CENTRAL PACKING SHEDS

Mountain news from the Sydney Morning Herald

The Sydney Morning Herald – August 30th 1922
(extract)

ON THE LAND

CENTRAL PACKING SHEDS

GOSFORD AND MANGROVE ENTERPRISES

The new central co-operative packing shed at Gosford, operated by the Citrus Fruitgrowers’ Association of New South Wales, Ltd., the pioneer organisation of this character, is now in full working order. The shed which is commodious and well lighted, has a frontage on the main street level, so that fruit from the orchard can be discharged on the receiving floor. The fruit passes by gravitation through the grading machine, and the cases packed for market can be expeditiously loaded on the other end for dispatch by rail the shed being situated within the Gosford goods yard.

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The example set at Gosford has been followed by other bodies of growers on the highlands of Mangrove Mountain, where already two other central packing sheds are in operation. An up-to-date shed has been provided about 15 miles from Gosford by the Central Mangrove Citrus Packing House, Ltd., and many thousands of mandarins and oranges have been graded and packed this season. The Emperor mandarins for which this district is noted, have been of especially good quality this season. The Mangrove Mountain growers have also installed a central packing shed, with the usual mechanical sizing machine which has become popular of late years. It is expected that another shed will be established at Somersby, also on the highlands. Eventually all these complete and independent grading and packing units are likely to co-operate in organising their selling operations, so that members will receive the fullest benefits from their improved methods of marketing.

Kulnura Hall Committee

Kulnura Pioneer Memorial Hall

At a recent meeting of Council, it was resolved to approve the appointment of a committee, in terms of Section 355 of the Local Government Act, to assume the care, control and management of the Kulnura Pioneer Memorial Hall.

Interested members from the communities of Kulnura and Districts are invited to apply to Council, in writing, to become a member of the Committee. Nominations will be received up until 31 July 2009 and should include the name/ address and telephone contact number of the person(s) being nominated.

Further more information contact Bob Allen at Council on 4350 5538 during normal business hours.

General Manager Wyong Shire Council PO Box 20 Wyong NSW 2259

District Spirit

The Sydney Mail – March 13th, 1929. P 40

The District Spirit Among Fruit-Growers

Fruit-growers who are not linked up with local co-operative effort would be well advised to make impartial inquiries as to the benefits to be gained thereby and as to the value of the “district spirit.”

By G.H.W.

(extract)

……….. The district spirit is becoming stronger as improvements in quality, type and variety are being effected. The public are now expected to ask for fruits from certain areas, and are certainly being educated along right lines. Doubtless the local shows, culminating in the great Royal at Easter, have big results, and these are more far-reaching than the farmer generally knows. Only last year, when Mangrove won some citrus championships, fruit from that district had the honour of special market quotations far ahead of the rest. The name (and flavour) of Mangrove Mountain was on the lips of the public. Similar results can be gained by earnest district propaganda at no cost. Belief in the quality and standard of local product will force it into place, provided the growers or producers unite for that purpose.

KCAEP - July 09

Wombat’s Wild Weekend

Kulnura Hall, Tuesday 14th July, 11.30am start, from Em’s Entertainment. This brand new show is fast paced and full of catchy songs, lively dances, colourful costumes and lots of opportunity for children to join in. Recommended for 2 to 7 year olds, no bookings required, cost $5 each (2 years old and up) maximum $15 / family. Organised by KCAEP Inc, who have not received any grant money this time to help subsidy cost of over $450. So it would be great if we broke even, or better still had a bit left over towards the next show/activity. (We are also running a $2 raffle, with a family cruise as the prize.) Pass it on and hope you can make it.
Cheers from Sue Douglas

Anne Vine - Principal KMHS

Kariong Mountains High School July Newsletter

Principal
The KMHSC welcomes Anne Vine as the first Principal of Kariong Mountains High. Anne is currently the Principal at Alexandria Park Community School in Sydney. Anne comes with a wealth of experience and is very excited about the opportunities that the states newest school will bring to our community.

Anne is a local to Kariong and looks forward to being able to walk to work and not have that long commute (don’t we all).

Anne will commence work day 2 of Term 3 and will be located at Henry Kendal High School and can be contacted on:

Anne Vine on (02) 43257754

Year 8
A lot of mis-information is floating around about the Year 8 cohort.

The Department of Education and Training makes it clear that no decision has been made. Your KMHSC looks forward to working with the DET and Anne to ensure the right decision is made.

The first activity of our new Principal will be to talk to all year 7 students at HK and NV High Schools on the merits of attending KMHS. Anne ill also follow up all the parents that have not made a decision or have not returned their expressions of interest for our Year 8.

Early indications from our community confirm that there is a significant demand for Year 8 at KMHS in 2010. During the early part of term 3 the DET will finalize the numbers and a decision will be made.

My money is on a year 8 at KMHS in 2010

High School P&C
First KMHS P&C meeting will be held at Kariong Public School on the 10 August at 7 PM. The meeting plans to have the first stage elections for the committee executive positions. This is also an opportunity to meet your new Principal

If you wish to attend please contact Glenn Hambleton on:

Glenn.hambleton@airbrake.com.au

Editor
Norm Carle KMHS Committee

Scary Bunnies

The day of the Country Fair, the 24th of October, is getting closer, and it is time to start putting plans into effect.

We are still looking for more case labels to add to the collection we started last year. This is not only for the Country Fair display, but to build up our local heritage archive. Thanks to those who have already helped with this project.

Added to our features this year will be an internationally experienced food stylist who will demonstrate the art, and give a professional make-over to some selected winners in the cooking competition (their entries that is).

Scarecrows are back for 2009, but with a difference.

While Wollombi and Yarramalong (September) both do scarecrows, our theme in October will be based on local folklore –

The Mangrove Mountain Monster Roman Nosed Rabbits.

First seen in July 1963 and reported in Sydney, London, Chicago and Gosford papers (perhaps others), and on national radio, they attracted interest from the Department of Agriculture (poisoned carrot baiting), CSIRO (trapping), hunters, the press, and the bunnies themselves.

There was even a Ladies A Grade Mid-week tennis team named Mangrove Monsters. [Jan Harris, Sylvie Dawson, Phyl Dwyer and another still to be identified]

Some of the stories will be posted in the coming months to inspire your ‘monster rabbit’ scarecrow making skills. Further research is underway, so if you have some information, stories, or have seen one of the beasts, please contact Neil at 4374 1175 (nlbb@hunterlink.net.au).

Keep watching this site for more rabbit facts.

Our next meeting will be Thursday the 13th of August, and we would love to have as many people as we can come along, as there are always things to do, new ideas to discuss and conversations to be had.

Food famine and fashion

The Mountain area as a food-producing region faces pressure from many sources. The euphemistically named “extractive industries” and life-style land-use being the most talked about.
A recent article in The Land draws attention to food security issues in this regard and is worth posting for those who missed it.

Also of interest is a report (also in The Land) on an address by the key note speaker to the inaugural National Farmers Federation congress, Professor David Hughes, which offers some options particularly suitable to small acreage farms, as many are in this district. It can be read here.

Call to arms

By Lucy Knight
The Land Newspaper 25th June 2009

"IT’S time for world leaders to begin to see agricultural and food research as “defence spending”, with fears that a huge decline in agricultural research is driving food insecurity and world instability.
The University of Technology Sydney’s Professor Julian Cribb has told this week’s National Farmers Federation congress in Brisbane that world food supply and demand were precariously balanced. He said demand for food was forecast to more than double – up 110 per cent – by the mid-century, and despite the growth of many factors that would lead to massive food shortages, agriculture’s research response was severely lacking. Producing enough food for a rapidly expanding global population would be made even harder because of the reduced availability of land and water to support food production. “We’ve actually witnessed here the axing of our own national Land and Water research agency – a national disgrace, I volunteer – plus ongoing cuts in CSIRO and in various State agricultural departments,” Professor Cribb said.
“This means the knowledge you need to farm better and more sustainably is starting to dry up. “At present, we’re spending about $30 billion a year on agricultural research (worldwide) to raise the world food supply. “It’s chicken feed compared with the $1.3 trillion that we spend every year on weapons.”
For the first time in history, city demand for water now outpaced farm demand throughout the world. By 2050, urban demands might exceed the total water now used in irrigation, Professor Cribb said.
Meanwhile, the world was losing about one per cent of its productive land each year to degradation.
The world's total urban area now covered the equivalent of half the land in China or the United States. By 2050, it would be larger than either of those great countries.
Yet despite all these factors, international funding for agricultural research in leading countries such as the US, Germany, and Australia was shrinking.
He said world leaders had lost sight of the fact that 1.9 billion farmers, fishers and foresters managed two-thirds of the world's land area, three-quarters of its water and much of its biodiversity, and a third of the atmosphere.
"It is time we saw agriculture and food research as defence spending- "Our greatest opportunity and responsibility is to export our science, technology and skills to a world that desperately needs it."