Secret Suburb: There is more to Manly than just the surf and the sand
THE name alone evokes images of the stereotypical bronzed Aussie but Manly has so many sides to it, as Jenifer Jagielski shows during her visit to the suburb.
NSW
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THE name alone evokes images of the stereotypical bronzed Aussie but Manly has so many sides to it, as Jenifer Jagielski shows during her visit to the suburb.
Download photos from your last holiday and odds are you’ve got plenty of sunsets and scenery. They’re gorgeous of course, but if you recall, the best part of that evening was laughing hysterically at the seagull tipping over an eskie and taking off with someone’s dinner.
A happy snap of the scene doesn’t quite do it justice but if you were able to do a quick sketch of just the upturned cover and a lingering scavenger, you’ll remember so much more.
It’s that sensory recollection that artist, Erin Hill, teaches in her travel sketching classes.
“Sounds and smells; that doesn’t get through with digital photos,” see says.
Erin notes that the majority of her students come claiming they have zero artistic ability, but once they learn it’s just about drawing shapes, and speeding up the way you see things it’s not nearly as difficult as you’d think.
Admittedly though, it’s pretty hard to draw when you’re whole body is shaking from laughter and admiration for that rather clever bird.
Growing up in a beach side community, it’s only natural that the sand and surf would be your playground.
Starting with castles and shallow water paddles, you may naturally progress to sand sports and ocean swims.
In a roundabout way, that’s how the Cole Classic, a 2km open water swim that raises funds for the Manly Surf Life Saving Club, came to fruition.
Graham Cole, an avid swimmer brought the idea of an organised event back from Hawaii, convinced that with Manly’s beach culture, it was a perfect community event.
Beginning with 101 people in 1982, this annual swim now lures thousands of people from pro-athlete to novices alike.
For many, as Graham conceived it, the personal challenge is at the heart of the matter, a notion that is embraced by health promotion foundation, Can Too and its founder, Manly resident, Annie Crawford – reaching goals and raising money to help others, pretty sure Graham would approve.
Anyone perched atop a pillar that towers over city streets should probably have deity status. Unless of course, it’s actually massive stack of tyres and it’s a nameless 80 year-old mannequin referred to simply as the Tyre Man.
Originally a marketing stunt and Manly landmark, the poor gent, in a bedraggled state was dethroned a few years ago. But thanks to students at St Paul’s Catholic College he’s gotten a facelift – true to the original colours – with bodywork coming next.
“The kids enjoyed it,” says visual arts co-ordinator, Chris Boylan.
“They were connecting to the history of Manly – like part of the story.”
Christ also tells how the boys made up tales for him such as how tired he must be after sitting solo up their for so long.
Once fully repaired, Manly Ultratune will take over guardian status where he’ll finally return to new heights.
Hop off the ferry and try not to snicker as you veer to the right, away from the masses and head towards your little treasure.
Well, technically it’s not little at all but the affable ambience and personable crowd is what you’d expect more from a compact corner pub, than this wide open space with a generous amount of outdoor dining.
The sweeping view of the cove at the Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club is worth a visit in and of itself.
But with their dining options at The Deck Bistro including Monday’s Dinner for $10 (steak and chips), you can see why the locals may want to keep this one hidden.
Alas, sorry folks, you’re just going to have to learn to share.
The direct route from Point A to Point B might be the quickest but in the case of the Manly Ferry it’s also the most scenic.
Tourists hop on board for a spectacular view of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge while commuters try to ignore the same scene. Operative word being try.
The service from Sydney began in 1861 for commercial purposes.
From the late 1800s and early 1900s, Manly became popular as a seaside retreat, a trend that Port Jackson and Manly Steamships capitalised on, evidenced by their now famous slogan “Seven Miles from Sydney, a thousand miles from care”.
Back then, the journey to Manly was part of the whole holiday experience.
On board, there’d be singers and musicians to keep people entertained. Once a large flying fish landed right on top of a piano but that didn’t stop the band from playing on.
No wonder this boat had inspired so many songs and stories.
So many stories from businesses in this beach side community start with the line: “I came for the surf.”
Of course that’s not the only reason, but it does speak to these entrepreneurs’ commitment to area.
One such entity is The Manly Hub, a collaborative workspace, and The Painter’s Gallery, both developed by Peruvian artist Diego Acevedo-Llosa aka Ceasius Kakius.
An popular initiative that has emerged from the venture is The CK Market Lane Art Project – a designated outdoor wall that features different artists’ work.
One month you may see a thought-provoking mural and the next, an interactive installation like Seb Terry’s 100 Things, where people write their dream and email on a Post-It note, affix it to the board and if all goes to plan, there might be a match in which someone could help another fulfil that goal.
With all that happening, hopefully Ceasius still manages to find some time to surf. After all, wasn’t that part of the original plan.
Ask 100 people to describe beach culture and you’ll get a 100 different answers.
The seemingly randomness of those responses is essentially what defines The Manly Art Gallery and Museum – there in no one correct answer and there is no one way to explain it.
Of course there are the obvious, but nonetheless captivating artefacts in the museum, like the vintage bathers from the David Jones collection but chiefly, it features exhibitions from artist that have in some way been influenced by the beach and surrounding areas.
There could be photographers that have grown up on the Northern Beaches or keen surfers like renowned cartoonist and portrait painter, Bill Leak.
Naturally, there are also both, like Manly resident Ben Brown who, in addition to his other works, designs graphics for surf brands, Hurley and Mambo.
With such a variety of featured artists, all with that common thread, it’s no wonder that Barry Humphries - naturally included in Bill Leak’s exhibit - called this one of his favourite galleries in Australia. Like Barry himself, you just never know what you’ll get.
If someone told you there were penguins on the warm sands of Manly Beach, you’d probably look at them quizzically and ask per chance if there were snowballs there as well.
Thing is, there actually are some. They’re pretty small, thus, Little Penguins and they nest under the Many wharf.
Although they live in a protected area, being an endangered species, these nocturnal (adorable) creatures, can occasionally go astray – even crossing the Esplanade to hit the town.
Fortunately there is a group of Volunteer Penguin Wardens that do nightly patrols to make sure they waddle home safely.
And once they’re herded back, the next mission is to keep them out of harm’s way, which is secret squirrel code for “dogs and drunks”.
Alas, with no knees the penguins can’t run away so it’s up to the wardens to keep watch through the night, which might not be too hard when you just can’t take your eyes off these cute little fellas.
Manly is probably one of the very few suburb that is not named after an old English homestead or loving relative, rather it’s based on the impression Captain Phillip had when he first saw the indigenous people - “confident” and “manly”.
Settlement began in the early 19th century, but by the 1850s Manly slowly began to emerge as a seaside resort and retreat from the city.
By the early 20th century, the beach culture had truly taken hold. A festival atmosphere was all around with entertainment on the wharf, baths for swimming and platforms for diving.
Tommy Walker said to have been the first to ride a surfboard in Australia, doing so in 1911. He’d later do exhibitions that included headstands.
Countless other famous surfers and swimmers have come from the area. In fact, in 1924 Olympics, all of the gold medals that had been won by Australia were done so by the “Manly Boys”.
Much has changed with Manly over the years, but one thing is for certain, it’s still a stellar destination for surf, sun and sand,
* Follow Jenifer Jagielski on Twitter @moxnixchick
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