ITEM CLS02 REPORTS 16/02/15  

N O R T H S Y D N E Y C O U N C I L R E P O R T S

 

Report to General Manager Attachments:

1. Correspondence: North Sydney Centenary Grants program, 1 December 2014 SUBJECT: Historical Services Matters: HMAS Sydney and other World War 1

Commemorations AUTHOR: Martin Ellis, Director, Community and Library Services ENDORSED BY: Warwick Winn, General Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report updates Council on activities celebrating the 100th Anniversary of both the outbreak of the First World War and the Gallipoli campaign. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Council has allowed for restoration of the Cenotaph and the HMAS Sydney Bow. This report recommends additional funds for installation of interpretive signage and protective barriers on the latter. It also refers to potential grants that may be forthcoming to offset Council’s expenditure in this area. Additional funds are also required for the Australian War memorial Exhibition. Comment by Director Corporate Services: Funds are available in the Capital Works reserve for this project. RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT $20,000 be allocated to installing interpretive signage and protective barriers at the HMAS Sydney site. 2. THAT Council hereby authorises its Official Seal to be affixed to the Copyright License Agreement for 2015/0184 (Australian War Memorial: A camera on Gallipoli), under the signature of the Mayor and the General Manager. 3. THAT $8,000 be allocated to producing the artwork for Australian War Memorial: A camera on Gallipoli. 4. THAT Council notes the other upcoming activities marking the 100 year Anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign.

Report of Martin Ellis, Director, Community and Library Services Re: Historical Services matters: HMAS Sydney and other World War 1 Commemorations

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LINK TO DELIVERY PROGRAM The relationship with the Delivery Program is as follows: Direction: 4. Our Social Vitality Outcome: 4.4 North Sydney's history is preserved and recognised Direction: 3. Our Economic Vitality Outcome: 3.3 North Sydney is a place that attracts events BACKGROUND Council marked the 100th

anniversary of the victory by H.M.A.S. Sydney over the S.M.S. Emden with an event at the same time as undertaking restoration works in order to re-dedicate the restored Bow. The date has been chosen so as not to conflict with the HMAS Sydney Association’s event at Bradley’s Head on 9 November, the actual anniversary. Council continues its program of events in this period of commemorating World War 1, including representation on the committee managed through the Federal Member’s office, the Hon Joe Hockey MP.

CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS Community engagement will be undertaken in accordance with Council’s Community Engagement Protocol. SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT The sustainability implications are of a minor nature and did not warrant a detailed assessment. DETAIL His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), Governor of New South Wales, and Mrs Hurley; Councillor Jilly Gibson, Mayor of North Sydney; Councillor MaryAnn Beregi Deputy Mayor, North Sydney Council; Warwick Winn, General Manager; LEU Garry Osbourne RAN of HMAS Waterhen; Chaplain Russell Smith of HMAS Kuttabul; Inspector Jason Donald of Harbourside Command; the RAN Band with Leading Seaman Tracy Kennedy, vocalist; John Byrne President HMAS Sydney Association, and members of the North Sydney community all attended the dedication under Master of Ceremonies Mike Carlton, author of First Victory1914.

Report of Martin Ellis, Director, Community and Library Services Re: Historical Services matters: HMAS Sydney and other World War 1 Commemorations

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HMAS Sydney was a foundation vessel in the first Royal Australian Navy fleet that sailed into Sydney Harbour 4 October 1913. The action between the HMAS Sydney and SMS Emden was the single most important Australian naval engagement in a conflict remembered mostly for its land campaigns. 134 were killed on the Emden and 4 on the Sydney . The destruction of Emden quite probably saved lives as the first troop convoys were sailing across the Indian Ocean at that time. The youngest crew of HMAS Sydney were just 16. Such was the respect with which the Sydney was held, that many parts of the vessel were salvaged when it was scrapped at Cockatoo Island in 1929. The mast was placed at Bradley's Head in the 1930s. The Bow was mounted on the seawall at Kirribilli and dedicated in November 1941 on the 27th anniversary of the sinking of the Emden. Therefore the significance of that ceremony is to be understood in the context of the Second World War and the bolstering of home front moral. Earlier in 1941, the City of Sydney had welcomed the crew of the HMAS Sydney II - returned after action against the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean. North Sydney had a special connection to that vessel. One of the crew, Petty Officer John Ross, was a local man. He had made a souvenir of a piece of the Sydney’s funnel - holed by an Italian shell - and presented it as a trophy to Council in appreciation of support provided to his family in his absence. It is held in our Heritage Centre today. Petty Officer Ross returned to his ship and sailed with her to Fremantle where he disembarked and Sydney 11 steamed north - to be lost with all hands in a battle with the German raider Kormoran. That was just 10 days after the dedication of the Bow at Kirribilli.

Report of Martin Ellis, Director, Community and Library Services Re: Historical Services matters: HMAS Sydney and other World War 1 Commemorations

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Governor Hurley inspecting the Bow  

 

Mayor Jilly Gibson, Governor Hurley and Mrs Hurley

 

Chaplain Russell Smith of HMAS Kuttabul

 LEU Garry Osbourne RAN of HMAS Waterhen

 

Some of the Official Party

 

Mike Carlton, Master of Ceremonies

Report of Martin Ellis, Director, Community and Library Services Re: Historical Services matters: HMAS Sydney and other World War 1 Commemorations

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Leading Seaman Tracy Kennedy

 

Cr MaryAnn Beregi greeting Governor Hurley

 

Governor Hurley with John Byrne - HMAS Sydney Association 

 

Governor Hurley with Brian Yeo - HMAS Sydney Association 

Next Steps As is well known, and foreshadowed in the speeches on the day, local fisherman use the Bow Memorial as a platform for gutting fish. A temporary barrier has been installed and a design commissioned for a protective barrier and signage costed as follows: $2,420 (Signs) $9,480 (Barrier) $1,880 (Specialist report on concrete cancer in sign at water level) $6,220 (Allowance for repair of existing signage at water level) Total: $20,000 + GST Other World War 1 Remembrance Activities: Australian War Memorial Exhibition: A Camera on Gallipoli At its meeting on 21 July 2014 Council resolved (Minute No. 291): 2. THAT the report investigate the programs and initiatives offered by the Australian War Memorial including, but not limited to, borrowing items from the War Memorial collection and engaging with and exhibiting the digital travelling exhibition “A camera on Gallipoli”. The contract for this project has arrived and the exhibition space is being designed. This promises to be a high impact exhibition to be mounted over two floors of the Council

Report of Martin Ellis, Director, Community and Library Services Re: Historical Services matters: HMAS Sydney and other World War 1 Commemorations

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Chambers. It will be erected the week before ANZAC Day 2015 and run for six weeks. The Copyright License Agreement allows Council to make large digital prints for the purpose of the exhibition. Prints and frames have been costed at $8,000. RSL Activities involving Council and the Cenotaph Council refurbishment of the Cenotaph proceeds and is on track for completion by ANZAC Day 2015. Meanwhile invitations have been received from the Sub-Branch located there as follows:

ANZAC Sunday Service 19 April 2015 at 11am

ANZAC Dawn services 25April 2015 at 6am The Meaning of Mourning: Walking Tour 22 April 2015 (1:45pm Bookings essential) We begin in St Thomas Rest Park (formerly cemetery) at the grave of Eastermorn Waller, killed at St. Gervais Church, Paris, during a German bombardment on Good Friday 1918. We then walk to the 1918 tram workers' memorial in Anzac Park Cammeray. From there we walk to the German field gun installed as a trophy memorial in 1921 and on to the beautiful 1926 Cenotaph - both in St Leonards Park. In nearby Stanton Library we will see two interior Rolls of Honour on display as part of the Home Front exhibition. We end the walk in St Thomas' Church, the garrison church of the 17th Battalion, which contains many memorials to the war including an extraordinary wooden cross returned from the battlefield at Pozieres. We will also look at the St Thomas Church Memorial Hall designed in the aftermath of the war as a community meeting place by eminent architect Donald Esplin. Conflict and Compassion On The Waterfront: Ferry Cruise 17 May 2015 (2pm bookings essential) This cruise aboard a heritage ferry embarks at Cremorne Point Ferry Wharf and travels from Bradley's Head, where the mast of HMAS Sydney sits as a memorial to Australia's first naval victory, down to Balls Head Bay the home of patrol boat base HMASWaterhen. Along the way we take in the multi-layered history of the North Sydney foreshore with its relationship to defence and conflicts over development and much more. The return trip passes Fort Denison and Garden Island. Disembark back at Cremorne Point at 5pm or stay aboard to disembark at Milsons Point. Your guide is Dr Ian Hoskins, North Sydney Council Historian and author of Sydney Harbour: a history and ‘Was thinking of home today...’: North Sydney and the Great War. Tea, coffee and afternoon tea will be served. Anzac Tree Planting Program with Local Schools (and Other Grant Possibilities) Arrangements for the tree plantings have been finalized with the ANZAC Committee managed through the Federal Member’s office, the Hon Joe Hockey MP. While the grant implied in the letter attached to this report is small, there is potential for substantial grants to assist Council in the restoration of both the HMAS Sydney Bow and the North Sydney Cenotaph. It is understood announcements are pending.

Home Front: North Sydney and the Great War

(Exhibition in the Heritage Centre)

Some 4,000 men with local associations volunteered to fight between 1914 and 1918. This exhibition explores the impact of the First World War upon North Sydney using original photographs, objects and documents.

The exhibition is open during Library Hours until May 2015.

NORTHSYDNEY couNcrroddress 200 Miller Street North S1'dp.t NSW 20ó0

oll correspondence General Manager North Sydnel, CouncilPO Box l-2 North Sydnel' NSW 2059DXIO587

telephone (02) 993ó 8f00f ocsimile (02) 9936 8177

e m o i I council@northsl'd¡s1,.11s\a¡.gov.au

i n t e r n e t w\\,nv. [orthsydney. nsr,l'. gor'. au

ABN 32 353 260 3t7

Greg Bartels AMChair North Sydney Electorate ANZAC Centenary Grants Program Committee

Via email: iennifer.loc @aoh.sov.au

I December 2014

Dear Mr Bartels

RE North Sydney A¡ÍZAC Centenary Grants Program

Furtherto North Sydney Council's letter of October2013 ofFering support forthis program,I understand that the Committee will supply for each of five local North Sydney schools:

1. One pine tree (10 inches high)2. Plinth3. Plaque4. Delivery to the sites

Council will arrange for planting the trees and installing plinth/plaques and supplyingand installing treated pine surrounds to them (a metre square) with a low, treated pinetrellis around 300mm high, watering and adding mulch to finish, as per the photographin your letter of 17 October 2013. The Committee has made an estimate for the work ofa total cost including GST being S1,205, payable to Council.

With regards insurance and public liability Council will be in a position to make the abovea:rangements on receipt of a written invitation from participating schools for Council'scontractor to come onto the sites to complete the work and the schools assumingresponsibility for the trees upon the contractors completing the work and leaving the sites.

Yours sincerely

Martin EllisDÍrector, Communify and Library Services

CC Att.: Jennifer Locke. office of the Hon Joe Hockey Mp Member for NorthSydney, PO Box 1107, North Sydney NSW 2059

ATTACHMENT TO CLS02 - 16/02/15 Page 1