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Profile of the Week Brian Heal of Mona Vale: WWII Veteran + Australian Hydro Schemes Engineer, on his 101st BirthdayNeale 'Brian' Heal is a British WWII veteran who later migrated to Australia and worked on major hydro-electricity construction projects in Tasmania and New South Wales, including the historic Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Sub/LT Neale ‘Brian’ Heal is 101 years old today, August 16, and served on a mine sweeper with the Royal Navy, during World War Two, including during the D-Day landings.
During the week leading up to his 100th birthday, Brian received congratulation cards and letters from King Charles III and Queen Camilla; Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia; Samantha Mostyn AC, Governor General of Australia; Mayor Sue Heins and the offices of Dr Sophie Scamps MP and Jacqui Scruby MP. Brian thanked the Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch for organising his congratulation cards. Brian joined the RSL in December 1956.
This Issue, a few insights into a long and fruitful life.
Park Bench Philosophers NSW Government's new laws to target organised crime prompt concern over privacy + WA police is using live facial recognition to make arrests. This trial is testing privacy law
Inbox News Why the $2.5 billion Tomago aluminium deal is no ordinary bailout, Regional and rural Australians ‘left behind’ by telco services – new report, ‘A costly mistake’: new review finds giving WA billions in extra GST was unfair to other states, Australian girls are quitting organised sports. What can be done?, The NAPLAN fine print we missed: the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students is growing, New laws to make tech companies pay for news will help, but there are 4 key problems, NSW Government's High Volume Short Stay surgical services: Update, From Monday, food delivery workers will get minimum hourly pay. Here’s why it matters, Would you throw away brand new clothes? Retailers in Europe now banned from destroying unsold stock, Complaints about online platforms often go nowhere. AI could actually be part of the solution, Testimony as a target: how witnesses at the antisemitism royal commission are being abused online, Let’s stop arguing about antisemitism and focus on researching it, Voter beware: how electoral commissions are powerless to stop deliberately misleading party names, Today’s Mediterranean diet leans on olive oil, vegies and fish. But the ancients mainly ate bread, Should the shingles vaccine be free for all adults? We asked 5 experts, ‘I don’t even know what things are going to look like in the next five years’: young Australians on growing up in a world in crisis, Brain scans provide world‑first evidence dogs can distinguish between human fear and sadness, Court orders Fiducian Investment Management Services to pay $7.3 million penalty over operation of ESG fund: ASIC, Recruitment firm Hudson Global Resources (Aust) Pty Ltd fined $270,000 for breaching financial reporting obligations: ASIC, ACCC opposes keg pooling supplier MicroStar’s proposed acquisition of Konvoy’s assets
Community News Andrew Cutler: Australian Parliament Recognition by MP for Mackellar, Congratulations Beryl the Driver!, Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation Athletics Track: Update, NSW SES Deployed to US - Canada, Congratulations Billy Bain!, Narrabeen Sharks Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Mona Vale Raiders Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Avalon Bulldogs Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Congratulations Warringah Rats: Two Minor Premiers, Marine Rescue Broken Bay News: Recognitions of Service, Big tops to Treetops: Two free family events to delight the kids, Avalon Public School 75 Years Celebrations and Fete, Woodturners Open Day 2026: August 22, SOS Mona Vale Agenda monthly meeting: August, Avalon Summer Touch Comp., Coming up at Kimbriki, Wes Thomas Recovery Support Fund, 24Hour Row 2026 for Gotcha4Life, Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment August Forum - AGM, ABHS AGM Meeting Notice, McCarrs Creek landslide: works update, NSW Government examines measures to halt AI’s impact on cognitive development of a generation of NSW students, SSD: Residential Flat Building - 45-47 Elimatta Road and 1667- 1671 Pittwater Road Mona Vale, Mixed-Use Development- 1294-1300 Pittwater Road & 2-4 Albert Street, Narrabeen - 'Abadeen', Connecting with Country and Culture through bush foods, Connecting with Country and Culture through bush foods: Narrabeen, SAREX Training Day at Whale Beach, Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week: Benji + Enoki & Shiitake, New clinical guidelines for detecting prostate cancer, Notice of Works: Submarine Cable Installation Palm Beach to Umina Beach, NDIS rules: new framework planning consultation report (January–March 2026) now available, Trees Vandalised at Careel Bay waterfront, NDIS Reform: Have your say on the future of Supported Independent Living, Help make Pittwater a Declared Community Improvement District, Movember Men in Mind program to expand primary care workers, Help Make Local Sports More Accessible for Women, Stop Lies in Political Advertising: NSW Parliament Petition, National Medicare Mental Health Check In campaign launches – free community toolkit available, celebrating 80 years of North Palmy SLSC!!, Marine Rescue Broken Bay Christmas Raffle, Wakehurst Parkway: August Works Notification, Sporting Organisation Support Program Grants, Defib funding returns for NSW clubs, Council seeks input on refreshed Better Together 2040 Strategy, 2027 Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging), Grants now open to prevent gender-based violence, $5.5 million to keep our surf clubs beach ready, Discover Sailing Day Resources Now Available, SNB Surf Sports Calendar for 2026-2027, Griffin Encourages Local Organisations To Tap Into Grant Opportunity, Avalon Community Library Needs Volunteers, Pittwater Residents Associations, Sports, Environment and Social Groups, Pittwater Offshore Newsletter, Local JP's, + more
Environment Long-range forecast overview: September to November, Upper House Committee Report on NSW Licences to Harm Native Animals, I feel deep sadness about bird flu and environmental loss. Is this normal?, Australia is home to the only mass cuttlefish gathering in the world. This year these giants didn’t return, Spot the difference: Not all fur seals are the same, 86 native animals seized in raid on alleged wildlife trafficking syndicate: Central Coast, Record effort to help save nesting marine turtles in NSW, Wildlife responds as Gingham Waterhole fills, Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment August 20 Forum - AGM, Woodturners Open Day 2026: August 22, Coming up at Kimbriki, PNHA Activities: Saturday August 22. Spring in the Bush: The Chiltern Track, Connecting with Country and Culture through bush foods: Aug 29 at Narrabeen, Solar and Energy Roadshow at CEC Open Day, Stony Range Spring Festival 2026: September 13, National Parks protect Southern Right Whales with new ‘stay away’ distance of up to 500 metres, Storms of dust and sand are another sign our climate is changing. Two experts explain, Marine heatwaves are cooking our ocean ecosystems – and will only become more common, Safe havens protect Australian mammals from invasive predators. Why aren’t they working for other animal groups?, Can the searing European summer put climate action back on the agenda – or will disaster response take over?, Reef relief: how a late summer monsoon helped cool the Great Barrier Reef at just the right time, Did you know there’s a vast reef network off the north coast of Australia? Few do – and that’s a problem, We can help frogs beat a deadly disease. But can they still reproduce?, Government expands discount scheme to encourage larger businesses to install rooftop solar, These 5 charts show how far rooftop solar and home batteries can take us – and why we still need the grid, You might be buying the wrong home battery. Here’s how to tell, Soursob weed is a persistent curse – but it can be beaten. Here’s how, Dolphins learn how to use tools to hunt for fish from their mothers, Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last global warming period similar to today – Wyoming fossils reveal what happened, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026, Bangalley Headland WPA 2026, Sydney Wildlife Needs People for the Rescue Line, 2025-26 Seal Reveal underway, 622kg of Rubbish Collected from Beaches: Adopt your local beach program, This Tick Season: Freeze it - don't squeeze it, Protect wildlife: dispose of fishing gear responsibly, Notice of 1080 Poison Baiting, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Recycling Batteries: at Mona Vale + Avalon Beach, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Pittwater Gardens, Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Environment History insights + Walks, Birds +
Children Sunday Cartoon and Animations This week: the coconut - Oggy and the Cockroaches, Avalon Soccer Club at Careel Bay Playing Fields: Girls + Boys News - Catch-up, Narrabeen Sharks Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Mona Vale Raiders Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Avalon Bulldogs Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Spot the difference!: Not all fur seals are the same, Ticket to Sydney: How Sydney Travelled in 1971, OptiChircks at RPAYC, 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge, Curious Kids: why do we shiver when we feel cold? + How is snow made? An atmospheric scientist describes the journey of frozen ice crystals from clouds to the ground + Are animals smart? From dolphin language to toolmaking crows, lots of species have obvious intelligence + Why is water different colors in different places? + How do computers talk with voices that sound like people?, Stories this week: Kindness is my Superpower + 'When a Dragon Moves In' read by Mark Duplass Local activities and clubs for you
Youth Congratulations Billy Bain!, Narrabeen Sharks Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Mona Vale Raiders Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, Avalon Bulldogs Junior Rugby League Club Semi Finalists 2026: Congratulations!, NSW Government examines measures to halt AI’s impact on cognitive development of a generation of NSW students, The Australian Boardriders Battle Returns for 14th Season: Regional Series Running September-November 2026 - North Narrabeen Event runs September 19, Avalon Soccer Club at Careel Bay Playing Fields: Girls + Boys News - Catch-up, Spot the difference!: Not all fur seals are the same, Ticket to Sydney: How Sydney Travelled in 1971, Rions in NY, Opportunities: Avalon Beach SLSC Surf Boat Rowers + OptiChirck at RPAYC, Nature Writing Prize 2026 Now Open to Enter, North Palm Beach SLSC 80th Celebrations, 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Activity, From sportswear to protest attire: the surprisingly political history of the hoodie, Play‑fighting or just fighting? New study suggests a rethink on how we play with cats, Exploring the Moon will require rovers that can think for themselves – an upcoming NASA mission will test whether they can, Why an 120‑year‑old warning about reading feels uncomfortably familiar, Why do humans use ‘baby voice’ when we speak to pets?, High school students are protesting against One Nation. What’s the point if they can’t vote?, High school students are planning to protest tomorrow. This is how they can stay safe, Inside the antarctic expedition that made Shackleton and Scott famous – and paved the way to the South Pole, Love across racial boundaries: the true history behind Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, Local Services 4U
Seniors Happy 101st Birthday Brian!, Congratulations Beryl the Driver!, Lost Sydney: Real Photographs from 1870–1910 Brought to Life, The Beatles Live At Shea Stadium 1965, Priority aged care for older people living with Motor Neurone Disease, Research warns private health insurance changes could drive older Australians out of cover: COTA, Survey shows gross underestimation of private health impacts: National Seniors, AMA submission: Current informed financial consent should be maintained, Before Young Talent Time, Johnny Young was a songwriter who rivaled the best of his era, The 18th‑century British artists who turned India into a picturesque fantasy, Pittwater/Narrabeen Parkinson's Support Group 2026 Meetings, Nature Writing Prize 2026 Now Open to Enter, Avalon Community Library Needs Volunteers, AvPals Term 3 2026 Schedule, Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s, ABBA’s Dancing Queen at 50: why we’ve spent half a century having the time of our lives, MWP Care Seeking Volunteers, Why is everyone playing mahjong? Global revival of a centuries‑old Chinese tradition, Pittwater Probus, Local groups, clubs, events and services for you
Aquatics Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program 2025/26 Annual Performance Report
DIY Ideas DIY Fathers' Day ideas for the Gardening-BBQing Dad
Pictures The Basin, Pittwater: 1788-2026
Food Silver beet - Spinach
Silver beet and Spinach is in season now, and like all seasonal crops, rises to keep balance in all that may ail thee throughout every season of every year. High in Vitamin C as well as Vitamin A, this leafy green vegetable will support your immune system through the sniffle season and act as de-tox for all those other poisons that may arise during the last month of winter.
This Issue a range of silver beet and spinach recipes which you can serve as mains or side dishes. The classic Spanikopita is also delicious cold.
Events Down to Earth Space opening at Newport this September, North Palmy Surf Club Anniversary Celebrations Author Talks, Jazz and Paintings in Avalon, PNHA Walks, Music at all compass points, Markets, Social Groups + more on!
