Public Housing

In my article in the March Bulletin I reminded members that the Glebe Society supports public housing in Glebe, as set out in Engaging Glebe and elsewhere. Since our last Bulletin I co-signed with the Millers Point Community Defence Group, a submission to the City of Sydney Council seeking financial aid so residents of Millers Point can be informed, supported and their cause advocated. I have spoken with the City of Sydney and the National Trust about possible ramifications to Glebe and other inner city suburbs and I am convinced that support is not only our social duty, it is also strategically significant to our own Village.

On 9 April the Management Committee unanimously agreed that: ‘The Glebe Society confirms its support of public housing in the Glebe area and that it supports the City of Sydney, Leichhardt Municipal Council, National Trust and most significantly the residents of Millers Point in their opposition to the sell-off of inner city public housing’.

Development of the Glebe Society logo

We have re-affirmed in our latest strategy, Engaging Glebe, that the Glebe Society must explicitly engage with Glebe. This has been officially recognised in previous strategies and was the way we did business well before then.

Strategy focuses attention but needs to be supported by structure and symbols. The Glebe Society has a very robust structure with its sub-committees and management committee, recently strengthened by our more direct communication processes. But our major symbol, the logo, emphasises one aspect of the Society: the built environment aspect of Heritage. So for quite a time now we have been searching for a logo that demonstrates our contemporary commitment to heritage, environment and community.

The search has been narrowed down to four. They are all acceptable but which is best? I shall email each of you over the next month and seek your opinion on the logos that have been developed. I shall inform the Management Committee of this feedback and seek authorisation of the new logo at an upcoming management committee meeting.

Vale Hilary Larkum

I was privileged to attend Hilary Larkum’s Funeral along with family, friends and many Glebe Society members. It was styled as a celebration of her remarkable life in family, biology, acting and music. Her children and grandchildren played chamber music, we heard Hilary reading a poem and heard a heartfelt eulogy and remembrances.

Hilary was a longstanding member of the Glebe Society and had been Social Secretary during some of its early years. She was a committed naturalist and contributor to Glebe, by among other things, her work at the Glebe Youth Service.

Hilary Larkum died on Friday 4April.