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Manly’s Little Penguins Set For H5 Bird Flu Vaccination

Photo Credit: Beat Akeret/Australian Museum/CC BY-NC 4.0

Manly’s endangered Little Penguin colony is set to receive H5 bird flu vaccinations, bringing a new measure into the ongoing local effort to protect the small mainland population.

New Protection For Manly’s Little Penguins

For the volunteer wardens who patrol Manly’s penguin breeding areas at night, protecting the colony is already a seasonal routine. The birds are monitored as they return to their burrows, breed and eventually moult and leave.

Vaccination against H5 avian influenza is now being added to those conservation efforts.

Wild Little Penguins at Manly Point have been included in a targeted vaccination program for vulnerable birds, with Taronga Conservation Society Australia working with wildlife authorities to vaccinate and monitor the population.

The vaccine requires two doses given three to four weeks apart. Taronga has already begun vaccinating trial groups of Little Penguins and other vulnerable bird species as part of the wider program.

H5 avian influenza — *Photo Credit: Pexels*

A Colony With Just 15 Breeding Pairs

Manly is home to the only breeding colony of Little Penguins on the NSW mainland, giving the vaccination program particular local relevance.

The population was listed as endangered in 2002 and remains small. Monitoring during the 2025–26 breeding season recorded just 15 breeding pairs and 30 fledglings. The previous season also recorded 15 breeding pairs, along with 29 fledglings.

Known nests and burrows are checked between July and January, with active nests, breeding pairs, eggs and fledglings monitored as part of the colony’s ongoing management.

The birds also face other pressures around their habitat, including foxes, cats and dogs, boats, pollution, human disturbance, disease and habitat impacts.

Manly Little Penguins — *Photo Credit: Cristian Valls/Australian Museum/CC BY-SA 4.0*

Local Monitoring Continues

Volunteer penguin wardens remain part of the effort, patrolling breeding areas each night from the beginning of the season until the birds complete their moult.

Northern Beaches Council has also been preparing for possible H5 bird flu impacts by identifying high-risk biodiversity areas, developing response procedures and establishing reporting arrangements.

Vaccination is being used alongside existing surveillance, biosecurity, preparedness and conservation measures rather than as a standalone response.

Residents who encounter sick or dead birds or other wildlife are advised not to touch them and to keep pets away. Suspected cases can be reported to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Published 1-September-2026

Manly Death Inquiry Seeks Information On Brett Whittaker’s Movements

Photo Credit: NSW Police/Facebook

Police are appealing for information in the Manly death inquiry into Brett Whittaker’s movements before he was found unresponsive, as detectives work to clarify the circumstances surrounding the 54-year-old Narrabeen man’s death.

The public appeal was issued on Saturday, 29 August 2026. Emergency services had been called to a home on Cove Avenue, Manly, about 6:20am on Thursday, 11 June, after Whittaker was reported unresponsive.

NSW Ambulance paramedics provided assistance but were unable to revive him. Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command began inquiries and confirmed his identity.

Police have said the death is not being treated as suspicious. Detectives are continuing to establish what occurred before Whittaker was discovered and are preparing a report for the NSW Coroner.

Manly Death Inquiry Focuses On Early-Morning Movements

Police have information that several people were with Whittaker in the unit on Wednesday, 10 June. Investigators have also confirmed that he was alive at 2:30am the following morning.

The Manly death inquiry is focused on the period between 2:30am and about 6:30am, when police say his body was found. Detectives are seeking information about where he was, who he was with and how long he had been at the location before emergency personnel arrived.

Police have also confirmed that calls were made from the location to other people. Investigators hope those contacted may be able to help clarify how Whittaker came to be alone and unwell during the early hours.

Family Joins Appeal For Information

Whittaker’s twin sister, Janine Colless, has joined the appeal. She described him as a Narrabeen local who was cared for by many, took pride in his painting business and was generous towards others.

She also recalled his playful streak and his attachment to his van, including the coffin he would secure to its roof. Whittaker had been anticipating becoming a grandfather, and his sister has asked for information that could help police understand what happened.

Anyone with information about Whittaker’s death or his movements before he was found can contact Manly Police Station on 02 9976 8099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information given to Crime Stoppers is managed confidentially, and police have asked that information not be reported through NSW Police social media pages.

Published 31-August-2026

New Police Recruits Arrive as Manly Town Centre Sees Theft, Disorder and Assault Reports

Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Police Command/Facebook

New probationary constables have joined Northern Beaches Police Area Command, adding frontline officers to the command responsible for policing Manly and surrounding suburbs.

Ten officers from NSW Police Class 369 were allocated to Northern Beaches Police Area Command after attesting at the NSW Police Academy in Goulburn on Friday, 21 August. The recruits began duties at police stations across NSW on Monday, 24 August.

Class 369 comprised 353 probationary constables, making it the largest NSW Police graduating class in 14 years. The new officers will complete 12 months of on-the-job training and distance education before being confirmed to the rank of constable.

Manly remains a key base for local policing

Manly Police Station forms part of Northern Beaches Police Area Command, which also covers Dee Why, Frenchs Forest, Mona Vale and surrounding suburbs.

Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby welcomed the latest recruits in a statement on 27 August, citing concerns about anti-social behaviour, retail crime and threats faced by workers in local businesses and village centres. Scruby said residents wanted more police and referred to shoplifting, swarming and coordinated raids targeting bottle shops and retail areas.

Earlier this year, Manly MP James Griffin said he was raising residents’ concerns about anti-social behaviour with Northern Beaches Police Area Command, with discussions focused on local policing arrangements and community safety. The comments came as Manly continued to record police call-outs involving theft, disorder and assault around The Corso, East Esplanade and nearby streets.

Recent incidents centre on The Corso and East Esplanade

A separate July case involved the alleged assault and robbery of a 16-year-old girl at The Corso. Police charged three teenagers after the incident, which also allegedly involved an assault on a 30-year-old witness.

Northern Beaches Police Area Command also investigated a series of alleged break-ins across Manly, Manly Vale, Balgowlah and Seaforth between May and July. Police alleged 11 locations were broken into, with motorcycles, e-bikes, electronics and other property reported stolen. A 29-year-old man was later arrested and charged with 23 offences.

*Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Police Command/Facebook*

Recruits begin year-long operational training

The new probationary constables will spend their first 12 months completing operational training and further study while serving within NSW Police.

Of the 353 officers who graduated with Class 369, 67 were allocated across the North West Metropolitan Region, including 10 assigned to Northern Beaches Police Area Command. NSW Police did not publish individual station assignments for the recruits.

For Manly, the additional command-wide resources arrive against a backdrop of continued police activity in the town centre, particularly around The Corso, East Esplanade and surrounding streets.

Published 27-Aug-2026

Manly Rugby League History Faces the Shredder Without Urgent Fan Funding

A local sportswriter in Manly faces an all-or-nothing community funding deadline to publish an ambitious new book documenting eight decades of brutal rugby league clashes against Parramatta.

The Ticking Clock

Rugby League — *Photo Credit:* *Kickstarter*

Will eighty years of fierce sporting rivalry disappear into the archives forever? The answer depends entirely on local wallets. Author Matt Cleary has set a strict $12,000 crowdfunding target to print his manuscript, which dives deep into the bitter turf war between the two famous clubs. The catch is absolute. If the financial goal is not met by August 28, the entire project will be scrapped.

This looming deadline has transformed a simple publishing effort into an urgent rescue mission for local sporting lore, tracing all the way back to the clubs’ very first clash at Brookvale Oval in 1947.

Crossing Enemy Lines

Loyalty in rugby league is a complicated business. Cleary plans to highlight the daring men who crossed enemy lines to play for both sides, capturing the raw tension of those controversial career moves. Star athletes including Anthony Watmough, Jamie Lyon, and Clint Gutherson are scheduled to share their personal accounts of wearing both jerseys throughout their careers.

These unique perspectives will sit alongside memories from club stalwarts like Paul Vautin and Steve Menzies. Rather than just listing dry match statistics, the author aims to record the gritty reality of life on the field and the deep divide between the two passionate fan bases.

Buying a Piece of the Action

Getting involved means securing a literal piece of the action before time runs out. Financial backers can pre-purchase the publication directly through the Kickstarter platform, guaranteeing their own name is printed in the final acknowledgements.

Top-tier contributors are even promised an exclusive dinner with former stars, alongside premium merchandise like locally designed shirts and hoodies. The publication, named after a famous 1984 Tooheys television commercial celebrating the clash, relies completely on grassroots support. Fans now have just days to ensure this rich history actually makes it onto the bookshelf.

Published Date 26-August-2026

Photo Credit: Kickstarter

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

Rundown Manly Worker’s Cottage Draws Interest Ahead of Auction

Photo Credit: Bergelin Property

A humble worker’s cottage on Stuart Street, Manly — one of the last surviving homes built for employees of the Manly Gas Company more than a century ago — is heading to auction on 22 August with a $6 million price guide, and agent Laura Pritchard says it’s generated more enquiry than almost anything she’s listed in the past year.

The three-bedroom weatherboard cottage at 27 Stuart Street was originally constructed in the late 19th or early 20th century, part of a small cluster of worker’s cottages built along Wood Street and Stuart Street to house Gas Company employees. The gas works itself closed in 1964 and was demolished in 1971, but the modest homes it left behind have sat increasingly surrounded by some of Manly’s most expensive real estate.

The property last changed hands in 1968 for $12,000. In the 1970s, the original weatherboard facade was covered with brick veneer — a popular modernisation of the era. It has been vacant for three years.

Inside, the home is largely unchanged from decades past. The kitchen is basic, the bathroom doubles as a laundry, and the walls show their age. There’s no garage. But what the cottage lacks in polish it makes up for in position: the 366-square-metre near-level block sits just 140 metres from Little Manly Beach, with a deep northeast-facing rear garden.

Philip Speer, 70, grew up in the house and recalls his father’s decision to add the brick cladding. His mother Margaret, who died last September, had been devoted to the home and to Manly — so much so that when his father won a land ballot for a free block in Allambie (on the condition a home was built within two years), she refused to leave. His father Joe died years before her.

Their three sons are now selling the property.

The surrounding street tells the story of how dramatically the area has changed. Number 35 Stuart Street sold for $15.25 million in 2019, and number 69 sold for $9 million as recently as June this year. Pritchard of Bergelin Property says the current listing is attracting interest from families, developers and investors alike.

The auction is scheduled for Saturday, 22 August.

Published 6-August-2026

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