WELCOME to BAG’s first Newsletter for 2024.
And what a great start to the year we “Hills Dwellers” are experiencing. By contrast, the weather predictions for a Summer in Adelaide of very hot (heatwave) and dry conditions could not have been further from the truth. We have been blessed with many cool days (and nights) plus some wonderful rains early in the season. Our friends in the eastern States must be so envious!
As reported in our November Edition, Blackwood has really come alive – and that’s only the beginning! 2024 promises to unveil many new projects and initiatives. Watch this space.
BAG’s willing band of volunteers has been active, as usual, in many facets of our great community. Some of these Events and activities are illustrated in articles contained in this Newsletter - and regular posts on BAG’s website and Facebook page.
If you are interested in being part of ‘the Action’ please feel free to join us. BAG does not have an annual Membership fee. Just roll up! We would love to meet you
Best wishes
Warmest regards
Geoff Bartlett
BAG Secretary and Newsletter Editor
WEBSITE: www.blackwoodactiongroup.org.au
FACEBOOK: @blackwoodactiongroup
NEXT BAG PUBLIC MEETING
Wednesday 27 March from
7.30pm @ Blackwood Memorial Hall - 21 Coromandel Parade Blackwood
Our topic for the meeting will be about the future of Young Street & Waite Street Reserve! Guest speaker, Rachel Murchland, from the City of Mitcham, will provide an update on Council's plans for these two key areas.
It will be followed by tea, coffee and a light supper. All welcome!
DIARY DATES
Coromandel Station Working Bee - 24 February @ 9AM to 11AM - NOTE: This event has been moved forward one week to avoid a clash with the Clean Up Australia a event on 3rd March.
Clean Up Australia Day - 3 March @ 8:45AM - Full Details Below
BAG Fundraiser Sausage Sizzle - 6 April @ 9AM to 1PM - Drake's Front Verandah as part of the Coromandel Valley Rotary Club
Blackwood Station Working Bee - 7 April @ 9AM to 11AM
BAG Fundraiser Sausage Sizzle - 20 April @ 9AM to 1PM - Drake's Front Verandah as part of the Coromandel Valley Rotary Club
BAG's SA History Festival Events - May - More info soon!
CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY - SUNDAY 3rd MARCH
2024 will the 15th consecutive year in which BAG has participated in this Australia-wide practical environmental Community clean-up activity. By stepping up to the plate you will be contributing to an amazing effort to improve and conserve our environment.
Our Plan for this year will be identical to the past few years. ALL VOLUNTEERS are requested to report to the BLACKWOOD RAILWAY STATIONMASTER’S REAR SHED (at the bottom of Station Road) by 8.45am – for REGISTRATION purposes.
Participants will be split into THREE GROUPS to clean up dropped litter and any other dumped rubbish along the 3 main road approaches to the Blackwood Roundabout:
Main Road to Gulfview Road (Hungry Jacks)
Coromandel Parade to Hewett Sports Ground (southern boundary)
Shepherds Hill Road to Northcote Road (Karinya Reserve).
Each Group will be requested to check out any public Reserves and Shopping Centre car parks en route.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
ALL VOLUNTEERS must be REGISTERED prior to commencing work. You can do this either at the Blackwood Station Check-in table on arrival or Register online by clicking here.
CAR PARKING will be available in the normal Station Car Parks or on Station Road or Station Avenue. No parking will be allowed in the area next to the shed.
On arrival you will be allocated one of the THREE GROUPS (each with a “Team Captain”) and be informed of the relative area to be cleaned up.
At the completion of your Clean-Up effort ALL PARTICIPANTS are invited to join us for our traditional FREE BBQ and sweets (tea, coffee and soft drinks) to be held in the Stationmaster’s rear yard commencing around 11 AM.
BAG’s A.G.M. WRAP-UP
BAG held it’s 2023 AGM on 22nd November following a very enlightening Information Session on what all levels of Government are striving to do to reduce waste and improve recycling opportunities. The Meeting was convened by former BAG President, Andrew Tidswell representing Sustainable Communities Blackwood, who was joined by our Local Member for Waite, Catherine Hutchesson, MP., and Mitcham Council spokespersons.
The following Residents were elected, unopposed, to the BAG General Committee.
PRESIDENT- Brian FERRIS
VICE PRESIDENT – Bernie MORGAN
SECRETARY – Geoff BARTLETT
TREASURER – Bernie MORGAN
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Lis BARTLETT
Leith BELL
Peter DAVIES
Pauline DODD
Kay LEVERETT
Tom MORRISON
EX-OFFICIO MEMBER:
Adrian BEECH (Christmas Red Bows Coordinator)
THE T.D.U. FLIES THROUGH BLACKWOOD
On Sundays the 14th and 21st January Blackwood was included in this year’s final legs of both the Women’s and Men’s Tour Down Under (TDU) Events. After a rather grueling challenge the day before (tackling Willunga Hill) these dedicated cyclists came up the quite steep Belair Road to Windy Point and then charged on through Belair, Blackwood Coro. Valley, Clarendon, Meadows …… and beyond. The final test for the Men was two circuits of Mt Lofty Summit. BAG was invited by the Uniting Church (on the Roundabout) to conduct a Sausage Sizzle on Main Road - outside the Church, on the final Men’s Event.
It was a very pleasant day, as luck would have it, and whilst our volunteers weren’t exactly run off their feet, it was a very worthwhile exercise - from a BAG P/R point of view.
Thanks to the Uniting Church, Blackwood Hire and G.D. Wholesalers. for your help.
WE SAY ‘FAREWELL’ TO A VERY LOYAL BAG SUPPORTER
As we go to print, we are about to say ‘farewell’ to MARILYN BEY who has reluctantly had to make the tough decision to move from her lovely bushland setting by the creek, behind the COROMANDEL train station, to a ‘less-challenging’ abode in lovely Colonel Light Gardens. Many of you will have met Marilyn – a friend to so many people. Marilyn joined the BAG Station Gardens’ Groups around 2016, when she was addressing graffiti removal incidents almost every day around the Station precincts. On behalf of all BAG volunteers, who have worked with her, we say a big “thank you”.
AGGIES EVERYWHERE GET “THE CHOP”
It happens around this time every year, all the lovely flowering Agapanthus plants around residents gardens and street verges, reach their “use by date”, and whilst they look great when in full bloom, they tend to reflect a neglected appearance after they have “run their race”. For many of our BAG garden volunteers this means we have to get out with the secateurs and fill up one Green Waste wheelie bin, after another!
In the past couple of weeks an assault has been made on the Coromandel Station Gardens (both sides of the track) and the Blackwood Station Gardens - behind the main platform, and on the west bank of Station Road. We would like to thank our dedicated band of garden volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain these stations in such an attractive state. Without wishing to sound too biased, we do believe these stations have the best garden displays on the Belair line!
Elsewhere around our “village” you may have noticed other public spaces have received similar attention. Barty’s Park in Drakes western car park is looking as good as ever – thanks to a dedicated couple, John Kennedy and Libby Moore.
Coromandel Parade verge gardens also received the full treatment last Friday morning. Libby, John and Lis Bartlett not only attacked all the Aggie flowers in front of the Blackwood Memorial Hall, but they also tidied up the verge gardens in front of the premises Nos. 14, 22 and 24. on the western side of The Parade. Four large Green Waste bins were fully loaded by the end of the day’s work.
We think if you take a fleeting glance next time you drive down this section of Coro Parade, you will have to be impressed.