Mushrooming in Tilligerry
Mushrooms have been well and truly in the news recently with the murder conviction of a Victorian woman who fed her family the the lethal 'death cap' variety.
The good news is that Tilligerry is free from these killer fungi indeed so is most of NSW.
Death cap (Amanita pualloides) mushrooms are found in forested areas of SA, NSW and Victoria and have a symbiotic relation with trees, particularly oak trees. They pop up during autumn and winter and are easy to identify.
On the other hand, field mushrooms that our local residents gather grow in the grassed areas in public parks, backyards, pastures and golf courses. They are easily identified and picking them is a great family fun activity. What's more they are free and delicious.
A great time to look for them out this way is after a good downpour followed by sunshine.
To check out the field mushrooms just google 'field mushrooms' for pictures and photos. You can do the same with the death cap mushroom if the story interests you.
Still worried? Buy some fresh ones from Coles or some canned varieties but be careful to read the label. You see, many are imported from overseas.
Picture: Aussie field mushrooms.....Check out the videos on you tube.
Lions Judge Literature Awards
For over 20 years the Port Stephens Literature Awards have grown to be one of Australia's most supported writing competitions.
It was run by our local TACE group for most of that time but over the past few years our Lions Club has taken over.
Cash prizes and certificates are awarded for the top twenty short stories and the awards are sponsored by PSSC, Club Lemon Tree, NOTA and PSSC.
All details can be found from Kevin Colman on 0407 279 844.
Photo: Kevin Colman....Lions to judge competition in 2025.
Crocodile Tears
There will be no crocodile tears shed if residents see surface crazing developing in roads near them. They will be real tears!
You see, when asphalt roads get a crazing pattern developing on the surface similar to a crocodile's skin, it can't be repaired and need to be resurfaced quickly or the whole section replaced. True!
Once water penetrates the road base, you can't just give it the pot-hole treatment because it doesn't work.
In 'normal' times, Council inspectors patrol the roads on the lookout for the tell-tale early signs and get another top coat of bitumen put down but of late they have been overwhelmed by pot hole problem.
Many years ago, Dean Pde LTP was totally resurfaced while Tilligerry Track was still unsealed. So bad was it that residents preferred to drive on the grassy nature strip to escape damage to their vehicles.
PSC justified this by saying that Dean Pde had extensive 'crocodile' patterns developing and unless they resurfaced it, it would cost a fortune to rebuild. Tilligerry Track would have to wait until a total makeover was prioritized. It has recently been brought up to scratch.
Photo: A close up of 'crocodile crazing' of a bitumen road surface.
Flooding at Vinnies
The 'big wet' saw Vinnies at Tanilba Bay flood with water entering the charity store and ruining the carpet. This happened because the drainage system under the main road and the big easements through the golf club failed to handle the volume.
This choke point sees a large pool form outside with heavy downpours and a previous weather eve
nt saw a local reporter barred from the store because of something he wrote in 'The Examiner some years back.
Here's what happened:
An elderly man was suck in his car outside Vinnies during heavy rain so the staff got him out of the car and ushered him inside to safety. The women were soaked so Priscilla Perry said that they should have a wet T shirt competition. 'The Examiner' heard about it and wrote a short piece which said that the competion was a dead heat between a double 'B' cup and a double 'D' cup. Everybody had a good laugh except for the stony faced Catholic lady who was the boss.
The reporter was barred from the store for writing something she thought was disrespectful.
Priscilla has our best wishes as she has just had a hip replacement. For many years she has been a member of the fire brigade for which she raised funds tirelessly, She was a belly dancer, and artists model as well as a keen swimmer. Other medical issues have seen her absent from the pool of late. Her infectious personality has lifted the spirits of all those who have had the pleasure to know her,
File photos: Vinnies ladies outside their store....and Priscilla (centre) with swimming buddies at the pool.
Gold Mine
There isn't a gold mine in Tilligerry but the headline got you interested. True?... It's an old journalistic trick to draw you in. There is however gold in the rutile and zircon extracted but in such small amounts that it is not worthwhile trying to retrieve it.
The real gold mines out this way make good money by getting the various heavier metals from the sands as well as getting rid of them to produce the clean white silica sands for glass making. Both types of mines date back some 50 years and the history of the process and the extraction methods are very interesting.
Rutile and Zircon were found in abundance just below the surface between Oyster Cove and Mallabula. They are used in a wide variety of industries and the current price is somewhere between $3000 - $4000 per tonne. This proved to be a real gold mine for the company bearing their name. They started at Mallabula and a floating dredge ate its way towards Tanilba through the area now known as 'Koala Bay'. They then 'swam' the dredge around to the flat area behind Tanilba and worked their way towards Oyster Cove.
So rich was the deposit that they extracted 17% of product from the soil and coffee rock. Indeed as the price rose it was worth their while to return about 20 years later to work it over again. The extraction process had the slurry pumped over spirals which cut our the metals by centrifugal force.
Meanwhile the tall dunes were mined for the clean white silica sand and the heavy metals found in the reject - about 10% were dumped back at the mine site. Bricklayers then found that this unwanted sand was perfect for some sorts of work so the miners gave it away for free.
Later, with the rutile price soaring, the ACI miners found it was worthwhile to extract the rutile and zircon.
Today, the Tanilba Bay plant is closed and the raw sand is trucked from the Oyster Cove site to their Sat Ash plant which also processes beach sand for the manufacture of brown bottles.
Photos: The R&Z plant at Mallabula .and the current silica sand mine site between Tanilba Bay and Oyster Cove.
Draining the Swamp
'Draining the swamp' was a phrase made famous by Donald Trump when he promised to get rid of the excess bureaucracy in Washington.
It's also a big problem in Tilligerry.You see, from Oyster Cove through to Mallabula, is a swamp. Indeed the early settlers skirted the edge of it and there were two tracks in. The Caswell family had one from where Medowie is now situated around the northern sand dune to their historic homestead. The other access was once again up out of the swampy lowlands on the southern side and ended at 'The Gibbers' in LTP.
When the new main road was constructed, it went straight down the centre which led to the drainage problems we have today. Two large drains were built across where our golf course now stands and large pipes were put under the main road to send the runoff into them. The water then ran through swampy marshland and into Tilligerry Creek up about level with The Oyster Cove road junction.
The drainage pipes block and cannot handle the runoff causing flooding in parts of Tanilba Bay. Water cannot be diverted to the bay itself because it won't run uphill.
The record flood of 1955 saw Fullerton Cove water levels rise some five metres and carve out a new pathway as Tilligerry Creek became a virtual tributary of the Hunter. What we saw in recent weeks was nothing compared to what happened 70 years ago.
Unless the big drainage pipes and canals are able to run free, the flooding will happen again and again and again. 'A History of the Tilligerry Peninsula' (1996) will give you a detailed explanation.
Photos: The drainage pipes for the new Tanilba roads can't make water run up hill!.....and our local history book.
She's Back!
Tilligerry Art Gallery (TAG) has welcomed back local artist Jenny Crozier with a two month retrospective of her work.
Jenny is a renowned painter, an Archibald entrant, competition judge and long time resident of Tilligerry.
When the old LTP fire station closed, it was taken over by TAG which converted it into a Art Gallery featuring paintings, sculptures, ceramics and jewellery created by local artists. These same artists do duty at the gallery which is open to the public seven days a week.
With residents desperate to get out of the house after the 'big wet', a visit to the gallery will break the monotony and give them some social interaction. It could very well inspire them to take up some sort of creative pursuit.
The Xmas holiday break is the peak time for visitors as tourists wander around looking for something to see. This has slowed to a trickle with the winter weather and the road closures due to the floods.
Pictures: Jenny with one of her paintings and a sample of the works which the gallery exhibits.
Raffles Support Flood Victims
Club Lemon Tree replaced its Sunday raffles with donated meat trays recently. The proceeds will support flood relief.
Club President Kevin Colman said that over $1000 was raised and it will find its way to the co-ordinated distribution centres.
It may well be funneled through the Lions Club network as they have a track record of performance, he said. The last emergency effort saw some 44 truckloads of hay sent to the Upper Hunter from Tilligerry and Medowie clubs alone, he added . At the moment, the needs of the various centres are being assessed and we will be ready to help,he stated.
Meanwhile Marine Rescue's specialist shallow draft flood boat has been deployed to Maitland. It's home base is the old RFS station at Tanilba Bay. It is crewed by trained members from the Marine Rescue network.
Photo: Club Lemon Tree.....$1000 raised for flood victims.
Rescue Boat Deployed
With a Na
tural Disaster being declared, Marine Rescue's flood boat has been deployed to the Maitland area to work in tandem with the SES.
The flat bottomed craft has a snub nosed fold down bow for easy access to take on board those in distress and to unload vital perishable supplies. It is kept in the old Tanilba Fire Station.
It has seen service in the Northern Rivers previously and is crewed by trained operators from various Marine Rescue base stations.
Meanwhile, our RFS crews are on standby should they be needed locally.
With many drivers falling victim to the large pot-holes on the main LTP road , authorities warn those travelling to take extreme care and to check out the many road closures before venturing out of town.
Photo: The rescue craft being put through its paces at LTP....and the old Tanilba Fire Station where it is housed.
Deadly Lead
Lead poisoning can
send you mad. True. You see, throughout history nations and individuals who came into contact with this metal's compounds suffered from mental instability and other serious health issues.
The Romans used lead to line their aqueducts and made pipes from it and it sent some mad. Remember Nero, the Emperor who fiddled while Rome burned!
Then there were the classic painters over the centuries who made white lead based paints and suffered mental instability. Van Gogh cut his ear off and shot himself!
Red lead was a classic paint primer not so long back and house painters ingested the stuff giving them lead poisoning. It has since been banned but the danger remains if you sand back old weatherboards and breathe in the dust.
Such is the danger from this metal, leaded petrol is no longer available. On and on the list goes including the removal of soil from properties near smelters.
A common way to join domestic copper pipes was to use lead based solder or 'Yorkshire' fittings containing lead. This is now banned but some danger still exists in pipes that are not regularly flushed.
The LTP Library was one such site as the water sits in the copper pipes for long periods unused and the lead leaches into the supply. That's why a sign warns the staff to give the taps a good flush before filling the electric jug to make a cup of tea.
Local plumber Geoff Davey was summoned to check out the pipes and confirmed that they were indeed lead soldered. The library informed the 'Lead Society' of his diagnosis and they awarded him a prize in the form of a monogrammed mug.
Photo: The lead free LTP library and Geoff's mug.
Quilting Quandary
Social interaction and a sense of purpose is just so important to most people and the various quilting and patchwork groups in Tilligerry provide this. It's also a great way for new residents to make friends.
There is still an active group gathering at our Old School Site in LTP but they have always had a problem: what do you do when you've made enough for your own needs? The answer is to band together and make quilts for deserving charities and worthwhile causes.
One such project saw quilts provided for neglected children in the Upper Hunter. Another had our quilters presenting them to Tanilba Shores nursing home. Some are made in memory of lady quilters who have passed on and the late Joyce Norris was one such person. The quilt was raffled for charity after a touching presentation morning tea attended by her husband and son.
Young mothers who met at the Mallabula Hall under the umbrella of 'Sew Shall Butterflies' stitched together the 'Tilligerry Quilt' which was on show at the old Tilligerry Plaza and to this day takes pride of place on the wall.
Other quilts won prizes as part of the Annual Art Show at Club Lemon Tree. It was judged by an independent expert from outside the district. There was also a 'viewers' choice' prize for those attending.
In the Great Depression, material could not be wasted so old feed sacks and flour bags were turned into quilts. They were stuffed with feathers and hand quilted to keep them in place.
Today, large sewing machines with extended arms do the job and foam wadding takes the place of feathers. Kevin and Jan Colman from Tanilba Bay provide this service at a very reasonable charge.
But, dear reader, the most touching quilting story is about the 'Dinah Black Quilt'. Dinah was a member of the Tilligerry Quilters but died and was cared for in her final days by the a palliative care people in Nelson Bay.
As a tribute to her, the ladies stitched together a beautiful quilt and donated it to them to be raffled as a fundraiser. They received a call from them after ringing the winner. Apparently, her husband had won the raffle having bought hundreds of tickets! He dissolved into tears on the phone as he desperately wanted it as as memento of his dearly departed wife.
There is, however, a fascinating back-story to Dinah Black. You see, Dinah was a high school home economics teacher and one of her students was a certain Toni Collette. She rose to fame as an actress in 'Muriel's Wedding' and hasn't looked back.
At one of her award presentations, she paid homage to her former teacher who, all those years ago, taught her to believe in herself and follow her dream.
Australia's most treasured quilt, 'The Rajah', was put together by convict women on their voyage to Tasmania in the ship after which it was named. It consists of 2815 individual pieces and was presented to the Governor of the colony. Indeed it still bears tiny bloodstains from needle pricks made all those years ago. Google 'the rajah quilt' for the full story.
Pictures: An Art Show winning quilt....'The 'Tilligerry Quilt'.....Joyce Norris with friends....and presenter Lloyd Hogg with a Winner at the Art Show.
Switched on to Solar
The enormous increase in power prices has seen Tanilba's Foreshore Hall Committee go solar. This will not only give them free electricity, it will also generate a profit as they will be paid for the excess power they generate after it is pumped back into the grid.
But dear readers, we are getting ahead of ourselves. If the history of this hall interests you, the book 'A History of the Tilligerry Peninsula' will fill you in. It was originally named the 'Progress Hall'. Our library in LTP has the book which you can borrow.
A google of 'Tanilba Foreshore Hall' will give you a walk through picture gallery including photos of a first class kitchen. All
queries will be answered on 0434 954 483 .
Currently there are regular users in specific time slots but the venue has wider appeal for wedding receptions, parties, wakes, dances and family get-togethers. It is particularly popular with groups comprising children and there is a reason for this. They can get bored just standing around with 'grown ups' and across the road is an adventure playground which includes a flying fox and a beach is just a stone throw away. An amenities block is nearby. Ample parking is at hand.
The committee paid for the panels and their fitting after PSSC checked out the contractor's credentials which ticked all the boxes. The overall cost was $9500.
Pictures: The Foreshore Hall....A group of regular users .and the book with the hall's history.
Big Bangs
People have been edgy since the Newcastle earthquake in 1989. Thirteen people died and in today's money some $9 billion damage was done. Understandably, the recent tremors in the Hunter have many residents concerned when something goes BANG.
The first sign of the big earthquake out here was the instant failure of power and the lack of information. Most residents suspected this as there was a distinctly fuzzy 'hum' when they put their hands on the walls of their homes. Some saw small cracks appearing in their brickwork. These were the days before CCTV and sketchy stories filtered thtough with drivers returning home. More would have perished as there were fewer people in town that day due to a bus strike.
It was quite common in the 1980s to feel tremors, particularly in LTP as both PSSC and Jack Boyd extracted gravel from the quarry behind the now industrial estate.
The high cost of road base was in the cartage from somewhere near Raymond Terrace so the conglomerate rock was blasted from the local site to save money. This brought howls of protest from the nearby residents who threatened legal action so the quarry and noisy machinery and crusher were shut down.
The RAAF is very sensitive about noise to the extent that they advertise when aircraft will be practising over populated areas. Indeed at Tanilba, future development near the old DZ will require houses to have double glazing to lessen the noise.
There is no 'live firing' at the Salt Ash weapons range and small 'thuds' can be heard from the non-fragmenting bombs which are recycled.
As much training as possible is carried out over the sea but the sonic boom from an aircraft can be felt many miles away from a fighter at 30 000 feet even though it can't be seen from the ground.
Photo: A flight of 'Mirage' fighters which were based at Williamtown.
Lift for Library
But where is it? This is most asked question by those wanting to borrow books in Tilligerry.
The town public library is situated on the main road opposite the Lemon Tree Passage Motel and when open, has a 'library' flag fluttering from a pole in front of it.
It's been there for decades and is staffed by volunteers and operates from 10am until noon six days per week. (Monday to Saturday).
A big makeover a couple of years back saw new carpet, reader friendly furniture and a slick paint job spruce it up.
What's more, a heavy cull of the least read books and an injection of new stock has something for everyone, including children.
Tilligerry Men's Shed workers have just removed the old overgrown sign and have carved a new one which is much more visible.
Business is more or less back to normal after a year or so of roadwork disruptions and the construction of a new police station two doors away. Council have taken over the computer access and has 2 brand new computers. A new scanner is on order and you will now be able to print A4 colour pages.
The library augments the mobile service which visits the villages of Tanilba Bay, Mallabula and Lemon Tree Passage on a rotational basis.
Both services have now recovered from the Covid lockdown restrictions and are back up to pace.
Photos: The LTP Library after the makeover......and the new sign giving it better visibility.
Book Donations
Tilligerry Community Library ha
s always enjoyed the support of the community donating their books. Whilst we do appreciate them, we can only accept them with prior consultation. Our hours are 10-12 noon Monday to Saturday and our phone number is 4982 3477 if you wanted to call up or pop in and check with us before bringing them in. Please dont leave them at the door.
More than Just a News Service
You've seen our illuminated sign 'tilligerry.com' beside the main road near the golf club as you drive into town at night.
With news services moving away from the print media, tilligerry.com for over 10 years now has moved with the times and gives local residents the news that they can't get anywhere else. Indeed, those travelling around Australia or internationally can keep up to date with a click on a mouse or a mobile phone.
Before our 'hit meter' broke down we were averaging around 2000 views each month. We have a few businesses supporting us but we really don't want advertisers as we are a not for profit community service.
It gets even better. There are constant requests, usually from residents new to the area, for general information about available services and organizations out this way.
We now have an extensive community directory listing some 80 of these which includes: churches, clubs, social groups, cultural events, schools, tourist information, community support, JPs, medical services, play groups and pre schools.
Photo: tilligerry.com more than just news.
elebrating the re-opening.
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