The Oatley Heritage Group

THE OATLEY HERITAGE GROUP

President: Alec Leach Secretary: Glenn Stevens 24 Ada St. Oatley 2223 Vice President: Rafe Kowron P/No 9570 7201 Email: [email protected] NEWSLETTER: May 2008 Meeting Dates and Topics Friday 30h May 2008. 10.30am Library Hall. Topic Author “John O’Grady”. Friday 29th August 2008. 10.30am Library Hall “50 years of Oatley RSL Youth Group”.

It was pleasing to see such a good attendance at our Annual General Meeting in February, especially with it being changed to an afternoon meeting.

We have some changes to our executive and general committee. Listed are the elected officers for 2008. President: Alec Leach. Vice President: Rafe Kowron. Secretary: Glenn Stevens. Treasurer: Bernard Bogan, Archivist: Cliff Crane. Publicity Officer: Alec Leach. Committee: June Bennett, Jan Crane, Margaret Forbes, Moyia Kowron, Angelina Trimboli and Jean Woodward. Cliff Crane has run out of brew and has been replaced by Moyia Kowron as the added Tea Lady. June Bennett and Angelina Trimboli make up the team.

Margaret Forbes compiled a comprehensive and interesting report on the Oatley Guides. She thoroughly researched every aspect of the guides’ history. Cliff Crane delivered Margaret’s report. I didn’t make any notes as the report was being presented, therefore I cannot quote specific events and people Margaret wrote about. Looking back to the days when the hall was being designed and built mainly by the parents, I wonder if today’s parents would rally around in the same manner..

I didn’t mention when I listed our new executive committee that Jim Tennent did not stand again for the position of treasurer. He spoke to me prior to the meeting to say he had been diagnosed with cancer. He did not know the full extent of the diagnosis at the time. He thought it better if he did not stand as there may be prolonged treatment involved over the coming months. Further tests diagnosed that he was given three to nine months to live. Sadly, Jim passed away on the 26th March. He was in the same age bracket as my elder brother. I cannot recall not knowing him. He was a character who as I recall was the life of the party particularly in the days when they were all turning twenty one. I visited Jim the day before he passed away in Calvary.

A plaque has been erected after nearly two years of negotiating with Council to have these four people recognised for the efforts they worked to accomplish the Oatley – Como Walkway/ Cycleway. It is located approximately 40 metres on the left beside the walkway from the Myra Place entrance. I was disappointed that we were not notified it was being erected. Had we known, we could have had a suitable unveiling ceremony. I saw it one morning after returning from holidays at the end of January. Cliff Crane is the coordinator for our topic John O’Grady (Nino Culotta) in May. As you know John lived in Algernon Street and was the Author of many books including “They’re A weird mob” If you have one of his books, it may be of interest to bring it along to the meeting.

The Oatley Library is in the process of being refurbished. An alteration which will affect us is the provision of a wheel chair access to the library. The ramp will encroach by about two metres into the Community Hall. To accommodate our regular forty people, the only solution I can see is for every one to go on a diet, so that we will be able to sit two to a seat. Don’t worry, we’ll fit everyone in. Somehow!

I have been in consultation with the new Manager of Library & Cultural Services, Mark Norman about the erection of a Tuba on the wall in the Community Hall of the Library. There will be a suitable plaque denoting that the band rehearsed in the hall from 1970 until 1998. Mark is favourably impressed and something may eventuate in the next few months. For you folk who neither do nor know, two tubas and a timpani (two drums) were left behind when the Kogarah Concert Band moved to the Kogarah School of Arts in 1998. The band has agreed that we may use the instruments.

Our group was established to record our living history. One aspect of our living history is us. Yes, we should be recording our own history whilst we are able. I had the opportunity of delving into the Kendall family a few years ago. I gained valuable information from George then, which I would not be able to obtain today. I suggest that we should all make an effort this year to record our own. Enlist the help of Grandchildren if you are not confident to the written language. I’m sure they would be intrigued to be able to capture your experiences over your lifetime. Yes, I’ll make a start next week, or the week after. Make it today!

Don’t forget that our meeting on Friday the 30th May will be at 10.30 am