In its program of varied and interesting activities The club visited the Ebenezer Church, the oldest extant church building in Australia, built for £400 in 1809 on 4 acres donated by a landholder, all monies contributed by local families.
A multi-denominational church, it was built from sandstone quarried nearby. A timber dividing wall separated the front of the church and the rear, which was used as a school.
The adjacent Schoolmaster’s Residence is believed to have been constructed in 1817. A plaque at the step into this building indicates the level of the great flood of 1867.
Following free time to explore the Schoolmaster’s Residence and cemetery it was onto the second stop, the nearby Tizzana Winery for wine tastings before a lunch of sandwich platters and hot apple pies. A very pleasant way to conclude another successful outing.
The guest speaker for August was Marie Palmer from the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, a Federal Government entity. She gave a short overview of the properties around the harbour managed by the Trust, being Cockatoo Island, the largest in the harbour, the nearby Snapper Island, the smallest in the harbour, Woolwich Dock, the Submarine Base Platypus, Headland Park stretching from Chowder Bay, past George’s Heights to Middle Head, Macquarie Lighthouse and the subject for today North Head Sanctuary, Manly.
She spoke of the Traditional Owners of the North Head Sanctuary, the Gayamagal People. Rock engravings, rock art, burials and shell middens are evidence of their connection with the area. Then the story of the North Fort Battery established in 1936. Until 1952 the fort featured two 9.2 inch calibre guns with a firing range of 26 kilometres. These were serviced by a network of tunnels and a nearby Plotting Room located 8 metres underground
The area is a rich haven for flora and fauna. It features sand dunes dating back 140,000 years and a hanging swamp which now support rare Banksias, heathland, littoral rainforest and wetlands. It is a refuge for echidnas, reptiles, frogs, long-nosed bandicoots, pygmy possums, brown antechinus and bush rats. An interesting and entertaining talk.
The Club meets on the at 11.00am on the 4th Wednesday of the month at Glenorie RSL and new members are welcome. Contact Wendy Black on 9653 1022 or email [email protected]
