About Castlecrag Progress Association

Background

The Castlecrag Progress Association Inc. has been in existence since 1925. It was incorporated in April 1992 under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 and has an unbroken record of service to the residents of Castlecrag.

Its objectives are:

To do everything possible to promote and further the interests of the district of Castlecrag or other nearby areas where it is possible that benefit could accrue to the advantage of the district and could enhance and stimulate the community life of residents of Castlecrag and environs.
To conserve the natural and human heritage of Castlecrag for the benefit of future generations.

The inaugural meeting of the Progress Association was held on 10 November 1925, when Edgar Herbert was elected president. Walter and Marion Griffin were active members, with Walter serving on the Executive Committee.

Its early campaigns were for:

Protest Rally to try and save the the Infants School.

A Government infants school
Better transport access to the city by construction of an arterial road from East Lindfield to North Sydney. This was achieved in 1939 with the opening of Eastern Valley Way
The upgrading of Edinburgh Road
The undergrounding of electricity wires
Sewage services for the Castlecrag Peninsula
Tree planting along Edinburgh Road.

Other subsequent campaigns of the Progress Association are presented in History. The Association has consistently campaigned to maintain the Griffin vision for Castlecrag and took the lead in:

Community opposition to the extension of the Warringah Freeway over the northern escarpment of the Castlecrag Peninsula (abandoned in 1976)
The establishment of planning controls to protect the built and natural environment of the suburb (progressively implemented by Council)
Improved traffic management in the suburb
The retention of the Infants School (failed despite intense community support over an extended period).

Membership

Membership of the of the Progress Association is open to residents of the suburb of Castlecrag on an individual basis. Annual membership (calendar year) is $10 per person or $5 for students.

Please click here for a Membership Form for downloading. Completed forms with payment should be sent to:

The Treasurer
PO Box 4259
Castlecrag NSW 2068.

Our Committee

Click here to read the CPA President's Report AGM 2009

The following people have been elected to the Castlecrag Progress Association executive and committee for 2008-2009:

President:	Kate Westoby
Vice-Presidents:	James Fitzpatrick and David Harrop
Secretary:	Jill Newton
Treasurer:	Diana Jones
Committee:	Elizabeth Lander, Warwick Lynch, Bob McKillop, Howard Rubie, Maggie Scheller, Lorna Sinac, Gay Spies OAM, Bruce Wilson

Committee Profiles: [New committee member profiles will be updated shortly)

Kate Westoby is a Teacher/Librarian at Castle Cove Primary School. She has been active in the Castlecrag community for many years, covering the kindergarten, infants' school, the SOS*CRAG campaign, WEPA and the Conservation Society. She has served on the Progress Association Committee since 1985 and was President from 2001 to 2004. She has again taken on this role for 2009-2010, but has other priorities to address from May 2010.

James Fitzpatrick: James is the principal and founding an architectural studio with major commissions and offices around Australia and a founding member of the Green Building Council of Australia and the Australian Architectural Association.
James and Susie moved to Castlecrag in mid-2006, being attracted by the combination of its natural beauty, bushland and water aspects and the adventures it will offer to their children as they grow up. James' involvement in the CPA stems from a want to maintain and enhance the elements of Castlecrag that attract people to this suburb. He believes a community will change and develop with time, but it must learn from history's and nature's lessons, and therefore the mark we leave for future generations should show respect for our sensitive environment, our landscape, our neighbours and our community.

David Harrop has a Diploma in Financial Services (Insurance Broking) and is a Justice of the Peace. He has served on the CPA committee since 1997 and resided in Castlecrag for over 30 years. David has been active in a number of community issues such as the Foreshore Building Line and in the ongoing fight to retain the urban bushland. He has recently retired following a distinguished career in the insurance industry.

Jill Newton has a background in science and law, and is also a registered patent and trade mark attorney currently working in that field. After renovating a house in Castlecrag, she and her husband Richard moved here in 1999 and she was elected to the CPA committee in 2003. Jill is delighted with the sense of community in Castlecrag and the history, natural beauty and architecture of the area. Her appreciation of the local planning laws has been reinforced through direct involvement in a matter culminating in the Land and Environment Court.

Diana Jones is a science graduate, computer programmer and qualified bookkeeper. She has lived in Castlecrag for over 30 years and is the long-serving Treasurer of the Progress Association. In recognition of this service, Diana was awarded Life Membership of the CPA in May 2009. Her interests are heritage and the natural environment and she is active in a number of community organisations.

Elizabeth Lander, a life-long resident of Castlecrag, has been involved in many aspects of the community, including the Castlecrag Kindergarten and Infant's School. Elizabeth served as President of the Progress Association from 1994 to 1997 and was secretary from 1997 to 2005. Her interests include cultural pursuits, the history of Castlecrag, gardening and patchwork.

Warwick Lynch is a Chartered Accountant and currently works in a senior finance role for a large media organisation. A recent new arrival in Castlecrag area but long time resident of the lower north shore, Warwick has held a long time interest in sport, fitness, the theatre and history. Warwick is a mixture of old fashioned values with a modern outlook. He believes in sustainability and the environment, but also in protecting our heritage and embracing community values. Warwick participates in The Retreat Bush Care Group and has become a member of the Progress Association so he can put something back into the Castlecrag community.

Bob McKillop is an agriculturalist with extensive experience in the international development arena and is also an active historian. Bob and Kerry came to Castlecrag in 1976 and have been the proud owners of a Griffin home here since 1993. They have both been active in the Progress Association since the 1980s. Bob served as President from 1997 to 2001 and subsequently as Vice-President. Kerry edited the community newsletter, The Crag, from 1987 until 2004, and Bob has taken over this task since then. His interests cover land use planning, traffic and transport, heritage and conservation.

Howard Rubie is a film and TV producer, director, cinematographer and winner of many international awards. He has lived in Castlecrag for 35 years and has been active in community affairs during this period, particularly in his role as President of the Haven Amphitheatre Management Committee. Howard is a past President of the Progress Association and has served on the Committee for many years. He was awarded Willoughby City Citizen of the Year in 2007.

Maggie Scheller moved to Castlecrag with her husband, John, and daughter Melanie (aged two) in 2008. They were attracted here by the unique character of the suburb, particularly its setting in the natural environment, its interesting architecture and the opportunity to walk to the local shops.
Maggie was born in Poland and grew up in Germany, where she worked for a company specialising in manufacturing bank note paper. She met her Australian husband through the company and came with him to Sydney. With the arrival of their daughter, Maggie has become a full-time mother. Her interests are classical music—she is a member of the Willoughby Symphony Choir—and sustainable transport.

Lorna Sinac is a recently elected member of the CPA Committee following her involvement in organising the 2009 Community Fair. She and her family moved to Castlecrag to be closer to the Glenaeon Rudolph Steiner school, which her children attended. Over five years involvement there, Lorna was an active member of the school's P&F, helping with fund-raising and community events. She currently works as an interior designer and her interests include community building, family and friends, together with her two Hungarian Viszla dogs.

Gay Spies OAM has been active in Caslecrag community affairs for 28 years through her untiring efforts to protect the natural environment. Her service at President of the Willoughby Environment Protection Association (WEPA) and her work on the Sugarloaf Bush Regeneration project, among other services, resulted in her Willoughby City Citizen of the Year award in 2002. Gay's particular interests include indigenous plants and textiles.

Bruce Wilson is a retired government environmental lawyer and is currently a business manager. He served as the Progress Association President from 2007 to 2009 and is a former President of the Castlecrag Sports Club and of the Castlecrag Infant School P&C. He is an active member of the Council’s Haven Amphitheatre Sub-Committee and has particular interest in encouraging friendship between neighbours and reinvigorating the peninsula’s sense of community.

The Crag

The Crag
The Progress Association commenced a newsletter for the residents of Castlecrag in 1974 as 'Castlecrag News'. It was relaunched as The Crag in March 1978 and has been published regularly since then. The Crag has been improved over the years and is distributed to all the 1100 households and businesses in the suburb. It publishes material on events and people in the Castlecrag Community. To view recent articles from The Crag, click here. The material published in The Crag on our history is presented under History. Articles, comments and letters to the editor are always welcome. Please forward these to 'The Editors' at PO Box 4259, Castlecrag NSW 2068 or email: editors@castlecrag.org.au.

CPA Documents

The Progress Association prepared policy guidelines and other documents from time to time setting out the processes it follows to ensure objective and transparent outcomes. Click on the document(s) listed below for more information.

Click here to read 'Keeping Castlecrag Special: Our DA Policy'

Click here to read 'Comment on Development Applications'

This web page is published by The Castlecrag Progress Association