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Coogee Boys’ Preparatory School Ranks 16th in the 2021 NAPLAN Leaderboard

The primary school students of Coogee Boys’ Preparatory School ranked 16th in the 2021 NAPLAN results for New South Wales with a primary average score of 538.

Data from the National Assesment Program also showed that the Coogee Boys’ Preparatory School Year 3 students achieved a high score of 501.2, performing above average for Spelling, Grammar and Numeracy. It is the only institution in the Randwick City Council to place in the Top 20 best performing schools.

Here’s how the primary schools in the Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs ranked in the national test:

SCHOOL	RANK
Sydney Grammar School, Darlinghurst	1
SCEGGS, Darlinghurst	13
Coogee Boys Preparatory School	16
Woollahra Public School	25
Ascham School, Edgecliff	26
Kambala, Rose Bay	29
Emanuel School, Randwick	33
McAuley Catholic Primary School, Rose Bay	38
Reddam House, Edgecliff	41
St Catherine’s College, Waverley	59

Coogee Boys’ Preparatory School opened on Alison Road next to the Randwick Presbyterian Church in 1914 with 27 young students. For nearly a century, it has been maintained as the only privately owned boys’ preparatory school in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

NAPLAN was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic but was reset in 2021 with a new commitment from NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell to introduce reforms in the School Success Model that will improve the students’ literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Ms Mitchell said that these reforms will be implemented in 2023. Some of the reforms include shifting the test from May to Term 1 with the results delivered early in the school year.

“These are necessary changes I have been pushing for over the past two years, particularly following the success of the NSW Check-In Assessments, which give teachers results within 48 hours,” the minister said.

“Currently the timing of NAPLAN means it is not diagnostic, as students sit the tests quite late and results are delivered months later, minimising their value in the classroom.”

“Delivering results earlier in the year means teachers have a better understanding of where their students are at and can develop classroom programs accordingly,” Ms Mitchell said.

“This is a win for teachers, students and their families. It ensures the assessment can be used more effectively and provides greater opportunity to improve learning outcomes.”

[Update: Cancelled] Coogee Island Challenge for Autumn 2022 is On!

Editor’s note: The event has been cancelled due to the weather. Please read the statement from the organisers.

Coogee Island Challenge, the bi-annual ocean swim at Coogee Beach, is on once again! Mounted by the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club, this event has been running for more than 20 years and continues to attract more participants to raise more funds each year.

As with the previous challenges, this year’s swim, to be held on Sunday, 10 April 2022, will be divided into three: 800m Junior Dash for 8 to 12-year-old kids, 1km swim across the bay, and the 2.4km swim around Wedding Cake Island.

“There’s nothing quite like swimming around Wedding Cake Island and crossing the finish line after conquering the sometimes challenging ocean conditions off Coogee Beach.”

TIME	EVENT
7:30 a.m.	Registration (Late registration fees will apply)
8:30 a.m.	800m Junior Dash (10-12 years of age)
9:15 a.m.	1km Splash n Dash (min age 13 yrs)
10:00 a.m.	2.4km Coogee Island Challenge (min age 13 yrs)

Participants, staff, and volunteers are expected to be fully vaccinated. There are over 200 volunteer surf lifesavers to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.

“We have a significant number of surf rescue assets on the water and in the air, both from surf lifesaving and the Randwick Council lifeguards, which includes multiple rescue boats and jet skis along with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter on call. This is backed up with a large number of surf lifesavers on the water throughout the course.”

Coogee Honours Pandemic’s Unsung Heroes Through Art

Despite the threat of COVID-19 in their daily lives, there are individuals who showed tremendous effort to keep society going during the pandemic. Coogee is honouring these are the unsung heroes in banners all around town.

Read: Amenities Upgrades Planned at Dunningham Reserve in Coogee

The banners, which feature doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, health care workers, cleaners and the humble council worker, are a testament to the resilience and commitment of the workers who have kept the community together throughout the pandemic.

They were painted by local artist Sandra Cipriotti who released her project called The Fabric of Society in collaboration with Randwick City Council.

Covid heroes honoured in Coogeehttps://t.co/rhillp8S2x
— Randwick Council (@RandwickCouncil) March 17, 2022

Mayor Dylan Parker said the artworks mark the tremendous efforts of all those who have worked throughout the COVID pandemic.

Artist Sandra Cipriotti said the artwork is about paying tribute.

“The Fabric of Society is a colourful tribute to the thousands of nameless heroes whose bravery and resilience has underpinned our response to the pandemic.

“I think everyone can relate to the homage to the persistence of life which is what the Aussie spirit is all about,” she said.

The project was funded through the Council’s Community Creative Investment Program, which aims to support the growth of creativity within Randwick City by funding a range of projects, programs and activities that provide opportunities for individual creative practitioners, groups or organisations to connect communities and showcase creative arts and culture within the city.

The banners will be up in Coogee until 3 April 2022.

Workers’ compensation for COVID-19

NSW has amended its workers compensation laws to specifically address Covid-19. Under the Workers Compensation Act, those who contracted Covid-19 at work can claim workers’ compensation.

It applies to a long list of industries, particularly those that cannot possibly be done at home, such as the health sector, police and emergency services, ambulance officers, educational institutions, including pre-schools, schools and tertiary institutions, cleaning industry, and those who work in restaurants and cafes.

Wylie’s Baths in Coogee Now Solar-Powered!

Wylie’s Baths in Coogee, one of Sydney’s oldest and most beautiful ocean tidal pools, now has a new solar powered system, allowing the facility to significantly reduce its CO2 emissions and overall carbon footprint.

The installation of 35 12.25-kW panels will provide Wylie’s Baths’ visitors with clean green energy that is equivalent to the reduction of about five cars on the road. It will also save the facility some $5,000 per year in utility bills.

The Coogee tidal pool solar project is an offshoot of the Solar My Suburb initiative which has the full support of the various Councils in Randwick, Waverley, and Woollahra.

Solar My Suburb is open to any organisation providing community services within the Eastern Suburbs such as sport clubs, RSL clubs, bowling clubs, synagogues, hospitals, churches, charities and other community organisations with a ‘not for profit’ status. These organisations may be assisted in securing government incentives and grants to fund the cost of their solar systems. The assessment process takes 6 to 12 months.

Those who join the program will also get the following benefits:

Get free expert advice valued at over $6,000
Save money on energy bills
Access to cheaper green energy
Reduce your organisations’ carbon footprint
Demonstrate leadership to members, patrons, and community

Additionally, Eastern Suburbs locals may also check the Council’s specific initiatives to get solar power in homes or businesses:

Randwick Council	Sustainability Rebates Program
Waverley Council	Solar My Strata Program
Woollahra Council	Apartment & Strata Energy Savings Program

It comes as the Councils commit to run 100 per cent solar energy in many of its operating public sites through a deal brokered by Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) with ZEN Energy. The agreement will commence by 1 July 2022 until 2026.

“This is a landmark energy deal for local government. As electricity usage makes up about 60% of our total greenhouse gas emissions, this is a significant step in reducing our emissions as we transition to net zero emissions,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said.

“It shows the collective power of local government to work together to deliver real savings and sustainability benefits for our communities.

“It also delivers on our goal of procuring 100% renewable energy three years ahead of our target date.”

Coogee Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades to Focus on Schoolchildren’s Safety

Accidents will be prevented and lives will be saved as some 29 locations near school areas, including four sites in Coogee, have received funding for pedestrian crossing upgrades to improve the children’s safety on the streets.

Construction for these pedestrian crossing upgrades has started in 2021 with Howard Street, near Lee Street in Coogee, receiving the project’s first completed new raised pedestrian (wombat) crossing. This will benefit the children attending Coogee Public School, Randwick Girls High School, and Brigidine College.

Per Randwick City Council, wombat crossings are like zebra crossings but are built upon a raised platform so motorists can reduce the speed of their vehicles whilst traversing the crossing. Studies prove that wombat crossings substantially lower the potential for fatal or serious injuries to pedestrians.

Completed, Howard Street
Photo Credit: RCC

Three more pedestrian crossing upgrades are expected for the below sites in Coogee for the rest of 2022, whilst other upgrades are also underway in Randwick, Maroubra, and Clovelly:

WHERE	SCHOOL
Oberon Street & Higgs Street	Coogee Public School Rainbow Public School Randwick Boy’s High School Randwick Girl’s High School
Rainbow Street (at Ellen Street and Hendy Avenue)	Coogee Public School
Bream Street (at Mount Street)	Coogee Public School

Concept Plan for Rainbow Street
Photo Credit: RCC

Randwick City Council received a $4.375M grant under the Federal Stimulus Road Safety Program School Zones Project to ensure that these upgrades are completed.

Per the Federal Government: “The Road Safety Program is delivering lifesaving road safety treatments on rural and regional roads and providing better protection for vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians in urban areas who will see greater protections through road safety upgrades to include traffic calming, separated cycle-ways, and the installation of raised pedestrian crossings.”

Coogee Croquet Club to Celebrate Its Growing Membership via ‘New Members Day’

Photo Credit: Champagne Goddess / Facebook

Coogee Croquet Club will celebrate its growing membership via a “New Members Day” happening on 10 April 2022.

Despite COVID-19, Coogee Croquet Club’s membership has grown 30 per cent, welcoming 13 new members since 1 July 2021. To celebrate the milestone, CCC will hold a “New Members Day” event for new and long-time members to get together for a “sausage sizzle and a game or two.”

“It’s time to celebrate! Winding up for another year of fun, friends and challenges on the lawns. Noting that we have had lots more new members during COVID, it’s time to get together,” Club President, Robert King said.

Photo Credit: Marjorie O’Neill – Member for Coogee / Facebook

“It is a tremendous privilege to be the patron of this fantastic club, which despite all obstacles has continued to grow,” Member for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neill said.

“The club’s membership has grown by over 30% in the past year but there is always room for more. If you haven’t tried your hand at croquet, make this your year to grab a mallet and have a game.”

What is Golf Croquet?

Golf Croquet is a variation of croquet with slightly different rules and field layouts. The game requires players to hit balls through hoops with the aim of being the first to score seven hoops.

Video Credit: Peter Hall / YouTube

The balls are played in this order: blue, red, black, yellow; the first player runs the blue ball, then the second hits the red, and so on. In contrast to Association croquet, each Golf Croquet player only has one hit per turn instead of a series of consecutive shots.

Coogee Croquet Club is situated at Bardon Park, in Bream Street, Coogee, between Mount Street and Brook Street and opposite the CoogeeTennis Club and the Coogee Bowling Club. The Club members meet every Friday from 2 pm to 8 pm and play games of Golf Croquet.

Those interested in becoming a member may email the Coogee Croquet Club or simply drop by any day when the members are playing. More details about joining the club can be found here.

Coogee Croquet Club Inc | 3 Smithfield Avenue, COOGEE NSW 2034

Amenities Upgrades Planned at Dunningham Reserve in Coogee

Plans are underway to upgrade the amenities at the Dunningham Reserve in Coogee, particularly at the lower promenade by the Coogee Beach, where a temporary toilet was installed nearly a decade ago.

Randwick City Council is planning to build a new unisex toilet to replace the temporary installation from 2013, which does not have a wheelchair or pram access. The temporary toilets were replacements as well for the older toilet block demolished in 2009.

The planned building will be a modular, pre-fabricated design that will reduce the time and cost of construction.

Aside from the construction of a new and more accessible toilet, the Council is also planning to include a communal hand wash basin and replace the overhead powerlines with a permanent power connection in the area. A sandstone retaining wall will also be added to create level access to the new amenities.

Council is asking the public for feedback to further improve the plans for the upgrades. The consultation will be open until Sunday, 6 March 2022.

Have Your Say

Post consultation, locals may also send in their comments and suggestions about the Dunningham Reserve upgrades to council@randwick.nsw.gov.au or to 30 Frances Street, Randwick 2031.

Located at the northern headland of Coogee Beach, the Dunningham Reserve offers a spectacular view of the ocean, making it a popular destination for recreation and exercise. The park’s facilities also include picnic shelters and drinking fountains.

Within reserve was the site of the former Giles Gym, which was demolished in 2000. It now serves as a memorial site for the Bali bombing in 2002 and the Dolphin Point memorial for members of the Coogee Dolphins Football Club who died in the bombing.

Shark Attack At Little Bay Reminds People of Stories Of Attacks In Coogee 100 Years Ago

The shark attack that caused a swimmer’s death at Little Bay Beach earlier in February 2022 has reminded people of horrifying stories about shark attacks on Coogee Beach around 100 years ago.

Read: SX NEXT Submarine Cable Project Completes Trans-Pacific Journey in Coogee

One hundred years ago, on the 4th of February 1922, Milton Coughlan, 18, joined the celebrations for the Coogee Surf Club’s annual carnival. He got down on the rocks near the club, swimming about 30 metres out, into the area known as ‘the reef.’

It seemed like a perfect day for surfing –it was a sunny day, the sky was clear, and around 6,000 spectators gathered to watch the carnival.

Little did he and his friends know that a shark would strike with violence whilst Coughlan was swimming to shore. It caused him terrible injuries, having been bitten on both his arms and shoulder. He died less than 30 minutes after the attack.

Milton Coughlan (Photo credit: www.findagrave.com)

Just a few weeks after the terrifying attack that led to Coughlan’s death, Mervyn Gannon, 21, was bathing in knee-deep water at Coogee beach when he was attacked by a great white shark.

A beach spectator warned the surfers who were there at the time, including Gannon, after seeing the fin of a shark heading towards their direction. Gannon, however, turned to face the shark instead of rushing to leave the water just like what others did.

Coogee Beach (Photo credit: Jeremy Smith/Google Maps)

Gannon’s right arm was torn off after attempting to punch the shark several times whilst his left arm was injured when he tried to ward off the shark. Shocked and bloodless on admission, Gannon died in hospital of gas gangrene.

Both attacks happened in broad daylight, with many people witnessing. These incidents were just two of the attacks that took place in Australia’s so-called “shark era” a century ago.

Read: Coogee Median House Price Shows a Strong 20% Increase

Little Bay Beach Attack

Photo credit: Martin Stoyanov/Google Maps

On 16 February 2022, news broke out that a 35-year-old British man identified as Simon Nellist died after suffering from catastrophic injuries due to the shark’s attack.

The hunt is still on for the great white shark, believed to be a 4.5-m long creature. The tragedy occurred around 10 metres from shore at Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach.

The beach has been closed whilst police are investigating the incident and have reminded beachgoers to follow safety advice from Surf Life Saving NSW.

“Police will be liaising with the Department of Primary Industry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer. A report will be prepared for the Coroner,” NSW Police stated in a report.

Meanwhile, tributes continue to pour in for Nellist, who was remembered as a ‘gentle’ and wonderful man.’ A vigil attended by locals took place at The Coast Chapel in Little Bay for him.

Locals Concerned About ‘Unrestricted’ Trailer Parking In Coogee

Photo credit: Lisa Fotios/Pexels

Trailer parking in Coogee has caused some tension among residents and boat and truck owners who park their trailers and caravans on the streets for extended periods of time.

Read: Amendments Addressing Community Issues Asked from Coogee Bay Hotel Redevelopment

Based on NSW Parking Regulations, trailers such as boat trailers, box trailers, and caravans may be parked at any location, provided that there are no signposted or statutory parking controls at that location.

However, some trailers and caravan owners have been parking their trailers on the streets for extended periods, to the ire of some homeowners.

In a Facebook group called Coogee Local Loop, one trailer owner has expressed his disappointment and frustration after seeing the slashed tyres of his vehicle. The trailer owner said someone cut the tail lights on almost every trailer on the street, after seeing around six trailers with the same problem.

“Assume a neighbour angry about trailer parking being allowed on the street as one told us off while we came to move ours,” said the trailer owner, who can no longer move his trailer until he has it repaired.

Whilst some residents have agreed that it’s rude to slash someone’s tyres just because they are parking their vehicles on the street for too long, there are some who agreed trailer owners should have parked their vehicles in front of their own place in the first place.

“The simplest solution is for all owners of boats, trailers, caravans etc, is to park their vehicles on the street in front of their own premises and monitor for security. Alternately for the marine craft owners, approach the Maritime Authority and hire a mooring on a local waterway,” shared one resident.

Meanwhile, the incident has already been reported to the authorities.

With regard to trailers being parked on public spaces, NSW Labor MP for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neil understands that parking is an ongoing issue for everyone and that they are already working with the community to discuss trailer parking in Coogee and settle the issue.

Whilst registered trailers are allowed to be parked on the streets, she thinks the solution is for these vehicles to only park for a short amount of time, so vehicle owners have to move their trailer or their boat at least periodically.

Amendments Addressing Community Issues Asked from Coogee Bay Hotel Redevelopment

Photo Credit: SaveCoogeeVillage/MarjorieONiell

Eastern Sydney’s city planning panel has asked Coogee Bay Hotel to amend its redevelopment plans and address some of the issues raised by the community during the assessment period so a conclusive decision could be made.

Coogee Bay Hotel should provide more information on the amendments before the panel meeting scheduled for 17 March 2022.

Some of the amendments to be clarified include concerns over the building’s height and scale that will impact the community. The owners of the hotel plan to build a six-storey complex along Vicar Street with a height of 23.3 meters. (DA/437/2021)

“A building of such height and bulk will block the views (to the bay, Wedding Cake and Dolphin Point) of many residents who live west of the site and loom over Coogee Bay Road and the scenic foreshore area,” a petition against the redevelopment stated.

“It will change the low-scale, low-key look and feel of the Coogee village centre forever.

The proposed height is twice the legislated planning height limit of 12m. It should be noted that other new developments in Coogee Bay Road have complied with this requirement.”

More than 8,500 have signed the petition to date.

Photo Credit: Ryan James Elliot/Facebook

In January, Urbis, the developer, has written Coogee locals who filed submissions to the development application to ask permission to visit their homes to “prepare photomontages of potential view impacts,” according to one local Rona Wade.

“They came to my place to take photos. One of the group was from the Council who was just overseeing what happened,” a resident confirmed.

Coogee Bay Hotel and the developer have also been asked to enumerate the economic impact of establishing a new supermarket on their site to the existing businesses around the area.

In November 2021, councillors of the Randwick City Council unanimously agreed to a motion to refuse the development and have submitted their opposition to the planning panel.

Listen to the audio recording of the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel meeting with Coogee Bay Hotel on 16 December 2021 below:

NSW Planning Panels · Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel meeting 16 Dec 2021 – PPSSEC-143 – Randwick – DA-437/2021