Homepage Latest News Archives

Mosman House Turned Empty Rooms Into Safe Nights For Older Women

A vacant former retirement home in Mosman became more than an unused building awaiting its next purpose. Over five years, it was transformed into a place of safety for older women facing housing insecurity, delivering more than 25,000 safe nights and helping many residents move towards permanent housing.

A Mosman Building Given A New Purpose

Between 2020 and 2025, Mosman House turned an empty former retirement home into 18 transitional homes for women aged 50 and over.

The project supported 57 women during that period, using a Meanwhile Use housing model that allowed an unused property to provide short- to medium-term accommodation while longer-term plans for the site remained ahead.

It was a practical idea with a deeply human outcome. Rooms that may otherwise have sat empty instead became places where women could pause, regain stability and begin working towards a more secure future.

Mosman House was delivered through a partnership between Link Wentworth, Women’s Community Shelters and Twilight Aged Care, with support from corporate and philanthropic donors.

Safety, Stability And A Pathway Forward

The women who stayed at Mosman House ranged in age from 50 to 81, with an average age of 59. Many arrived after facing circumstances that made secure housing difficult to access.

Affordability pressures were the most common barrier, affecting 42 per cent of residents. Domestic and family violence accounted for 23 per cent, while financial hardship accounted for 20 per cent.

The project was designed to bridge the gap between crisis accommodation and permanent housing. It offered residents a stable place to stay while support was provided to help them work towards longer-term accommodation.

One former resident shared how Mosman House supported her after unexpected life events left her without stable housing. Her experience reflected the broader purpose of the project: not only to provide temporary shelter, but to give women a safer setting while they rebuilt their next steps.

More Than 25,000 Safe Nights In Mosman

Across five years, Mosman House delivered more than 25,000 safe nights for vulnerable older women.

The outcomes showed the strength of the model. Eighty-four per cent of women who stayed at Mosman House were offered safe, permanent housing after their time in the program.

The project also operated at $46.75 per bed night. That was lower than Women’s Community Shelters’ 2025 average crisis shelter bed night of $130 and the temporary accommodation sector average of $165 listed in the project material.

Beyond the housing figures, the project also created lasting social connections. Many residents remained in touch after leaving the program, showing how a safe housing setting can support connection as well as accommodation.

transitional housing — *Photo Credit: Link Wentworth/LinkedIn*

A Practical Model With A Human Result

Mosman House has since been presented as a case study in Meanwhile Use housing. Its success came from a simple but powerful idea: an empty property could be used to meet immediate housing need instead of remaining unused.

For the women who stayed there, the project offered safety during periods of instability. For the organisations behind it, Mosman House showed how vacant buildings can be temporarily adapted into meaningful accommodation while permanent housing options are pursued.

The result was not only measured in homes, costs or program figures. It was also seen in the thousands of nights where older women had a safe place to sleep, steady support around them, and a clearer path towards secure housing.

Published 13-May-2026

Mosman House Turned Empty Rooms Into Safe Nights For Older Women

Photo Credit: MosmanCouncil

A Mosman Building Given A New Purpose

Between 2020 and 2025, Mosman House turned an empty former retirement home into 18 transitional homes for women aged 50 and over.

Mosman House was delivered through a partnership between Link Wentworth, Women’s Community Shelters and Twilight Aged Care, with support from corporate and philanthropic donors.

Safety, Stability And A Pathway Forward

The women who stayed at Mosman House ranged in age from 50 to 81, with an average age of 59. Many arrived after facing circumstances that made secure housing difficult to access.

Affordability pressures were the most common barrier, affecting 42 per cent of residents. Domestic and family violence accounted for 23 per cent, while financial hardship accounted for 20 per cent.

older women housing — *Photo Credit: MosmanCouncil*

More Than 25,000 Safe Nights In Mosman

Across five years, Mosman House delivered more than 25,000 safe nights for vulnerable older women.

The outcomes showed the strength of the model. Eighty-four per cent of women who stayed at Mosman House were offered safe, permanent housing after their time in the program.

safe accommodation — *Photo Credit: MosmanCouncil*

A Practical Model With A Human Result

Published 7-May-2026

The Mosman Sailor Who Sailed to 100 and Never Stopped Winning

@afrancolini/Instagram

Gordon Ingate OAM, who grew up in Mosman and went on to become Australia’s oldest Olympian, the world’s oldest living sailing Olympian, and one of the most beloved figures in the country’s maritime history, died on 24 April 2026, just weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday on Sydney Harbour with a gathering of family and friends who had followed his wake across eight decades of racing.

He was still sailing his much-loved timber sloop Jasnar on Sydney Harbour just two weekends before he died.

Known throughout the waterfront as Wingnut, later shortened to Wingy, Ingate embodied a particular kind of Australian sailing character: competitive, irreverent, self-deprecating about his chronic seasickness, and entirely incapable of staying off the water. Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman captured it succinctly.

“He had a remarkable record as a sportsman, but also as someone who made a real difference across his 100 years. A truly exceptional person,” Chesterman said.

A Mosman Boy, a Sea Scout, and a Lifelong Obsession

Ingate’s connection to the water began in Mosman, where he grew up alongside Sydney Harbour and joined the Sea Scouts at age nine. It was at Mosman Amateur Sailing Club that he would later meet the two most important people of his sailing life: Nina Saalfeld and her daughter Sally, who sailed on the family’s double-ended sloop, also named Jasnar.

Sailing legend, Gordon Ingate — Photo Credit: Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia/Facebook

His offshore racing career began when he was introduced to the sport by the owners of Wayfarer and Kathleen, both entrants in the inaugural 1945 Sydney Hobart. His first offshore race to Lion Island brought him a severe bout of seasickness. It was not the last time, and it never stopped him.

In 1950, aged 24, Ingate skippered Jasnar in the Sydney to Hobart and took Sally along. She was 21, an accomplished sailor and, as it turned out, a patient carer.

“I was so seasick, she looked after me for three days,” he recalled. “She was not only pumping the boat out to keep it dry, she even peeled the grapes and took the seeds out for me.”

On their arrival in Hobart, the famous sailor Boy Messenger called out from the dock: “You should marry that girl, Gordon.” He did. They sent a telegram to Sally’s family asking permission, and Gordon and Sally Ingate were married and remained so for 48 years.

An Olympic Dream Delayed by Two Decades

Ingate qualified for the 1948 London Olympics and the 1952 Olympics but his employer refused him leave both times. “The boss gave me an emphatic NO,” he said. He finally broke through for his Olympic debut at the 1972 Munich Games. Aged 46, he skippered the Tempest class alongside crew Robert Thornton to a 19th-place finish—a result he later joked was notable mostly for beating the Prince of Siam.

That single appearance was nonetheless enough to make him Australia’s oldest living Olympian, a distinction he held to the end of his life.

His campaign aboard Sir Frank Packer’s Gretel II at the 1977 America’s Cup was another chapter of a career that also included nine Sydney to Hobart races, campaigns in the 5.5 Metre and Dragon classes, and Australia’s first Admiral’s Cup campaign in 1965, where he steered Caprice of Huon to three wins from four races, finishing as the team’s top scorer as Australia took second behind Britain.

Two years later Australia reversed the result, winning the Admiral’s Cup outright, with Caprice in the team again.

He won the Scandinavian Gold Cup in the 5.5 Metre class. He won the Prince Philip Cup four times in the Dragon class, the last at age 91 at Metung Yacht Club in 2018, his Dragon, Whimsical, living up to its name.

Still Winning at 94, Still Sailing at 100

The records Ingate set late in life were as remarkable as anything he had achieved in his prime. In 2020, at age 94, he won the Dragon national championship to become Australia’s oldest open class national champion. In 2025 he was still sailing Jasnar at Sydney Harbour Regattas and recording firsts and seconds against sailors a fraction of his age.

He joined the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on 1 January 1949, serving as Rear Commodore in 1965, and was its oldest living member at the time of his death. He was also a long-serving member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, where his 100th birthday celebration was held in late March 2026.

In 2016 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to sailing. The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron recognised him with a Life Achievement Award in 2019, and Australian Sailing followed in 2020 with its own Lifetime Achievement Award.

Just prior to the last Sydney to Hobart, Ingate visited the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and shared stories with 18-year-old Ali Braden, one of the youngest sailors in the fleet, who was preparing for her first trip south. His advice to her was characteristically direct.

“Hold on tight,” he said.

Gordon Ingate is survived by his son Stephen and daughter Christine and their families.

Published 29-April-2026

Taronga Zoo Starts $105m Cable Car Works In Mosman

Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo Sydney

Work has begun on the $105 million Sky Safari upgrade at Taronga Zoo in Mosman, starting construction on a new cable car system that is expected to return one of the zoo’s long-running visitor experiences by late 2027.

Mosman Sky Safari Works Start At Taronga Zoo

Construction is underway on Taronga Zoo’s upgraded Sky Safari, beginning the next stage of a $105 million project to replace the former cable car system that closed in January 2023.

The Sky Safari had operated at the zoo since 1987 and carried about 20 million passengers before it was retired after reaching the end of its working life. The cable car has been used as both a visitor attraction and a transport link across the zoo’s naturally hilly site, connecting the lower entrance near Taronga Zoo Wharf with the upper entrance.

The new system will follow a 900-metre route and travel up to 36 metres above parts of the zoo, giving passengers elevated views across Sydney Harbour and several animal areas.

Taronga Zoo cable cars — *Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo Sydney*

Larger Gondolas Planned For Taronga Zoo

The upgraded Sky Safari will have 25 larger gondolas, each able to carry up to 10 people. The cabins are being designed to better accommodate larger prams and wheelchairs, with the wider project aimed at improving movement across the zoo for families, visitors with mobility needs and guests of different ages and abilities.

The route will pass above several animal enclosures, including areas for giraffes, zebras, rhinos and chimpanzees. Two new stations will also be built at the lower and upper ends of the system, with larger queuing areas intended to help manage visitor numbers during busy periods.

The lower station near the ferry wharf is intended to make it easier for guests arriving by public transport to move through the zoo.

Gartner Rose has been appointed as head contractor after a competitive tender process. Construction zones are being established at the top and bottom of the zoo so the existing stations can be demolished before the new station works begin.

Foreshore Track Changes During Construction

Taronga Zoo will remain open while the Sky Safari works are carried out. Construction hours are listed as 7am to 6pm from Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

The project will bring temporary changes to parts of the surrounding area. A section of the Foreshore Track that runs through Taronga Zoo land will be partly closed, with no through access between Whiting Beach and Taronga Zoo Wharf from early May because of safety requirements linked to demolition and construction.

The track will remain open to Curlew Artist Camp and Whiting Beach. Pedestrians coming from Sirius Cove and continuing towards Bradleys Head will be directed to a detour near Whiting Beach, linking to Whiting Beach Road and Bradleys Head Road.

There will also be changes to how buses use the turning circle on Athol Wharf Road during lower station works, although the 238 bus service and ferry operations are not expected to be affected. At the upper station, construction vehicles will enter through Bradleys Head Road, with traffic controllers used to help manage local movements.

A moderate increase in construction traffic is expected around the zoo. Signage will be placed on Bradleys Head Road and Athol Wharf Road to alert pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to changed conditions and construction vehicle movements.

Some local concerns have also been raised about the height of the new cable car system, harbour views, visitor numbers, traffic and noise impacts near homes.

Late 2027 Return Expected

The first stage of works will involve demolition of the existing upper and lower stations. New stations will then be built, followed by the removal of old pylons, installation of new pylons, gondola installation and testing.

The new Sky Safari is expected to be complete in late 2027, restoring a cable car experience that had been part of Taronga Zoo for more than three decades.

Published 28-Apr-2026

Two Moruben Road Unit Blocks Sell for More Than $65 Million on Mosman’s Balmoral Slopes

Raine & Horne

Seventeen individual unit owners at 13 and 15 Moruben Road in Mosman have shared in a sale worth more than $65 million after agreeing to sell their two neighbouring blocks to a developer, in one of the suburb’s largest amalgamation deals to date.

The sale, which took eight months to negotiate, covers a 1940s red-brick block of six flats at number 13, sitting on 581 square metres, and an 11-unit blonde-brick block at number 15, on 1,066 square metres. Together the two sites form a combined holding of 1,648 square metres on the elevated Balmoral Slopes, with commanding views over the harbour and through the Heads.

Nadine Marando and Nick Gittoes of McGrath Mosman handled the deal alongside acquisition specialists Chaim Lider and Emilie McKenna of Chem Property. The buyer has not been formally confirmed, although industry sources indicate Made Property secured the acquisition.

What Each Owner Walked Away With

At a sale price above $65 million across 17 individually owned units, the deal equates to roughly $3.82 million per unit on average, though each owner’s actual return depends on their lot size and entitlements.

To put that in context: one owner at 7/15 Moruben Road paid just $235,000 for their one-bedroom unit in 1999. That kind of return illustrates why agents are describing the result in terms usually reserved for lottery wins. “The buyers hit the jackpot,” McGrath’s Nick Gittoes said.

15 Moruben Rd unit — *Photo Credit: Raine and Horne*

Marando acknowledged the process was not without friction. Not every owner was immediately willing to sell, particularly long-term residents for whom the views had become part of daily life regardless of the financial upside. Under NSW strata law, 75 per cent of owners in a block must agree for a collective sale to proceed.

In this case, Marando said all 17 owners ultimately signed. “The view is everything in that location,” she said. “If you’re a certain age group, you don’t want to be distracted, it doesn’t matter how much money you throw at them.”

The Policy Behind the Price

The sale would not have been possible at this scale without NSW’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, which took effect on 28 February 2025. The policy permits residential flat buildings of up to six storeys on R3-zoned land within 400 metres of a town centre, overriding local planning controls on height and density where state standards are more generous.

Moruben Road sits within the affected zone, and the amalgamated 1,648 square metre site is widely expected to support a six-storey apartment building, subject to development approval. Marando described the LMR policy as having the effect of a gold rush on sites like this one. “We saw the opportunity and ran with it,” she said, noting the result ranked among the top three site sales in the street and the highest Moruben Road had seen.

The Moruben Road corridor has become one of the most active stretches in Mosman under the new policy. At number 17, AirTrunk billionaire Robin Khuda’s development company Ondas paid around $32 million for a 12-unit block in 2025. Developer HELM has acquired numbers 1 and 3 and lodged a development application for 27 apartments across eight storeys, including six affordable housing units. At least two other projects on the street are awaiting approval.

While the standard policy caps buildings at six storeys, the HELM proposal for eight storeys at 1-3 Moruben Road utilises state incentives for including affordable housing. Under these rules, developers can secure a 15 per cent bonus on floor space and height if they dedicate a portion of the project to affordable units. The policy makes a trade-off to boost essential housing, though it pushes the skyline higher than the baseline six-storey limit elsewhere on the street.

What It Means for the Street and the Suburb

For Mosman residents watching the pace of change along Moruben Road, the 13 and 15 sale confirms that the western side of the street is now comprehensively in play. Marando noted that pretty much the whole street would eventually be sold off, with construction expected on multiple neighbouring sites.

The broader debate around the LMR policy in Mosman remains live. The suburb has been among the most vocal in opposing a blanket rezoning approach, with community concerns centred on heritage character, infrastructure capacity and the pace of density uplift in established residential streets. A legal challenge brought by a local resident against the policy remains before the Land and Environment Court.

For the 17 owners who sold, though, the policy delivered a generational financial outcome. The new development on the 1,648 square metre site, once approved, will add to a Balmoral Slopes skyline that is already changing shape.

Finding Out More

Residents with questions about development applications on Moruben Road and the surrounding area can search lodged applications through this link. Information on the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy as it applies to Mosman, including an interactive map of affected areas, is also available on the same site.

Published 02-April-2026

30 Warships to Fill Sydney Harbour for Rare International Naval Display

HMAS Leeuwin | Photo Credit: Royal Australian Navy

Sydney Harbour will host one of its largest international naval gatherings in more than a decade, with around 30 warships from nearly 20 nations set to assemble within clear view of Lower North Shore communities, including Mosman, Cremorne and Kirribilli.

A major international fleet review

The event on Saturday, 21 March, forms part of Exercise Kakadu, a multinational maritime exercise led by the Royal Australian Navy, and coincides with commemorations marking 125 years since the service’s establishment.

A central feature of the program is the fleet review, a formal naval tradition in which a reviewing officer inspects assembled vessels. HMAS Leeuwin is expected to carry the reviewing officer as it passes the fleet, with participating ships delivering ceremonial salutes.

Participating vessels have travelled from across the Indo-Pacific, with some arriving in Sydney following joint exercises conducted further north.

Personnel from the Royal Australian Navy, Vietnam People’s Navy, Royal Thai Navy, Philippine Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Indian Navy attend an Exercise Kakadu harbour brief at HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin, NT. Photo: Seaman Genae Kelly/Defence

While many vessels will remain anchored across Sydney Harbour, one column is expected to move through the main channel toward the Sydney Harbour Bridge, providing a prominent visual along the harbour corridor.

Full-day program on the harbour

Ship arrivals are scheduled to take place from early morning through to midday, building toward the main fleet review in the afternoon.

The program also includes a joint aerial display by the Royal Australian Air Force, followed by a ceremonial gun salute. Later in the day, a public boating sail-past and a historical flotilla procession are expected to conclude the event.

The sequence of activities is designed to combine formal naval ceremony with public-facing displays across both water and air.

Lower North Shore vantage points

Residents along the lower north shore are expected to have some of the best land-based viewing positions.

Locations including Bradleys Head, Georges Head Lookout, Cremorne Reserve and Kurraba Reserve have been identified as key vantage points, with clear sightlines across the harbour.

Authorities anticipate increased foot traffic in these areas as spectators gather throughout the day.

Transport and maritime authorities have advised that planning ahead will be important for those attending.

Waterway restrictions, including exclusion zones around naval vessels, will be in place across parts of Sydney Harbour. Boaters are required to maintain safe distances and follow directions from maritime authorities.

On land, parking is expected to be limited near popular viewing areas. Additional public transport services, including increased bus frequency in suburbs such as Mosman, have been scheduled to assist with crowd movement.

Published 18-March-2026

Cycleway Consultation Open For Proposed Bike Route Connecting Mosman And Neutral Bay

Photo Credit: NorthSydneyCouncil

Community consultation has opened for a proposed cycleway linking Mosman and Neutral Bay, with residents invited to comment on planned street changes and a new cycling corridor.

Feedback Period Underway For Mosman Cycleway Proposal

Members of the public are currently able to provide feedback on the proposed Mosman cycleway project, which outlines upgrades along a corridor connecting Rangers Avenue in Mosman with Bent Street in Neutral Bay.

Consultation will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, 29 March 2026. Feedback can be submitted through an online survey, by email or by post.

A series of information stalls and community engagement sessions have also been scheduled during March 2026 at locations along the proposed route.

Mosman Neutral Bay cycleway — *Photo Credit: NorthSydneyCouncil*

HAVE YOUR SAY

Proposed Route Linking Mosman And Neutral Bay

The project outlines a 1.5-kilometre two-way cycling route connecting Mosman and Neutral Bay through several local streets.

Under the proposal, the route would extend through Rangers Road, Harrison Street, Wycombe Road, Yeo Street and Spofforth Street, linking Rangers Avenue in Mosman to Bent Street in Neutral Bay.

Design plans show the cycleway would typically be around 2.4 metres wide along several sections. A wider two-way segment of approximately 2.8 metres is proposed near the intersection of Yeo Street and Bydown Street, while a 3.4-metre shared path connection is planned near Neutral Bay Public School.

Traffic Changes Proposed Along The Route

Several traffic adjustments are proposed as part of the Mosman–Neutral Bay cycleway plan.

Barry Street would be converted to a northbound one-way street, while Harrison Street would operate as a one-way eastbound road to accommodate the cycleway and adjusted parking arrangements.

Right-turn restrictions are also proposed at the intersection of Yeo Street and Wycombe Road during weekday peak periods. The restrictions would apply from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, affecting eastbound traffic on Yeo Street and southbound traffic on Wycombe Road. Buses would be exempt from the restriction.

Two bus stops on Spofforth Street are also proposed to be removed to allow space for parking changes and a new crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Mosman bike path proposal — *Photo Credit: NorthSydneyCouncil*

Walking And Streetscape Improvements

The proposal includes several upgrades aimed at improving pedestrian access along the corridor.

Works outlined in the design include pavement renewal and additional tree planting. New or upgraded pedestrian crossings are proposed at Watson Street, Bydown Street, Spofforth Street and Rangers Avenue.

Continuous footpaths are also proposed across Palmer Street, Bydown Street, Barry Street, Rangers Lane, the intersection of Harrison Street and Rangers Road, and outside Sydney Life Church on Yeo Street. Pavement and pram ramp upgrades are also planned at Ben Boyd Road, Wycombe Road and Murdoch Street.

Mosman cycleway consultation — *Photo Credit: NorthSydneyCouncil*

Parking And Tree Changes

Under the proposal, 57 parking spaces would be relocated within the project area, with the total number of spaces remaining unchanged.

An additional 26 parking spaces are proposed on Barry Street following its conversion to one-way traffic. The design also indicates that five trees would be removed while ten would be planted, resulting in a net increase of five trees.

Project Context

The Mosman cycleway proposal aims to improve cycling connections between Mosman and Neutral Bay and strengthen links within the wider cycling network.

The project also aims to reduce traffic on local streets used by drivers avoiding Military Road and improve safety for children travelling to Neutral Bay Public School and Redlands Junior Campus.

The proposal forms part of a Walking and Cycling Strategy covering the period from 2022 to 2027 and is funded through the Transport for NSW Get NSW Active grant.

If the proposal proceeds following consultation, an application for construction funding is scheduled for October 2027.

Published 16-Mar-2026

Former Foxtel Chief’s David Street Home Sells for $17.3 Million

Photo Credit: Ray White Lower North Shore Group

A substantial David Street home has changed hands for approximately $17.3 million, marking the highest sale in Mosman so far this year.

The vendors, Richard and Jane Freudenstein, accepted an offer ahead of the scheduled 12 March auction. Richard Freudenstein previously served as chief executive of Foxtel and currently holds a director position at REA Group, the company behind realestate.com.au.

Photo Credit: Ray White Lower North Shore Group

The property, situated on 1,150 square metres of land at 28 David Street, had been marketed with an $18 million auction guide. However, after gauging market interest, the couple opted to proceed with a strong pre-auction offer.

Listing agent Geoff Smith from Ray White Lower North Group declined to confirm the sale price or specific details, citing industry protocol. He did note that current market conditions are characterised by price sensitivity and stability, adding that all properties on his books are attracting buyer interest.

“There are definitely buyers out there. The market is stable, not going up nor going down,” Smith said.

Michael Coombs of Atlas observed that many purchasers are proceeding with caution, requiring vendors to adjust their price expectations, though transactions are beginning to materialise.

“That’s understandable given global uncertainty, interest rates and talks of tax changes. However, we’re now seeing over caution holding buyers back and history shows that hesitation in a stable market often costs more than it saves,” Coombs explained.

He indicated that several properties in the $20 million to $30 million range have received offers, with open house enquiry numbers up 40 per cent.

Mosman buyers’ agent Peter Kelaher suggested the market has lost some urgency, noting a likely dip in values towards the end of 2025 before stabilising. He pointed to numerous properties listed above $20 million in the suburb.

“And talk of Capital Gains Tax and negative gearing changes, the RBA talking about hiking up interest rates and geopolitical challenges, it’s a perfect storm,” Kelaher said.

He added that premium properties continue to appreciate in value, while mid-tier properties are holding steady and lower-grade stock is experiencing price pressure.

Published 5-March-2026

Balmoral Swim Mosman Unveils 2026 Swimwear Collaboration

Photo Credit: Balmoral Swim/Instagram

The Balmoral Swim in Mosman has introduced its official 2026 swimwear collection ahead of its 35th annual ocean event at Balmoral Beach.

Swimwear Collaboration Linked To 35th Year

The 2026 range has been produced in partnership with Australian brand Budgy Smugglers and designed by Australian contemporary artist Alexandra Angus.

Angus, a swimmer and illustrator, completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Advanced Studies in Anatomy and Histology at the University of Sydney. The design references natural forms and coastal environments, reflecting the character of ocean swimming along the Australian coastline. The collection is available exclusively through the event.

Community Event At Balmoral Beach

The Balmoral Swim Mosman will be held on Sunday 22 March 2026 at Balmoral Beach, The Esplanade. The event is described as a 100 per cent volunteer-run community swim supporting the Children’s Cancer Institute.

The swim has been running for 35 years and has supported the Children’s Cancer Institute for 19 of those years. All funds raised are directed to childhood cancer research, with organisers setting a fundraising target of $200,000 for 2026.

Race Program And Participation

The published schedule lists the 5km and 2.5km swims from 8.00 a.m., followed by the School Relay at 8.30 a.m., the Balmoral Teams Challenge Relay at 9.45 a.m., the Junior 200m Swim at 10.00 a.m., and the 1km swim at 10.30 a.m. Event listings indicate activities between 7.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m.

Race categories include 1km, 2.5km and 5km distances, along with a Junior Swim for children aged 12 years and under. Elite divisions are available for the longer events, with age and qualification requirements applying to some categories.

For the third consecutive year, wheelchair access is planned, including the provision of a beach wheelchair to assist swimmers with disabilities.

The 2026 swimwear release forms part of preparations for the March event, which continues to combine ocean sport with community fundraising at Balmoral Beach in Mosman.

Published 16-Feb-2026

Chief Justice Andrew Bell Receives Australia’s Highest Honour

AustLII

Andrew Scott Bell, who attended Mosman Primary School as a child, has been appointed Companion of the Order of Australia in the 2026 Australia Day Honours, the nation’s highest civil honour.

The current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales received the recognition for eminent service to the judiciary and law, legal education and training, and the arts as an administrator and benefactor. Chief Justice Andrew Bell grew up on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, attending Balmoral Infants before moving to Mosman Primary School.

He is the son of economist Harold Bell and art historian Pamela Bell, who raised their family in the North Shore area during his formative years.Mosman-Educated Andrew Scott Bell Receives Australia’s Highest Honour

From North Shore Schools to Chief Justice

The educational journey of Chief Justice Andrew Bell began locally at Balmoral Infants and Mosman Primary before continuing at Neutral Bay Opportunity Class and Sydney Grammar School. This North Shore foundation preceded an outstanding academic career at the University of Sydney, where he won University Medals in both Arts and Law.

As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he completed a doctorate before returning to Australia to build a distinguished legal career. Before his appointment to the bench, he worked as a leading Senior Counsel at Eleven Wentworth chambers, specialising in complex commercial and constitutional law. He served as President of the NSW Court of Appeal from 2019 to 2022 before becoming the 18th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, making him the state’s highest-ranking judicial officer.

Multiple Leadership Roles Beyond the Bench

Beyond his duties as Chief Justice, Andrew Bell holds the position of Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales and serves as President of the Judicial Commission of NSW. His involvement extends significantly into the arts, notably as the long-time Chairman of Sculpture by the Sea.

The Companion of the Order of Australia citation specifically recognises him as an arts administrator and benefactor. This reflects a life-long commitment to the cultural sector, likely influenced by his parents’ backgrounds in economics and art history.

What This Honour Means for Mosman

For Mosman residents, the appointment of Chief Justice Andrew Scott Bell to Companion of the Order of Australia highlights how local schools have shaped leaders at the summit of Australian public life. His early education at Mosman Primary School formed the first steps of a trajectory leading to the state’s highest judicial office.

Chief Justice Andrew Scott Bell stands as a primary example for local families of how a North Shore education can provide the foundation for significant national contribution. His journey from Balmoral Infants to Chief Justice demonstrates the extraordinary possibilities available to young people educated in the Mosman community.

Published 29-January-2026.