Rose Bay Archives - Page 7 of 8

Australia Day: Superintendent Gina Kathrin Bostick Honoured for Service in Rose Bay and Beyond

Among the 10 distinguished employees of the New South Wales Police Force recognised in the 2024 Australia Day Honours, Superintendent Gina Kathrin Bostick, who served in Rose Bay and other locations, stands out for her exemplary dedication, professionalism, and service.

Ms Bostick embarked on her illustrious career with the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) in 1992, starting in general duties in various areas, including the vibrant community of Rose Bay. Today, she continues to maintain her operational capacity, a testament to her unwavering commitment.

In 1997, Ms Bostick joined the Covert Evidence Officer program within the Special Services Group. This initiative marked the beginning of a select group of skilled operatives, some of whom would become experts in covert evidence capabilities within the NSWPF.

One of the defining moments in her career occurred in 2005 when she played a pivotal role in the planning of Operation CONTEGO, the NSWPF’s response to the security and logistical demands of the 2007 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. Her leadership, commitment, professionalism, and devotion to duty during this critical operation earned her high commendation.

Ms Bostick’s career trajectory continued to ascend when she moved to the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command (CTST) in 2008, where she established the Business Contact Unit as a sergeant. In 2009, she was promoted to inspector and took on the role of Knowledge Management Controller of STIB. During this time, she sought engagement with other government departments, corporations, and private businesses that were vital to STIB’s operational support.

In 2019, she brought her expertise to the Digital Forensics Unit (DFU) and led the groundbreaking Digital Evidence First Responder (2.0) project. This in-house developed program included a customised training package for frontline police, enabling them to conduct forensic examinations of phones and computers using a third-party tool. In 2021, her exceptional contributions led to her promotion to superintendent commander of the High Tech Crime Branch.

Her time spent serving in Rose Bay, among other locations, has been marked by a consistent commitment to upholding the highest standards of policing, and her accomplishments have now earned her the Dynamic Leader Award and the overall Gold Award at the Commissioner’s Perpetual Award for the Advancement of Women in Policing.

Meanwhile, these outstanding NSW Police Force personnel have been awarded the Australian Police Medal for their exceptional contributions:

Superintendent Gina Kathrin Bostick
Detective Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Grey
Chief Superintendent Toby Lindsay
Chief Inspector Gregory Mahan
Superintendent Michael Rochester
Superintendent Joanne Schultz
Chief Inspector Raymond Stynes
Superintendent Sonya Tabor
Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein

With a combined policing service spanning 332 years, these dedicated individuals have not only exemplified professionalism and high-quality work but have also demonstrated an unwavering passion and commitment to ensuring the safety of communities across the state.

Published 1-Feb-2024

Kambala Triumphs in NAPLAN: A Tale of Excellence in Rose Bay

The corridors of Kambala School in Rose Bay are abuzz with excitement as the results of this year’s NAPLAN assessments illuminate the academic landscape. The students have showcased exceptional proficiency in literacy and numeracy, achieving scores that place them well among the highest.

With 957 students spanning from Kindergarten to Year 12, Kambala prides itself on its intimate learning environment, boasting a commendable student-to-teacher ratio of 1 to 9.

For the Year 5 NAPLAN results, students from Kambala achieved an average of 562. The rest of the results are as follow:

Reading	567
Writing	555
Spelling	553
Grammar	576
Numeracy	560

At the helm of this journey to academic excellence is Ms. Jane Danvers, the esteemed Principal of Kambala School. With over two decades of dedicated service to the Australian educational community, Ms. Danvers has steered Kambala towards this remarkable achievement. Her unwavering commitment to educational excellence has been a guiding light for the school.

Meanwhile, both private and public schools in New South Wales have left their mark in the recent NAPLAN. Apart from Kambala, institutions like Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga and Newington in Stanmore have consistently outperformed other schools in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy. On the public school front, Kellyville Public, Earlwood Public, and Cranebrook High have emerged as top performers in Sydney.

Recent studies have shown that there are only slight differences in NAPLAN scores between private, Catholic, and public schools. These differences largely vanish when considering a student’s family background.

But the school that has rose to the challenge is Fairfield Heights Public School. Approximately 40 per cent of its 740 students have a refugee background, 70 per cent come from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds, and 93 per cent do not speak English at home.

The school’s structured approach, with traditional classrooms and regular assessments, has led to an absence of significant discipline issues. Like the educational system in Singapore, teachers receive a year-long curriculum program and follow a regimented timetable that prioritizes reading and numeracy.

Published 18-Dec-2023

Nestlé Volunteers Lead the Way in Rose Bay Cleanup on World Clean Up Day

On World Clean Up Day, Nestlé volunteers hailing from their Head Office in Sydney sprang into action, donning gloves and dedicating their time to tidying up various sites within the local community. Their focus for this initiative centred around Rose Bay harbourside, part of a broader nationwide endeavour supported by Clean Up Australia.

Nestlé’s vision is that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill, in oceans, lakes and rivers. Rolling up their sleeves and supporting World Clean Up Day was a tangible way employees could get involved and support the ambition to achieve a waste-free future.

Nestlé Head of Sustainability Amanda Robertson said, “Days like this provide an important hands-on experience for the team, where we can come together, get outdoors and make a meaningful impact in our local area.

“We want to inspire our people to be conscious of the effects of waste on our environment and there’s no better place to start than in our local community.

“Our goal for World Clean Up Day was simple: to leave our local community cleaner than we found it. And we certainly have. A big thank you to all the Nestlé volunteers who came out, we wouldn’t have been successful without them.”

Nestle World Clean Up Day Rose Bay — Photo Credit: Supplied

Nestlé has announced several commitments to help achieve its vision of a waste-free future, including reducing its use of virgin plastic by a third by 2025 and introducing more recycled content in its packaging.

Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia said, “Cleaning up our environment is a fantastic reminder that every action, no matter how small, can make a big difference. When we take time to connect with the environment and clean it up, we become more conscious of our environmental footprint.

“The efforts made by the Nestlé team help us to reach more sites, pick up more litter, and make more of a difference across Australia,” she said.

World Clean Up Day unites countries, communities and volunteers across the world for clean-up exercises, promoting the need for proper management of waste and raising global awareness and action for a cleaner planet.

Published 25-Sept-2023

Recent Rose Bay Upgrades Gave These Forgotten Laneways a New Lease on Life

Photo credit: Steven Siewert - Woollahra Municipal Council / woollahra.nsw.gov.au

Laneways and car parks in Rose Bay have just received a much-needed makeover thanks to the “Streets as Shared Spaces” program that funded this transformation project and gave these otherwise forgotten spots a new lease on life.

Woollahra Municipal Council has announced that it has completed several temporary activations in the Rose Bay Centre over the summer which gave forgotten laneways and car parks a fresh lick of paint, new murals, plants and seating.

The project was made possible through funding from the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces program. The award-winning $15 million program was launched in May 2022 as a pilot to enable improvement across the state with temporary interventions and pop-ups that allowed councils, the community and stakeholders to trial innovative ideas that test and build the case for more permanent changes.

Under the program, Councils get grants of up to $500,000 to help them deliver trial programs that test permanent changes that are aimed at strengthening the amenity, accessibility and economic vitality of a high street and surrounding area through a place-based approach.

Look at their before and after photos and see the wonderful transformation that made these spots unrecognisable today.

Collins Lane

Recent Rose Bay Upgrades Gave These Forgotten Laneways a New Lease on Life — Collins Lane: before and after the makeover | Steven Siewert – Woollahra Municipal Council / woollahra.nsw.gov.au

Thanks to artist Alice McAuliffe’s “Concept Carpet”, this laneway is now a vibrant spot with bright colours, inviting festoon lights and lush greens everywhere you look.

Percival Lane

Sharon Billinge’s giant artworks called Beach, Bark and Banksias gave Percival Lane an updated look. The artwork pays homage to Rose Bay’s famous dog beach and its native flora.

Wilberforce Avenue carpark

Wilberforce Avenue car park’s concrete walls are now unrecognisable, in a good way, of course, thanks to Claire Foxton’s artwork Boowambillee (Shark Island) which is inspired by the Boowambillee (Shark Island), the roughly shark-shaped island surrounded by the waters of Rose Bay.

The mural also features Rani, the first Sydney to Hobart yacht race winner who launched from Boowambillee/Shark Island on Boxing Day 1945.

Collins Avenue Parklet

You might also notice a new parklet (temporary seating area) located at Collins Avenue opposite Percival Park. The parklet is now ready for locals and visitors to enjoy where they can sit down and rest after a day at the beach or enjoy a nice, warm coffee from one of the many cafes in the area.

Percival Park

Percival Park also received a glow-up with a new garden installed by IndigiGrow, festoon lighting and colourful bollards.

Council invites you to take these short surveys and let them know what you think about these projects.

Published 19-March-2023

New Rose Bay Promenade Cycleway to Commence Construction Soon!

Photo Credit: Woollahra Council / yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au

DId you know that Stage 3 of the New South Head Road (Double Bay to Rose Bay) Cycleway Project is set to commence in April 2022?

To be constructed in three stages, the 2.4km cycleway project will run along New South Head Road, between William Street in Double Bay and Norwich Road in Rose Bay.

The New South Head Road alignment, or Route A2, provides cyclists access between Vaucluse and Rushcutters Bay making it a critical east-west cycling connection within Woollahra.

Its primary section situated between Double Bay and Rose Bay, however, lacks protected on-road bike pathways or off-road alternatives that will separate the cyclist from vehicle traffic, resulting in a number of cyclist fatalities and near misses that occurred along this route in recent years. Hence, a new cycleway is being constructed to enhance safety along New South Head Road.

The construction of the bi-directional cycleway along the Rose Bay Promenade involved the widening of the footpath to accommodate the new shared pedestrian and cycle path.

New Rose Bay Promenade Cycleway to Commence Construction Soon — Separated bi-directional cycleway along Rose Bay Promenade | Photo Credit: Woollahra Council / yoursay.woollahra.nsw.gov.au

However, Stage 3 of the construction, which was originally slated June 2021, was delayed in consideration of the potential impact of construction works on the growing number of pedestrians who flock to the promenade. Proceeding with the construction at the time would cause pedestrians to cross the road in order to navigate around the works.

The project will cost approximately $1.25M and will be jointly funded by the Woollahra Council and Transport for NSW. TFNSW awarded the Council $1M as part of its 2018/19 Active Transport Grant Funding Program.

Charcoal Fish: New Fish Eatery to Open in Rose Bay

From the minds of the wonder duo Josh and Julie Niland comes Charcoal Fish, an up-and-coming Rose Bay eatery inspired by the charcoal chicken shop model which would allow customers to walk in, purchase quality coal-grilled fish, and walk out, avoiding the “fishy smell” that naturally permeates the kitchen after cooking.

The restaurant’s menu will feature Aquna Murray Cod brought in from Griffith, NSW — a fish known for its sweet white meat that remains juicy after grilling, all while maintaining a crisp outer layer of skin. The fish has also been chosen as 92% of it is used in cooking, falling in line with the restaurant’s zero waste policies.

According to their website, the Nilands have always championed diversity in the fish that they use, however Charcoal Fish intends to be dynamic and diverse with one particular kind of fish. The result is the same fish being used in a variety of ways to create new and exciting meals, snacks, and condiments. Gravy will be created from cod heads, frames and fins, and a variety of Murray Cod dishes such as salads and roasts will also be available.

The Nilands, who co-own Saint Peter and the Fish Butchery in Paddington, obtained the site in Rose Bay after purchasing a closed restaurant. Their development application for alterations worth $77,000 have been approved by the Woollahra Council.

Charcoal Fish is scheduled to open in July 2021 at 670 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay. For more information, visit their website here. Follow their Instagram page for the latest updates and announcements concerning the restaurant.

Fortis Expands Boutique Residential Development in Rose Bay

Fortis has acquired another Rose Bay property for $28.5 million and the 2,223 square metre site will join its expanding portfolio of boutique residential developments in the ritzy suburb.

The new project on Spencer Street will be the third Rose Bay site for Fortis, after The Benson and No. 1 Carlisle. A development application will be submitted to Council by mid-2021 with an expected completion date by late 2023.

According to Fortis director Charles Mellick, wealthy downsizers have been their biggest luxury apartment investors. They sell their palatial homes for a profit and move into a smaller but still upscale apartment and have enough money left over for their middle-aged children, who might also want to get into Sydney’s luxury property market.

Mr Mellick also said that Fortis didn’t pre-sell units at No. 1 Carlisle since four of the nine apartments were sold before the residential complex could open and they are expecting to sell out the rest in the next two months at the full asking price.

“We are excited about this latest acquisition on Spencer Street, a development that we feel will go on to become a future classic in the area,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fortis is also focusing on commercial developments in Double Bay with the highly-anticipated Pallas House. The company has over $2 billion projects in the pipeline in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Aristocrat in Rose Bay: Luxury Residence Development Completed

One of Sydney’s most sought-after residential developments has finished. The Aristocrat in Rose Bay would soon be ready to welcome its new residents in the luxury complex exclusive for just 22 owners.

A project of the Luxcon Group, The Aristocrat was designed and developed to impress, combining classic elegance and function as inspired by some famous buildings in Manhattan, such as the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Centre.

This opulent dwelling puts a modern spin to art deco architecture whilst mixing timeless designs with a blend of the trendiest styles in today’s modern homes. Black frames on the window work in contrast to the pale and toned-down colour palettes.

The units at The Aristocrat come with an open plan for the living room, dining room and kitchen areas with detailed and textured floors or walls. These spaces seamlessly transition so the balcony, perfect for entertaining house guests.

On the other hand, the bedrooms are featured with recessed lights, decorative sconces and a clean tone that mimics the relaxing ambience of a five-star hotel. The bathrooms and kitchen are detailed with stone floors, marble tops and brass handles.

The Aristocrat in Rose Bay is just seven kilometres away from Sydney CBD and near the city’s first-class shopping and recreational precincts. It’s also near Sydney’s famous beaches and neighbourhood establishments, including alfresco eateries.

Keen to live in such a grand address? Learn more about The Aristocrat on its official site.

Kambala, Kincoppal-Rose Bay, 7 Other Elite Private Schools to Overhaul Sex Ed Curriculum

A group of headmasters from nine elite single-sex private schools in Sydney, including Kincoppal – Rose Bay on Vaucluse Road and Kambala in New South Head Road, plan to make changes to their sex education classes amidst a spate of abuse and “toxic culture” allegations raised by the students.

In recent weeks, a viral petition created by a former Kambala student, 22-year-old Chanel Contos, emerged online to bring attention to what the female students have been experiencing among their male friends, boyfriends, and older male schoolmates. The petition has gained over 29,000 signatures and nearly 3,000 testimonies of abuse and assault from girls as young as 13 years old.

“There was absolutely no sex education when we were at school, I don’t know why the school decided to give us barely any sex education. By the time I left your school I didn’t have much knowledge at all and into my early 20’s I was pressured into sex by a 2 of boyfriends daily and I didn’t realise that this wasn’t okay, I didn’t understand that this was a form of assault as we weren’t taught anything,” one testimony stated.

“Many boys touched and grabbed all my lady parts “for fun” during my high school experience… if you’re a parent, imagine hearing that happening to your child. Not a good time is it.”

Dr Ian Lambert, the principal at Scots College in Bellevue Hill reached out to the principals and headmasters of Kincoppal-Rose Bay and Kambala, as well as Ascham (Edgecliff), Waverley College, Sydney Grammar School, St Vincent’s College (Potts Points), Cranbrook (Bellevue Hill) and St Catherine’s (Waverley) to discuss how they can address these issues.

The school officials also emailed parents of their commitment to “audit programs” and share their solutions with each of the schools to help the young men and women in relating to each other better during various events.

They also met with Ms Contos via Zoom to hold an insightful dialogue, after she conducted an informal Instagram survey on the culture among elite private schools.

Ms Contos explained that schools must use their position of authority to mitigate the culture that “objectifies women, normalises sexual abuse and assault and shames the victims.”

Meanwhile, Stacey Maloney, the head of NSW’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, said that they have gotten in touch with school officials after discussing Ms Contos’ petition with Chief executive of the Association of Independent Schools NSW, Dr Geoff Newcombe.

Ms Maloney said that they will work together with the schools and the students to ensure that they can “focus on education and empowerment safely without fear” and will likely conduct webinars on sexual violence for school personnel and teachers.

If you or someone you know have been a victim of assault and abuse, phone National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732.

Bake Bar Opens 4th Sydney Store in Rose Bay

After three successful stores in Double Bay, Randwick and Alexandria, Bake Bar has opened its fourth Sydney store at Old South Head Road in Rose Bay last September.

The specialty bakery selling gluten-free or organic breads, pastries, cakes and healthy wholefood delights is pushing convenience up a notch as the Rose Bay site, which has more seating than its other stores, will be the first to offer a self-ordering system and a self-service bread bar.

By 2020, the Bake Bar Rose Bay will be introducing its completely cashless payment system, per Hospitality Magazine.

Bake Bar, the brainchild of artisan baker Gili Gold, does everything fresh every day. Ms Gold has culled recipes from her childhood spent mostly in her grandmother’s kitchen.

The menu at the cafe changes every season but some of the bakery’s famous food choices include its brekkie roll and its signature dish, the shakshuka (poached eggs in tomatoes and chili sauce).

Bake Bar also creates goodies to denote special religious holidays, such as hot cross buns and mince pies. But of course, people come here every day for their regular fill of the bakery’s famous sourdough bread.

Ms Gold opened the first Bake Bar bakery and cafe in 2012 as a place for Sydneysiders to enjoy delicious wholesome food. All branches have been successfully operating in a busy hub where people hangout, have coffee with friends, or breakfast and brunch with family.