Stories From Our War Memorial -...

February 2015 Burrawang Herald News

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Don’t forget to check out the website : www.burrawangvillage.com

Produced by the Burrawang Wildes Meadow Progress Association

CONTINUING 132 YEAR TRADITION

The First World War saw over 400,000 Australians enlist to fight for King and Country. All were volunteers. There are fifty two names engraved on the First World War Memorial that stands in front of The Burrawang School of Arts. A public subscription was raised to build the memorial in 1918, to honour those who served in 'the war to end all wars". Of the fifty two who served, eighteen paid the supreme sacrifice. Just some of the 60,000 Australians involved who did not return from the war. The majority who enlisted from the area were under thirty, fit young men. Their occupation in the main was given as “farmer”. Most were unmarried and many of them were members of the Burrawang Rifle Club. Each name has its own unique story and some of them are reproduced here. One of the first to enlist from the Burrawang - Wildes Meadow area was James Hubert McGrath. He enlisted as a Trooper, aged nineteen, in the 1st Light Horse Regiment in March 1915 and left Sydney in early August the same year. By November he was at Gallipoli for the evacuation. He spent the remainder of the war in Sinai and Palestine fighting in many different actions. His regiment was

one of two that took part in the battle to capture the Wells of Beersheba. This battle is regarded as the last great cavalry charge made, although carried out by mounted infantry of The Light Horse Brigade. Towards the end of 1917 James qualified as a signaller and served out his time in the Middle East and Palestine, until finally returning home in March 1919 aged twenty three. William Francis Freemantle, a labourer aged twenty one, enlisted as

Stories From Our War Memorial a private in October 1915 in the 6th Light Horse Regiment. He gave as his next of kin his father in Sandford Devon, England. He embarked from Australia for England in February 1916 and by August 1916 he was fighting on the Western Front. In January 1917 he was promoted to Corporal. On 11 March 1918 whilst attached to the 10th Medium Mortar Battery, he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. In August 1918 he was

Burrawang Rifle Club

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to page 4

to page 3


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The Burrawang Wildes Meadow Progress Association

President’s Report

No doubt, like many of my predecessors, I took on the job as President of your

Progress Association with unrealistic expectations about what we could accomplish

quickly.

The major stumbling blocks have been getting action from large corporations like

Endeavour Energy/Active Tree Services, or from the local Council. With the best will in

the world, it would be difficult to describe these organisations as customer focussed.

As far as the Council is concerned, experience over the last year has revealed that

some departments are responsive, and some are not. Often there is little the Council

can do, either because it has no control (such as with Endeavour Energy) or there is no

budget. The Progress Association is working hard on building stronger relationships

with the Mayor and employees of the Council.

The Progress Association can point to some significant achievements. The survey we

conducted in 2014, which was the first for some years, gave a good indication of the

concerns of residents, and as a result of the survey, the Association gained a number

of new members.

Actions achieved to date:

1. Although there is no budget to completely renovate the playground by the

school until 2020, the Council has agreed to improve its maintenance and give it

a full clean up in winter.

2. The Council has also agreed to mow a proper path from Burrawang village down

to the sports oval. They are not willing to do the same from the village to the

churches because they think this will create a hazard for pedestrians, given the

narrowness of the verges.

3. The majority of residents who responded to our survey supported the proposal

to place a modern bus shelter outside the school. This will benefit schoolchildren

in particular, and will be built in May 2015.

4. As far as the turn off from the Illawarra Highway into Church Street is

concerned, the RMS will create a channelled turn off bay, which will dramatically

improve safety, but our turn off is not their highest priority, and this is unlikely to

be done before the end of this year.

Challenges that lie ahead:

Many of you have complained about the negative effects, both to the visual

appearance of the village streets, and to the appearance of the trees ,resulting from

the tree lopping by Active Tree Services.

ATS is contracted to Endeavour Energy which is accountable to the State

Government, not the Council. Since early September, I have sent numerous emails

(some nine to date) to EE asking for them to recommend alternatives. I received no

proper response, other than emails listing of their responsibilities under the law,

which relate principally to protecting individual safety and avoiding bush fires.

There is a simple solution, which is visible in Church Street. If the overhead power

cables were insulated the need for tree lopping would be much reduced, or

eliminated, as would the cost of the services of ATS. I have asked whether this could

be done, or if there are other alternatives.

Finally, I sent a hard copy letter in January to the Chief Executive, Vince Graham. I

received a response from his Chief Operating Officer, Rod Howard, which again

answered none of my questions and was a classic example of corporate speak:

Endeavour Energy seeks" to deliver sustainable and balanced outcomes under

applicable legislation." So much for their commitment in their Mission Statement: “to

Join the Burrawang and Wildes

Meadow Progress Association The Burrawang and Wildes Meadow Progress

Association is active in our community with the

objective of preserving and improving the amenity and environment of Burrawang and

Wildes Meadow. We are dedicated to raising the

local community’s awareness of important issues affecting our villages’ unique character and to

provide an influential and respected voice to

Council and Government. Our committee members are volunteers and the B&WMPA’s

newsletter ―The Burrawang Herald‖ is delivered

free. 1 year - $10 individual Membership or $15 per

Household Membership

Name::

……………………………………………………

Address:

……………………………………………………

………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………

Email:……………………………………………………

Phone:……………………………………………………

Mobile:

……………………………………………………

Fee $........................ Donation: $……………....

Total $....................................

Payment can be made via Cheque or Direct

Deposit

Burrawang Wildes Meadow Progress

Association

BSB: 062511

Account Number: 1010 0930

Please email your membership details to

[email protected]

Or mail to: PO Box 3209, Robertson NSW 2577

Burrawang and Wildes Meadow

Progress Association President – Alex Campbell

email: [email protected]

Vice President – Paul Shanahan Secretary – Sam Handley

Treasurer – Rebecca Duffy

Committee Members –

Deborah Atkinson

Elizabeth Crundall

Beverly Lewis

Grant Sherborne

Jon Hill

Lisa Mauger

Letters to the Editor and Article Contributions The Burrawang Herald is a community Newspaper and we welcome feedback from our readers. Tell us what you enjoyed in this edition of the Herald and what you might like to see featured in future editions. Articles, comments or suggestions should be addressed to: The Editor

Email: [email protected] Continued page 6

mailto:[email protected]



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gassed in the field near Rouen and was transferred for treatment to the Southern General Hospital in Plymouth England a month later. In October 1918 he went back to France to fight again. He returned to Australia in May 1919. Robert Lindsay Moses, a twenty four year old farmer, the son of Agnes and Charles Moses from Wildes Meadow, enlisted in February 1916 and was assigned to the 30th Battalion AIF. He left Sydney in May 1916 and after six months in Egypt, where he was admitted to hospital for mumps was transferred to England, and from there to France. In June 1917 he made a will on the battlefield, leaving his estate to his mother Agnes. In January 1918 he was granted two weeks leave in England and on the 15th of March was killed in action near Messines France. He was buried in La Plus Douve Cemetery half a mile west from Messines. His personal effects consisting of letters, photos, postcards and a bible were

despatched to his mother. In April 1919, his mother wrote asking where his

personal effects were, as she was "most anxious" to have them. Her enquiry

met with the reply that regrettably her son's personal effects had been

assigned to shipment on the SS Barunga, which was torpedoed in English

waters in July 1917.

James Cleary enlisted in the 55th Battalion AIF as a Private in June 1916. He was a farmer aged thirty five and gave as his next of kin, his brother Patrick Cleary of Avoca. After basic training, he left Sydney in October 1916 and was sent for further training in Wiltshire, England. After a bout of influenza that saw him hospitalised for some weeks, he departed for the Western Front in March 1917. He was shortly afterwards posted to the 19th Battalion AIF as a reinforcement. In May 1917 he was wounded in action near Bullecourt and then transferred by ambulance train to hospital at Saffron Walden, England. After recovering from his wound he was granted furlough in England, returning to his battalion in August 1917. On 9 October 1917, during the third battle of Ypres, he was reported wounded and missing in action, then subsequently reported killed in action later that day. On 14 March 1918, a Private Tedd of the 19th Battalion AIF, swore a statement to the effect that, on 26 November 1917 he had seen Private Cleary playing in an inter- battalion football match in Steenwerk in Northern France and that to the best of his knowledge, Private Cleary was still with the 19th Battalion AIF on December 9, 1917. His brother Patrick was contacted by the AIF in February 1918 and asked if

he had received any letters or postcards since James had been reported

missing or any information from other soldiers that his brother was either dead

or a prisoner of war. Patrick replied that he had received no mail, nor heard

anything of his brother. A Court of

Inquiry held in May 1918 determined

that there was no credible evidence

to contradict the declaration that

James Cleary was killed in action on

9 October 1917, and his brother was

duly advised. His death is

commemorated on the Menin Gate

Memorial which serves as a memorial

to those who went missing at the

Ypres Salient.

George Edward Feaver, born in West Rickham, Kent, England was employed as a gardener by Miss A Virtue of Springvale, Burrawang. Aged twenty four, he enlisted in March 1916 as a private in the 33rd Battalion. He gave as his next of kin, his employer Miss A Virtue. He embarked from Sydney in September 1916, and by March 1917 he was fighting on the Western Front. In April he was promoted in the field to Corporal and in July sent to

La Plus Douve Cemetery

Australian Lewis gunners firing at a German aircraft, Ypres,

September 1917

from page 1

to page 4


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3 October 1919 Burrawang From Our

Correspondent

After many disappointments and postponements caused by sickness and

clashing with other events, the long looked-for Catholic Social will

materialise on Wednesday Night next 8th inst.

In pre-war days it will be remembered that this ball was classed as one of

the leading functions of this part of the district, and it can be safely said that it

is still retains its leading social bearing; in fact, the Secretaries (Mrs P Cleary

and Mr F McGrath), together with the committee, are determined to eclipse all

previous efforts. The ladies are arranging for a savoury supper, and avow that

all is going well in this department. At present the floor is in first-class going

order, and will be presided over by up-to-date M'sC. The music will be supplied

by Mr EH Poole's Bowral Orchestra.

Intelligence Corps School. In September 1918, Miss Virtue

received notification that he had been

severely wounded in the field and

sent to England for hospitalisation. In

December 1918 he was medically

discharged and returned to Australia.

James Frederick Shierlaw the son of William Shierlaw of Robertson enlisted aged twenty eight years as a private in the 13th Battalion Australian Imperial Forces in November 1916. He embarked the same month from Sydney, arriving in England in January 1917. After training in England, he was sent to the battlefield in Belgium in June 1917. Less than a month later, he was shot in the head during action. He died of his wounds in the No 2 Australian Casualty Clearing Station in Belgium. He was buried in the Military

Cemetery at Trois Arbres in Northern

France. In February 1917, his father

William Shierlaw received his son's personal effects, consisting of a pipe,

knife, fountain pen, wristwatch, wallet, money belt, notebook, letters,

identification disc and unit colours.

GOLF

Annual Tour Cup on 9/10

Feb playing South Coast was

won by Peter Cox with

Wayne Sharp Runner up &

John Symons losing his tour

trophy.

Coming up is City vs Country

at Calderwood on 28th

February.

Details & registration sheet

on the board at the

Burrawang Hotel

from page 3

Lest We Forget

Research and Article by Jan Campbell


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ANZAC Biscuits - 100

Years Old and Still

Delicious!

The acronym ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) was coined in 1915 when Australian and New Zealand troops were training in Egypt. The word ANZAC was eventually applied to all Australian and New Zealand soldiers in World War 1. The term is particularly associated with the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. ANZAC Day was inaugurated on 25 April 1916 to commemorate the first anniversary of the landing of the ANZAC troops at Gallipoli. During World War 1 and World War 2, Australians were fiercely patriotic. This can best be described in the words, my country - right or wrong. The wives, mothers and girlfriends were concerned for the nutritional value of the food being supplied to their men. Here was a problem. Any food they sent to the fighting men had to be carried in the ships of the Merchant Navy. Most of these were lucky to maintain a speed of ten knots (18.5 kilometres per hour). Most had no refrigerated facilities, so any food sent had to be able to remain edible after periods in excess of two months. A body of women came up with the answer - a biscuit with all the nutritional values possible. The basis was a

Scottish recipe using rolled oats which were used extensively in Scotland, especially for a heavy porridge that helped counteract the extremely cold climate. At first the biscuits were called Soldiers' Biscuits, but after the landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed ANZAC Biscuits. A point of interest is the lack of eggs to bind the ANZAC biscuit mixture together. Because of the war, many of the poultry farmers had joined the services, thus eggs were scarce. The binding agent for the biscuits was golden syrup or treacle As the war drew on, many groups like the CWA (Country

A floral tribute

Watching a BBC programme about WW1, I was impressed when the interviewer commented, “the objects which interest me are those which unfold a story”. This is the story of the vase, which since 1988, has held the flowers in the entry of whichever Hall either Burrawang or Robertson is hosting our Anzac Day service. My mother was a registered nurse in the Hartford British Hospital in Paris 1928. One of her patients, upon his discharge, invited her to visit him and his family for the weekend at their home in St Quentin. As the Curator of War Graves he walked with her across the battlefields the next morning. Stumbling on a large impressive object, which she admired, he offered to

have it crated up and have it shipped back to her home in New Zealand. This done, it remained there until her own mother’s death in 1946, when it once again went to sea, and was shipped with other possessions, across the Tasman to her home Australia. When I was married in Sydney in 1959 it held a huge bunch of flowers in the vestibule of Barker College Chapel. Remembering as a child, all the hours that I had been obliged to polish it, I was quite happy to leave it there until it was returned to me unsolicited, rather black and ugly, in 1985. Despite my best polishing efforts it has remained rather dull, and lived out of sight behind the front door holding umbrellas, and the Christmas tree in December. However, to commemorate the Centenary of Anzac it has been professionally polished by one of my family. You will see a beautiful shiny 10” brass shell case from a battlefield in the Somme in the foyer, where it always has stood, full of flowers for our Anzac Day service. This year the service will be held in the Robertson School of Arts. Remember to give thanks that you were never within firing range of this enormous bullet. Katherine Wood

Women's Association), church committees, schools and other women's organisations devoted a great deal of time to the making of ANZAC biscuits. To ensure that the biscuits remained crisp, they were packed in used tins such as Billy Tea tins. The tins were airtight, thus no moisture in the atmosphere was able to soak into the biscuits and make them soft.

(Compiled from information

supplied by the CWA, Brisbane,

the War Widows Guild, Brisbane

and Queensland State

Headquarters of the RSL)


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Environment Matters

Welcome to the Environment Matters column of the new-look Burrawang Herald. I hope to provide interesting and different articles and stories as the year progresses. In our amazing, wonderful, beautiful world everything connects, so all of the articles will have an environmental connection with maybe even a local connection. Sunny Side Up Over the past five years the world has seen a dramatic fall in the cost of solar energy, particularly rooftop solar panels or solar photovoltaic power. It is now a reasonable price to install rooftop solar, if you want to seriously reduce or even remove electricity costs from your budget. As solar panels cannot always operate at peak production (produce all the electricity they possibly can), rooftop solar today only contributes around 2% of Australia’s total electricity generation. But in some states during the day, the solar power contribution to the electricity grid reaches above 10%. It’s likely that costs will continue to fall, eventually making solar the dominant source of electricity in many parts of the world, including Australia. If my family were to install our 3Kw system today, the cost would be around a third of what it was six years ago. Good quality solar panels are now more efficient, so the saving is effectively (even) greater. Various community organisations are investigating the installation of solar panels to offset the ever-increasing electricity costs.. It seems that this would be a wise investment in the future viability of our facilities, as the solar panels would be feeding electricity into the grids most days, and reducing or removing current electricity costs. The panels will pay for themselves in no time at all. As prices reduce, solutions to the variability of supply, storage and levelling of peak demand times will be found. In the meantime, enjoy the sunny days in Burrawang.

Annette Hearne

References: http://theconversation.com/theres-a-sunny-future-ahead-for-rooftop-solar-power-heres-why and http://www.solarchoice.net.au/

Odds and Sods During winter 2014, Wingecarribee Shire Council had a small amount of funding to investigate wood-fired heating emissions. An authorised person with WSC identification did daytime inspections around some areas of the shire, looking for chimneys emitting thick smoke. This person did not ask to enter people’s houses to check on their heaters. Remember, you do not have to let in anyone who turns up on your doorstep uninvited – for whatever reason. No WSC employee should ever ask to enter your home or grounds without first showing proof of identity. A council employee will also be driving a WSC vehicle. If in doubt, leave them outside, and phone the Council or a friend who can check for you.

practise open, two-way communication”, and to, “involve

customers in developing network strategies and plans”. I am

not giving up, and if any of you have any thoughts as how to

escalate please let me share them.

Although the PA has had no previous dealings with Telstra I

am sure you are all as frustrated with your dealings with them,

as I am with Endeavour Energy. For your information it seems

there are no plans to bring optic fibre based broadband to us,

and the best we can expect at some point in the future is a

steel tower which will need individual connections to each

home.

The responsiveness of our Council seems to depend much on

which department you deal with. We have made progress on

the bus stop, paths and the playground, but not in relation to

the asphalt surface of Hoddle Street, which melts when it gets

hot.

I first notified the Council about this in late November, and

was advised by phone that they had checked the road, that

they agreed the contractor had done a poor job, and they

would require the contractor to resurface the road.

I chased the Council for further details in January, and also

stressed that the community required advance notice so that

cars could be moved, and arrangements made by the Cafe and

the Hotel. I then received an email from a (presumably more

senior) officer saying that the Council hoped that the problem

would solve itself over time. In the meanwhile, they would

“monitor the situation”. I leave you to speculate as to what

had changed.

All in all it's a mixed bag. Getting things done has often

proved a challenge.

We may need to enlist all your support in joint lobbying

efforts going forward, and possibly link up in common cause

with other local communities.

It is critical that the Progress Association truly reflects the

views of residents, and we can only do this if you let us have

your views. On February 28th at 9.30am we will be holding a

public meeting in the Burrawang School of Arts. The purpose

of the meeting will be to get your views as to how you wish our

community to develop.

I am pleased to report that the Mayor, Duncan Gair, has

agreed to meet with the Association after the February

meeting. I am keen to share your vision of our community with

him and to see how this vision may influence, and be

integrated, into the Council’s strategic plan for Burrawang and

Wildes Meadow.

Please put February 28th at 9.30am into your diary, and I

look forward to meeting you then.

Alex Campbell

If you wish to comment on anything in this article, or raise

other issues, please email me:

[email protected]

Look for my next update in the May issue of The Burrawang Herald

From page 2

https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-photovoltaic-solar-energy-12924

http://theconversation.com/theres-a-sunny-future-ahead-for-rooftop-solar-power-heres-why

http://theconversation.com/theres-a-sunny-future-ahead-for-rooftop-solar-power-heres-why

http://www.solarchoice.net.au/



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Hoddle Street is home to the Library’s Rural Outreach and Delivery Service (ROADS) every 2

nd Thursday between 11.30 am and 12.30pm. As many

locals would know, the mobile library has been visiting Burrawang since the Burrawang Bunyip was a boy! A few things have changed since then, including several generations of bookmobiles. Our new van, acquired October last year, carries over 1000 items, and includes books for adults, teens and kids, DVDs, magazines and hear-a-books. Stock is rotated monthly so there is always something new. Plus, if there is a particular item you would like to borrow from Bowral, Mittagong or Moss Vale Libraries, simply place a request online (www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au) or over the phone (4861 1167) prior to the scheduled visit, and we’ll bring it to Burrawang for you!

The NSW State election is on 28 March 2015. In this election 93 candidates for the Legislative Assembly will be elected, and in the Legislative Council, 21 of the 42 seats will be contested. This election was preceded by an electoral redistribution which has meant that district boundaries have altered. Burrawang and Wildes Meadow have changed electorates. Following electoral boundary changes, this area has moved from the seat of Kiama to the seat of Goulburn. The Goulburn electorate includes Moss Vale, Berrima, Bundanoon and Robertson from the Wingecarribee Shire and the local government areas of Goulburn, Upper Lachlan (Crookwell and Gunning), Boorowa and Yass Valley. The sitting member for the seat of Goulburn is Pru Goward (Liberal Party). To view the boundaries you can visit the Electoral Commission website at http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/districts/profiles/2015/Goulburn. A full list of all polling places will

be available atwww.votensw.info at

the time of the election.

ROADS is hosting a special Burrawang

Village Storytime on Thursday, 19 February

at 12 noon. We’ll read a story or two, and there will be a chance for you to borrow

some books to take home with you. You don’t need to be a member of the

Library to attend, but if you would like to borrow you will need to have

your card with you. Not a member of the Library? You can join on the day!

www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/our-services/mobile-library

The Latest News from the Wingecarribee Library Rural Outreach and Delivery Service (ROADS)

TRANNY TRIVIA

By popular demand - TT is returning to

Burrawang Hotel on the first Thursday night of the

month commencing 5 March. Join the fun!

http://www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au

http://www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/our-services/mobile-library


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Russell’s

Ramblings

The School of Arts has been busy as ever over the past few months preparing and hosting community events to cater for as many different; tastes, costs and crowds in the village and surrounds as we can. In December we had a great turn out of the annual Christmas Party. A free family and community event hosted by the School of Arts as a way to say thank you to all. We hope that you had a happy time over the festive season and enjoyed a break in January. The courtyard at the back of the School of the Arts has recently been upgraded and landscaped by the hard working Angus Gordon. We are thrilled with how it looks and hope you can come and see what improvements have been made. The next few months will be a busy time with lots of events planned for you all: Saturday, 21 February at 7pm - Annual Trivia Night hosted by Geoff

Goodfellow. Tickets just $20 (tables of 8). Friday, 27 February at 7.30pm - Movie Night CHARADE (1963),

staring Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn . Saturday, 28 February at 9.30 -12pm - Progress Association Solar

Energy presentation and open forum to discuss the key issues in relation to the future of our community.

Saturday, 7 March at 10-12pm - Community Morning tea with another fascinating talk & presentation by Wildlife Rescue South Coast, featuring 'snake guru' Ian Usher, and a display of live non-venomous reptiles! This is of great interest and fun for the kids and a great hands-on experience.

Saturday, 7 March at 5pm - Autumn Tones Koto concert. An experience not to be missed to hear renowned Koto and Shakuhachi players including one of our own residents, Dwight Dowda. Tickets $50.

And coming up, with more details to be confirmed on the School of Arts website/Facebook page: April - Easter Markets & Harvest Moon Dinner June - our Centenary Ball And 2 exciting surprise events we have planned for later in the

year We are very proud of the number of events that we are able to put on for the village over the course of the year. Of course, none of it would be possible without the hard working volunteers of the School of Arts Committee. We hope to see you at one of as many of the events in the coming months.

Beth Macdonald School of Arts Secretary

Thomas Edison once wrote that a lot of people do not recognise an opportunity because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work. I was reminded of this a few weeks ago while on duty at the JP community desk in Moss Vale. A group of four young people – two male and two female came to get some documents certified. They had done their HSC in 2013 and took a gap year to tour around Australia in a campervan. They did casual work along the way to pay their expenses; harvesting grapes in a couple of vineyards, picking oranges in the Murray Valley, washing dishes in hotels and restaurants and generally did whatever was available. I asked them, “What was the most enjoyable experience”? They agreed that it was the three weeks that they spent on an outback sheep station in Western Australia where the girls worked as shearers’ cooks and the boys did the mustering and penning of the sheep generally assisting as required. They also spent three weeks on a cattle station in Northern Territory. This really opened their eyes to what wide open spaces really are, as instead of measuring their properties in square metres, the outback people talk of square miles. In total, they worked about a third of their time, but by pooling their resources they were able to pay all their expenses and broaden their knowledge of where their food comes from and what is involved from getting it from the producer to the consumer. They realised they had to do whatever work was available to enable them to do what they wanted to do. They recognised their opportunity, did the research before they started, and made the most of their gap year.

Good luck to them.


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Local Studies

The Southern Highlands has a rich and interesting history. To find out more about the people and places that have made this story, visit the Wingecarribee Public Library’s Local Studies Collection, in the Local Studies Room, Bendooley Place, Bowral (open Tuesday and Thursday 2pm to 4pm). Visitors will find a wide range of resources, including Minutes for Bowral, Mittagong and Wingecarribee Councils from 1886 to 1982, Rate and Valuation Books, a collection of works by Local Authors,

historic newspapers on microfilm and some interesting ephemera. The collection also includes a photographic archive, from which these historic photographs can be found. The photos, from 1983, depict a working bee at the Burrawang School of Arts (BSOA), a year after the building was in danger of being declared condemned due to its state of disrepair. The community pulled together to save the BSOA, and a team of 30 local men, women and children worked for 350 hours to save the building. Bruce Rosenberg, only a weekender at the time, found himself

on the end of a paintbrush. Women in the village, who were not hammering or painting made sandwiches and cakes to feed the workers, mainly to stop the men going to the pub for lunch and staying there!’ (Darling S 2009, History of the Burrawang School of Arts 1883-2009, Burrawang School of Arts Committee, Burrawang.) Do you know any of these faces? Let us know: [email protected] and help us complete the picture and add these details to the historical record. www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/local-studies


http://www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/local-studies

http://www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/local-studies


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The Friends Of Wingecarribee Public Libraries (FOWL) host monthly

literary events in the Library’s Henrietta Rose Room. You don’t need to be a member to come along to an event, but if you are interested in books and bookish people, you might like to join FOWL. See www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/your-library/friends-of-the-library for details. 2015 events include:

Ian Burnet (author of Spice Islands, a vicarious vacation to those elusive and legendary isles of spice, 17 March),

Doug Purdie (author of Backyard Bees and Urban beehive keeper, 21 April),

Andrew Tink (author of Air Disaster Canberra, a window onto the surreal Australian political landscape in the early years of World War II and the plane crash that killed Australia’s key war leaders, 19 May). Keep an eye on our website closer to dates for details about ticket prices and how to book.

www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au

THANKS WARWICK! The affairs of the late Warwick Vyner have now been finalised with cash donations going into the hands of local kids’ charity Kollege of Knowledge Kommittee for Kids (KKKK). The money was collected at his funeral to support the intended Warwick Vyner Foundation, which was not formed.

More specifically, it will be used in the ASDESI (Autism, Spectrum Disorders: Education, Support & Information) program to help young kids in the Southern Highlands that have varying degrees of autism.

Just over $1300 has been banked and will support and educate some of these kids.

The Kollege of Knowledge Kommittee for Kids commenced some twenty-six years ago to raise funds for “special needs kids” of the Southern Highlands. More specifically, the KKKK

helps physical and/or disabled or disadvantaged kids! KKK is extremely grateful for this donation in memory of Warwick and thank all those who donated.

Tony Springett OAM

Would you like to know more about KKKK – please visit: www.the4k.com.au

http://www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/your-library/friends-of-the-library

http://www.library.wsc.nsw.gov.au/your-library/friends-of-the-library

http://www.the4k.com.au


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Idle Thoughts

About Books

When Spies Were Spies . . . The Cambridge spies continue to fascinate readers. Books about or inspired by them constitute not just a niche but an entire genre in British publishing.

Novels range from tawdry airport thrillers to John Banville’s The Untouchable, a powerful evocation of a disgraced Anthony Blunt at bay. Non-fiction, a very loose descriptor when discussing this topic, offers everything from lurid conspiracy theories about possible accomplices to the “memoirs” of their Soviet handlers to Miranda Carter’s fine, even generous, biography of Blunt. Nor should we ignore Alan Bennett’s splendid television plays An Englishman Abroad (about Burgess in Moscow) and A Question of Attribution (about Blunt as royal courtier and art historian). While not technically films, they would make an interesting double bill at our local film night. The most recent addition to this literature is Ben Macintyre’s A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal. It is an elegant and lucid introduction to the subject. As the title suggests, the focus is on Philby and his role as a double agent. This seems appropriate as Philby was the most important and successful of the Cambridge spies. As head of the Soviet section of MI6 and, later, liaison officer to the CIA in Washington he was directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of agents in the Cold War. Moreover, he conforms to the popular idea of a spy – charming, ruthless and promiscuous. As Macintyre shows, Philby’s background was at once conservative and familiar (Westminster School and Cambridge) and deeply exotic; his father, St. John, was a renowned Arabist, convert to Islam and advisor to the Saudi royal family – think of a portly and dissolute Lawrence of Arabia. This duality and passion for intrigue informed every part of Philby’s life. For him spying truly was the great game; a commitment to communism seems merely to have been the price of a ticket to play. Macintyre is admirably restrained and fair-minded. He does not indulge the sensationalism of so many writers on this subject, whereby some ludicrous speculation in one book is repeated as fact in another through the judicious deployment of footnotes. Noting that spies are, by habit and employment, inclined to lie, he takes the trouble to explain why he prefers one or other account of particular events. The last section of the book is set in a seedy Beirut where an alcoholic Philby’s personal life unravels while MI6, in the person of his oldest friend, manoeuvres about him. We are never sure if MI6 is trying to lure him back to Britain to stand trial or force him to defect to spare them more embarrassment. The ambiguity and tension is worthy of a le Carre novel. Macintyre is also very good at describing the establishment and the social connections that smoothed Philby’s path in the Secret Service, and the complacent assumption of his colleagues that "one of us" could never be a traitor - notwithstanding what seem, to a non-professional, rather obvious clues, such as his first marriage in Vienna in the 1930s to an ardent young communist. (Mind you, who among us has not been tempted by an inappropriate liaison in Vienna?) The book is published by Bloomsbury and available from the Mittagong branch of the Wingecarribee Library.

PJW

Yabby Day

Sunday, 8 March. Weigh

in from 3.30pm.

Sausage Sizzle & prizes

for all the children

Fishing & Social Club

Raffles continue each

Thursday evening. Thanks

to Judy & Alan Hollis.

Funds raised from raffles

support:

Family Fireworks’ night

Yabby Day

Christmas Social

Function

Community Activities


12

Burrawang Women’s Hockey 2015 Season

The fun and frivolity is soon to begin - and the hockey of course. All welcome. We accept the young, old, new and broken down. Register your interest by Feb 20th with Leanne Cleary at [email protected] Juniors welcome (age 5-15). Juniors register with Meaghan Stanton at [email protected] Looking forward to another big year from the little club. Come along and join in the fun!

Burrawang Men’s Hockey is Back

The Burrawang Men’s Hockey Club enjoyed a great year - coming away with one premiership and all the other teams making it to the semi-finals. Congratulations! The club is looking to achieve the same this year. At the end of the season we lost a number of players due to retirement and injury but we are bolstered by a number of significant signings made in the off season. The club aims to enter three teams this year plus a team to travel down to Nowra to defend their premiership. Two teams will go to Welby and play on the sand one in 3

rd grade and

another in a new game of, “hockey 9 a side”. These teams are looking to be as strong as last year and fierce contenders for the premiership. Hockey is one of the biggest sports to be played in Burrawang and is always looking for new recruits to join their teams. So, if you are keen on making new friends and playing the fun and fast moving sport of hockey, get in contact with:

Paddy for 3rd

grade – 0408 317 786

Nathan for Nowra comp 2nd

grade – 0421 478 687

Mick for 9 a side – 0428 212 200

We hope to see you all in 2015 out on the field.

Burrawang Rural Fire Brigade

The Brigade has been relatively quiet over the summer months. In recent months we have had a number of new members join the Brigade. They have nearly completed their training. Training has resumed and is held every Wednesday evening starting at 7.30pm at the station. As always, we welcome anyone in the community dropping in to have a chat and see what the Brigade is about. The AGM will be held on Wednesday, 4 March at 7.00pm at the station. All positions will be open for election. We invite (and encourage) you to attend. Its an important date in the Burrawang RFS calendar and gives members of the Burrawang community an important opportunity to engage with their local Brigade. The Easter Markets will be on us before we know it (April 4) and the Brigade is delighted to take part in the festivities. Its an important opportunity for members of the community to meet and chat to members of your local Brigade. Children will be encouraged to jump in the fire truck and learn a bit about the work that the fire fighters do. We are pleased to have back Bertie the fire truck for the little ones. The station will be open for the day for people to come and have a look. It gives us at the Brigade such a thrill when members of the community ask if they can help out on the day by helping with the set up/packing up and the selling of raffle tickets on the day. Please call Phillipa on 0419 426 874; [email protected] if you are able to help in any way on the day. Best wishes from the Burrawang Rural Fire Brigade.





13

The Robertson Show is Growing Well the planning for growth of the Robertson Agricultural and Horticultural Society Inc. is being achieved.

In 2012 we received funding from the Department of Premier & Cabinet to construct an extension to the Pavilion which became a Dining Room, Meeting Room, small Conference Venue, and the social hub of our most consistent tenants - The Caravan and Motorhome Club. In 2013 funding from the same source assisted with the construction and equipping of a complete new kitchen in the Pavilion. This year the Department of Lands has made it possible for our severely deteriorated and rusted Cattle Pavilion to have major work on all external surfaces which will enable it to provide both Beef and Dairy Sections a safe and secure home for many years to come. None of this would of course be possible without the hours of communication and labour that have been generously given to our Community since 1879 by succeeding Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers. Many decades of Members have met monthly as the Executive Committee to share the ongoing duties necessary for the organisation to continue. We most sincerely thank them. Did you know the original show started in Burrawang in 1880 on the corner of Dale and Church Street, as the Burrawang and West Camden Farmers Club? Constricted by size it moved to Robertson on land made available by the Hindmarsh family. The original Pavilion was opened on this same site in 1879. Nearly 100 years later that building was considered beyond repair, so with some regret the original historic building was demolished and reconstructed in time to be officially opened at the Centenary Show, in 1979. Since that time there have been many modifications, additions and replacements to facilities provided by the Show Society, and lately by the Showground Trust. The Showground has become home to many diverse groups and organisations two being, the football and pony clubs. Our total number of entries in the Pavilion has reached three thousand five hundred, and in 2013 these were recorded as coming from three hundred and ninety two different families. Not bad for a small rural urban area whose population within a 5klm radius of Robertson is only about two thousand five hundred. We thank those of you in the community who have supported our show in many ways, and look forward to members and friends new and old working together this year to assist us with ideas, skills and time on a voluntary basis to recreate this fine old tradition.. It is a tribute to the hard work of the Show Committee and inclusiveness of our wider Burrawang, Wildes Meadow and Robertson District, who all the year round keep donations; discounts; sponsorships; memorial awards; fund raising and publicity rolling on. So no matter who you are, what you’ve got, or where you’ve come from, you will always be welcome to join us one way or another to participate in and enjoy the Robertson Show. www.robertsonshow.org.au Phone: 4885 1620 - Robertson Showground from February 16.

Burrawang School of Arts Film Night

http://www.robertsonshow.org.au


14

Burrawang Tennis

Club News We have commenced our Monday night mixed competition

after the Christmas break, with the weather not being very co-operative. The players were having a little trouble getting motivated, as we got off to a late start, therefore making a late finish. Once everyone remembered how to play, trying to run off the Christmas calories, fun was had by all. As we only play until Easter, our last game being 16th March and our final to follow that, we ask if any interested players of any standard that may be keen to play in our next comp, may contact the Secretary before commencement in October. Our Thursday Ladies competition team has also commenced their new season, playing all over the district; Bowral, Colo Vale, Moss Vale and of course Burrawang. Ladies if you are free on Thursday and would like to play tennis, please contact the Bowral Tennis Club or contact the Secretary to put your name down to be included in a team. Many changes have been made with teams; ladies withdrawing due to ill health, family matters, moving away and work commitments, so new players are always welcome. Good Luck for another successful year. Carol Hill - Secretary Burrawang Tennis Club Ph: 042 943 0305

Principal’s Message

Welcome back to a new year at Burrawang. I look forward to working with families to create a vast array of opportunities for our students.

As our school moves into a new cycle of planning and implementation, we value the input our families have provided in helping to set the future direction of our school.

This year will be a year of growth and achievements. We look forward to our involvement in both the Instrumental and Choral Festivals, as well as other cultural events. All students will develop ongoing learning goals, and work towards greater self-directed learning. We begin implementation of the new Maths and Science syllabuses, and embark on our 21

st Century learning journey. And

we continue to strengthen links with our local communities of schools, to

provide new and exciting experiences for our students.

I know that 2015 will be a fantastic year for Burrawang. Our teachers and students are very excited about all that we have planned.

Have a great week!

Principal Leadership Support

Instrumental Music and Choral Festivals Congratulations to our students for being accepted this year into both of these festivals for 2015. Our entry for the first time into the Choral Festival was by audition by the girls in our singing group last year. We have gained eight places in this event which will be held in August at the Sydney Opera House.

[email protected]

Our school is fortunate to have the support of Mrs Wendy Buckley this year, in her role of Principal Leadership Support (PSL). Mrs Buckley and Mrs Laval plan to work together in developing processes and practices through our school plan which will enhance and improve those practices already in place at Burrawang. We look forward to welcoming Mrs Buckley with her vast experience as a Principal in the Southern Highlands. This will support our commitment to striving for continued excellence at our school.

Illawarra Highway Update

This notice is for those of you who are patiently waiting for the

vegetation to be cleared on the south side of the Highway east of

Church Street.

The latest report is that an assessment was done in late 2014, which

showed the line of sight clearance still below the minimum standard

which the RMS would require for trimming to be done. In other

words the bushes are not big enough to put us on the current tree

trimming list.

However an estimate of growth in the next months, combined with the

heavy traffic expected on Market Day, led to a decision being made,

to list the corner for clearing just prior to the April 18.

This will ensure maximum visibility for exiting Church Street on

Easter Saturday.

B.W.M.P.A.

Burrawang Public School - http://www.burrawang-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

INFORMATION & DISCLAIMER

This publication is intended to be a

Village Newsletter for the distribution of

general information and events, not a

Broadsheet for political comment. Whilst

opinions expressed do not necessarily

represent the present Committee of the

Association, any information submitted to

the Editor which is likely to offend or

concern a member or resident, will be

withheld from publication.

Correspondence in relation to this

should be addressed to the Editor,

PO Box 3209, Robertson NSW 2577.


http://www.burrawang-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/


15

Local News The Burrawang General Store Cafe On 26 January we said farewell to Steve and Gig Myers; after making thousands of coffees, grilling half a tonne of bacon and goodness knows, scrambling how many eggs? Steve and Gig have hung up the frypan and turned off the espresso machine for the last time. Thanks Gig and Steve! All you coffee addicts will be relieved to know all is not lost… The Café is closed for renovations and will reopen under new management soon. Please check the web site http://www.bgsc.com.au for updates. We welcome the new owner - Erica Leeming. You can be assured that when we hear

the hiss and splutter of the espresso

machine there will be a line at the café

door.

Your Lucky Stars

BY Crystal Balls

This year is great for you - a boost in

confidence will see you being on the

receiving end of a considerable amount of

admiration and possibly some serious

flirtation. However, before you get dazzled

with all that's bright and shiny, remember

that even though our significant others

have a lot in common with kitchen

appliances- they can seem a little worn,

out of date and have a tendency to collect

crumbs, they're generally quite reliable.

While you might be dreaming of something

a bit flashier, remind yourself that things

aren't made to last these days and you can

always make sparks by poking a fork into

their internal workings.

February 19 - March 20

2015 is a time of change for you, Aries. It

is time to rediscover your inner child. No,

this does not mean waking up every 3

hours and screaming, rather letting go of

that stitched up stuffiness you've taken

refuge in when things have spiralled out of

your control. Here's the thing - you can

thrive in a bit of chaos. Time for you to free

your butterfly spirit and create a few

storms. Be sure to wear your finger

painting smock so it can all be wiped

clean. March 21 - April 19

April 20 - May 20

Ruts. You've been in one for a while and

it's time to climb on out into the sunshine.

This year really is about 'me time' for you,

Taurus. All those things you've been

putting off till later? Later is here and it's

time to make a start. Go shopping! Buy

those leopard skin jeans (yes, gentlemen)

that pair of outrageously expensive shoes.

Sign up for a fitness class, even if the only

one available is Cat Appreciation Through

the medium of dance. Don't spend another

moment at the kitchen table sipping

lukewarm coffee when you could be

chasing your dreams.

April 20 - May 20

Animal

Crackers

Test your trivia knowledge 1. What animal were the Canary Islands

named after?

2. Which two animals are on the Australian

50c coin? 3. Which bird would you associate with the

Collingwood football club?

4. What is a baby echidna called?

5. What is the name of the dog on the HMV

record label?

6. What native Australian animal can drink using its skin?

7. What is the world's longest venomous

snake? 8. What is the name of the production

company that produced The Castle and The Dish?

9. What is a baby cod called?

10. Which is the only mammal that can't jump?

Answers

1.The dog, 2. Emu & kangaroo, 3.The

Magpie, 4. A Puggle, 5. Nipper, 6. Thorny

Devil Lizard, 7. King Cobra, 8. Working

Dog, 9. A codling, 10. Elephant

http://www.bgsc.com.au

http://www.bgsc.com.au


16

Hello All,

Welcome to the February edition of the Burrawang Herald.

Firstly, I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to three tireless ladies who have been bringing the Burrawang Herald to you for many editions – Cathy Allen, Margaret Beaumont and Katherine Wood. Without their efforts, enthusiasm and community spirit we would not have our little newspaper.

I have put my hand up to help these ladies with the production of The Herald. You will see that in this edition I have sourced new contributors and added some special interest pieces to The Herald. I hope that you enjoy the read.

A special thanks to Jan Campbell who has conducted extensive research for our lead article – “Stories From Our War Memorial”. As we approach the centenary of Gallipoli and the tradition of ANZAC this is a timely reminder of our Burrawang and Wildes Meadow boys who experienced the horrors of WW1.

In future, I will endeavour to source topical and interesting articles for you; sometimes quirky, informative, amusing, sad or serious but never dull and always a good read.

Please drop me a line at:

[email protected]

or

PO Box 3029, Robertson NSW 2577

I am keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for future editions.

Happy reading,

Elizabeth Varley The Editor

ANZAC Biscuits A Favourite Recipe

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut.

Combine butter and golden syrup, stir over gentle heat until

melted.

Mix soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir

into dry ingredients.

Take a teaspoonful of mixture and place on lightly greased

oven trays; allow room for spreading.

Cook in slow oven (150°C or 300°F) for 20 minutes.

Loosen while still warm, and then cool on trays.

Makes about 35.

Cooking Corner

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup plain flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 (three-quarters) cup coconut

125g (4 oz) butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

½ (half) teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon boiling water



17

Australia's Biggest Morning

Tea in

Burrawang

This year will be the Warner Family's 20th year for hosting the annual fundraiser for the Cancer Council Australia, Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. The funds raised from Australia's Biggest Morning Tea will help Cancer Council continue its vital work in cancer research, prevention and support services. The Cancer Council is the largest independent funder of cancer research in Australia, and an advocate for the rights of cancer patients for the best treatment and supportive care, and provides information and support for anyone affected by cancer. Through the generosity of the community, in 2014 the morning tea raised $11,667.00. Over the past 19 years $77,812.00 has been raised to enable the Cancer Council to continue to provide cancer research, health services, prevention programmes and invaluable support to families in their time of need and assist with difficulties they endure during their time of struggle. This is a milestone for the community, and particularly, for the Warner Family. Judy, Don and Alex are forever grateful and sincerely appreciate the support, and help they have received over the past 19 years. "We feel that this is just one way that we can contribute to cancer research, and ensure that families have the support services available during a time that we know support is welcomed." As a community we know cancer touches everyone in some way, and no one should go through this journey on their own. So gather your friends, raise your cup and together let's do all we can to beat cancer. Let's make this year’s Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

in Burrawang, on Saturday, 30 May, bigger than ever,

and raise funds for this worthy cause. We look forward to seeing you at the Burrawang School of Arts for one of the biggest morning teas to be hosted in the region, with great raffle prizes, trading table, lucky door prizes and most importantly a delicious morning tea.

The Warner Family

February 2015

Wednesday

18, 25

7:30 pm - 9 pm Rural Fire Service, Fire Shed Steve Horton 4886 4232

Saturday 21 6:30 pm Annual Trivia Night, School of Arts - $20 a ticket www.burrawangvillage.com

Cath Ward 0405 151 651

Friday 27 7:30 pm Movie in School

of Arts - ―Charade‖

Michael Kelly 4886 4323

Saturday 28 9:30 - 12 noon Progress Association Solar Energy presentation and open

forum

BWMprogressassociation@gmail

.com

What’s On CALENDAR

22 March 2015

11 March 2015

Accident Recovery

Good to see long time Burrawang

resident Pat Mitchell home and on

the mend after her recent accident.

Pat was hit by a car in the main

street of Moss Vale three weeks ago

and has spent two and half weeks in

Liverpool Hospital.

We wish her all the best for a full

recovery.


18

What’s On CALENDAR

March 2015

Wednesday 4 7 pm Burrawang Rural Fire Service AGM - everyone welcome Phillipa Drewett 0419 426 874

Thursday 5 6:30 pm Tranny Trivia at Burrawang Hotel Byron Woolfrey 4886 4206

Friday 6

Saturday 7

From 9 am Robertson Show Secretary 4885 1620

Saturday 7 10 - 12 noon SofA Community Morning Tea & presentation by

Wildlife Rescue South Coast

Margaret Spiers 4886 4168

0417 493 996

Saturday 7 5 pm Autumn Tones Koto Concert - tickets $50 bookings

www.burrawangvillage.com OR

Annie Jones 4886 4565

0418 272 500

Wednesday

11, 18, 25


Sunday 15 5 pm St David’s Anglican Church Service Megan Moore 4886 4402

Friday 27 7:30 pm Burrawang School of Arts Film Night—’Rufifi’ Michael Kelly 4886 4323

April 2015

Wednesday 1,

8, 15, 22, 29



Saturday 4 8:00 pm Easter Markets Coordinator 0498 015 530

Saturday 18 TBA Harvest Moon Dinner TBA

Sunday 19 5 pm St David’s Anglican Church Service Megan Moore 4886 4402

Friday 24 7:30 pm School of Arts Movie Night - ―Beneath Hill 60‖ Michael Kelly 4886 4323

Saturday 25 10 am ANZAC Special Commemoration and Wreath Laying

Burrawang War Memorial - Outside the Hall

Saturday 25 11 am ANZAC Centenary Commemorative Service

Robertson School Of Arts

May 2015


Wednesday 6,

13, 20, 27


Sunday 17 5:00 pm St David’s Anglican Church Service Megan Moore 4886 4402

Friday, 29 7:30 pm School of Arts Movie Night - ―Easy Living‖ Michael Kelly 4886 4323

Saturday 30 9 - 12 noon “Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea” in School of

Arts

Judith Warner 4886 4220

Stories From Our War Memorial -...

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