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Manly Guinness World Record Holder Mark Brinker Wants Locals to Rethink Fitness

For much of his youth, Mark Brinker measured sporting progress in split times, training and sheer physical output. A competitive rower from his early teens, the Manly local built much of his identity around high-level sport.

Movement was never just exercise; it was tied to his friendships, his routine and his sense of self. Yet today, the spin instructor and Guinness World Record holder preaches a radically different gospel on fitness. It’s one rooted not simply in performance, but in adaptability, presence and individual effort.

When the body says stop

Brinker’s shift in perspective was forged through years of pain and disruption. During his final university semester, car headlights and street lamps began appearing unusually bright. Headaches followed, eventually becoming daily and accompanied by acute pain behind his eyes. Years of surgeries followed before Brinker was eventually diagnosed with keratoconus.

As his condition progressed, he became unable to maintain the active lifestyle that had anchored much of his sense of self.

“Life without athletics felt like I was walking around with an itch that needed scratching,” he said.

As physical and emotional pain intersected, Brinker struggled to adapt to a life in which movement no longer occupied the place it once had. The experience gave him a firsthand education in the hidden mental burden of chronic pain: the mental bandwidth continually consumed by monitoring symptoms, wondering whether the pain is getting better or worse, and trying to understand why.

“I wish people appreciated that it’s not just about the sensation of pain, it’s the mental real estate it takes up in addition to that. Once it starts, you have a percentage of your awareness now dedicated to monitoring the feeling, figuring out if it’s getting better or worse, figuring out why it’s getting better or worse…”

He compares it to finding a sinkhole in the middle of a living room — an unwanted presence you cannot ignore, but one you eventually learn to navigate around to keep living.

Trading metrics for presence

The path back to movement did not involve elite training programs.

In 2021, Brinker attended a spin class. The combination of music, group energy and freedom struck him immediately. The sense of collective energy echoed qualities he had valued in rowing and coaching, and he resolved to become an instructor himself. This career pivot also put Brinker at odds with the culture of constant tracking.

“I have a personal vendetta against the world of Garmins and Strava,” he said. He recalls long runs through beautiful parts of Sydney that could still leave him frustrated because he finished a split or two off his intended pace.

This has shaped his coaching. Rather than pushing clients towards a rigid, universal benchmark, he asks them to work to a level that feels challenging for them on that specific day, recognising that capacity can change from one person — and one session — to the next.

Finding strength in shared struggle

The philosophy was put to the ultimate test in February 2025, when Brinker teamed up with Chronic Pain Australia to set a Guinness World Record for the longest static cycling class — a gruelling 33-hour effort. Around the 22-hour mark, Brinker said he finally grasped just how long a 33-hour challenge really was.

“What got me through was the team. I understand I had the hardest job but I would say it was easier for me in many respects because I always felt less alone than each team member. They were all facing the same way, they could only really see me and their immediate neighbour, so it was easier for them to go inward, and that’s when things get dark. But I always had someone to make eye contact with, to check in on, and it was remarkable how that kept me alive.”

Brinker has also spoken about the broader message behind Chronic Pain Australia’s involvement with the 2026 Voltaren City2Surf: that pain does not have to define a person or entirely close the door on movement.

Looking back at the period when chronic pain dominated his life, he now believes much of his anxiety came from mentally trying to endure the next decade of pain all at once. He had convinced himself that his future had already been decided, rather than dealing with the moment immediately in front of him.

“I only needed to handle the small moment I was actually in, then the next one, and then the next,” he said.

Brinker’s message cuts through the noise. Fitness does not need to be an endless quest to prove what your body can endure. Sometimes, it is simply about moving in a way that works for you and helps you feel more present in your own body.

Published 18-Aug-2026

Remembering Tania Verstak: The Manly Migrant Preserved in National History

A famous yellow dress preserved in the National Museum of Australia serves as a permanent reminder of a young Russian refugee from Manly, Tania Verstak, who accidentally shattered the nation’s traditional beauty standards.

Tania Verstak, the beloved local who became the first migrant to win the Miss Australia title, passed away on 8 August 2026, at the age of 85. Her death marks the loss of a major cultural figure whose story bridged the sandy shores of the Northern Beaches with the country’s national heritage.

An Accidental Entry

Born in Tianjin, China, to Russian parents Vladimir and Valentina, she immigrated to the country at age 10 and her family settled in Manly. She grew up as a typical local resident and eventually went on to study an arts degree at the University of Sydney. Fame was entirely unplanned.

While she was doing charity work and promoting olive oil at the Royal Easter Show at age 20, a representative from the Spastic Centre noticed her. They encouraged her to enter the Miss Northern Beaches competition, kicking off a massive cultural journey.

The Dress That Made History

She quickly won the Miss Northern Beaches title in September 1961, followed by Miss New South Wales, and ultimately Miss Australia. Historically, this national crown had always gone to middle-class Anglo women, making her victory a major shift for the era. The following year, she travelled to Long Beach, California, and became the first and only Australian to win Miss International.

The yellow national costume she wore during that global competition is now safely held in the National Museum of Australia. While the era’s immigration rules officially classified her as a “new Australian”, her success helped normalise the growing European influence in the country and gave the nation a more multicultural image.

A Hero’s Return

Her international victory brought a prize of $10,000, a new wardrobe, and a diamond-studded wristwatch. However, the true highlight was her return to Manly, where an estimated 60,000 people lined the streets to celebrate their hometown hero.

She rode through the massive crowds in the back of a 1958 Lincoln Continental, featuring an Australian flag mounted on the bonnet. Following the event, she noted through the press that she had hoped to earn recognition for the country that adopted her family, feeling she had finally returned some appreciation to her home.

A Quiet Later Life

After a brief period working as a promotional representative for Qantas, she stepped away from public life. She had an early, heavily publicised relationship with former Channel 7 rugby league commentator Barry Ross. In March 1963, she married Perth businessman Peter Young and relocated to Western Australia. The couple had one daughter, Nina Young, who later became an actress. Even though she spent her later years quietly on the west coast, her story and her famous yellow dress remain a proud piece of local history for the beaches she once called home.

Published Date 12-August-2026

Photo Credit: Airline Secrets Exposed/ Facebook

Manly Wharf Collision Prompts E-Bike Safety Concerns

Photo Credit: NSW Police/Facebook

A Manly Wharf collision involving a 26-year-old pedestrian and an electric bike has prompted local concern about high-powered bikes in busy public areas after the rider reportedly left the scene.

Shortly before 9:30pm on Sunday, 19 July, NSW Police and NSW Ambulance were called to East Esplanade, outside Manly Wharf, following reports that a pedestrian had been knocked down by an electric bike.

Security officers at the wharf provided first aid to the woman, who was found lying on the ground. She was accompanied by friends when the collision occurred.

Rider Leaves Bike Behind

The rider was reported to be a teenage male who left the area after the collision and abandoned the bike.

Paramedics assessed the woman for minor abrasions. Although she was shaken by the incident, she did not appear to have injuries requiring hospital treatment. She was treated at the scene and later continued her evening with her friends.

Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command made inquiries at the scene, spoke with the woman and those accompanying her, and seized the abandoned vehicle.

The vehicle appeared to be an electric dirt bike, possibly a Valtinsu M2, rather than a conventional pedal-assisted bicycle. The model cannot be registered for public use in NSW.

Manly Wharf Collision Draws Safety Concerns

Online responses to the Manly Wharf collision focused on pedestrian safety, the use of high-powered electric bikes by young riders and the responsibility of adults purchasing such vehicles for children.

Several commenters argued that the seized vehicle looked more like a motorcycle, motocross bike or electric dirt bike than an e-bike. Others called for safer alternatives for young riders and road-safety education before electric bikes are used around roads and pedestrian areas.

Concerns were also raised about riders travelling at speed, moving between roads and pedestrian spaces, and failing to follow traffic rules. Some responses questioned whether restrictions alone were effective, while others suggested basic safety training could help riders understand how to behave around pedestrians and other road users.

The comments represented individual reactions to the incident and did not establish how often similar collisions occur in Manly.

Police Review Wharf CCTV

Closed-circuit television footage from the wharf was understood to be under review as part of efforts to identify the rider.

Police confirmed that an investigation was under way and appealed for anyone with information, mobile-phone footage or dashcam recordings to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

No arrest or charge had been confirmed.

Published 23-July-2026

Louis Tikaram Returns To Sydney With Stanley At Manly Wharf

Photo Credit: Stanley at Manly Wharf/Instagram

The water has followed chef Louis Tikaram throughout much of his life and career, from his upbringing on the NSW North Coast to Stanley’s riverside home in Brisbane. In September, that connection will bring him back to Sydney with a new 212-seat restaurant at Manly Wharf.

The opening will mark a return to the city where Tikaram spent 10 years developing as a chef. After arriving in Sydney as a young apprentice, he worked in the kitchens of Longrain, Bentley Restaurant + Bar and Tetsuya’s.

His return will place him beside the harbour at a venue shaped around Stanley’s Cantonese cooking, shared dining format and focus on Australian produce.

Stanley Restaurant — *Photo Credit: Stanley*

A Coastal Connection Leads To Manly Wharf

Tikaram grew up on the NSW North Coast, with surfing, fishing and time around the ocean forming part of his early life. Manly’s relationship with the water made the wharf a natural setting for Stanley’s first Sydney restaurant.

The chef also plans to reconnect with producers and suppliers across the city as the new menu takes shape. Australian seafood, meat and seasonal produce will be prepared using Cantonese cooking traditions, continuing the approach established at Stanley’s Brisbane venue.

The restaurant’s name and concept draw inspiration from Stanley Bay in Hong Kong, another dining precinct closely associated with the waterfront.

Louis Tikaram — *Photo Credit: Stanley at Manly Wharf/Instagram*

Cantonese Dining Designed For The Harbour

The Manly restaurant will accommodate 212 diners across indoor and outdoor areas. It will also include a private dining room, dedicated bar, live seafood tanks and a custom-built duck oven.

Tableside Peking duck service will carry across from Brisbane, while live mud crab, Australian seafood and a dedicated wine program will form part of the Manly offering.

Meals will be designed for sharing, reflecting Stanley’s family-style approach. Its wider philosophy centres on food, friends, fishermen and farmers, with locally sourced produce used where possible alongside traditional Cantonese flavours.

Rather than reproducing the Brisbane restaurant without change, the Manly venue will adapt the concept to its Sydney Harbour location.

Stanley’s Journey From Brisbane

The original Stanley opened at Howard Smith Wharves in 2019, operating beneath Brisbane’s Story Bridge. It developed its menu around shared Cantonese dishes, Australian seafood and tableside Peking duck.

Its move into Sydney is being led by Artemus Group, the hospitality company behind Howard Smith Wharves and the continuing revitalisation of Manly Wharf. The restaurant will join the group’s expanding collection of venues at the wharf.

Stanley will operate from East Esplanade at Manly Wharf, with bookings already open ahead of its scheduled September 2026 launch.

When the doors open, Tikaram will be back beside the water in Sydney, this time leading his own Cantonese restaurant at the wharf.

Published 23-July-2026

Stanley Cantonese Restaurant Coming to Manly Wharf in September

The waterfront dining scene at Manly Wharf is about to get a significant shake-up, with Stanley — the acclaimed Cantonese restaurant that has been a fixture at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves since 2019 — confirmed to open at Manly Wharf in September. Bookings are already open.

For many locals, the news will land as welcome relief. Queen Chow, the Cantonese restaurant that had become a Manly waterfront favourite, closed its doors after seven years of service as part of the broader redevelopment of the precinct under new ownership. The closure came amid major changes at Manly Wharf following Brisbane-based Artemus Group’s acquisition of the precinct’s long-term lease in mid-2023. Stanley will now fill that gap — and the group behind it has big ambitions for what they’re bringing to the harbour.

At the helm is chef Louis Tikaram, who grew up on a farm in Mullumbimby, on the north coast of New South Wales, before moving to Sydney to pursue a career in cooking. He served as an apprentice at Longrain under chef Martin Boetz, then worked at Bentley Restaurant + Bar and later Tetsuya’s. He subsequently led the celebrated EP & LP in West Hollywood before returning to Australia to launch Stanley in Brisbane — a restaurant that has become regarded as Brisbane’s top Chinese fine-diner, with the kitchen known for its roasted meats, live seafood and dim sum.

The Manly iteration won’t simply be a carbon copy of its Brisbane sibling, though. One of the standout features of the Sydney venue will be a custom-built woodfired oven specifically designed for roasting Peking duck — a step up from Brisbane’s setup. According to Tikaram, the oven runs at around 500 degrees, is built into the restaurant, and the ducks will have been five days in preparation before they reach the table, where they’ll be carved tableside. It’s a theatrical touch that should make an impression on the harbour.

The kitchen will also feature at least three seafood tanks positioned between the kitchen and the dining room — a nod to classic Cantonese-style restaurants — stocked with pippies, lobster, abalone, blue swimmer crabs and more. Tikaram has spoken publicly about his enthusiasm for getting back into NSW seafood, including South Coast oysters and tuna from Ulladulla, ingredients that aren’t as readily available to him in Queensland.

The broader menu will follow the Stanley formula locals may know from Brisbane: roasted meats, stir-fries, dumplings and noodles, alongside some dishes not previously seen at the original venue. The restaurant takes its name from Hong Kong’s Stanley Bay and draws on Tikaram’s Chinese and Fijian heritage, combining traditional Cantonese-style cooking with locally sourced produce.

Artemus has already begun reshaping Manly Wharf, with the historic Wharf Bar now rebranded as Felons Brewing Co., which arrived here in 2024 — the same brand that operates at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane. Stanley’s opening will continue that transformation of the precinct.

One thing clearly on Tikaram’s mind is making sure Manly locals feel the love, not just summer tourists. Having grown up in the Northern Rivers, he’s well aware that seasonal visitor traffic alone won’t sustain a restaurant through winter — it’s the regulars who matter. He’s spoken about ideas in the works to ensure that when the wharf is busy over summer, residents will still be able to secure tables.

Stanley opens at Manly Wharf in September. Bookings are open now at stanleyrestaurant.com.au.

Published 21-July-2026

Research Sheds New Light On 1789 Smallpox Outbreak Linked To Sydney Harbour And Manly’s Early History

For today’s visitors, Manly is known for its beaches, ferry rides, and coastal walks. More than two centuries ago, however, the shoreline around North Head became part of the 1789 smallpox epidemic that devastated Aboriginal communities around Sydney Harbour.

Read: Manly’s Historic Kangaroo Returns With Head And Ears Restored

Historical records described British colonists encountering Aboriginal people suffering from smallpox in the area during 1789, while a new scientific study suggests the epidemic may have claimed between 40,000 and 220,000 Indigenous lives across affected parts of south-eastern Australia.

The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, combines historical evidence with mathematical modelling to examine how the disease spread after the arrival of the First Fleet. While the findings focus on the broader epidemic, they also draw renewed attention to the experiences of the Eora people whose Country includes present day Manly and Sydney Harbour.

Manly’s Place In The 1789 Epidemic

View of the Heads, at the entrance into Port Jackson by Joseph Lycett (Photo credit: National Museum of Australia)

The connection between Manly and the epidemic is documented in some of the earliest colonial records.

On New Year’s Eve in 1788, British marines travelled to Manly Cove and captured Arabanoo, a Cammeray man, after luring Aboriginal people with gifts. He became the first Aboriginal person known to have lived among the British settlement and later played an important role as relations between the two groups evolved.

Several months later, smallpox began spreading through Aboriginal communities around Port Jackson.

Historical accounts describe Arabanoo accompanying British officials around the harbour after news of the outbreak emerged. According to early records, they found many people had died from the disease. Arabanoo recognised the devastating loss among his own people before helping care for surviving children who had contracted the illness. He later became infected himself and died in May 1789.

Other contemporary accounts describe British parties travelling around Manly, North Head and neighbouring parts of Sydney Harbour where they encountered abandoned camps and the bodies of people who had died during the epidemic. Bennelong later told Governor Arthur Phillip that around half of the local Aboriginal population had died.

New Modelling Examines The Epidemic’s Scale

Patient with smallpox at North Head Quarantine Station, Sydney (Photo credit: National Museum of Australia)

The new study, led by researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, hosted by James Cook University, sought to answer longstanding questions about how far the epidemic spread and where it most likely began.

Rather than relying solely on historical accounts, the researchers modelled the movement of people between Aboriginal communities using known travel routes, trade connections and patterns of social interaction alongside established knowledge of smallpox transmission.

Their analysis concluded that the disease was highly unlikely to have travelled from northern Australia through Makassan trading networks in time to cause the Sydney outbreak in 1789. Instead, the modelling found the evidence is most consistent with an origin linked to the British colony established by the First Fleet.

The researchers estimated that between 40,000 and 220,000 Indigenous Australians may have died across affected regions, depending on the mortality rate used in the modelling. They also found the epidemic likely spread rapidly through coastal areas and major river systems in south-eastern Australia, although it did not reach every part of the continent.

Importantly, the authors note the modelling identifies the most likely origin based on disease transmission patterns. It does not determine exactly how the virus first entered Aboriginal communities, an issue that historians continue to debate.

Read: WWI Soldiers Honoured with Official War Grave Headstones at North Head Sanctuary

A Legacy That Continues To Be Studied

The researchers say the epidemic had consequences extending far beyond the immediate loss of life. They argued that widespread deaths disrupted families, knowledge systems and cultural practices, while weakening the ability of many communities to care for Country and resist the impacts of colonisation. ‘

At the same time, First Nations collaborators involved in the project emphasised that Aboriginal communities in Sydney were not wiped out. Historical records show people returned to fishing, living around the harbour and maintaining their cultural traditions despite the devastation, with Dharawal and other Aboriginal communities continuing those connections today.

For Manly, the study provides new scientific analysis of events already documented in the area’s early colonial history. The beaches and headlands that attract visitors today were also places where some of the earliest documented encounters between colonists and Aboriginal people unfolded during one of the most significant public health disasters in Australia’s colonial past.

Published 13-July-2026

Manly Speakeasy The Cumberland Hits the Market

Photo Credit: Belle Property Commercial

The property housing The Cumberland — the Manly speakeasy bar tucked beneath a European-style deli on Central Avenue — has been listed for sale with a price guide of $1.95 million, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of the suburb’s after-dark character.

From the street, 1/17-19 Central Ave looks every bit the charming neighbourhood deli. Mosaic tiles, bespoke joinery, antique-style handles and custom European fittings make up the fitout of Cove Deli, which serves light bites for drinkers heading downstairs. But the real draw is what lies beyond an antique fridge door in the corner — a spiral staircase that descends into The Cumberland, a candlelit underground bar that has earned a devoted following since opening.

Time Out Sydney has described the venue as transporting visitors into the atmosphere of New York City in the 1920s, praising its cocktails, bartenders and ambience. The bar was named Australia’s Small Bar of the Year at the Australian Bar Awards in 2021.

Named after the Parish of Manly Cove in the County of Cumberland, the bar serves more than 250 whiskies alongside natural wine, craft beer and a themed cocktail menu that spans prohibition-era classics and locally inspired tipples. The interiors draw on reclaimed timber, antique brass and copper, marble benchtops and hand-carved sandstone — every detail considered, right down to the aged finishes on the render.

Selling agent James Willing of Belle Property Commercial Northern Beaches describes the venue as unlike anything else on the Northern Beaches. Walk in off the street, he says, and you genuinely don’t quite know what you’re looking at — until you step through the fridge door.

What’s actually on offer is a 114 square metre floor space and shopfront, with The Cumberland operating under a five-year lease that includes an option to extend until 2035. The net income is $152,665 plus GST, representing a net return of 7.8 per cent. Willing says the listing would appeal to a private investor or anyone looking for something genuinely out of the ordinary.

The property’s location adds to its appeal. Central Avenue is just steps from Manly Beach and The Corso, with a major car park nearby — handy for anyone running a hospitality venue.

The timing of the listing coincides with significant momentum around Manly’s night-time economy. Northern Beaches Council has proposed amendments to the Manly Local Environmental Plan 2013 to pave the way for an 18-month Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) trial, scheduled to begin in Spring 2026. The proposed trial aims to make Manly a more vibrant destination by encouraging more businesses to stay open after dark and introducing maximum sound controls. Under the proposal, indoor venues could trade until midnight on weeknights and until 2am on weekends.

For a venue like The Cumberland — already thriving in the very heart of what will be the proposed precinct — that broader shift could only mean good things.

A “speakeasy,” for those unfamiliar with the term, is a hidden bar with roots in 1920s America, when Prohibition made alcohol illegal and patrons had to keep their voices down at the door to avoid drawing unwanted attention. The Cumberland has leaned into that history with everything from its entrance to its cocktail list — the themed menus take their cues from the history of the County of Cumberland, with sections dedicated to locally foraged ingredients, pre-Temperance Movement favourites and 19th-century county tipples from Sydney and surrounds.

For locals who’ve spent years guarding this particular secret, the news that the building is for sale may raise questions about what comes next. For now, The Cumberland’s lease remains in place, and the bar — fridge door and all — stays open.

Published 8-July-2026

Four Manly Sushi Shops Have Swapped Plastic Soy Sauce Fish for a Compostable Alternative

Heliograf

Four Manly sushi restaurants have stopped handing out plastic soy sauce fish with takeaway orders, replacing them with a compostable alternative made from sugarcane pulp — the first coordinated precinct-wide move of its kind in New South Wales.

The campaign is called Soy Long to Plastic Soy Fish, and it launched on 1 July as part of Plastic Free July, the global movement encouraging communities to cut single-use plastic waste throughout the month.

A tiny plastic fish with a big environmental footprint

The fish-shaped soy sauce dropper — known in Japan as Shoyu tai, or Soy Bream — was invented in the 1950s and has since become one of the most recognisable pieces of food packaging in the world.

Heliograf estimates that between 8 and 12 billion have been used since their invention.

Because they are too small to be captured by standard recycling systems, virtually all of them end up in landfill, on footpaths or in the ocean. There they break down into microplastics, entering the food chain and harming marine and birdlife.

Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches program manager Jude Furniss said the little fish were a constant presence at beach cleans. “They’re a perfect example of unnecessary single-use plastic,” Furniss said. “By working with local retailers to remove them at the source, we’re preventing thousands of pieces of microplastic pollution before they ever reach the ocean.”

Manly Beach sees an estimated 10,000 plastic soy fish used each week across its food outlets, many blowing away and washing into storm drains before they ever make it to a bin.

The compostable alternative

The four participating Manly outlets — Sushi Hub, Rice and Nori, Sushi Plus and Get Sashimi Manly — are now using Holy Carp!, designed by Sydney studio Heliograf in collaboration with Vert Design.

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Each dropper is made from bagasse pulp, the fibrous residue left after sugarcane is processed for sugar, combined with a food-safe wax that eliminates the need for any internal plastic or PFAS-based lining.

Unlike plastic soy fish, which are factory-filled and shipped from overseas, Holy Carp! droppers are filled fresh in-store. Each holds up to 12ml of sauce with internal fill lines for a half or full serve, stays leak-resistant for 48 hours, and breaks down in a home compost bin within a few weeks.

Heliograf co-founder Angus Ware said the design goal was not to replace the soy fish but to evolve it. “Holy Carp was created to solve a problem hiding in plain sight. Those tiny plastic soy fish are used for seconds but pollute our environment for decades,” Ware said. “Manly’s retailers are proving that better design and better choices can make a huge difference.”

Driving the change

The Manly campaign follows South Australia’s decision in September 2025 to become the first Australian state to ban plastic soy sauce fish outright. NSW has indicated it will phase them out by 2030, but the Manly businesses chose not to wait.

Seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley, who is an ambassador for the initiative, said protecting the beaches starts with everyday choices. “We can’t afford to wait until 2030 to do the right thing,” Beachley said.

Sushi Hub franchisee Elaine Lou said she was proud to operate at Manly Wharf and work toward keeping plastic waste out of the ocean. Kim, the owner of Sushi Plus, said the campaign was an opportunity to shift customer habits around single-use packaging.

Heliograf has funded the removal of more than 32 tonnes of plastic through its Light Soy lamp project since 2020, with each lamp sold contributing to ocean cleanups. More information on Holy Carp! is available here.

Published 7-July-2026

WWI Soldiers Honoured with Official War Grave Headstones at North Head Sanctuary

Tucked within the historic grounds of North Head Sanctuary in Manly, a long-overlooked chapter of Australia’s First World War history has been brought back into public view, with 14 soldiers and one sailor now officially commemorated through official Commonwealth war grave headstones.

Read: North Head Volunteers Rebuild Colonial-Era Gun Carriage in Manly

The newly recognised graves are located in the Third Quarantine Cemetery, where military personnel who died during the influenza pandemic of 1918 to 1920 were buried after arriving at the nearby North Head Quarantine Station. Their recognition follows extensive historical research undertaken by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and its volunteers, with the Office of Australian War Graves later confirming the veterans met the eligibility criteria for official commemoration.

The project revealed that more veterans were buried at the heritage-listed cemetery than previously understood. Many of the servicemen had embarked as reinforcements for the First World War aboard a military convoy that departed Australia on 2 November 1918. Before they reached Europe, the Armistice ended the conflict on 11 November and the convoy was ordered home.

After returning to Sydney, the soldiers entered quarantine at North Head, where many contracted the Spanish flu that swept across the world between 1918 and 1920. Most of the 14 soldiers died within two weeks of arriving back in Sydney, with three privates dying on the same day, 25 November 1918.

Among those commemorated is Sapper James Shaw, who had been discharged from the Australian Army in 1918 before taking up work at the North Head Quarantine Station. He later contracted influenza and died in April 1919.

Because of fears that the disease could spread, those who died were buried quickly. Their graves were originally marked with simple wooden stakes, but these deteriorated over time, leaving many burial sites difficult to identify within the now overgrown cemetery.

Research by the Harbour Trust’s heritage team helped identify the veterans and locate many of their burial sites, allowing the Office of Australian War Graves to confirm they met the eligibility criteria for Commonwealth war dead. As a result, the burial sites have been marked with hand-cut white marble headstones made from marble quarried at Chillagoe in northern Queensland.

Photo credit: Google Maps/Jacinta Collier

Where an exact burial location could not be confirmed, the headstones have been inscribed with the words “Buried near this spot” to acknowledge the approximate resting place while ensuring the individuals are permanently commemorated.

The new memorials join the existing official war graves of Private Hector Hicks, Nurse Annie Egan and Nurse Elizabeth McGregor, whose deaths had already been recognised as being connected with their wartime service.

Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Executive Director Janet Carding said recognising the veterans, including Sapper James Shaw, was an important way of honouring their service. She said the new headstones would help connect visitors and the wider community with North Head’s military history.

Office of Australian War Graves Director, retired Major General Wade Stothart, said the organisation’s role is to commemorate Australia’s war dead in perpetuity. He said reinstating the headstones ensures the service and sacrifice of the veterans will continue to be recognised.

The Third Quarantine Cemetery is open to the public throughout the year. Harbour Trust volunteers also conduct monthly tours of the cemetery.

Read: North Manly Police Pursuit Ends In St Ives Crash With Driver Charged

The servicemen newly commemorated are Private A. E. Brown, Private J. M. Cahill, Private P. Chirvin, Petty Officer A. Davies, Private P. G. Edwards, Private R. Fairley, Lance Corporal W. H. MacCroanan, Private H. McKay, Private F. T. Morgan, Private J. H. Petherick, Private G. W. Ridley, Sapper James Shaw, Staff Sergeant J. Stock and Private T. J. Treacy.

Published 30-June-2026

Wesley Heights Manly Refurbishment Plan Draws Resident Concern

Photo Credit: Uniting Wesley Heights Manly

Residents at Wesley Heights Manly have raised concerns over a lodged $8.25 million development application that would reconfigure the Village Tower on Birkley Road from mainly studio accommodation into 48 one-bedroom independent living units.

Wesley Heights Manly DA remains under assessment

The development application, DA2026/0652, applies to 27–47 Birkley Road, Manly. It was submitted on 27 May 2026 and remains under assessment.

The application is described as alterations and additions to seniors housing, with a listed cost of works of $8,254,471. The exhibition period ran from 4 June 2026 to 18 June 2026.

The proposal involves an internal refurbishment of the Wesley Heights Village Tower, part of Uniting Wesley Heights Manly. The building currently includes 81 studio units, five one-bedroom units, guest rooms and small common rooms.

Under the proposal, the tower would be reconfigured to provide 48 one-bedroom independent living units.

Uniting has said the change is intended to respond to demand for one-bedroom accommodation, improve accessibility for less mobile residents and raise the general standard of accommodation.

Manly seniors housing — *Photo Credit: Uniting Wesley Heights Manly*

Residents Question Staged Construction

Residents have raised concerns about how the work would affect people still living in the tower.

Uniting has said the work would be carried out in stages over several years, with upgrades occurring gradually as units become vacant.

Residents said they were told the process could take 10, 20 or even 30 years, depending on vacancies in the building. Some have expressed concern about prolonged noise, dust and construction activity inside an occupied seniors housing tower.

Uniting has said residents would not be forced to leave their homes to allow the works to proceed, although some may choose to move to other units within the building.

That assurance addressed one immediate concern for residents, but questions remain among some residents about how the staged works would be managed over time.

*Photo Credit: Uniting Wesley Heights Manly*

Notice Prompted Concern at Manly Tower

A notice for alterations and renovations was placed at the property on 4 June 2026.

Residents said the notice did not initially appear unusual because renovation work had regularly occurred in the building when individual rooms became vacant. Concern increased after residents checked the application details and found the proposal involved a wider internal reconfiguration of the tower.

Several residents said they had not received formal advice about the proposal before the development application was lodged.

Uniting has acknowledged that formal advice was not issued before lodgement, despite informal conversations in previous years between some residents and a former village manager.

A residents’ meeting was held on 16 June 2026. A further meeting on 24 June 2026 confirmed residents would not be required to move out of their homes to facilitate the proposed works.

Application Limited to Village Tower

At last count, 31 submissions had been received in relation to the application.

The current proposal is limited to the Village Tower on Birkley Road. Uniting has said there are no plans in place to redevelop the entire Wesley Heights Manly site.

Wesley Heights Manly is part of Uniting’s aged care and retirement living presence on Birkley Road, with residential aged care services also operating at the Manly site.

The development application remains under assessment.

Published 30-June-2026