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1000s Rally for Graythwaite photos |
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Click here to read the Sydney Morning Herald article from 12th August 2009 |
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Click here to view our You Tube video |
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The battle for Graythwaite has entered a new phase and we desperately need your help like never before.
Despite enormous community support and a fantastic scheme to save Graythwaite involving the RSL, the Commonwealth Government, North Sydney Council and St Vincents and the Mater Hospital, the NSW Supreme Court has ordered that Graythwaite be sold. We very strongly disagree with the Court's decision which ignored the spirit and intent of Sir Thomas Dibbs's gift of Graythwaite and focussed solely on a narrow interpretation of just one sentence in the Deed of Gift.
If allowed to stand, this would be an absolute tragedy and Graythwaite and its irreplaceable values would be lost for all time.
We are determined to do everything in our power to firstly try to overturn the Court's decision and secondly, if it is allowed to stand, to vigorously encourage the Commonwealth to stand by its $25 million election pledge to save Graythwaite.
You can help...
We now need as much political pressure on the Commonwealth as possible to honour its election promise to save Graythwaite, together with supporting pressure on the NSW Premier to acknowledge the greater public interest in this issue and to constructively deal with the Commonwealth.
Please write or email to the Commonwealth ministers below expressing your absolute dismay that a vital part of our ANZAC history and the largest area of parkland near the North Sydney CBD could be lost for all time and asking the Commonwealth to honour their election pledge to spend $25 million to save it. A draft letter to this effect can be found here.
The relevant Ministers are listed on the home page, the action page and the write now page - Thank you
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Wonderful news - Local member Joe Hockey announces a $25 million Australian Government commitment to save Graythwaite. Labor Candidate, Mike Bailey, provides bipartisan support
In truly fantastic news, local member and Federal Cabinet Minister, Joe Hockey, has announced that the Australian Government will provide a total of $25 million to help save Graythwaite. The Hockey package is carefully crafted to both meet the legal requirements of the Trust established by Sir Thomas Dibbs to care for our returned soldiers and sailors and to provide for the restoration of the historic mansion, which has suffered significant deterioration over the past 25 years.
Full details are provided in this media release. To summarise, the Australian Government will put a proposal to the Supreme Court that ownership of Graythwaite be transferred to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust with the Government providing $20 million to the NSW RSL to be spent on aged care facilities for veterans. In addition the Commonwealth will provide $5 million for the restoration of the Graythwaite mansion. The grounds would be leased to North Sydney Council to provide a much need park for the North Sydney CBD, while the mansion would in part be used by the RSL to be used as the headquarters of its Lifecare services.
Labor candidate for the seat of North Sydney, Mike Bailey, has offered bipartisan support for the saving of Graythwaite, issuing this media release that says in part: "I am pleased to announce today that, provided Mr Hockey's proposal for Graythwaite is sound, Kevin Rudd and Labor will fully support it."
However, it will still be up to the Supreme Court to decide the future of Graythwaite. We believe that the Commonwealth's proposal is a compelling one that meets all of the needs of both the Dibbs Trust and of all of those interested in Graythwaite. However, that does not guarantee Court agreement.
If the Supreme Court does accept the Australian Government's proposal then WE HAVE WON!!!! and Graythwaite will be saved for the public for all time!
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Veterans face fight over Sydney Mansion
News Video | Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:52:00 +1000 | Duration 2m 3s | broadcast Tuesday National news
The NSW Government is in court to challenge a 90-year-old trust, which bequeathed a house for war veterans to use.
Play the video
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Graythwaite and the Red Cross
To read some of the sad stories about the ANZACs who lived and died in Graythwaite and how it was used as an ANZAC Hostel for the most incapacitated of those who came back from the Great War read this piece by well known historian, Associate Professor Melanie Oppenheimer.
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Formation of Friends of Graythwaite Estate
Following confirmation that NSW Health wants to go ahead with its sale plans for Graythwaite and the offer by North Sydney Council to by the property, local residents, other interested persons and members of the Dibbs family who have been caring for and campaigning for Graythwaite for many years decided to form the Friends of Graythwaite Estate. See the press release here. To join Friends of Graythwaite click here.
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Help needed urgently
We need your help if we are to win this battle. In particular we need people with the following skills:
- Graphic design
- Public relations
- Photography
We also need volunteers to help man market stalls and to help convince local businesses to support Graythwaite by displaying posters or distributing our postcards.
If you can help please email us at
info@graythwaite.org.au.
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North Sydney Council
bids to buy Graythwaite - write now to the Premier now in support of this bid.
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Graythwaite Gardening Group
meets at the Union Street side of Graythwaite every Sunday at 9.30 (8.30 December - February). All tools and morning tea provided. New gardeners always very welcome.
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Graythwaite hits the airwaves on 702 ABC Sydney
on the Sally Loane morning program 10 September 2002. Below is the transcript of an interview with Tim Phillips of Hope Healthcare, who manages the current nursing home on behalf of the Health Department. The fact that the Health Department would not provide a spokesperson speaks volumes for their plans for Graythwaite and their total lack of transparency in the process. 
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Join the 'Friends of Graythwaite' email list now: click here to add your details to our email list so we can keep you up to date and informed of critical developments.
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