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Manly Jazz 2026 Brings the Corso Back to Life

Manly Jazz 2026 is back, and Manly is about to find its rhythm again. From 18 to 20 September, Australia’s longest-running jazz festival will spread across more than 95 acts, four stages and 12-plus official venues in and around the village.

It is a big weekend, but it still feels local. That is the appeal. You can hear music on the street, in pubs, in a gallery and inside community spaces. Then, before you know it, you are moving with the crowd from one set to the next.

The Corso sets the pace

Bucketty’s Jazz Garden will again bring music, food and drinks to The Corso. It starts on Friday night and runs right through the weekend. That gives the festival a clear social hub and an easy place to settle in.

Elsewhere, the official venues add their own character. The Ivanhoe Hotel and Hotel Steyne will both run live entertainment across the weekend. Donny’s Bar will keep things loose with jazz-forward acoustic sets. Henry G’s Wine Parlour will feature a pianist each night, while Manly Library will host an open mic night on Friday.

Manly Art Gallery & Museum will also play its part. On Saturday night, it will host a ticketed double bill with the Hilary Geddes Quartet and Murmurations. That show brings two strong Sydney jazz voices into one room.

Community stages keep the festival grounded

The festival is not only about bars and late-night sets. St Matthews Manly will showcase school and community bands on Saturday. That keeps the program connected to the next generation of players.

Then Sunday shifts into gospel jazz. Manly Presbyterian Church will host its service in the morning, while St Matthews will hold services at 10am and 5.30pm. It is a familiar part of the festival now, and it gives the weekend a strong community edge.

There is also plenty happening in between. The official venues stretch the music across Manly, so you do not need to stay in one spot for long. That loose, wandering feel is part of what makes the event work.

A few practical bits for the weekend

The festival is free and non-ticketed. You can bring food and non-alcoholic drinks, too. Just note that it is a glass-free event.

Dogs and pets are allowed across the site, but they must stay on a lead. They are not permitted in Bucketty’s Jazz Garden. Assistance animals are welcome.

Parking will be limited at busy times, and a road closure will be in place along North and South Steyne, from Raglan Street to Wentworth Street, from 4pm on Friday 18 September until 11.59pm on Sunday 20 September. Water stations will also be available, and prams are welcome in the Manly CBD event area.

In the end, Manly Jazz 2026 looks set to do what it always does best. It gives Manly a weekend soundtrack, pulls people out onto the streets and turns the town into a place worth lingering in.

Published 8-September-2026

Manly Beach Clean-Up Keeps South Steyne Locals Involved and Visible

Photo Credit: FB/Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches

Manly is a beach suburb with a strong public face. People pass through all day, every day. That is why the Manly Beach clean-up keeps making sense at 11 South Steyne, on the grass reserve opposite Manly Grill.

Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches is continuing its Adopt a Beach program there. The aim is practical. Pick up litter. Cut down on pollution. Keep one of Sydney’s busiest beaches looking its best.

The Manly Beach clean-up works because it sits right in the middle of real daily life. People already use the foreshore for swimming, walking, coffee and people-watching. Now they can also use it to do something useful.

The rhythm of a good local event

The clean-ups are still happening on the first Sunday of each month through December 2026, from 3pm to 4pm. That rhythm suits Manly well. It is regular, brief and easy to join without making a whole production of it.

Photo Credit: FB/Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches

That also helps the event feel like part of the suburb’s routine. It is not an unusual ask. It is just a good one. A bit of time from a lot of people can keep a well-loved beach in better shape.

Surfrider’s local business partners support a social gathering after the clean-up too. That matters in Manly, where community energy often grows from casual meet-ups and quick chats. A clean beach and a friendly catch-up make a good pair.

A bigger coast, one suburb at a time

The Manly Beach clean-up is part of a line of events running from Palm Beach to Manly. That bigger scope gives the local effort some extra weight. It is not just about a single foreshore. It is about the whole northern coastline.

For updates, Surfrider Northern Beaches is posting on Instagram. On event days, look for the Surfrider Adopt a Beach teardrop banners on beachfront reserves.

Manly is used to being the face of the beach. The Manly Beach clean-up gives locals another way to make sure that face stays welcoming.

Published 7-September-2026

Manly Snorkel Tour Brings Cabbage Tree Bay’s Underwater World to Life

Photo Credit: Ecotreasures

Local eco-tour operator EcoTreasures is running regular snorkel and nature walk experiences at Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve through to early 2027, giving residents and visitors alike a chance to get up close with one of Sydney’s most celebrated marine environments — right on the doorstep.

The two-and-a-half-hour experience combines a guided nature walk along the Shelly Beach headland with an hour of snorkelling in the reserve itself. All equipment is provided, including wetsuits, flippers, and foam noodles for those who want a little extra support in the water. Tours run with a maximum of eight participants, keeping things genuinely personal rather than the kind of crowded group experience that can take the shine off a morning outdoors.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve was declared a no-take zone in 2002 to protect its marine life for future generations, and is now regarded as one of the most popular spots for snorkelling and diving in the Sydney region. More than 160 species of fish have been recorded within the reserve, ranging from common temperate species through to tropical fish carried south on the East Australian Current. Snorkellers regularly encounter blue groper, giant cuttlefish, wobbegong sharks, and a resident green turtle, as well as protected species including weedy seadragons and elegant wrasse.

The reserve stretches approximately 20 hectares, from the southern end of Manly Beach across the rocky shores and beaches to the northern end of Shelly Beach. Habitats vary considerably across the reserve, from areas directly exposed to ocean swell to the sheltered, west-facing bay waters — making for a surprisingly diverse underwater landscape even within a relatively compact area.

EcoTreasures has been running tours at this location for more than 15 years. The operator holds Advanced Ecotourism Certification from Ecotourism Australia and is described as the only Manly snorkel tour operator with this accreditation. The business was founded by a Northern Beaches local with a background in environmental studies, and the team’s focus is on blending conservation with genuine guest enjoyment.

The nature walk component takes in the Shelly Beach headland, offering sweeping views along the Northern Beaches coastline — not a bad way to round out a morning. Closed-toe shoes are recommended for the walk, and participants should bring their own swimwear, sunscreen, hat, and towel. The tour is suitable for beginners and more experienced snorkellers, though all participants do need to be able to swim 150 metres unassisted and tread water independently. It is not recommended for pregnant travellers, non-swimmers, or those with significant cardiovascular health concerns.

Tours depart from 5 Marine Parade, Manly, and public transport options are available nearby. Upcoming dates include Tuesday 8 September, Thursday 10 September, and Saturday 19 September, with sessions continuing regularly through to late January 2027. Tickets are available through Fever, with smartphone ticketing and instant access provided on booking.

Published 6-September-2026

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