Homepage Latest News Archives - Page 5 of 6

Chatswood Celebrates Urban Trees in Sacred Grove Exhibition

Photo Credit: Tree Veneration Society/ Facebook

Chatswood will transform into a vibrant celebration of urban trees with the Tree Veneration Society’s latest exhibition, “Sacred Grove in Your Street.”

Running from 17 October to 3 November, this multi-disciplinary showcase at the Incinerator Art Space highlights trees’ vital role in our urban landscapes, drawing inspiration from the rich bushland of Willoughby City.

The exhibition promises to be a feast for the senses, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a captivating arboreal world. Towering trunks, swirling leaves, and tangled branches will come alive through diverse artistic media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and even film.

About the Tree Veneration Society

The Tree Veneration Society is a Sydney-based eco-arts collective dedicated to fostering a deeper connection between humans and the natural world, particularly trees and their ecosystems. Through sensory experiences, intergenerational workshops, and multidisciplinary exhibitions, their mission is to inspire respect for nature and a commitment to its protection.

Society believes in the power of art and nature to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers, bring together diverse communities, and facilitate inclusivity. They create spaces for reflection, conversation, and action, ultimately envisioning a society that truly appreciates and protects the invaluable services that trees provide to all living beings.

Beyond the Exhibition

The “Sacred Grove in Your Street” exhibition is just one facet of the Tree Veneration Society’s ongoing efforts. They also deliver an annual exhibition called “Arboreal Narratives,” offer artist-led classes and performances, and conduct community workshops led by facilitators with Working with Children clearance.

Looking Ahead

Chatswood will transform into a vibrant celebration of urban trees with the Tree Veneration Society’s latest exhibition, “Sacred Grove in Your Street.”

About the Tree Veneration Society

*Photo Credit:* *Tree Veneration Society/ Facebook*

Beyond the Exhibition

Looking Ahead

The Society plans to expand its programming to Western Sydney and beyond in the short term. Their long-term vision includes a touring program to regional centres in NSW, emphasising public engagement.

Highlights of the Exhibition

A Sensory Journey: Visitors will be greeted by the Green Man, a mythical figure representing nature’s cycle of growth and renewal, before stepping into a darkened space filled with light, sound, and imagery that brings the grove to life.

Family-Friendly Experience: The exhibition is designed for all ages and offers an intergenerational experience that celebrates the wonder of nature.

Diverse Artistic Expressions: Over 20 artists from the Tree Veneration Society will showcase their unique perspectives on trees’ beauty and significance.

“Sacred Grove in Your Street” is more than just an art exhibition; it’s a call to action. It encourages communities to recognise, preserve, and cherish their local “sacred groves,” ensuring these natural treasures thrive for future generations.

Published Date 04-September-2024

A Place to Call Home: Why Heritage Houses Matter

Photo Credit: Facebook / Drawn to Fashion Illustration by Marta Madison

In the heart of Chatswood, a unique exhibition is about to take place at Art Space on The Concourse. “A Place to Call Home: Why Heritage Houses Matter” is a collection of watercolour portraits of homes by Marta Madison.

Madison is not just an artist. She’s an author, a public speaker, and a lover of fashion. Her artistic journey took a turn in 2021 when she began painting homes. Not just any homes, but those built in Federation Queen and Arts and Crafts styles in NSW and Victoria.

The inspiration came from a simple walk around her neighbourhood. Crows Nest, Willoughby, and Cammeray. These places are home to some of the most beautiful heritage houses. Madison believes these houses are more than just buildings. They’re gathering places, symbols of our past, and a reflection of our identity.

“Houses are important gathering places, giving us a secure sense of where we are today and where we have come from,” says Madison. “We need to preserve these homes.”

The tradition of painting homes, known as limning, has been around for centuries. It was a way for landowners to show their status. Madison is keeping this tradition alive. Her exhibition will feature 25 artworks, each one a detailed portrait of a heritage house.

“When settlers arrived in Australia from the UK, they brought this tradition and it became an important source of income for many early NSW colonial artists,” Madison explains.

“These houses, primarily built in the Federation and Queen Anne styles, also reflect the tastes and talents of the tradespeople and architects from Europe who arrived here in the 1800s.”

The exhibition will be held at Art Space on The Concourse from 24 April to 05 May 2024. It’s open from 11 am to 5 pm, Wednesday to Sunday. For more information, you can email Madison at marta@drawntofashion.com.au or visit the Willoughby City Council website and the Australian Heritage Festival NSW page.

“I hope to inspire a deeper appreciation of heritage houses within the community and start a dialogue on why these houses matter.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to see the beauty of heritage houses through the eyes of Marta Madison. It’s a journey into the past, a celebration of the present, and a glimpse into the future of our homes.

Published 22-February-2024

Chatswood to Welcome a New Era of Urban Luxury with the Hammond Greens Development

Construction could soon begin on the Hammond Greens project in Chatswood, marking the introduction of a new 27-storey mixed-use apartment tower that promises to offer luxury living in Sydney’s North Shore.

Located in a suburb celebrated for its cultural diversity and commercial activity, the development on 5-9 Gordon Avenue aims to embody the latest in innovation and luxury, contributing significantly to the area’s architectural evolution.

The project reflects Chatswood’s ongoing development and its growing importance in the region’s urban landscape.

Spearheaded by LFD Developments under the leadership of Ben Zheng Lin, this $61-million venture proposes the demolition of existing structures on the 1520 sqm site to make way for a tower that promises not just residences but a lifestyle.

Unveiling Hammond Greens

The development plans (DA 2023/170) reveal an impressive array of amenities aimed at fostering a community spirit and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. With 64 apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms, including two luxurious penthouses, the project is designed to cater to a diverse array of residents. Each apartment is designed with the modern resident in mind, offering spacious living areas and breathtaking views.

At the pinnacle of the tower, residents will find communal open spaces, a swimming pool, a barbecue area, co-working spaces, an outdoor gymnasium, a yoga room, and even a golf simulator. This emphasis on communal and recreational facilities highlights a shift towards creating more holistic living environments in high-rise developments.

A Closer Look at the Design

The architectural marvel is the brainchild of FJC Studio, with CBRE taking the helm in marketing the project. Despite some suggestions from the Sydney North Planning Panel for improvements in the unit mix and a potential redesign of the floor level above the basement, the development is poised to set a new benchmark for luxury living in Chatswood.

Hammond Greens is part of a broader movement towards embracing high-rise development in response to housing demand across Sydney’s North Shore. It joins a series of planned towers in Chatswood and its surrounds, following major planning changes by the NSW government.

Notably, Antaeus Group and DPG Project 38 Pty Ltd are also contributing to the skyline with their own 27-storey buildings, indicating a significant transformation in the area’s urban fabric.

Whilst awaiting the Panel’s decision, pre-marketing has begun for the project.

Published 2-Feb-2024

Kowloon Cafe Express Brings Authentic Hong Kong Flavors to Chatswood

Chatwood’s vibrant culinary landscape welcomes a new addition with the opening of Kowloon Cafe, offering a unique dining experience that blends authenticity and convenience.

This latest venture by owner Howin Chui and Business Partner Howard Lee, Kowloon Cafe in Chatswood is the fourth in a series of successful outlets, following the footsteps of their popular locations in Haymarket, Burwood, and Eastwood.

The menu at Kowloon Cafe vividly represents Hong Kong’s culinary traditions.

Top picks include their renowned Hong Kong-style French toast, an exquisite blend of condensed milk, honey, and maple syrup. Equally noteworthy is the stir-fried black crispy butter pineapple bun, a delightful twist on a classic favourite.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kowloon Cafe — Sydney Chinatown, Burwood, Eastwood & Chatswood (@kowlooncafe.com.au)

For those craving something savoury, the Spam and egg sandwiches offer a comforting taste. The eatery also offers a range of beverages, including the quintessential Hong Kong-style condensed milk tea and coffee, red bean ice with vanilla ice cream, and lemon Ribena, ensuring a complete dining experience.

Kowloon Cafe Menu

Each Kowloon Cafe, including the latest in Chatswood, pays homage to Hong Kong culture through its food and carefully curated music and decor. The design, led by Darren Kong of Sydney’s Kong Studios, aims to transport diners into the heart of Hong Kong with an authentic sensory experience.

The cafe’s atmosphere is designed to be both welcoming and evocative, offering a taste of Hong Kong’s rich culinary and cultural heritage.

@kowlooncafe.com Guess what? We’ve officially arrived in Chatswood! 🍢🍲🫶 Enjoy authentic Hong Kong food & our famous drinks here in North Shore. 📍Kowloon Cafe Express Chatswood: Shop 3/370 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW 2067⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Open everyday 11:30am – 8:30pm. ⁠ #sydneyeats #sydneyrestaurants #chatswoodeats ♬ original sound – KOWLOON CAFE SYDNEY

The inception of Kowloon Cafe traces back to 2019 when Mr Chui and Mr Lee opened the first venue in Haymarket. Inspired by a trip to Hong Kong and a longing for its authentic flavours, Mr Chui aimed to bring a slice of Hong Kong’s unique food culture to Sydney.

Kowloon Cafe in Chatswood is more than just a dining spot; it’s a cultural bridge, bringing the essence of Hong Kong to Sydney’s doorstep. Located at 3/370 Victoria Avenue, the cafe is open daily, inviting everyone to indulge in a unique culinary journey.

Published 2-Feb-2024

Coronation Property Plans $200 million Apartment Project at Newly Acquired Chatswood Site

Photo Credit: Coronation Property / Facebook

Coronation Property further expands into Sydney’s inner-city with the acquisition of a 2,000sqm site on Archer Street in Chatswood for their planned 130-apartment development project.

Located at 57-61 Archer Street, less than a 10-minute walk to the Chatswood Station, the site benefits from its prime location surrounded by key amenities including Westfield Chatswood and Chatswood Chase.

Coronation Property intends to utilise the site for its planned $200 million mixed-use development which will feature luxury residential units and 2,000 square metres of retail space. The company is looking into tapping the owner-occupiers and investors market with its latest project which they expect to commence construction in about a year and a half after development approval.

“The Chatswood site presented a unique opportunity for Coronation Property to contribute to what we see as one of Sydney’s fastest-growing precincts. With the State and Willoughby Councils’ commitment to further developing Chatswood as major employment and residential hub, we are excited to respond to the demand for more housing in the area and build upon an already highly sought-after community,” Head of Urban Transformations at Coronation Property, Aras Labutis said.

Underway project, 8 Phillip Street, Parramatta | Photo Credit: Coronation Property / coronation.com.au

“The site is in an ideal location, in a blue-chip area that is currently experiencing extensive investment into its town centre and the surrounding infrastructure. These factors will drive further growth in the area and make Chatswood an excellent opportunity for owner-occupiers and investors.”

The Chatswood project adds to the company’s development pipeline with more than $5.2 billion in major mixed-use projects currently underway including 8 Phillip Street in Parramatta, Charlie Parker in Harris Park, and Mason & Main in Merrylands, Ashbury Terraces in Ashbury and Moore Point in Liverpool.

Two other residential developments are also coming to the Chatswood area, namely, the 16-storey luxury apartments tower at 15 Ellis Street and the 25-storey mixed-use dwelling and commercial development at 44-52 Anderson Street.

New School Earmarked For Chatswood

Photo credit: Google Street View

To help ease the pressure on existing education facilities in Chatswood, a new primary school is being planned in the area.

Read: Woolworths East Chatswood Development Approved After a 7-Year Hitch

Around $3.7 million will be allocated on early planning for a new primary school in Chatswood and though there’s no confirmation yet, there’s a likelihood that the new school’s location will be on the soon to be vacated lot on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Mowbray Road.

The subject site was once the location of an electricity depot that is now a tunnelling dive site for the Chatswood to Sydenham Metro. The site is due to become available by 2024, but the Department of Education confirmed earlier that a feasibility study has been launched into acquiring the dive site.

This project is part of a $7.9 billion investment in extra classrooms to keep up with New South Wales’ growing population.

Read: Top-Rated Restaurants Near Chatswood

Chatswood Public School’s enrolment cap is only 740 but the actual enrolment in 2021 has reached 1,219 — enrolling over 400 more students than recommended. The same dilemma happens to Chatswood High School, where the cap is 1,200 but the actual enrolment this year reached 1,605, exceeding its enrolment cap by 405.

Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said high growth areas are seeing more investment than ever before, with Western Sydney alone seeing $2 billion investment and over $1 billion in growing regional areas over four years.

“This investment takes our historic school building program to new heights with $7.9 billion being spent over the next four years on top of the $7 billion already invested since 2017,” Ms Mitchell said.

In 2020, the NSW government announced its plans to upgrade both Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School, which includes more than 150 new and refurbished teaching spaces from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Here’s a flythrough video of these upgrades:

Aside from a primary school in Chatswood, the State Budget allocated $3.7 million towards initial plans for an education precinct in St Leonards whilst $16 million has been allotted for the Macquarie Park Education Precinct, which would include both a primary school and a high school on the site of the old Peter Board High School.

Willoughby City Council Strives to Promote Road Safety

Though National Road Safety Week, which celebrated its tenth year, is already over, Willoughby residents must remain vigilant and remember to be cautious when crossing roads.

The annual National Road Safety Week which runs in the middle of May every year for a total of seven days, came about as a response to the high numbers of deaths brought about by road accidents. Currently, traffic is the biggest killer of Australian children under the age of 15.

In 2019 alone, statistics from the Willoughby City Council revealed that around 150 people were involved in road crashes in the suburb, 22 of which were pedestrians. Each year, over 44,000 people are grievously injured on Australian roads, and 1,200 are outright killed.

“Vulnerable road users including motorcyclists, bike riders and pedestrians represent an increasing proportion of all casualties in Willoughby,” said Willoughby Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney. “We are committed to working in partnership with Transport for NSW, police, other councils and the community to ensure safety for our local residents.”

One of the additions the council implemented to improve pedestrian safety was an all-new footpath extension to help people cross Victoria Avenue near Chatswood Chase, ultimately reducing crossing width and providing pedestrians with safe refuge to see on-coming traffic.

On top of these new additions to the road, the council also hosts regular and free road safety workshops with the help of experienced facilitators for parents, middle-aged adults, and the supervisors of rookie drivers in the middle of training. These workshops provide people with free road safety resources, which are also disseminated to schools within the suburb.

To learn more about National Road Safety week and make the pledge to drive safely and responsibly, visit their website here.

Amah: New Ho Jiak Malaysian Restaurant Coming to Chatswood

Renowned restaurant group Ho Jiak is happy to introduce Sydney to Amah, an all-new Malaysian diner scheduled to open in Chatswood sometime in May or June.

Amah, the latest restaurant lined up by the Asian restaurant group Ho Jiak, serves as chef Loong Oon’s tribute to his grandmother, who cooked for him and his family in his youth. The restaurant will be opened by chef Oon alongside Junda Khoo, Head Chef and Owner of Ho Jiak.

The restaurant draws its name “Amah” from the Teochew and Hokkien word of the same name, which roughly translates to “grandmother”. Chef Oon had named the restaurant after his late grandmother, who passed away earlier within the year, in order to pay tribute to the woman who’d inspired him to cook.

Amah’s menu, which draws inspiration from the recipes chef Oon’s grandmother used to make, is largely Malaysian and features Peranakan dishes such as Tau Yu Bak, a meal comprised of pork belly braised in soy sauce, as well as a special fish-ball soup featuring pounded Spanish mackerel and a broth made from pork, chicken, and flounder bones.

Oon’s own attitudes towards cooking even came from the lessons he’d learned from his interactions with his grandmother. He believes that cooking wasn’t for the chef, but rather it was for the person eating. As a result, he’d found his philosophy, believing that satisfying others is the meaning of cooking.

Those interested in eating at Amah can find it at Chatswood Interchange, District Dining, 436 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood. To learn more about Ho Jiak, visit their website here. Follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and special announcements concerning Amah and their other restaurants.

Woolworths East Chatswood Development Approved After a 7-Year Hitch

The planned five-storey development of Woolworths East Chatswood has received Council approval after a seven-year hitch. The building, to be constructed on 17 Smith Street, has been projected to cost $19.9 million and will have its own bottle shop, three retail tenancies and 205 car parking slots.

Woolworths initially asked Chatswood residents if they need a supermarket in this industrial district. The survey from 2014 received more than 3,500 respondents who supported the supermarket’s plans.

In 2017, Woolworths filed a development application (DA-2017/182) with Willoughby City Council, which received over 700 submissions. However, the majority of these submissions opposed the development, citing traffic problems and the impact on small businesses. There were also concerns over the loss of potential jobs for industrial or mechanical businesses that could set up shop on the said site.

Three years after the initial lodging, Woolworths submitted an addendum (DA-2017/182/B), which includes large spaces for its Click & Collect initiative, the supermarket’s online shopping option which was launched due to the pandemic.

*Planning Portal/Willoughby City Council*

In March 2021, Council determined that the development should proceed but the second application is still under assessment.

The company expects that the construction of Woolworths East Chatswood will be completed by mid-2022 and will provide hundreds of jobs for the locals.

Commercial and Hotel Space Worth $75 Million to Rise in Victoria Avenue

A new commercial and hotel space will soon be built on Victoria Avenue after the Sydney North Planning Panel recently approved Cromwell Property Group’s development application.

The plan, submitted to the Willoughby Council in 2018, underlined the erection of a four-storey building for commercial use, as well as a 15-storey hotel, which will be built on the adjacent street.

Two existing commercial buildings on the block will also be improved to link with the new structures. Additionally, the development will entail landscaping and other amenities to meet the demands of the public.

Once completed, the hotel will have 156 rooms, a 13-metre lap pool, a restaurant and three event rooms.

Cromwell, which purchased the sites in 2006, confirmed in a press release that the Victoria Avenue development will cost $75 million.

“There is an opportunity to augment the amenity in Chatswood particularly for the growing professional and residential population. When complete, Victoria Avenue will be a vibrant destination for retail, dining and leisure – similar in vision to our landmark Northpoint redevelopment in North Sydney which opened in early 2018,” Cromwell Head of Property Bobby Binning said.

“We are determined to provide our tenants with the best work environment possible in the Lower North Shore.”

Victoria Avenue in Chatswood is a significant commercial and office area in the Lower North Shore. Located some 10 kilometres away from the CBD, this site is also close to other transport facilities like the Chatswood Transport Interchange (CTI) and the Pacific Highway.