Did you know that pest controllers have killed over 500 rats inside just one complex in Coogee Beach?Coogee residents are calling for immediate action and better pest control to address the alarming rat infestation problem impacting public health.
One new Coogee resident was shocked to see rats on the road, the bushes and the grass next to his multi-million dollar home. Philip Jajou said no one warned him about this issue when he purchased his new mansion.
Mr Jajou posted his rat encounter on TikTok, where many commenters remarked that rats have been a part of Coogee for decades. However, they also said that the new homeowner should have been told by his real estate agent or did his due diligence before buying a house in Coogee.
Coogee residents have also complained about the enormous size of the rats, prompting local mums to suggest installing signs to be posted across the suburbs, especially at the kids’ playgrounds.
Coogee is one of many suburbs in Sydney with a rat infestation problem. In Surry Hills, these pests can also be seen anywhere, even in broad daylight. It’s a critical issue that has drawn comparison with New York’s worst rat problem so much so that its mayor had to hire a Rat Tsar to control the infestation.
“I am regularly approached by community members alarmed by the number of rats they see in the City of Sydney,” said Cr Yvonne Weldon.
“I’m also regularly approached by residents who have experienced delayed and missed waste collections. I appreciate how deeply frustrating this can be.
“It’s no surprise then that Sydney’s rat infestation is only getting worse. It’s a serious public health issue.
“Council needs to look at all available methods of rat eradication and control strategies. We must also act urgently to implement further improvements in waste management services.”
Meanwhile, Randwick City Council acknowledged an increase in complaints but could not provide data on the rat infestation.
“Council will only implement vermin treatments where an infestation or risk to public health is on public land under the control of Randwick City Council. Any infestation involving private land will be the responsibility of the landowner or occupier to control by engaging the services of a licensed pest controller.”
Did you know that Coogee was officially designated a village in 1838? However, it was only during the beginning of the 1900s that many new developments occurred. Here’s a look back at the history of Coogee from the 20th to the 21st century.
Although the line from the city to Randwick Racecourse opened in 1880, it was only during 1902 that electric tram services were introduced in Coogee. The electric tram connects Coogee to the City of Sydney, with the line branching from Anzac Parade at Alison Road, and runs on its own tram reservation beside Centennial Park as far as Darley Road.
An example of electric tram in Sydney, circa 1900 (Photo credit: PD/The Powerhouse Museum/Wikimedia Commons)
However, it ceased operations in October 1960. It follows the current route of State Transit route 373. The closure of tram lines brought anger to many locals since they were ridden on by every part of society, including professionals such as doctors and lawyers.
Wylies’ Baths
In 1907, champion swimmer Henry Wylie built Wylies’ Baths, after securing a special lease for the baths. Its construction coincided with the increasing popularity of seaside pools in Sydney. When it opened, it became one of the first mixed gender bathing pools in Australia.
Wylie family swimming with their colleagues and friends (Photo credit: Mitchell Library/ State Library of New South Wales)
Henry’s daughter Wilhelmina and her friend Fanny Durack became the first two female representatives of Australia for swimming in the Olympics.
Wylie’s Baths underwent major renovation in the early ‘90s under the Council’s management, with help from architects Keith Cottier and Allen Jack. It’s a heritage-listed site, being the first recreation facility for the public in Coogee and the site of the first Australian Swimming Championships.
Coogee Surf Life Saving Club
A group of concerned locals believe surf bathers needed protection from the dangers of surfing. That’s when the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club was established. From its humble beginnings in 1907 operating out of a wooden shack, the club finally had their first clubhouse in 1910.
Coogee Surf Life Saving Club has remained active up to this day, and is known as one of the largest surf clubs in Australia, with over 1,000 nippers and 600 surf lifesavers who patrol Coogee Beach.
Heritage Houses
The 1900s also saw the construction of many heritage-listed houses, including Ocean View, a Federation-style mansion built in 1916 by Philip Wirth, founder of the famous Wirth’s Circus. The mansion, spanning 1693 sqm, occupies one of the largest land parcels in the area. The sprawling home was sold in April 2010 for $5 million.
In 1921, the Cliffbrook House was constructed, based on the design of prominent architect John Kirkpatrick. Located at 45-51 Beach Street, Coogee, Cliffbrook is heritage-listed former residence, school and government building and now university research, administration building and university press.
Breakout of World War II
During the Second World War, especially after the Japanese midget submarine invasion of Sydney Harbour, the locals of Coogee became fearful of the attacks. It was during this time that the popular shark nets were removed for security purposes. Shark nets were introduced in 1929, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators. It was only after the war that Coogee went back into a coastal playground.
Huge crowd at Coogee, 1930s (Photo credit: Mitchell Library/State Library of New South Wales)
Coogee Ocean Pier
Coogee Pier was a short-lived facility, but it’s believed to have helped promote the suburb as a major resort destination. The pier took several months to be completed due to the disputes between Randwick Council and its developers, not to mention that there’s also construction delay problems.
View of Coogee Pier (Photo credit: National Library of Australia)
A portion of the pier partially opened in November 1928. A newspaper writeup noted that around 11,000 people visited the pier when it was first launched.
The pier, which stretched 180 metres out across the middle of Coogee Beach, was able to accommodate up to 21,000 people. However, many of its planned facilities, such as the theatre, restaurants, retail spaces, and a dance hall were never built because of issues with funding.
Anzac Day 1935
The Anzac Day 1935 was an unforgettable one for many residents of Coogee, especially those who witnessed how a shark which was held captive at the Coogee Aquarium disgorged the tattooed arm of a man, who was identified as former boxer James Smith.
Photo credit: National Library of Australia
Coogee’s reputation as a pleasurable seaside resort became tainted with the mystery and intrigue of a scandalous underworld crime, which was also known as “The Shark Arm Murder.”
The Island Challenge
In 2000, Coogee Surf Life Saving Club started the Island Challenge, which involves a 2.4 km swim out and around Wedding Cake Island. Since it began, the race has been attracting hundreds of competitors and remains as a fixture on the Sydney ocean swimming scene.
At the turn of the century, Coogee continued to cement its status as one of the best suburbs in Sydney for surfing, swimming, and relaxing on white sands. Like how it’s known in the early 1900s, Coogee remains as a seaside resort town that’s ideal for water lovers and those looking to live with a relaxed atmosphere.
The Coogee Virgin Mary Shrine marks the site where the Marian apparition is believed to have appeared two decades ago. Here’s a look back at the event that many believed to be linked to the tragic loss of young lives at the Sari Club bombings in Bali.
Throughout Catholic history, there have been a number of reported Marian apparitions including the Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, the Our Lady of Lourdes in France and the Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.
Whilst a number of these reported apparitions have been approved by the Catholic Church, others either received negative judgements or no decisions / formal investigations at all. Such is the case of the reported sighting of the apparition at Coogee Beach.
The first Marian apparition at Coogee Beach was first reported on 22 January 2003 when a local laundrette told a local newspaper about the vision of a veiled woman at the fence about two months earlier.
Numerous other sightings have been reported, allegedly occurring between 3.15 pm and 4.30 pm each day. Many pilgrims, mostly Roman Catholic believers, have since flocked to the site daily. Some brought photos of Mary and flowers whilst others prayed and sang.
Shrine at Coogee Beach, at spot where people thought they saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in 2003 (actually an illusion created by the shape of the fence and the shadow it cast, which is why it was never seen on cloudy days), Coogee, Sydney Photo Credit: Sardaka (talk) 10:18, 15 October 2008 (UTC), CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Some claimed that the apparition has something to do with the Sari Club bombings which occurred in 2002. The terrorist attack in Bali killed 202 people including 88 Australians. The Marian apparition, some said, was God’s way of comforting those who were grieving the violent death of the young people in the Bali bombings.
The reported sightings of the apparition called by some as “Our Lady of the Fence Post” or “Rail Mary”, however, were never recognised by the Roman Catholic Church as no formal investigation was initiated by the Sydney Archdiocese. There are others, including the Coogee Parish Priest, who debunked the sightings as a mere optical illusion.
The site where people thought they saw the Virgin Mary, Coogee Beach, Coogee, Sydney (note ghostly apparition, to right of centre, added by Photoshop) | Photo credit: Adam.J.W.C., CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Then on 9 February 2003, vandals attacked the claimed apparition site, demolishing the fence, chaining a toilet bowl to the fence, and splashing paint on the fence. Workmen were immediately sent to repair the destroyed fence. No formal report on the vandalism was filed.
In cooperation with Bowls Australia, Council is offering a lawn bowls program specially designed for children ages 5-12 and young people ages 12-17 years old. All equipment will be supplied in this Rookie Rollers program.
Note: Just wear flat sole sneakers, and please remember to bring a hat, water bottle, and sunscreen.
Registration is essential and children must be supervised.
The School Holiday Lawn Bowls (Ages 5-12) happen on Wednesday 18 January 2023 from 8.15 am to 10.30 am, click here to reserve a spot.
Meanwhile, for ages 12-17 will be on Wednesday 18 January 2023 from 10.45 am to 12 pm. Book here.
These events will take place at South Coogee Bowling Club at Corner Henning Avenue and Moverley Road in South Coogee.
Lawn Bowls is a precision sport with the primary aim of rolling bowls closest to a smaller white/yellow ball (the ‘jack’ or ‘kitty’). It can be played indoors or outdoors on grass, or even on artificial surfaces called “green”, which is divided into parallel playing strips (“rinks”).
Lawn Bowls can be played in several formats including Jack Attack which is a national social-competitive participation format of the game that is fast-paced compared to the traditional format. It is now available at over 100 clubs around Australia.
South Coogee Bowling Club | 5-7 Henning Ave, South Coogee NSW 2034
Lox in a Box Coogee opened in August 2022 along Havelock Avenue, with a classic menu which includes the popular cured salmon bagel with herbed cream-cheese schmear, tomato, and capers.
Photo credit: Lox in a Box/Google Maps
The newly opened joint was part of the brand’s expansion, which also recently opened a bigger one in Manly. Originally opened at Bondi’s Seven Ways in 2019 and run by Candy Berger and Gaia Lovell, Lox in a Box has become a go-to for lox, a fillet of brined fish, typically salmon and Jewish deli.
Photo credit: Fonti Kar/Google Maps
Like the store in Bondi, the Coogee store uses sustainably-raised salmon sourced from South Island, Mount Cook in New Zealand. Their fish is never frozen, and are hand-sliced and packed for their customers’ enjoyment.
Whilst it’s smaller than the one in Bondi, the new store manages to include space to accommodate a few diners out front.
Photo credit: LOX IN A BOX/Facebook
Gluten-free bagels are available for diners with special dietary requirements.
More expansion is in the cards, as the owners reveal that they are still on the lookout for another location in Newtown. They are also planning to team up with small independent grocers and wholesalers to have their retail items on shelves in 2023.
The Coogee outlet is open seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information about Lox in a Box, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
It will be a star-studded return for Coogee Carols with tons of performers to rouse the crowd with the merriest of Christmas tunes! Get ready for a fantastic night of music featuring some of Australia’s most talented artists.
Leading the line-up of entertainers for the 2022 Coogee Carols on Sunday, the 18th of December 2022 at the Goldstein Reserve, is Joe Sullivan, a local star who will be performing at the event for the 21st time! TV personality Melissa Hoyer, who hosted Coogee Carols in 2012, will be back to her hosting duties as well.
Teresa Tate Britten, a familiar voice on the radio and face on television, will be going up the stage, too, as well as Katrina Retallick, the star of “Come From Away,” and Garry Scale, another local favourite. Jennifer Peers, a fixture of Australian musical theatre, is also going to be performing some familiar songs.
Here are the rest of the performers of this year’s Christmas event:
Natalie Abbott
Natalie (she/her) recently performed as Helena in the world premiere production of The Lovers at the Sydney Opera House and is so honoured to be performing at Coogee Carols!
Blake Appelqvist
Blake (they/them) is a Māori (Ngāti Porou) and Swedish multidisciplinary artist who most recently played “Harry” in FANGIRLS and is currently playing “Demetrius” in The Lovers at the Sydney Opera House.
Cameron Daddo
This is Cameron’s second Coogee Carols and he says, “It’s always a delight when the locals sing louder than you do!”
Georgina Hopson
A proud Coogee local, Georgina (she/her) was most recently seen playing Christina Daaé in Opera Australia’s Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour. She is thrilled to be performing at the Coogee Carols this year.
Amber Lawrence
Nominated for Best Country Album at the 2022 ARIA awards, 5 times Golden Guitar winner and Coogee girl, Amber Lawrence has lost count of the times she has performed at the Coogee Carols.
Simon Pryce
Simon Pryce has been touring Australia with The Wiggles Holiday Party Big Show tour and is thrilled to be performing at this year’s Coogee Carols, one of his favourite events of the year.
Chloé Zuel
Having recently finished playing Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton Australia, Chloé is thrilled to be back home in Sydney performing at the Coogee Carols again.
And of course, the night’s most special guest will be arriving on his sleigh as it’s not a Christmas event without Santa Claus. Don’t forget to bring your picnic rugs and get ready to sing-a-long. This promises to be a fantastic night for the whole community!
On 20 December 2020, 77-year-old Peter McCarthy was found dead on the floor of his flat with a bent frying pan, broken furniture and glasses found next to his body. Narelle Fiona Smith, 46, was arrested and charged with the murder of the pensioner. She pleaded not guilty to murder.
Ms Smith’s accounts, however, were rejected by an NSW Supreme Court jury on 16 November 2022 and found her guilty of murdering Peter McCarthy after dinner on 17 December 2020.
Submissions on the sentence will begin on 3 February 2023.
DNA evidence and fingerprints matching Smith’s and McCarthy’s profiles had been found on objects throughout the unit, including the blue tarp partly covering the elderly man’s legs.
Upon her arrest on 11 January 2021, Smith denied murdering the retired solicitor and initially told police that she didn’t really know him. The parolee later told police a different story stating that they met in his flat after the elderly man greeted her via text for her 46th birthday.
According to her, she helped Mr McCarthy with chores, cleaned out the belongings of his ex-lover, cooked him dinner and listened to him detailing “minor dramas with local women” before leaving at about 8 pm. She also explained that her blood might be in the unit as she previously cut herself whilst fixing McCarthy’s deadlock.
She instead pointed the finger at McCarthy’s ex-lovers who she said had a key to his flat. Crown prosecutor Katharine Jeffreys, however, argued that Smith was “inconsistent on how well she knew the deceased” and that no evidence of a break-in or a “forensic evidence in any relevant locations of an unknown individual” was found.
Prosecutors also alleged that after the murder, a man known by Smith used McCarthy’s ATM cards and that Smith herself also used his Opal card to travel around Sydney.
McCarthy’s ex-wife admitted during the trial that their strained relationship was due to his drinking habits and “fondness for the ladies.” Still, they maintained communications and even organise Christmas gatherings every year.
She said she discovered McCarthy’s lifeless body after he didn’t respond to her messages.
Five minutes was all it took for the Coogee home of the late Cecily Backhouse, one of the first female judges in NSW, to be sold at auction for a cool $4.77 million.
Cecily Backhouse, who passed away in September 2022, was one of the pioneers of the Women Lawyers Association of NSW. She was also a horse racing enthusiast and would frequent David Jones food hall to order some evening meal before she retires for the night at her hilltop retreat where she lived for 43 years.
Left to right: Cecily Backhouse QC, Nora Taylor, Anna Frenkel and Lyndal Prott | Photo credit: New South Wales Bar Association / nswbar.asn.au/wbf
Ms Backhouse along with fellow lawyer Peggy Crawley, may be best remembered for challenging the Australian Jockey Club for not accepting female members. They won and became the first female members of the Club in 1982. She retired in 2004.
Located at 5 Thomas St in Coogee, the late judge’s home went under the hammer for the first time in four decades through Belle Property, with 12 groups vying for the right to own the freestanding mid-century house sitting pretty in its original condition on a 702-sqm land.
Advertised as a bright and breezy coastal home offering ocean views, the Coogee residence features three bedrooms with built-ins and views, and a study that doubles as a fourth bedroom, which can also be used as a home office, with its own separate entrance.
It also features a large living room with an Art Deco fireplace, a dining area, a glass-framed sunroom, terrazzo floors, a sunny kitchen with a breakfast bar, an Art Deco family bathroom and a large internal laundry.
Coogee Surf Life Saving Club volunteers’ contributions are among the Surf Life Saving Australia volunteering stories that will be shared next month as part of the Discovering Hidden Legends campaign.
About 190,000 Surf Life Saving Australia volunteers will be recognised in the Discovering Hidden Legends to be held on 9 December 2022 at the South Cronulla SLSC. The campaign highlights the ordinary members of the community who make significant contributions in their surf lifesaver volunteering roles.
Apart from educating beachgoers about the water conditions and doing other surf lifesaver duties, she has also assumed other volunteering roles including member protection information officer and finance director.
When asked how she finds doing all these volunteering roles, she described it as a very rewarding experience. And she is amazed at the fact that she is part of an organisation that’s totally run by volunteers.
Meanwhile, her fellow Coogee Surf Life Saving Club member volunteer Cate Kyling considers volunteering as one of her favourite activities and finds it rewarding as well to meet and make connections with other people.
At just 18 years old, Cate is already a vice-captain of her patrol and has already received the Emergency Care award in first aid and advanced resuscitation and Powercraft Awards in inflatable rescue boat driver and crew.
Photo credit: Surf Life Saving Australia / sls.com.au
Established in 1907 Surf Life Saving Australia is the largest volunteer movement of its kind in the world. The not-for-profit organisation exists thanks to community donations, fundraising, corporate sponsorship and government grants. So far this season, Surf Life Saving Australia has completed 422 rescues and 1,422 first aids.
Discovering Hidden Legends was launched in 2021 as a joint campaign between Surf Life Saving Australia and DHL. The campaign focuses on the stories of member volunteers who have devoted their time to help run 314 affiliated Surf Life Saving clubs and patrol beaches across Australia.
The Lion & Buffalo has gained quite a following for its ramen dish, which new diners at the South Coogee cafe almost never fail to try, thanks to its catchy name. Introduced over seven years ago, their “Better Than S**” ramen bowl has now gotten…well, even better.
The Lion & Buffalo announced that for the rest of November 2022, Chef Tomislav Martinovic has added caviar to this cafe favourite and added other inventive and mouthwatering dishes made from the expensive sturgeon fish roe.
The Lion & Buffalo launched this mouthwatering lineup on The Caviar Menu:
Love Crepe’s white chocolate ice cream, waffle cone, saffron syrup, freeze-dried mandarin & Darya Royal Beluga caviar
Caviar on ice cream. Fancy that! Photo Credit: TheLion&Buffalo/Facebook
Chef Martinovic’s latest offering was inspired by the popularity of similar dishes on Instagram. Though initially apprehensive of the response from the customers and careful not to miss a good thing as far as their cafe favourite goes, the chef said he’s happy to make caviar accessible to beachgoers in Coogee who have loved their ramen as well.
