come and see where the new wave ofartistic mosaicing is heading.

Wednesday 12 December, 6:00 pm. Balmain Association'sChristmas Bash and opening of the Living, Loving andLoathing photographic exhibition by Carolyn Allen, Mayor ofL e i c h h a r d t .Please notify Kathleen (9818 4954) or June (9810 6885) ifyouintend to at tend.

Saturdays 11:30 am to 3:30 pm from 15 December 2007 to 26January 2008.Living, Loving and Loathing in Balmain PhotographicE x h i b i t i o nLast year two schools participated in the highly successfulBalmain Through yotrngerEyci-photographic exhibitionorganized by the Balmain Association. The participants in Living.Loving and Loathing in Balmain, this year's photographicexhibition, are Nicholson Street Public School students, SydneySecondary College, Balmain Campus students and Balmainphotographer, David Liddle.

F E B R U A R Y 0 8

Saturday 9, Sunday, 1010am to 4pmBalmain for Refugees and Bridge for Asylum SeekersOpening Friday 8th Feb. 6 - 9pmAdmission free but donations to Balmain for Refugees and Bridgefor Asylum Seekers welcomed.An exhibition of art works by detainees at the VillawoodImmigration Detention Centre. Works include those by a talentedyoung Tanzanian former detainee an equally talented Russian stillin detention. The Croatian who exhibited last year has morepaintings. As well there will be works donated by other artists.

Proceeds from sales of asylum seeker work will begiven to the artists. Proceeds from sales of donated works will beused by Balmain for Refugees, recipients of 2006 Law and JusticeFoundation Volunteer Award, for their work with asylum seekersfrom countries such as Afghanistan. Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Tanzania,Uganda, Nigeria, Nepal, Burma, Aceh, and China.

Saturday 16, Sunday 17Serendipitya joint exhibition of paintings by Shona Liney and prints bySteven Liney.

Saturday 23, Sunday 2410am to 4pmBalmain Peninsula Park Painters are holding their AnnualExhibition in the Balmain Watch House with a wine and cheeseOpening on Friday evening 22 February from 6 until 8 pm, opento al l in terested.

The artists exhibiting are Susan Grant, Barbara Hamilton, MaryCullen, Jenny Saunders Thompson and Pamela Neville. Theirworks often started as sketches or watercolours in the parks ofBalmain and reflect their various interpretations of our localwaterfront and historic built environment, as well as inspirationsfrom travels in Australia and overseas. This year's exhibition hasan additional focus on different interpretations of the Tugs ofBalmain. The watercolour, acrylic and oil paintings are offered atvery reasonable prices.

Livingi'Loving andLoathing in BalmainAn exhibition of photographs by students from

Nicholson Public School, Sydney Secondary College(Balmain Campus) and photographer David Liddle.

Venue: Balmain Watch HouseOpen: Saturdays 15 December 07 to 26 January 08

Time: 11:30 am to 3:30 pmAdmiss ion : f ree

The Balmain Associat ionfmp:/balmaina.<!iociation.org.au

Heritage WeekNational Trust Heritage Festival April 2008

T h e m e " O u r P l a c e "

Our event will be "Our Place - Balmain a photographicexhibition featuring work by students from local primary schools,

Sydney Secondary College (Balmain Campus), photographerDavid Liddle as well as photographs from our archives.There will be more information in the next newsletter.

The Balmain Association Inc Representing Balmain, Birchgrove and RozelleO u r a i m s a r e t o :

Improve the living, working and recreationalamenities of our area; maintain at! features

having natural, architectural and or historicalvalue of the area and keep a permanentcollection of historical interest; seek the

cooperation of everyone concerned in ther e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e a b o v e .

The Balmain Association meetson the first Wednesday of each month at5:00pm in the Watch House, 179 DarlingStreet Balmain. The Watch House is openevery Saturday from 12:00 - 3:00pm.

Our editorial contacts:

phone/fax is 02 9810 1179Email fcraiaarch.usvd.edu.auPostal: PO Box 57 Balmain 2041

Our Web site:

http://balmainassociation.org.auAnnual subscriptions:

Household S20, Concession SIO,Organizations S30

Material from this newsletter is not to be

reproduced without acknowledgement

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