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.
Motorama Moment
Too Many Chiefs
Bruce MacKenzie always got elected to PSSC by a huge majority because he made things happen. He had no time for bureaucratic paperwork or featherbedding council managers who gave ratepayers the runaround.
Indeed if a little old lady complained of a blocked drain he would inspect it and quite often get a shovel and clear it himself. Otherwise he'd ring the manager or ranger and insist that it be done immediately.
Today, vast amounts of our rates disappear in paying wages to people who inspect things and write reports without actually getting the job done.
Take Mallabula as an example:
Once, the firebrigade would burn off the reserve between the Parkways Nth & Sth. A phone call to the local captain would make it happen ….and quickly. The current procedure saw three environmental studies, inspections by the RFS and endless fights with council over years before it got burnt off.
The new makeover of Tanilba Rd saw the end section finish just past the homes in Mallabula Rd. This required a full EIS in case native animals came out of the bush and crossed it.
But dear reader, it gets worse. The open table drain between the last intersection and the top of the hill clogs up resulting in water flowing over Mallabula Rd and into the homes on the lower side. A phone call to council used to see a back hoe turn up and scoop it out. Problem solved. Not anymore!
A full EIS has to be done and the excavated material trucked away to a 'safe place' after the job has been costed and prioritised.
This happens shire wide and is why our rates just don't get nearly as much bang for our bucks as they used to.
Pictures: A council EIS team at the bottom of Mallabula Rd......and Our firies burning off the reserve (after a ten year battle).
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.
Number Crunching
Labor's crushing win in the 2025 election was reflected in Paterson with the sitting member Meryl Swanson being returned. Below are the simplified numbers of the top six contenders. These are primary votes with preferences excluded for our three local booths.
LTP
ALP 412 ...…One Nation 92........Penfold (ind) 23........Greens 71.......Liberals 335........Cannabis 47
SALT ASH
ALP 189........One Nation 102........Penfold (ind) 18.......Greens 42........Liberals 195 .........Cannabis 37
TANILBA BAY
ALP 512........One Nation 102.......Penfold (ind) 32........Greens 105.......Liberals 485........ Cannabis 80
The ALP carried the day with 1113 votes followed by the Liberals with 1018, One Nation with 350, the Greens with 218 and the Cannabis Party with 164.
Surprises? The 102 votes for One Nation at Salt Ash was almost as many as the total for LTP and Tanilba combined....and the Cannabis Party garnered a total of 164 votes! Perhaps this indicates we're a lot of dopes, or we smoke heaps of the stuff!
A full breakdown of the votes after distribution of preferences can be found on the AEC website by following the prompts.
Picture: Meryl Swanson.... Returned as Federal Member for Paterson 2025.
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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.
Anzac Day 2025
Full details of this year's Anzac Day service can be found in the papers or from the RSL club itself.
Our sub-branch is very keen to preserve our military history so you can find in and around the RSL interesting memorabillia.
At the entrance, a Bofors gun is mounted on a plinth. This was the most effective AA gun produced for the allies in WWII and saw service for many years later. It was of Swedish design and the Americans alone made 60 000 or them for use in both the navy and army.
The second exhibit of interest is the concrete tank traps on the verge of the grassed area. Thousands of these were placed along Stockton Beach to guard against invasion by the Japanese. They have the dates of manufacture scratched into their surfaces.
But what our war heroes? By far the most decorated was Grant Lindeman who took up oyster farming in LTP after the war. A career pilot, he saw much action in North Africa and commanded a torpedo squadron around Britain. He also stood up to senior officers if he thought their orders stupid. His greatest feat was in leading a squadron to Russia to defend the Arctic convoys. For this he was awarded the DFC.
Legacy supports the families of returned servicemen and their badge sellers are very active around Anzac Day. Make sure you buy a badge to help them out.
Photos: Legacy officers selling badges outside Coles....The Bofors gun....Grant Lindeman and the WW2 tank traps.
Much more than Chocolate
To committed Christians Easter is much more than the Easter Bunny and chocolate eggs.
Following Palm Sunday, Jesus was tried , crucified and ascended to Heaven. Most churches have special services on both Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
If you or visitors would like to partake in these events you can get the exact details by phone.
They are:
Anglican Church of the Holy Name Mallabula......4982 9173
Catholic Church Mallabula....................................4987 1888
Uniting Church Tanilba Bay...................................49872041
Baptist Church Tanilba Bay....................................4982 3022
Christian Reformed Church Tanilba Bay.................4982 4820
If you missed it, the Palm Sunday story was covered last week on tilligerry.com Just scroll down to find it.
Picture: The Anglican Church of the Holy name, Fairlands Rd Mallabula.
Lucky to have a Pool
With PSSC currently reviewing The Aquatic Centre operational hours, it's probably time to reflect on why our isolated town has one at all.
You see, demographers some 30 years ago told us that to break even, a town had to have a population of around 14 thousand. We had about three thousand at the time so Council dismissed the idea. Today the population is around seven thousand and growing.
The late Doreen Bradley headed up the 'Heated Indoor Pool Committee' and started fundraising. They constantly badgered council and finally they came up with a proposal.
If the community raised $100 000, the Council would fund the extra
$900 000. The pool would not be an indoor facility but outdoors and heated. This the committee did so the pool was built.
The current operator, 'Belgravia' which manages the three Shire pools knew that Tilligerry was a loss making concern when they submitted their successful tender which has been renewed.
All three pools shut for winter maintenance and season ticket holders have the option of extending their pass for the period of closure or using it at either of the other two centres. One year, Tilligerry was open all year as both other pools had major problems. Aqua 'junkies' and squad swimmers would still be able to hit the water.
For council, reducing hours saves a fortune in running costs, particulary power as the huge increase in electricity bills lately is a burden on the ratepayer. This is despite solar heaters for the shower block and blanket heaters installed on the roof of the hall next door for the heating the pool.
For Belgravia, any downtime is a huge saving in wages.
Other factors have seen a decrease in pool usage. The sandflats at Tanilba and Mallabula are ideal safe swimming spots for young children and families. On top of this the new tidal pool at Lemon Tree Passage is a great drawcard and what's more it is free. Add to this the proliferation of backyard pools and there is serious competition for patronage. Another ominous factor is the daily battle to make ends meet. Parents just don't have spare cash these days to spend on entry to the pool.
On the positive side, the population is growing and the new seniors village currently under construction at Tanilba will create a need for gentle aqua fitness.
If you want to know more, contact Council and they will put you in the picture and make you aware of a public information meeting which seeks input from residents.
Note: such was the effort and leadership shown by Doreen Bradley OAM, that the pool was named in her honour and a plaque fixed to the pool deck.
Photos: The Aquatic Centre.....changes to come?
Drive in Voting
Want a free Saturday for the upcoming Federal Election? Want to avoid driving 'round in circles looking for somewhere to park? Want to be free from long queues and people poking flyers in your face? Answer 'YES!' to any of these questions and postal voting is the way to go.
Just go online and punch in 'postal voting 2025 federal election' and follow the prompts. The AEC will post you the kit. All you do is fill in the answers, pop it in the post box and it's all done and dusted!
The best place to vote out here used to be the LTP fire station. The site is now an art gallery. It was on the main road, there was plenty of parking in Mc Cann Park, it was easy walking and elderly or disabled voters could fill in their ballot papers from inside their cars!
They'd drive into the station and the officials would bring them their ballot paper and a pencil. They would mark their paper and the officer would pop it into the box for them. All too easy!
If you happen to be out of the electorate on the day you can vote absentee at any booth in Australia or you can pre-poll personally at Raymond Terrace or Nelson Bay. The local papers or the candidates' offices will tell you exacty where over the phone. If you don't vote you are fined.
The picture shows the old fire station before its conversion to TAG (Tilligerry Art Gallery).
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.
Tip Troubles
Dumping of rubbish can get you into hot water as a builder found out when he faced court for offloading asbestos and other building waste at Oyster Cove. He copped a $100 000 fine.
If we backtrack some 40 years, the environmental and recycling rules didn't apply. Indeed, The old LTP tip was open 24/7/365 and free. It occupied what is now Mungarra Reserve. When it reached capacity, a new tip was opened directly across the road . The old site was covered over, grassed and is now a picnic and recreational site linked to the foreshore by a boardwalk.
After a time, PSSC gated the tip, had restricted hours and charged residents to use it. The reaction was swift and unpleasant as ratepayers dumped their rubbish in front of the locked chainwire gates.
Stricter requirements had this tip covered over and it became a transfer s
tation for recycling. This is when the bush was used by disgruntled people to dump rubbish.
That's not all: Vinnies became a dumping site and the Church charity had to erect a fence and put up signs in an effort to stop it. Still people put unsaleable rubbish outside the gates. This meant that Vinnies had to pay contractors to get rid of it and it had less money to spend on the poor and needy.
The latest dumping scandal occurred at the 'Clean up Australia' collection point on the main road where volunteers register and are given bags and protective gloves. Even before the day, rubbish was dumped and it continued during the week after. Council will have to get rid of it.
Photos: The pile of rubbish at Tanilba....Furniture dumped in Henderson Park.....and Vinnies with rubbish left at their gate and their warning sign.
Pleased to Meet You... Meat to Please You
What does a young butchery manager do when he is no longer required by a major supermarket chain?
In the case of Zac he decided to start up his own business with his partner Kate in the Kooindah Centre at Tanilba Bay.
“People hunger for the quality service and fresh meats that they used to get,” he said. “The supermarkets don't do this.. You have pre - packed meats which are delivered from distant locations and they use miles of plastic to package them.” he added “We want to give the residents what they want and not what the supermarkets want to force people to buy,” he said.
Tilly Meats also makes its own sausages which are far superior to the massed produced products. Tilligerry.com road tested their pork sausages and gave them the thumbs up. We also tried a leg of lamb which was delicious.
Why not give them a try yourself ? Word of mouth is everything in a small town and this dynamic duo is ticking all the boxes.
Pictures: Opening day and Zac and Kate in their new shop.
'The Caswell takes Shape
With several false starts, 'The Caswell' at Tanilba Bay is moving into overdrive with the final stage of site preparation well under way.
Backhoes are breaking up what was the old Plaza and carpark foundations and piling the concrete waste ready for removal. What's more, the strip of land fronting onto Beatty Bvd has been filled ready for compaction.
The project was put on hold when soil contamination was found on the northern boundary but approval had been given for half of the development while this problem is rectified.
The servo which closed due to the contamination problem has since reopened and a separate news story will detail what's happening there.
Rather than inform interested readers about all the details of 'The Caswell', we ask them to google: 'The Caswell Tanilba Bay' or visit their facebook page and all will be revealed.
Photo: Latest developments at the old Plaza site.
Servo Reopens
The closure of our local Servo in Pres. Wilson Walk due to contamination problems on the Old Plaza site is well on the way to being resolved.
Indeed, the new owner Zak Abdo has the business operational selling diesel, burgers, chips, pies soft drinks and lollies. Car washing and basic mechanical services are also available.
Petrol will be back on tap in a month or two as Zak explains: “They have changed the rules so that petrol no longer has to be stored in underground tanks. This means that our storage facility we be online quicker” he said.
Business hours are 9am – 9 pm seven days per week.
Photo: Zac in front of his service station / roadhouse.
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 don’t 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.
