Next meeting — Monday, 6th Septemberat 7.30 p.m.
Hartley school building, corner Mid Hartley Rd and Great Western Highway. Please bring a plate to share for supper.
Big Backyard planning meeting at 6.30pm, — before HDPA meeting

We have much to be proud of about the HDPA. It was established in 1956, more than fifty years ago. With much going on in the valley relating to planning, the upgrade of the Highway and a renewed recognition of the heritage attributes of the valley, on top of the ordinary business of the HDPA, more than ever there is a job to be done. With membership costing only five dollars per annum we would eagerly invite the participation of all valley residents in the affairs of the HDPA.

HDPA constitution — have your say— Over the last year we have had a sub committee of members working on a new constitution for the Association. Comprised of Dick Austen, Diane Green, Jim Robson, Keith Berry, Ramsay Moodie and Richard Austen, this subcommittee has drafted a proposed constitution to suit our needs, using as a precedent, the standard form constitution document provided by the Registrar of Incorporated Associations. It is now being circulated as a draft for community comment with a view that by the time of our Annual General Meeting in October we should have a document that we have reached consensus on; that we can then vote on for adoption as the new constitution of the HDPA.

You can obtain a copy of the proposed new constitution from hdpa@pnc.com.au and copies will be available at our 6 September meeting. Alternatively you can find a copy of the constitution on the HDPA website at www.hartleynsw.com.au. To enable discussion of issues or concerns relating to the constitution we will list this as an agenda item at our September meeting with a view to adopting the new constitution at our AGM in October.

Please feel free to criticise or recommend enhancements to the proposed new constitution. Your comments should be addressed to the President, Hartley District Progress Association PO Box 372 Lithgow NSW 2790 or hdpa@pnc.com.au. Equally feel free to comment directly to any member of the committee.

WEEDS
• Identifying and recognising weeds as well as some useful plants
• Bring your weed and plant samples along to be identified
• Weed control options

PEST ANIMALS
• Learn about pest animal control methods:
—What are the three declared pest animals?
—How do I control pest animals?
—What other animals should I control?
—What works and what doesn’t
—Where to get specific advice
—Demonstrations of various trapping and control methods

When: Friday, 17 September 2010.
Time: 10am to 3pm
Where: ‘Lowther Park’ 1296 Jenolan Caves Rd, Lowther. Numbers will be limited, so please RSVP for planning and catering purposes by 13th September.
RSVP: Please register with James Cornwell at james.cornwell@industry.nsw.gov.au or ring 02 48286600
Catering: Morning tea and lunch will be provided.

Alpacas — Over the next few editions we are going to start looking at the local Alpaca Industry so it seems like a good opportunity to provide some Alpaca facts:

1 Alpacas make great guards for herds of goats and
sheep – they enjoy keeping the foxes, stray dogs and
other predators away from the herds.

2. Alpacas have very good eye-sight and exceptional
hearing.

3. Our District falls under the Hawkesbury/Blue
Mountains Alpaca Breeders Region and within this
region there are three cells of which we are the
Western Cell.

4. The Hartley (Western Cell) breeders are a mutually
supportive group who have organised the Hartley
Alpaca Trail (you may have seen signs about) to enable
them to have combined Open Days where you are
always welcome to drop in and meet these incredibly
intelligent creatures and to experience the quality of
their wool (true warmth is an Alpaca rug or jumper!).

NGULLAMINYA ALPACAS
MARK O’CARRINGAN — THE HATTER
ROB JOLLY
GNULLAMINYA ALPACAS

Ngullaminya Alpacas, owned by Joan and Tom Kent, is a beautiful property with cultivated gardens nestled amongst the hills, with frontage to Cox’s River. It is home to 50 prize Alpacas, including the sire “Mahony”, who won the Supreme Champion, Bathurst Royal Show 2009.

Ngullaminya sells only the highest quality wool, as well as breeding and ‘guard’ animals.

Alpaca farming is a far cry from the lives Joan and Tom led prior to purchasing the property in 1993. Tom worked for Shell in Australia and the UK for 30 years, and Joan was a professional historian. Before settling in Hartley, they ran a newsagency in Cremorne in Sydney. In one of those quirky ‘six degrees of separation', it turns out that their newsagency was utilised by Rob Jolly (see separate article), when he lived in Sydney.

The Kent’s are both involved in the community (Joan is working on the region's history, in preparation for the 2013 Bi-centenary celebrations) and they also devote whatever spare time they have to enjoying the company of their grandchildren.
Phone Tom or Joan on 6355 2393

The Hatter
Mark O’Carrigan (from Hatters Hill) has lived in the region since 1980 when he first ran the café (and leather shop) at Bell. A member of many years standing of the Master Builders Association, Mark has taken his creative skills into carpentry and building maintenance, which allows him to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary – Mark is confident that he can design and build the shed, gazebo, Garden Follie or even a functional structure to keep the birds off your fruit trees, that you actually want and that suits your land and surrounds. If you would like to see some of Mark’s wonderful structures and designs that he has built over the years, then contact him and he will forward photos (see Business Directory or call 6355 2777).

Living in the bush has led Mark to understand the pleasures and hazards of bush living and as a consequence he has specialised in the design and installation of bush-fire sprinklers and the re-vamping of water systems to deliver long term savings and benefit. Free quotes are available.

Finally, Mark also has a modern 4 bedroom bush Lodge (complete with a cave!) available for holiday letting (out near Zig-Zag).
Phone Mark on 6355 2777

Rob Jolly
Rob Jolly and wife Margaret first moved to the district 16 years ago and even though the boys have long since left home they share their property with two RSPCA rescued horses and five energetic dogs! Actually it was the transition from Sydney to the Hartley District that got him thinking about business opportunities – but more on that later.

Rob has always had a love of tinkering and building, however he has had little time to indulge that passion. He was the Marketing Manager for Fairfax Radio then Packer Radio and finally for the Sydney Swans (in the early days) before running his own Office Furniture business for 8 years in Sydney City as well as filling his weekends racing yachts – and so to the present. Whilst he was still working in Sydney, and before he and Margaret moved to Hartley full time, it occurred to Rob that there was no ‘one stop’ where he could organise tradesman, utilities, maintenance and security for his property. So it was that Rob Jolly Reliable Property Maintenance was founded.

Such is the quality of Rob’s work that he is one of several locals employed to maintain the grounds at the 6 Star Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa. If you need someone to look after your property why not give Rob a call? He provides a holistic service in property management encompassing everything from slashing to ‘just keeping an eye on the place’. With the aid of a 40 tonne wood splitter (for hire) he can also turn trees into firewood – in fact he also sells firewood directly and by the trailer load.

As mentioned in an earlier article Rob used to get his newspapers from the Kent’s newsagency in Sydney, now they both call Hartley home! And why wouldn’t you? Phone Rob on 6355 2278.