Embedded Files
TOFS TRIP 907
Friday 28th August 2026
Forster Marine Rescue
(Organised by TOFS MC)
TOFS (23): Malc S (359), Norm MS (307), Dave T (351), Ian C (376), Gary C (482), Tom H (393), Bob W (465), Ray L (407), Alan M (228), Allan J (416), Bob B (418), Bill L (367), Dave G (308), Gary S (322), Phil J (277), Allan E (311), Peter W (326), Doug F (333), Peter B (399), Nigel P (454), Paul K (461), John W (484), Ross J (485).
Visitor (1): Peter S.
At 9.00 am on a lovely winter’s day, 22 green capped adventurers boarded the bus for the Marine Rescue centre. The group was lucky enough to have Dave G presenting the information session in the Training Room. Dave not only brought his joyous nature to the address but also 15 years of experience. Marine Rescue is one of 4 Voluntary Services that serve the community. There are 4,500 members that stretch from Eden to Tweed Heads, with one now located on Lord Howe Island. There are two inland Centres at the Murray River and Jindabyne. Ninety five percent of members are volunteers. Forster Tuncurry has 110 members made up of radio personnel, admin and ancillary staff.
Forster Tuncurry Marine Rescue has 2 boats, each with a crew of 3, one for ocean travel and one for lake work, such as chasing the odd stray whale out of Wallis Lake. The group were delighted to be shown the larger of the two vessels by Boating Officer Bryce. Interestingly the boat was purchased from a local manufacturer for $980,000 and equipped with all the latest tracking technology. It was interesting to hear Dave’s story when prior to mobile phones, rescue teams may have had difficulty locating vessels in trouble, but since the use of mobile phones, personnel tell the distressed sailor to leave their phone on for ease of tracking. The large boat is permitted to travel 20 nautical miles from shore before the Water Police take over.
Following Dave’ presentation, accompanied by a delicious morning tea of sandwiches and cakes, and the tour of the main boat, the group ventured up 48 steps to the tower where the impressive system of data collection of boats’ location was presented on computers.
The trip ended with a trip to the Lakeside Tavern for lunch.
A big thanks to Malcolm, Norm, Dave and others who made this such an interesting and enjoyable event.
Report compiled by member
Paul K (461)
TOFS TRIP 906
Wednesday 26 August 2026
Hermitage Foreshore Walk
(Organised by TOFS WW Sub-group)
TOFS [23]: JP( 27), Ken H (48), Daryl H (65), Rex M (179), Graham L (185), Chas H (203), Ron O’H (231), Keith R (283), Allan S (349), John O (357), Gregg B (365), Gary H (366), Paul E (380), Lyle W (386), Rob E (431), David W (434), Craig McD (445), Ron B (446), Les H (469), Ron C (470), Frank W (475), Peter L (479), John V (483)
Two very welcome visitors for lunch were Terry O’H (147) and Peter M (288).
Thank you all for taking part in our outing today.
For the second week in a row, the ‘TOFS raingods’ ignored all predictions and nary a drop fell to inconvenience us after we alighted from the 325 bus at Kambala School.
There was sufficient cloud cover, however, and a consistent breeze off the water to give us ideal walking conditions.
There really is little more to say.
The Heritage Foreshore Walk provides, at almost every turn, spectacular views along Sydney Harbour, with the city skyline, our Opera House and Bridge providing the backdrop to this magnificent stretch of water. Yes, Allan, Sydney Harbour has got to be the best harbour in the world!
(Ed. It is interesting that capital letters come naturally to the Bridge and Opera House. I guess they are a little iconic, aren’t they?)
The corridor of harbourside land through which we ambled was assured of public access by the constant lobbying of the State Government in the 1890’s through to about 1915 by William Notting and his supporters who formed the Harbour Foreshores Vigilance Committee.
Notting is reported to have said:
“It is useless….to talk about Sydney possessing the most beautiful harbour in the world, unless steps are taken to prevent it becoming a private lake. At present, it is little better than a pond on a privately-owned paddock”.
He and the Committee should have proudly listed among their achievements a number of foreshore areas that they had ‘rescued’ from private ownership and were now available to the public. Well done them.
The walk led us to Steele Point Cottage (a former barracks for gunners, now restored into a one-bedroom getaway which can be hired from the NPWS for that special occasion), and then to the remains of a 19th century gun emplacement on Steele Point.
Between the two is a degaussing facility (built in 1960) which is operated by the RAN and purports to provide a layer of electronic protection for metal vessels in the harbour. During World War 2, the United States Navy had built, and eventually handed over a degaussing range on the opposite side of the harbour at Bradleys Head.
Next, we moved down to Nielsen Park (where the swimming enclosure on Shark Beach is in need of considerable work to make it safe from those eponymous beasts), and then on to Bottle and Glass Point. The image of the cluster of sandstone just off the point which gave rise to that name, was shattered when a visiting man-o’-war or two used the rocks for target practice during the 1800’s.
Bloody vandals!
Our walk proceeded rather smoothly today, thanks lads, resulting in a wait of 20 minutes or so for the first of two buses to get us to Bondi Junction.
More patience was required, yes longer than 20 minutes, as we awaited our lunches. Despite a booking made in person some weeks earlier, and two confirming phone calls in the days before, the on-duty manager and chef were apparently not aware that we were coming.
Thankfully, Terry and Peter arrived early and alerted them to the impending onslaught. Even so, the chef was left completely by himself, but to his credit we all eventually enjoyed some good tucker.
The next trip for the WW Sub-group is a Partners and Friends Day at Auburn Botanic Gardens on Thursday 24 September. I hope that you can be there.
You will be made just as welcome if you are by yourself, with your partner, or with a cluster of friends. Bookings are open now.
Regards,
Rex M (179)
Tour Organiser
TOFS Trip 904
Monday 17 August 2026
HUNGRY POINT CLIFF TOP WALK
(Organised by TOFS SS)
TOFS (20): Graham L (185), Paul E (380), Ron O (231), Les H (469), JP (27), Lyle W (386), Gregg B (365), Ken H (48), Jeff J (153), David W (434), Robert E (431), Allan S (349), Peter O (348), Stuart P (264), Ron B (446), Frank W (475), Rex M (179), John V (483), Ron C (470), Gary H (366).
Some days are diamonds, some days are stone (sang John Denver). Our day was a zircon – it’s what you make of it. Heavy rain in the city and then persistent downfall on the rail journey did not look good. As we approached Cronulla, blue skies appeared to the south, and the wind was from the south south-east. Amazingly, not a drop of water fell on us as we commenced our walk, and it was fine for the day.
We had however missed our bus connection due to a slow running train, and our planned walk of 4 km expanded to 7 km (it was that or wait half an hour for the next bus).
The Hungry Point Cliff Top Walk is one of the more dramatic walks in the area, a newly opened cliff top walk providing an opportunity to view all the scenic points along the way:
Hungry Point – the origin of the name is a mystery. The area is historically famous for several key milestones. As an early defence reserve the land was originally set aside for defence and fortifications in 1861. In the early 1900s, the point became home to Australia’s first marine fish hatchery, spearheaded by Norwegian fisheries expert Harald Dannevig. The headland now features the spectacular clifftop boardwalk connecting the Esplanade to the southern tip of the peninsula.
Salmon Haul Bay gets its name from the commercial and recreational net-fishing practices (known as "hauling") that historically took place there. Early records, including local Sutherland Shire Council documents, show the bay was long utilized by fishermen casting large nets close to the shore to catch seasonal schools of salmon.
Bass and Flinders Point Memorial - explorers Matthew Flinders and George Bass camped near the site during their navigation of Port Hacking aboard the Tom Thumb. They notably engaged in early, friendly relations with the local Indigenous people.
Oak Park Rock Pool is the southernmost of Cronulla’s rock pools. These ocean pools are the perfect spot to tick off four ocean pools in one outing.
Glaisher Point was named after James Glaisher (1809–1903) a renowned English meteorologist, aeronaut, and astronomer. He is most famous for making pioneering scientific balloon ascents in the 1860s to measure the temperature and humidity of the upper atmosphere, setting world altitude records in the process. He was known for the smart anchor tattoo upon his chest. Like many geographical features in the Sutherland Shire, the point was named by early surveyors and councils who drew upon prominent British explorers, scientists, and naval figures of the Victorian era.
Shelly Park Beach – home of the Brass Monkeys. Members swim right through the year, summer and winter and in the colder months, the temperature can drop to as low as 12 degrees Celsius, hence they are known as the Brass Monkeys.
Beginnings View Point gets its name as a poetic homage to Lieutenant James Cook’s arrival, marking the spot where "Modern Australia" began. Located along Ewos Parade in Cronulla (near Shelly Beach), this scenic overlook commemorates the first historically recorded friendly contact between Europeans and Indigenous Australians in 1770.
Blackwoods Beach is named after Dr. Frederick Martindale Blackwood, a local doctor and surgeon. He settled in the Sutherland Shire in the late 19th century and acquired a property near the shoreline in 1901, which led to the adjacent cove taking on the family name.
Cronulla Beach derives its name from the Aboriginal word kurranulla, which translates to "place of the pink seashells".
CRONULLA RSL
Established in 1942 as a small sub-branch in the Cecil Hotel, the Cronulla RSL has grown into a major beachside institution in the Sutherland Shire. And what a great club and location it is, looking out across the bay. We were booked in the Sunroom – one more irony given the unpredictable weather. Food and drink were of a good standard and much enjoyed.
MUSIC
Dramatic story in a song - "People Love the People" by Birdy (2011).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmLNs6zQIHo
Graham L (185)
TOFS TRIP 902
TUESDAY 11 AUGUST 2026
MUSEUM OF FIRE PENRITH
(Organised by CC-TOFS)
TOFS (12): Peter B (32), Ron B (446), Les H (469), John P (27), Anthony T (420), Sir James Mc C (118), Bobby T (448), Johnny V (483), Phil G (154), Ted A (306), Craig Mc D (445), Lyle W (386).
After the gale force winds the day before it was a relief to arrive at Gosford Station on a still sunny day.
After meeting up with the other group at Penrith Station we took the short walk to the Museum housed in the old Penrith Power Station.
After taking the group photo we proceeded inside and started our Tour of the Museum.
It was done in a chronological order starting with fire station incident record books then onto the earliest firefighting pumps, starting in Alexandria 120BC, the Lucas engine pump in London 1550’s.
There was large display telling the story of horses being used from the 1770’s in Sydney where the brigade paid owners one pound to borrow horses to pull the Horse drawn pumps and carry firemen to the scene.
A couple of the actual horse drawn steam pumps used up to the 1920’s was on display, one being quite large to be pulled around.
There was a great collection of the various fire engines from all over the world which were restored like new. There was even a fire engine in camouflage with head like shutters as in WW11 the Government ordered all appliances to be painted in the army grey.
They also had a good number of pieces of interactive equipment for use by adults and children. Some of our big kids got into the fire engine cabins.
It was one of the most impressive museums I have seen in recent years.
Peter B JP 32
17 August 2026.
TOFS TRIP 903
Thursday 13th August 2026
Mount Victoria Museum
(Organised by TOFS NM)
TOFS (14): JP (27), Ken H (48), Terry O’H (147), Graham L (185), Chas H (203), Jim McD (209), Ron O (231), Stuart P (264), David M (271), Allan S (349), Gregg B (365), Bill R (389), Peter C (391) Kingsley G (439).
A few late call-offs reduced our numbers, however, a happy band of TOFS met up at the Museum on a beautiful winter’s day in the Blue Mountains.
Special thanks to Ron C (470) for recommending this venue, it was well worth the trip.
We were met by Tim Jones, one of the volunteer guides on behalf of the Mount Victoria and District Historical Society.
The Museum is located on Platform 2 of the Mount Victoria Station and boasts 16 rooms filled with all sorts of Blue Mountains memorabilia and artefacts.
The Society will shortly celebrate its 60th anniversary and Tim explained what they do, what we might see in the various rooms, before sending us off to explore.
The Museum is a two-storey sandstone building and the Saloon or Refreshment Room (1873) was previously where train passengers would break the journey for a meal on their way to Bathurst.
This room now has a collection of gramophones, musical instruments, farming tools, pottery, a printing press and some convict era items.
Throughout the building is an extensive collection of colonial furniture, fashion and homewares, showing us a look at the social history of the Mountains.
We were told that most of the Museum collection has been donated over the years by Blue Mountain’s residents. The pantry, laundry and dining room downstairs held many items of interest, including a display of exotic birds and insects, part of the “Mel Ward Natural History Collection”. The Upper floor was previously used for accommodation for travellers, and now houses more of the Museum collection, including a typical bedroom of the time (mid 1800’s) and a Diorama Room, displaying Australian Fauna.
One room of particular interest was described as the “Technology Room” showing the advance of photographic equipment and sewing machines and typewriters.
They have a school room which no doubt many TOFS would have been familiar with, remember the old desks with inkwells.
More artefacts were on display in the Gown Room, the Medical Room and the Lounge Room, really a huge number of items to be fully appreciated in a short visit.
The Museum is normally open only on Saturday, however mid-week tours can be arranged if sufficient numbers book.
We thanked our guides, gathered outside for the group photo, then caught the train back to Katoomba for lunch at the Family Hotel. We had dined there before and knew they served good meals at reasonable prices.
Next stop was the train back home after a splendid day in the Mountains.
NEXT NM TRIP IS PARRAMATTA ON 10TH SEPTEMBER – SEE U THERE. (DM)
TOFS Trip 901
Thursday 6 August 2026
LUNA PARK – FUN AND TRAGEDY
Organised by TOFS (KO)
TOFS (36): Graham L (185), Les H (469), Ron O (231), Paul E (380), Robert E (431), David W (434), JP (27), Bill H (278), Phil B (345), Terry O (147), Jim M (209), Peter O (348), Gregg B (365), Frank W (475), Ted B (451), Don N (400), Allan S (349), Kenn W (243), John V (483), Ken H (48), Ron C (470), Steve M (374), Phil G (154), Daryl H (65), Phill Koob (122), Phil K (123), John L (477), Bill R (389), Bob L (455), Gary C (75), Bobby T (448), Clynt S (69), Gary H (366), Lyle W (386), Craig M (445), Denis P (430).
We met at Circular Quay - original access to Luna Park was by ferry - “step aboard the great white showboats, SS Koompartoo and SS Kuttabul, for a short thrilling trip across the harbour to glamorous Luna Park”. These were identical sister ships, the last K-class ferries on the harbour. One of these amusement park ferries appears later in the story.
WHITE CITY
The earliest significant amusement park for Sydney was the White City. It was inspired by the Chicago World Fair’s White City (1893) amusement park and its structures sparkled at night in the electric lighting. This was the first park to be laid out around The Midway Plaisance – a central welcoming focal pathway designed to ‘thrill, titillate, maybe even shock’. One of the workers onsite in Chicago was Elias Disney. The White City included the invention of George Washington Gale Ferris Junior, said to have had a smart anchor tattoo upon his chest.
The term Midway denotes an area with games, rides and vendors, used at U.S. County and state fairs, and incorporated into amusement parks universally. Sydney’s White City was located at Rushcutters Bay and opened in 1913 featuring a new giant carousel from Philadelphia. It was destroyed in 1917 by lightning and fire, and in 1920 the land was sold to the NSW Lawn Tennis Association.
CONEY ISLAND
Coney Island had four amusement parks – Sea Lion Park, Steeplechase, Dreamland and Luna Park. Financial mastermind Skip Dundy named Luna Park after his sister, Mrs Luna Dundy Newman. The park paid its way out of debt in seven weeks. The name Luna Park became generic for similar amusement parks across the world. The layout created by Skip Dundy presented the attractions visibly and his layout enabled elephants to move through – allowing of course a bit of space to swing a trunk. One redundant elephant Topsy was electrocuted at Coney Island with 6000 volts as a gruesome ticketed attraction.
Luna Park Melbourne was the first big face in Australia, opened in 1912 and attracting visitors into another world. John Monash (later war hero) was the chairman of directors. In Sydney, Wonderland at Tamarama Beach opened in 1906 and featured a seal pond and an elephant (this one not plugged into a power point). Wonderland was on a congested awkward site and closed in 1911. Coogee and Manly also featured ‘fun piers’ that were localised attractions.
The next Luna Park after Melbourne was set up at Glenelg in Adelaide. It lasted through the depression years, but the local council was uncooperative, and the churches were against Sunday trading. The owner David Atkins went to Sydney to scope out locations along the beaches, and at the end of his search went to see one last block of land before returning to Adelaide. It was the Dorman Long workshop site comprising 5.5 acres, and he decided to proceed, closing at Glenelg in 1934.
SS MUNGANA
Luna Park arrived in Sydney by ship from Adelaide in June 1935. The SS Mungana offloaded the amusement rides at the disused Dorman Long & Co wharf, ready for reassembly. The Big Dipper alone comprised 1.5 km of track. The entire equipment of Luna Park took 12 weeks to build, using keen depression-era workers no longer required by Dorman Long. Many Waverton workers had gone without income for some time. When the park opened in October of that year it was dubbed the City of a Million Lights.
MILSONS POINT
A 20-year lease was signed to use these new premises, where the temporary Milsons Point Station was connected to the nearby Glen Street tram by steep wooden escalators. These escalators were later installed at Wynyard Station providing access to York Street.
The Wild Mouse wooden rollercoaster was a classic piece of showground equipment, and at one point there were 250 worldwide. The one at Luna Park is still in place today. Its small switchback produces a sensation of far greater speed and at one point the cars spin on two wheels. The Wild Mouse was lent to the Easter Show annually for decades, making more money during showtime than for the rest of the year.
When Luna Park opened on Friday 4 October 1935 at 4 pm, these were depression times and many families around Waverton had not seen a paycheck since the bridge was completed. On Saturdays kids got in for free, and Aeroplane Jelly crystals were given out. Luna Park was hugely profitable in Sydney, and while the mayor of Glenelg was pleased to be rid of it, he complained about the revenue lost. The money spinner rides were (1) The Big Dipper and (2) The River Caves. In North Sydney Sunday trading was welcome and the employment during construction and afterward was appreciated.
In the war years the park got a reputation for riotous behaviour and the odd stabbing. Prostitutes gathered beneath the bridge’s northern pylon hoping to pick up members of the armed forces leaving Luna Park. On 31 May 1942, the former Luna Park ferry Kuttabul was sunk in Sydney Harbour killing 21 (of the three midget sub pilots we can recall from a previous tour – Chuman, Matsuo and Ban, it was Ban who fired the killer torpedo). This was the second greatest shipping tragedy inside the harbour, only exceeded by the 40 killed on board the Greycliffe (school boat). In 1943 Garden Island was renamed HMAS Kuttabul to honour the dead. The name of a former Luna Park ferry is therefore retained in Sydney naval history.
In September 1945 the Royal Navy ship HMS Whelp sailed from witnessing the Japanese surrender in Tokyo harbour, to Sydney. A young lieutenant Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was on board and visited Luna Park for a farewell party for the crew. He was observed having great fun, until he disgraced himself and was escorted from the River Caves ride. People who saw him that night were later puzzled to realise he was the sombre prince of later years. But many say he retained his humour and he has many admirers – including our own Vice President of TOFS.
In July 1974 six of the giant face’s teeth were extracted overnight in a UNSW prank. Later they were returned, some pranksters went on to become dentists, so this was probably the last extraction that they performed for free.
GHOST TRAIN FIRE
On 9 June 1979, Sydney was in the midst of a train strike and the only train operating was the Luna Park ghost train. A fake fireplace inside the train ride is believed to be where the fire started, claiming seven victims, four friends from Waverley College and a father and two sons from Warren NSW.
There was no water pressure in the fire hydrants, suction hoses were dropped into the harbour. The police on the spot stated, “there is little doubt that the fire was caused by an electrical fault”. Firemen noticed that there was no damage in or around the switchboard area, and the damage was not consistent with an electrical fault. The next morning cranes were brought in to tear the structure apart.
A journalist on site was warned by a detective “Let me just tell you this. Watch what you say because if you don’t watch what you say you’re going to be in trouble”. The three most senior police on the site were later found to be corrupt. Journalists found it difficult to get any information. Police, fire brigade and Luna Park employees seemed to have a code of silence.
The four boys were remembered at a joint funeral at St Mary’s Cathedral, four black hearses outside. Every street was lined from Rose Bay to the Cathedral, and 3 to 4 thousand attended the requiem mass. Monsignor James Delaney of Rose Bay parish conducted the service with Catholic archbishop Cardinal Sir James Freeman. The bodies were interred at South Head Cemetery “in sight of the ocean they loved. It shall murmur their requiem.”
In Warren NSW where the Godson family lived 600 km north-west of Sydney, the father and boys were commemorated in a joint funeral. Stores closed for the day. Hundreds gathered at the white weatherboard Presbyterian Church of St Andrew, where the service was led by the Reverend Richard Lee. Two hearses waited outside for the short journey to Warren Cemetery. (At my own wedding at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Gilgandra in 1982, the Reverend Richard Lee officiated).
THE INQUEST
The inquest into the Ghost Train Fire ran to 1,900 pages, and nowhere was the possibility of arson raised. None of the witnesses who saw seven bikies near the site and smelled kerosene were summoned to give evidence. The cause of the fire could not be conclusively stated, and the conclusion was that the fire was likely caused by a discarded lit cigarette or match.
KIRRIBILLI HOTEL
The brilliant art deco facade of The Kirribilli Hotel is a welcome sight at the Ennis Road exit of Milsons Point train station. An enormous polished wooden bartop wraps around the carpeted main bar into a dining room adorned with portraits of past prime ministers. Select your favourite !
“Luna Park” by Helen Pitt is available at Abbeys Bookshop, York Street.
MUSIC
Obviously our music must be 'Penny Arcade' by Roy Orbison (1970). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK36ct28mZM
Graham L (185)
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