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Flashback: Giant Sea Creature Caught by Mosman Fisherman 68 Years Ago

Photo Credit: John Nathan Cobb [Public Domain] / Wikiwand

In 1954, a Mosman fisherman caught what was initially thought to be a sea serpent due to its enormous size. Not surprisingly, the 12-ft long giant sea creature immediately caught worldwide attention.

Local fisherman Keith McRae set out to fish one balmy June morning at Balmoral Beach in 1954, hoping to catch some flathead. When he felt a tug on the line, he was pleased to be going home with something for the family’s dinner. But what would emerge from the waters was something the 40-something father and seasoned fisherman did not expect.

At the end of his handline was a 12-foot pale grey sea creature with a ferocious-looking head. It had no scales. It did, however, have a set of feelers about two feet long. On its back was a two-inch red crest of slender spines that extended from its head to its tail.

It didn’t take long for his incredible catch to make headlines across the globe, marvelling at the ‘sea serpent’ from Australian waters.

“When I’m fishing, I expect to catch anything, but this really rocked me,” Keith told reporters, adding that the sea creature didn’t struggle as it was being hauled in.

1966 photo of a giant oarfish. The sea creature was found on the shore of the Pacific Ocean near San Diego — A 1966 photo of a giant oarfish found on the shore of the Pacific Ocean near San Diego
Photo Credit: Wm. Leo Smith, Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

The Curator of Fishes of the Australian Museum would later identify Keith’s catch as a giant oarfish, a species that is believed to be capable of growing up to 40 feet. These creatures are thought to be a rare species due to their “shy” nature. Little is known about them.

Also known as ribbon fish, king of herrings, Pacific oarfish, and streamer fish, the giant oarfish lives in the depths the ocean. They normally feed on krill, zooplankton, squids, shrimps and other small fishes.

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In June 2022, 68 years after Keith McRae’s catch, a snorkelling guide on the Great Barrier Reef had a rare encounter with a juvenile oarfish. Captured on video, Tahn Miller and marine biologist Jorja Gilmore described the slender fish to be about 1.5-m including the long fins. An expert in oarfish later confirmed that it was a Regalecus russelli, a species of oarfish that can grow up to 8 metres long.

Enjoy World Honey Bee Day in Mosman With these Buzz-Worthy Cocktails

Did you know that every third Saturday of August is World Honey Bee Day? Thanks to these hard-working insects that are major contributors to the multiplication of food crops, alcohol producers across the world have been using their golden, thick liquid gold in their range of spirits, wines, and even beers!

If you’re game for buzzing about the value of honey, below are some recipes to enjoy some sweet and smooth cocktails at home on World Honey Bee Day.

HONEY FIZZ with CAZCABEL TEQUILA

Ingredients:

50mL Cazcabel Honey
Soda water
Lemonade
4 Lime Wedges

Method:

Add Cazcabel Honey over ice
Squeeze and add the lime wedges
Top up with soda water and lemonade, stir

HONEY PINEAPPLE MARGARITA with CAZCABEL TEQUILA

Ingredients:

30mL Cazcabel Honey
20mL Cazcabel Blanco
25mL Lime juice
25mL Pineapple juice
5mL Agave syrup

Method:

Shake all ingredients and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice
Garnish with orange peel and pineapple leaf

HONEYCOMB ESPRESSO MARTINI with DUBLINER WHISKEY

Ingredients:

60ml Dubliner Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur
15ml Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
30ml Espresso

Method:

Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker until chilled.
Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with coffee beans or honeycomb bark.

THE QUEEN BEE with DUBLINER WHISKEY

Ingredients:

60ml Dubliner Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur
15ml Fresh Lemon Juice
10ml Sugar Syrup
1 Tsp Forest Berry Jam
3 Dashes Of Orange Bitters

Method:

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice.
Double strain into a chilled Martini glass.
Add orange twist garnish and enjoy!

The spirits are all available to purchase from national retailers including Dan Murphy’s Mosman on 718-728 Military Rd and BWS Mosman on 56 Avenue Rd. To place an order for contactless delivery or pick up visit the official sites: Dan Murphy’s | BWS

For COVID-safe protocols, read up Dan Murphy’s conditions for delivery, pick up, and order tracking and BWS’s delivery conditions and scheduling.

Meanwhile, beekeepers in Australia are encouraging the public to plant more flowering plants in their backyards and suburban community gardens to prevent its decline. Suburban gardens are pesticide-free, which will benefit the bee population.

ACU Mansion in Mosman Sells for $6.6 Million

The official residence of the Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor in Mosman has been sold for $6.6 million, nearly 30 years after it became a university property.

The mansion on Kirkoswald Ave used to be the home of Professor Greg Craven and his family but he retired from his job after 13 years.

The university’s chief operating officer, Dr Stephen Weller, said they decided to put the ACU mansion up for sale to address the priorities of the university’s overall budget, which means that the new vice-chancellor, Professor Zlatko Skrbis, will no longer be able to move into the executive residence.

Built in 1904 in the suburb’s Golden Triangle with rows of expensive houses and just a few metres away from the Balmoral Beach Club, the house was expanded to become a five-bedroom dwelling with several living areas, a study, and a pool. The ACU mansion stood next to the residences of environmentalist Rob Purves and philanthropist Neil Balnaves.

Bernard Ryan and Geoff Smith from Ray White Lower North Shore Group said that five investors had their eye on the property. Mr Ryan said that the availability of quality residences in a good location is rare.

In 1992, then vice-chancellor Professor Peter Drake was the first to live in the Mosman mansion after the ACU acquired the site for $885,000.

Meanwhile, Prof Skrbis joined ACU in 2018 after working for Monash University and the University of Queensland. An accomplished sociologist, Prof Skrbis is the fourth vice-chancellor of the Mosman university. He said he will ensure that ACU remains a globally recognised Catholic institution.

“As we move forward, we will create impact by adhering to our Catholic mission and remaining committed to the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person, and the common good,” Prof Skrbis said as he released his strategic plan under the university’s new leadership.

“We will continue to offer our students an inclusive, ethics-based education, and we will search for solutions to local and global challenges through mission-aligned research. We will also support the broader community and advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves.”

Work on Major Upgrades for Taronga Zoo To Start Soon

Photo credit: Taronga Zoo Sydney/Google Maps

In a few months, construction will be underway for Taronga Zoo upgrades, to make the popular Mosman destination even more attractive to tourists.

Read: Conservation Society in Mosman to Build World’s First Platypus Sanctuary

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the $16 million upgrade works to the Australia Precinct would include:

a canopy walk from which to view koalas
extensions to the kangaroo and wallaby “walkthrough experience”
underwater viewing of platypus
improvements to the nocturnal exhibition

The centrepiece of the proposed Taronga Park revamp will be the new Wildlife Hospital and Nutrition Centre, which will offer visitors and tourists new educational and wildlife experiences. It’s going to be three storeys and will feature rehabilitation facilities including a marine rescue unit, intensive care hub for marine turtles, surgery rooms, pathology labs, and necropsy rooms.

The zoo revamp will create almost 800 construction jobs and once completed, the Taronga Zoo’s development is expected to contribute over $16 million into the State’s economy.

Plans for Taronga Zoo (Photo credit: planning.nsw.gov.au)

“Taronga Zoo is one of Australia’s most iconic tourist destinations and this revamp will place greater emphasis on some of our nation’s most iconic animals,” Mr Stokes said.

Member for North Shore Felicity Wilson said the zoo is one of the most popular public spaces in NSW and this funding is great news for the local community and visitors alike.

“Our community is so proud to have Taronga Zoo in our local area and a revitalised Australia Precinct means greater focus on giving visitors the opportunity to interact with animals that are unique to Australia,” Ms Wilson said.

The project is expected to be completed by 2023. To stay updated about Taronga Zoo’s upgrades, visit https://taronga.org.au/.

About Taronga Zoo

Water bird enclosure at Taronga Zoo when it opened in 1916 (Photo credit: State Library of New South Wales)

Taronga Zoo first opened its doors in 1916 by Mr Le Soeuf, the Director, based upon contemporary models set in Europe and America. The landscaping preserved the natural features of the landscape and the housing requirements of the animals were constructed, where possible, to the prevailing rock and tree formations.

The Giraffe House was completed in 1923, the Aquarium in 1927, Floral Clock in 1928, Tahr Mountain in 1932 and the Tiger Pits in 1939. Under the directorship of Edward Hallstrom in the 1940’s – 1960’s several new exhibits were built including those for larger cats, koalas, apes and gorillas.

Read: Taronga Zoo Sydney Welcomes First Baby Koala in a Year

Mosman Advocate Raises Concerns on The Spit Road Upgrades

One of the newest road upgrades at The Spit in Mosman has sparked much controversy, with one local going as far as saying the updates constitute some of the most dangerous changes he’s seen in 25 years.

According to Harold Scruby, chairman of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, the newly-completed traffic upgrades along The Spit which were implemented to improve safety along the road have instead had the opposite effect. The primary concerns he had listed were confusing paving, the lack of safety rails, traffic signage he deemed conflicting, and road layouts that led to cars facing one another when parked.

The project, which cost a total of $1.4 million, revolved around the construction of a mixed-use sliplane between The Spit Rd and nearby business by the Mosman Council. These upgrades, however, led to the creation of paving that resembles pedestrian walkways, making for an incredibly confusing experience for those attempting to cross the road.

One of the bus stops within the area also fails to have a clear line of sight between the bus shelter and the slip road behind it. Mr Scruby had commented that if a pedestrian was to get off the bus and walk to the beach, they would be in danger as there’s no line of sight from behind the bus shelter.

Despite Mr Scruby’s claims, the Mosman Council’s director of environment and planning, Craig Kovich, mentioned that his outrage was not entirely proportional to the risk, and that the man had no clear evidence in terms of his expertise on road design, safety audits, and traffic management.

The Mosman Council later mentioned that the upgrades implemented along The Spit roadway underwent safety assessments including an audit by a qualified engineer. Certified experts had designed this section of the road to improve pedestrian safety, and the council is currently unaware of any traffic accidents involving pedestrians since the upgrade was implemented.

Despite the lack of accidents, Harold Scruby proposes that the new roadway upgrades could be fixed dropping the speed limit from 60kmh to 10kmh, increasing signage, creating pedestrian barriers and clearer paving to differentiate them, and improving overall line of sight.

Conservation Society in Mosman to Build World’s First Platypus Sanctuary

Plans are being made by the NSW Government and Mosman-based Taronga Conservation Society to construct the world’s first sanctuary for platypus, a species at risk of extinction due to climate change and drought.

There are currently plans in the works to construct a specialist facility that consists of ponds and burrows to provide platypuses with a safe environment where they can repopulate, be rehabilitated, and be studied.

The facility will be built 391km away from Sydney, set to finish construction by 2022. It will be able to house up to 65 platypuses. Given the creature’s highly specific needs to thrive, the platypus sanctuary will be able to give researchers insight on what environments and conditions they prefer.

Platypuses themselves are reclusive, curious-looking mammals that are semi-aquatic in nature, sporting fur, webbed feet, and a bill that helps them scoop up insects, shellfish, and worms. Despite the fact that platypuses are mammals, they lay eggs — a trait it shares with its close relative, the echidna — and live in small streams and lazy rivers.

They are considered a protected species, with fears that they might go extinct in the New South Wales region within the century. The droughts that followed the bushfires from 2019 to 2020 led to an increase in platypuses with climate-related injuries and illnesses.

The Taronga Zoo Sydney, managed by the Taronga Conservation Society, can be found at Bradleys Head Rd, open every day of the week from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit their website here. Follow the Taronga Zoo Sydney’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements.

Residents in Affluent Mosman Neighbourhood Suffer from Smelly ‘Schitt’s Creek’

Residents of an affluent and leafy Mosman neighbourhood have been calling a nearby stormwater drain their very own Schitt’s Creek, not for the popular Emmy award-winning comedy series but for its longstanding stench.

Quakers Hat Bay locals said that they’ve been dealing with sewer smell for more than two years and they are concerned about the unbearable stench’s effects on the people, especially the children who play outdoors.

The homeowners recently received anonymous notes from a concerned group who questioned what Sydney Water and the contractors have been doing to fix this problem. The lavatory smell would sometimes last for a week and its odour is much more worse in the morning when residents are out for a walk or a jog.

According to reports, as many as 100 properties in this Mosman neighbourhood are affected by the lingering sewage stench.

In 2017, Sydney Water and its contractor started a $100 million once-in-a-generation repair and upgrade of the Northern Suburbs Ocean Outfall Sewer that stretches 28-kilometres across North Head at Manly. This tunnel collects about 25 percent of Sydney’s wastewater but the scope of the work has brought problems and delays.

A spokesperson for Sydney Water confirmed receiving reports of the stench and they have been trying to minimise the odour with ventilation systems, gas suppressants and a temporary access enclosure near Quakers Hat Bay and The Spit.

The agency has also hired specialists to monitor the reports or complaints and then dispatch odour control measures amidst allegations that the contractor is not adhering to conditions in their contract.

In the meantime, the residents are growing frustrated as they have been told different reasons for the delays, including COVID-19. The Northern Suburbs Ocean Outfall Sewer upgrade was supposed to be completed in 2020.

Taronga Zoo Sydney Welcomes First Baby Koala In A Year

Meet Humphrey, the latest addition to Taronga Zoo Sydney and the first joey to be born in the enclosure in over a year.

Humphrey, an 8-month old koala joey, was named after one of Taronga Zoo Sydney’s foundation members and key supporters, backing the zoo’s efforts towards conservation and threatened species work. The joey had emerged from his mother Willow’s pouch in February, a full 8 months after being born — a regular occurrence amongst koalas.

Despite having four other siblings, Humphrey is the first joey to be born at this famous tourist attraction in more than a year, after a series of devastating bushfires ravaged the koala population in 2019 and 2020. He is expected to remain with his mother until he turns a year old, after which he is expected to mature and become more independent.

Only eight months old, Humphrey is still too young to leave his mother’s side.
Photo credit: Facebook/Taronga Zoo Sydney

Given the recent bushfires, koalas have not fared well in the wild and their numbers continue to dwindle. As urban development continues to invade their natural habitat, koalas become more at risk. Recent events have already shown that they are in danger of being hit by cars and their natural habitats are adversely impacted by land clearings.

In order to keep koalas safe, people must stay alert whilst driving during dawn and dusk when koalas are most active. Donating to koala enclosures and using recycled products also helps the environment, which helps increase a koala’s odds of survival.

Taronga Zoo Sydney is located in Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman NSW 2088, open every day from 9:30AM to 5:00PM. For more details, visit their website. For any updates concerning special events, new additions to the zoo, and general information concerning wildlife and the zoo’s inhabitants, follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.

Pages & Pages Booksellers on Military Road Announces It’s Closing Shop

Pages & Pages Booksellers, an independent family-owned bookshop in Mosman, is closing its doors permanently.

The family announced in a post on Facebook that they have opted not to renew the lease thus the store, located at 878 Military Road, will officially stop trading on Friday, the 30th of August 2019.

*Photo Credit: Pages & Pages Booksellers*

Chris and Phil Page opened Pages & Pages Booksellers in Belrose in 1995 and secured a spot in Mosman a few years later. Their son, Jon, took over management and the bookshop prospered for 20 years.

However, the retail recession has hit the business in recent months and the family believes that the outlook could likely worsen. While a significant number of Mosman residents are lawyers, academics, journalists and doctors, most buy books online.

Pages & Pages Booksellers’ decision wasn’t abrupt. The bookshop downsized and also set up an online store to keep up.

“We have fought the rise and rise of online shopping and we met the challenge of eBooks head on. We have adapted and innovated to all the changes that have occurred to bookshops over the last 25 years,” Pages & Pages Booksellers’ statement read.

“However we have weathered one storm too many and we have decided that now is the best time to wind the business down before it becomes too late to leave on our own terms.”

Mosman Council Spit East Upgrade Shifts To Stage 2A

Photo Credit: Nelson Blue/Flickr

The Spit East Road upgrade in Mosman, which commenced in October 2018, has entered stage 2A of its work plan in March 2019. As a result, access to this area will be limited until the project’s completion in June.

The upgrade’s progress, however, has been on schedule and locals will soon be able to benefit from the following facilities:

Stage 1A	new bus bay, bus shelter new laneway by the foreshore	completed
Stage 1B	new bike hoops, waiting area seats new landscaping, trees & garden beds	completed
Stage 2A	new parking area, signages new footpaths to the commercial area	March to April 2019
Stage 2B	new paving, additional landscaping	May to June 2019

“The objectives of the Spit Road streetscape upgrade are to enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility, mitigate flooding, enhance the landscaping and amenity of the area, and improve access to public transport,” as cited in the upgrade’s report.

Funding for the Spit East upgrade comes from the B-Line project sponsored by the State Government. The Council had a series of consultations with the public since 2016 to determine what should be prioritised in the upgrade.