It was a record turnout of 105 at Congwong Bay for the 20th Anniversary of Cleanup Australia Day. The strongest representation this year came from the under 10s (24).  Males outnumbered females 64 to 41, and adults outnumbered children 56 to 49.  Woollahra Pathfinders were here again along with district scouts and cubs -  1st Little Bay, 1st Kingsford Smith and  Kensington 3rd/4th-  Streamwatch and  members from the La Perouse Precinct Committee.  41 bags of rubbish were collected in addition to an umbrella, three buckets, one bin and a surfboard.  The Fishcare  team at Brown’s Rock collected 6 bags  and dragged the smelly debris up the hill for collection by National Parks staff.

The early participants started on Little Congwong and moved around to Big Congwong.  By 9.30 the bulk of the work was complete and late starters moved off to collect around Frenchmans.  At 10.30 members of  Scouting groups conducted an award ceremony and enjoyed a swim and picnic.

A big thankyou to Lionel  from National Parks who  set up the marquee, table and chairs and collected bags from collection points,  and to  Randwick Council who collected the rubbish piled in Cann Park.

(Photos top - bottom: Little Congwong 9.30 and all finished.  Onto Big Congwong - the dunes,  the Lagoon and back up the stairs; a cross-section from the groups (Scouts, Pathfinders, Precinct) with some of the collection; the Scouts finishing the day with an award ceremony; and finally Lionel packing up the marquee).

On the previous Friday staff from Sydney Ports conducted their regular CleanUP Australia Day at Bicentennial Park, Yarra Bay.  Despite the rain there was a strong turnout with three La Perouse Precinct members adding support.

Daily Telegraph April 30 1933, S.J. Hood Photographer:  Father Edmund Bond celebrating Mass at La Perouse at Receveur Grave,  with the then recently built Bunnerong Power Station in background.   Link to more photographs

Below from L- R:

Scan of image of sketch with the following note on the bottom:A Plan of the Two allotments of Ground, on the North Shore of Botany Bay, released by His Excellency Sir Thomas Brisbane KCB etc etc etc to Monsr Le Baron De Bougainville Commanding His Most Christian Majesty’s Ship Thetis, for the purpose of erecting Monuments to the Memory of Count De La Perouse & Father Le Receveur. J Oxley Sgt. Sept 8^th 1825’.  Scan of image of sketch/drawing of a ‘Plan, shewing [sic] 2 areas to be transferred to the French Government’ [La Perouse Monument & Le Receveur’s Grave]. Note on reverse reads; ‘From Plan Dept of Lands, 1918′.

Australian Financial Review Report (1 February 2009) on the anticipated shake up of Eastern Seabord Ports with entry of Hutchison at Brisbane and Port Botany and possible entry in Melbourne.

Over 240 people celebrated the Receveur Anniversary mass.  Fr Paul Smith OFM Minister Provincial, Francisan Friars Holy Spirit Province delivered the Homily.  Mass was con-celebrated by Father Laurie Cauchi, Parish Priest of St. Andrew’s Malabar, Father Jan Chrzczonowicz, Chaplain to the Francophone Catholic Community, amd Father Paul Ghanem, Vocations Director for the Franciscan Friars.   The first reader was Steve Caulfield from St Andrews. Also from St Andrews was June London, the commentator and organiser Lee Leo.

Photos(L-R)  Musicians graveside;  Michael Daley ( local member and Patron of the Friends of the Laperouse Museum) reading the Prayers of the Faithful; procession to the graveside.

Our Federal,State and Local Government Representatives and the areas they represent:

Kingsford Smith (NSW)

The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP (Labour)

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts,PO Box 6022,House of Representatives,Parliament House,Canberra ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6277 7640,Fax: (02) 6273 6101  peter.garrett.mp@aph.gov.au

Maroubra Office:Level 6 Maroubra Gateway Building,806-812 Anzac Pde,Maroubra NSW 2035;Postal Address:PO Box 249,Maroubra NSW 2035

Tel: (02) 9349 6007 Fax: (02) 9349 8089

Electoral Division of Maroubra (NSW)

The Hon Mr Michael Daley, MP ( Labour)

Title: NSW Minister for Police

Online: Michael.Daley@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Maroubra Office: Level 7 Maroubra Gateway Building, 806-812 Anzac Pde, Maroubra NSW 2035

SOUTH WARD COUNCILLORS:

Councillor Robert Belleli (Liberal, Deputy Mayor)
C/- Randwick City Council;  robert.belleli@randwick.nsw.gov.au ; 9314 3961/0407 466 174
Councillor Charles Matthews (No Parking Meters)
C/- Randwick City Council;  charles.matthews@randwick.nsw.gov.au ;  9962 4724
Councillor Alan White (Labour)
11 Lindsay Street, Phillip Bay NSW 2036, alan.white@randwick.nsw.gov.au , 0407 251 534/ Fax 9311 2819

Link to YouTube with Ed Duyker talking about his book on Labillardière.

Billardiera scandens named in honour of Labillardière is found in the National Park at La Perouse.

Time to say goodbye to some not so cuddly friends

Tim Elliott
January 23, 2010, Sydney Morning Herald

All in the family … John Cann with a python in his backyard.
Photo: Kate Geraghty

  FOR A 72-year-old professional snake charmer, John Cann has done pretty well. “I only got bitten seven times,” he says. “But I certainly remember them all.”

There was the Clarence River snake that bit him on the right index finger and “made me bring up blood clots”.

Then there was the red-bellied black snake that struck the webbing of his thumb and put him in hospital for eight days. And of course, there were the tiger snakes, one of which sent him temporarily blind. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday’s choppy conditions produced an extensive amount of foam in Botany Bay with Algal Bloom like patches being observed around Congwong Bay, Bare Island and into Frenchman’s Bay. The patches of brown material seen in the photo above are concentrations of organic matter (likely broken up macroalgae) mixed with the foam and forming the scum lines.

Samples were collected by local resident Charles Abela and given to Tim Ingleton, Marine Biologist and phytoplankton expert with  the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, for analysis.  The Department confirmed that in this instance it was only foam not an algal bloom.  But Algal Blooms have occurred on other occasions. The Department gets about 10 to 15 calls a year to examine potential Algal Blooms.  Botany Bay has had its share of these species like Noctiluca scintillans and the particularly toxic Alexandrium catenella.

When there is a bloom of Noctiluca swimming should be avoided because it may cause skin irritations.  Noctiluca use ammonia for buoyancy which they accumulate more and more of as they get older, rising to the surface and then getting effected by winds and surface currents and thus are brought into beaches and embayments where the public swim or fish and become ‘visible’ accumulations or blooms.  In November 2004 Alexandrium was observed, resulting in the closure of some of the beaches in Botany Bay.  The Bay is particularly vulnerable to the introduction of new toxic species because of international shipping - see Invasives Species Council information on Ballast.

Historically, blooms of potentially harmful algal species (HABs) have been infrequent in NSW marine waters.  The greater threat has been the blue-green algae in freshwater systems.  Safe Foods NSW  conducts regular testing in conjunction with shellfish farmers to monitor for HAB for public health consumption. Otherwise there is no regular monitoring of phytoplankton and HABs for NSW estuaries and coasts.

For recorded information on algal alerts telephone the Algal Information Line on 1800 999 457To report Read the rest of this entry »

In 1994 Bob Carr listed Congwong Beach to Henry Head as one of his top “Foot Paths” .  He had this to say:

For another exploration of a landmark site head for La Perouse.  Visit the La Perouse Museum, a bicentennial gift to Australia managed by the NP&WS.  It’s open from 10 am to 4.30 pm, seven days a week. There is a marvellous walk that provides grand views over the entrance to Botany Bay. You reach it by crossing Congwong Beach, turning left at the end of the beach and starting on a track that takes you through eucalypt woodland, up behind Little Congwong Beach and then even higher above Botany Bay to some old gun placements at Henry Head. I recommend you then retrace your steps. But, before you do, stand there and imagine Cook, La Perouse or the First Fleet limping into this bay and the first Australians standing on these cliffs and beaches watching in anger and bewilderment.

FULL ARTICLE  -  Walks On The Mild Side, Sydney Morning Herald, 27/10/1994* - Bob Carr
Walk for a day in a national park near Sydney and you’ll clear your head and arteries. For a day, you’ll become part of the ancient character of this continent. The appeal of bushwalking is the appeal of propelling yourself, under your own steam, through changing landscapes - say, from coastal heath through to dry forest woodland. Or into a rainforest pocket beneath a sandstone cliff and up onto an alpine plateau. And, if it’s wilderness or near-wilderness, you will emerge with a sense of what the continent was like for those hardiest of all walkers, the Australian Aborigines, who had the continent to themselves for 40,000 years. European Australians began acknowledging the beauty of Australia’s mountains, coasts and forests at about the turn of the century. This change was reflected in the paintings of the Heidelberg school and

(* Bob Carr became Premier of NSW in March 1995) Read the rest of this entry »

Sydney ship fire: 16 taken to hospital, Arjun Ramachandran, January 5, 7.78am, Sydney Morning Herald

Sixteen Chinese nationals have been taken to hospital after a fire broke out on their ship at Port Botany this morning.A crew member aboard the 45,000-tonne Columbia noticed a fire in his cabin about 1.30am, while the container ship was docked at Friendship Road at Port Botany, a police spokesman said.The man tried to put out the fire, but was unsuccessful.When fire crews arrived they noticed thick smoke from the ship’s bridge, and fire burning in the cabin, a NSW Fire Brigades spokesman said.The fire was contained to the cabin and a nearby corridor, but both were severely damaged, he said. The fire was put out about 5.30am using the ship’s own firefighting equipment, he said.Sixteen crew from the ship - which was believed to leaving Sydney this morning - had to be taken to hospital.All had suffered smoke inhalation, but one man also had burns to his foot. They were taken to Royal Prince Alfred, St George, Prince of Wales and St Vincent’s hospitals. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but police do not believe it was suspicious.