Held on Sunday 14 June 2009
Venue:  Linnwood, Byron Road, Guildford

Welcome & Apologies
Dorothy Warwick opened the meeting at 2.15pm and welcomed everyone in attendance.  Special welcome to the Mayor of Holroyd - Councillor Greg Cummings, Councillor Pam Colman, Diane Jogia (Director of Library and Community Services at Holroyd Council), and our Guest Speaker, Robyn Clark, Community Liaison Officer at the Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children.

In Attendance at today’s meeting, as per the Attendee Sheet:
Diane Jogia, Greg Cummings, Pam Colman, Judith Moller, Pamela Richardson, Angela Caire, Russ Werner, Beth Werner, John Walz, Vanessa McNeill, Bill Nash, Eileen Nash, Richard Boots, Jennifer Moyse, Margarete Ferris, Adriana de Haas, June de Zoete, Audrey Murphy, Pat O’Brien, Coral Hamilton, Ann Ravenscroft, Noelene Brown, Pamela Zopf, Raema Walker, Leah Armstrong, Julie Gorman, Margaret Warn, Stan Thomas, Gerry O’Brien, Michael Griggs, Helen Olde, Dorothy Warwick.

Apologies:
Jill Finch, Irie Olde, Margaret Childs, Lawrence Thomas, Dorothy Thomas, John McKenna, Julie Walz, Sue Evans, Flo McMaster, Jan Thomas, Peter Warwick, Margaret King.

Confirmation of Minutes of Public Meeting held on Sunday 14 June 2009
Moved by Pam Richardson, Seconded by Michael Griggs, that the minutes of the Public Meeting held on Sunday 14 June 2009 be accepted.

Business Arising
There was no business arising from the minutes of the June meeting.

Correspondence
Helen Olde tabled the Correspondence folder and passed it around to members at the meeting.

President’s Report
Good afternoon and welcome to Linnwood this afternoon. Can you believe it’s August already? We will soon be planning for Christmas – what a frightening thought!

Even though it’s our AGM today (and you don’t have to slide down in your seats in case you get ‘volunteered’ to do something), as in previous years I won’t be giving an Annual Report as such, as I believe we keep you pretty much up-to-date each meeting with what is happening, so I will just give the usual updates and then finish with some extra bits.

First of all, what would our meeting be without a ‘show & tell’ of donations?  This month we have a varied list and will start with:

• From Coral Hamilton’s friend, Judith Forsyth - 7 School Magazines from 1934 – a great addition for our ‘school’ collection (and Coral assures us that they’re a BIT before her own school years);
• Adriana de Haas has donated a Konilette Camera, a Yashica Camera and a cane sewing basket;
• From Christine McKenna we have a box for a ‘Model-You’ Dress Form which, according to the research Christine has done, was a dressmaker’s body moulding kit from about 1944. Christine has also donated 2 large and 2 small sewing samples. Remember these – trying to follow the lines printed on the material with embroidery cotton?
• June Burton has donated a satin wedding dress worn by a local resident, Mavis Oldfield, on the occasion of her marriage circa 1940, the green taffeta and net bridesmaid’s dress worn by her sister Eunice Oldfield, with a cute little head piece, a cotton half slip and a blue lace evening dress owned by Eunice. All garments are showing their age, but hopefully we might be able to improve their appearance in the future.
• And just today, Judith Moller has donated a cane sewing basket, a tin whistle and a pair of spectacles and case, she thinks is circa early 1900’s.

Once again, we thank Friends and members of the local community for their donations to our collection.

Since our last meeting, the repairs to the floor in the back room have been completed, the safety railing on the back verandah built and new curtains and blinds have been hung in the 4 main rooms – a decided improvement on what was there before. The floor covering in the back room looks like patchwork with all the different colours, but at least it’s fixed! The cost of these projects was considerable, as the Treasurer’s Report will show, but we believe it was money well spent – and is after all, what we have been raising money for – to spend on the house itself.

The photo album will be passed around with photos of the floor being repaired, our July Open House which was another successful day with a varied range of exhibitions and entertainment, and also some photos showing a near-miss the house had when a branch from one of the gum trees at the front of the house came down on the roadway. We are also concerned about a branch on one of the other gum trees which, if it comes down, could do considerable damage to the north-eastern corner of the house and we have asked the Department to consider having it removed.

We are hoping to see Pioneers move into Faulds House in the next few months after repairs to the building have been completed.

In July, some committee members attended a meeting with representatives from the Department to discuss a Memorandum of Understanding to give the Friends some tenure on the site. Unfortunately, the MoU was still in the draft stage and we were unable to proceed with it, but the meeting was very interesting in that we were informed that work for the new underground power supply should start in the near future, together with improved security lighting around McCredie Cottage. We were then informed that the Department will be looking for long-term tenants for McCredie Cottage in the future, which we have always advocated, BUT they are looking to do ANOTHER subdivision to cut McCredie Cottage and some surrounding ground out of the estate. The committee is not happy with this decision as it opens the door for that new lot to be sold – not just leased – and this could ultimately see the demolition of McCredie Cottage and redevelopment of the site.  We have sent a list of questions back to the Department seeking clarification on some issues regarding this proposal, as we believe there are other ways of leasing the building without further subdivision. We await their reply and will then consider our options – and may seek your support if a campaign to try and stop further land being sold is called for.

We do have some good news – we have been approached by a group - the Inner West Skills Centre - who are interested in doing some projects for a ‘work for the dole’ work experience scheme. They are willing to do all sorts of work and our immediate thought was that this would be a great help to us as the gardens are getting somewhat overgrown and desperately need weeding and cutting back. The group is also keen to build the Rose Garden we had planned to do and dedicate to the ‘Lynwood Hall’ girls. We are waiting for more information from them, but see that this could be a great community partnership. We have also passed on their details to Pioneers who may also have some projects that need doing.

Our September Open House is coming up and will have a ‘History’ theme with stalls and displays from quite a few historical and family history groups. We will also have the Australian Gaelic Singers giving 3 performances and hope to have cars from the Old Motoring Club – for cars over 30 years old – and not forgetting the great art and craft stalls that are such a big part of our open days.

Don’t forget to keep checking the Calendar of Events to see the latest updates on events that are coming up.

As you know, today is our AGM and once again I think we can look back and be very pleased with what we have been able to achieve over the past 12 months. Our aim to ‘actively promote Linnwood as a community asset’ continues to be a priority and when we look back and consider just how many people have walked through that front door in the past year, then I believe we have well and truly succeeded.

As part of the AGM, nominations for positions on the committee will be available to financial members of the Friends. If you would like to be more involved in what is happening, please consider becoming a committee member – and you too, will be able to consider Linnwood your second home! No, it’s not that bad, but we do meet one night a month and also keep in touch by email and phone when any issues arise between times.

Before we move on to the nominations there are quite a number of people and organizations that we need to publicly thank for their continued support and they are:

Holroyd City Council – who continue to support the Friends by mowing the grounds before any open day – we hear many comments each open day on how good the grounds look, so all credit to Council for that. Our website continues to be hosted by Council, so thank you to Rachel for updating it whenever we send new information or photos through, and special thanks to Diane Jogia and her department for continuing to support us with the mailouts to members – not a small job by any means.

Holroyd Select Meats – who continue to supply sausages for our open days at no charge. This is a wonderful gesture by the guys and we truly appreciate their support – so please help us help them – support our local business community, and buy your meat from Holroyd Select Meats!

The Volunteers – Our Open days certainly wouldn’t happen without the band of volunteers who turn up to help out on the day, or like Phyllis Messer who, even if she can’t come on the day, always sends heaps of home-baked goodies to help Coral with the catering, and Phyll’s husband Don helps on the BBQ whenever possible. Our Gardening Committee ladies, Sue, Flo and Del are incredible – the amount of money they have raised by selling plants and craft items is amazing – and hopefully we will be able to utilize those funds for the garden in the near future with help from the work experience group. Even today, Russ Werner has been in the drawing room repairing one of the phonograms that was damaged some time ago during an attempted break-in. To all the volunteers who help out at any of our events – we sincerely thank you for your help and support – we can’t function without you.

The Holroyd Art and Craft Society – who continue to support us by attending each and every Open Day, setting up and pulling down their displays of work each time – what a mammoth task that is! Other regular stall holders – too numerous to name individually, but once again we thank you for your continued support. We know some of our visitors have become regular customers!

The members – thank you for continuing to support us by renewing every year! Your renewal of membership and your attendance at our functions is perhaps two of the biggest and best ways of showing your support. Our aim has always been to prove what an important community asset Linnwood is and can be. The attendance at our functions certainly proves this – and also that it can be the social hub of the community – so many members and friends arrange to meet here to catch up and have a good old chat over a cuppa at a Sunday Open House.

The Committee – what can I say – except a very big thank you to the current committee members. Again, the past year has been a busy one (haven’t they all !!!), but again, the committee members have given of their time and energy to be here when needed. Each and every function, meeting, stall, talk or tour involves one or more or all of the committee and I thank each and every one of them for the time they have put in over the past 12 months. Please join me in thanking John & Christine, Helen, Pat, Coral, Pam Zopf, Pam Richardson, Adriana, Michael and John Walz for their commitment to Linnwood over the past year.

To finish, please enjoy the rest of the afternoon, stay and have a cuppa and a chat afterwards and thank you all once again for your continued support – and may it please continue!  Thank you.

Treasurer’s Report
In the Treasurer’s absence, Dorothy Warwick noted the financial statements for the months of June and July 2009.

                                                                       June                              July
Opening Balance                                    $26,048.34                   $22,720.00
Income                                                      $     370.83                   $  2,407.00
Outgoings                                                $  4,487.80                   $18,705.01

Closing Balance                                      $22,720.00                   $  6,196.17

Balance of the Interest Bearing Deposit as at 31 July 2009 is $16,806.11.

The large amount of expenditure in June and July was due to funds spent on repairs to the floor of the back room ($16,346), erection of the safety railing on the back verandah, and purchase and installation of new blinds and curtains ($4,200) in the Drawing Room, Best Bedroom, Dining Room and Billiard Room.

Moved by Gerry O’Brien and Seconded by Pam Zopf that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted.

Address to the Meeting by the Mayor of Holroyd, Councillor Greg Cummings
On behalf of Holroyd City Council, the Mayor thanked the Friends of Linnwood for the work they have done over the years since 2002.  An outstanding job under difficult and sometimes trying circumstances. 

Earlier this year, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Diane Jogia met with the Minister for Planning, the Hon Kristina Keneally MP, and put to her a submission on behalf of Council. At that meeting, the Mayor suggested that if it was becoming too difficult for the Department of Planning, why doesn’t the Government hand over the Linnwood grounds and house to Holroyd Council.  The Minister assured Council that they would receive a response to their submission within four weeks (that meeting took place on 3rd February 2009).  Council has not received any correspondence to-date. 

The Mayor has sent correspondence inviting the Minister and the local Member, Joe Tripodi, as well as the Member for Western Sydney, to Linnwood’s Open House days.  He has been informed that there has been a “clandestine” review of the grounds and property by both the Minister and the local Member.  Council has never been informed of the outcome of that review.

In frustration, the Mayor “has had enough”, and has emailed the Minister and sent a copy to Robert Greaves, one of the senior aides in the Premier’s Department, and to Joe Tripodi at both is his local and ministerial offices.  The email expressed the Mayor’s concern that he has not received a reply regarding the submission presented at the February meeting.  He reminded the Minister that she had given an undertaking at that meeting that a response would be forthcoming within four weeks.  He again requested clarification on the Government’s position regarding the restoration of Linnwood and its future use for the benefit of the community.

The Mayor also reminded the Minister that in 2002, the then Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, announced that the NSW Heritage Office would work with the local community to develop a plan for the 5.1 hectare Linnwood site.  Council is concerned at the prospect of parcels of land being carved up for sale, in contradiction to Bob Carr’s announcement.

He queried the proposed sale of the Tamplin Road frontage as a means of raising funds to restore the house and asked if the proceeds would be dedicated to the Linnwood estate.

He also raised the matter of the recent suggestion that McCredie Cottage be excised from the property and sold off, and expressed Council’s view that this action would be very detrimental to the whole estate.

Council would like an indication of whether the Department of Planning would consider refunding the annual ground maintenance costs currently expended by Holroyd Council, in an amount of $20,000 per annum.  In view of the lack of contact from the Minister on the matter of Linnwood, it would appear that Holroyd Council is not seen as a major stakeholder.  The time has come for Council to review its involvement.  The Mayor requested a response to Council’s latest correspondence by 14 August 2009 at the latest.

Mayor Cummings advised the meeting that he has had to “draw a line in the sand”, but does not expect a response from the Minister by 14 August.  Council will be putting forward a couple of options to see which way they would like to go.  If Council is not deemed a major stakeholder, they need to review their commitment to looking after the grounds.  They will, however, continue to assist with the photocopying and mailing of the Linnwood Public Minutes.

The Mayor said that being a Labor Councillor he finds it even more frustrating.  Former Councillor Vanessa McNeill and current Councillor Peter Monahan were very instrumental in starting the campaign to save Linnwood, and Mayor Cummings said he was a member of the Guildford West branch of the Labor Party at the time.

The Mayor again thanked the Friends of Linnwood for their commitment to this valuable site.

Vanessa McNeill then addressed the meeting and said we should all thank Holroyd Council for their continued involvement.  She has fought for this place from Day One when she was on the Council, and it is very good that Holroyd Council has stuck with us - it requires imagination and vision to see what the possibilities here are.

The Mayor said he would give a commitment that the Friends of Linnwood will be informed when any matters are before open Council.  If he is not re-elected at the next Council election, he will continue to support Linnwood.

Dorothy Warwick then told the meeting that, depending on the response from the State Government, we may have to mount another campaign to save McCredie Cottage.  The State Government had promised that the whole site would stay in its entirety.  We understand funds are short, but to hear that McCredie Cottage may go as well, it was the last straw.  There are ways of leasing that building without subdividing and we would like those options pursued.

If we don’t get the response we would like, we will be contacting our members as soon as possible to lobby Joe Tripodi (Linnwood’s local Member), and David Borger to a lesser extent.

Dorothy advised that we get a lot of girls coming back to Linnwood and Faulds House, and we’ve received phone calls from children who were at McCredie Cottage.  It is so important for them to see these buildings - it is closure for them.  We will be holding a reunion of the Linnwood girls in October, and we’ve had quite a few women phone us recently, wanting to walk through McCredie Cottage - “I was there when I was six years old”.

General Business
There was no General Business discussed.

Seventh Annual General Meeting
The Public Meeting then adjourned at 3.00pm in order that the Seventh Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Linnwood Inc could be held.  (Please refer to the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting.)

The Public Meeting resumed at 3.08pm.

Guest Speaker
Dorothy Warwick then introduced Robyn Clark, our guest speaker.  Robyn advised that the Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children (“RIDBC”) will celebrate its 150th year in 2010, and asked the meeting to think back to what it would have been like then, especially if you were deaf and blind.

When you get to the age of most of the people in this room today, you start to wear out!  Hips, knees, the paper is not quite as easy to read, the TV needs to be turned up just that little bit more, things we have always enjoyed doing, like reading, and all the things you wanted to do when you retired.

But to be born deaf or blind is an entirely different situation.  At our age we have all our social skills - we know how to read and write, how to find information, how to contact people, how to get from one place to the other.  Deaf and blind children have an entirely different situation - it not just frustrating to them - all of life is a great learning curve.  Something as fundamental as the food we eat every day is a challenge to these children.  And a child after its afternoon sleep does not automatically see the toys at the end of the cot or hear the noise of birds outside.  Muscle development can be delayed for children with a sensory impairment.

There are 850 children in our services at the moment - more than we have ever had.  We only receive 23% government funding, so we have to raise about $16 million a year to cover costs for the work we do.  We rely very heavily on people and their bequests.

Robyn told the story of a little boy of 5 who has gone to “big school”.  He was born blind.  It is not always an immediate diagnosis that children are blind, but with this little boy it was picked up very early.  His mother was very proactive and looked around to see what she could do to help.  One of the wonders of technology is the internet so she was able to find out information about RIDBC.  Our main premises are at North Rocks, but there is a pre-school at Glenmore Park and at Tingara Heights, a suburb of Newcastle. 

The first thing we have to do is teach parents all the strategies for preparing their children for the outside world, to make the children feel comfortable and safe in the home, and at pre-school to feel safe and confident.  We have to teach parents lots of communication skills - which is quite difficult when you have a child who is blind.  How do you communicate a big building, or a cow, to a child who was born blind?

Our pre-school has a lovely water feature with sandstone blocks, and the children are encouraged to climb all over it.  It is used as a lesson, particularly in climbing.  Parts of the pre-school have different floor coverings so the children can get to know what each texture feels like, and children with low vision are taught the different colours.  We use a lot of tactile play things - different shapes, different textures, and eventually the children will get all their information through Braille.

Our service is supplied to independent schools - we have a school support service both for hearing and vision impaired children.  The Department of Education and some Catholic schools have a school support service with materials with large print books for low vision children.  The services are very individualised for each child.

Some children can only see life in black and white - they cannot see any colour.  If they have to colour in, words are written on coloured pencils so they can differentiate the colours.

There is now State Wide Infant Hearing Testing - SWIHT - children can have hearing aids or cochlear implants by the time they are six months old.

And it costs around $11,000 for a computerised machine so that children can use a computer. 

Robyn told the story of a deaf girl who was not diagnosed until she was two years old.  When she completed the Higher School Certificate she achieved a TER of 86, after having a strong support group of teachers at her public schools.  She was a volunteer at the Sydney Olympic Games, she is one of Sydney’s first deaf life savers, and she travelled overseas when she was 19 years old - all by herself.

We are not negative at RIDBC - we look at the child and build on them, to enable them to live a relatively normal life.  Mobile phones have opened up the world for deaf people - texting!

A new program is TeleSchool - similar to the School of the Air.  We don’t teach lessons - we teach hearing and sight skills.  We don’t have a multi-link, we provide an individual one-on-one service, but we “tune in” to 173 children on this program across Australia.  

If you would like further information on the Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children, go to www.ridbc.org.au

Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Friends of Linnwood will be held at 2.00pm on Sunday 11 October 2009.  Our guest speaker will be Margaret Elder whose topic will be “Maybanke Wolstonholme Anderson - Feminist, Suffragist and Federationist”.

Raffle
The raffle was drawn by the Mayor of Holroyd, Greg Cummings, and won by Julie Gorman.

Meeting Closed
The meeting closed at 4.05pm.