The Sydney Morning Herald publishes a column titled "Get on Board" featuring letters to the editor from readers sharing various anecdotes and observations. A blue heritage plaque at Wendy Whiteley's Lavender Bay home is noted for its mention of her husband Brett in a 2026 article about magpies attacking a gardener, Glen. The column also reports on memories of 1970s venues and products, including a jazz club that served spaghetti bolognaise for 17 cents a bowl.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-31,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Wendy Whiteley's Lavender Bay garden has become a popular tourist attraction, with visitors drawn to the glass notice board containing news cuttings about the garden, including an article from August 2026 that mentioned a gardener named Glen being attacked by a trio of magpies. The article from August 2026 is notable for being included on the notice board, and has apparently sparked additional interest in the garden. In a related note, readers are sharing their own stories about memories and experiences, including Bronwyn Horton of Balgownie recalling sorting out unwanted clothing while traveling and Jonty Grinter of Katoomba reminiscing about the Rocks Push jazz venue, which offered help-yourself spaghetti bolognaise at 17 cents a bowl in the early 1970s.
Written for “Transportation Options Expanding” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 3348 · logged 2026-08-31
Edward Loong of Milsons Point notes that “On the front fence of Wendy Whiteley’s Lavender Bay abode is a blue heritage plaque in honour of her artist husband, Brett Whiteley.
asserted
plaque → note → husband
Next to it is a glass notice board containing news cuttings etc, concerning Wendy’s famous secret garden.
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board → contain → garden
Apparently, the board is now attracting even more interest with the inclusion of a copy of C8 from August 2026 which mentioned the dive-bombing of one of the gardeners by a trio of magpies.
asserted
which → attract → magpies
“Back in the early ’70s, the Rocks Push jazz venue could serve drinks into the wee hours only if it was served with food (C8), so they offered help yourself spaghetti bolognaise at 17 cents a bowl,” recalls Jonty Grinter of Katoomba.
uncertain
Grinter → serve → Katoomba
“Getting your 3 cents change from a 20 cent piece was the only problem.”
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Getting → get → piece
“Further to Ooshies (C8), I recently sorted out some unwanted clothing that included a pair of trousers bought cheap while travelling and unable to do laundry,” says Bronwyn Horton of Balgownie.
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Horton → sort → Balgownie
“The label proudly states 95 per cent viscose, 5 per cent elastin and in big letters ‘this label made from 100 per cent recycled materials’.
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label → state → materials
I suppose every bit of recycling helps.”
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bit → suppose → recycling
“I heard a number of competitors were already disqualified, from the World Humanoid Robot Games (C8), after they tested positive for WD-40,” says Manbir Singh Kohli of Pemulwuy.
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Kohli → hear → Pemulwuy
“They didn’t wait for the Enhanced version.
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They → wait → version
Things didn’t go smoothly.”
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Things → go → ?
“At the end of 1970, I was discharged from the army after being conscripted for two years of National Service,” writes Jim Rogers of Byron Bay.
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Rogers → discharge → Bay
“After having an unfashionable buzz cut for all that time, I grew my hair long while travelling.
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I → have → hair
On return, I went to the Harbord Diggers Club for lunch and was refused entry for hair below the collar (C8).
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I → go → collar
I told the doorman I was an ex-serviceman, and he said, ‘You’re too young to have been a soldier’.
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You → tell → doorman
I replied, ‘There’s still a war on in Vietnam!’
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I → reply → Vietnam
His reply was, ‘That’s not a real war’.
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That → ’ → ?
I left and returned with my father, a World War II digger, who tore strips off them and we both resigned our membership.”
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we → leave → membership
“I’m calling for an immediate and thorough investigation by NSW Health into the cluster of severe, early onset dementia occurring in the ICAC building.”
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I → call → building
