Forty-three members attended the 48th Annual General Meeting held on Sunday 20 August in the Glebe Town Hall.

Click here for the President’s Report.

The Treasurer presented the audited balance sheet and income and expenditure statement for the 2016-2017 financial year and the Secretary reported that the Society had 315 financial members with 44 of these joining since the previous AGM. It is not too late for non-financial members to renew for 2017-2018.

The election of Office Bearers:

The following members were elected unopposed:

  • President, Allan Hogan
  • Vice-President, Diane Hutchinson
  • Secretary, Jude Paul
  • Treasurer, Jane Gatwood

Three nominations were received for the five positions of Ordinary Members of the Management Committee, the following members were declared elected unopposed:

  • Murray Jewell
  • Janet Wahlquist
  • Nick Hespe

Any member wishing to nominate as an Ordinary Member of the Management Committee should contact the Secretary. Any nomination would be gratefully received!

The President then spoke about valuable contributions made by John Gray to the work of the Society and the residents of Glebe over a long period of time and announced that the Management Committee had resolved that he be made an Honorary Life Member. This was greeted with warm and enthusiastic support from members. The President also announced a Commendation award to David McIntosh, Artistic Director of the Glebe Music Festival, who is overseas, for his generous contribution to the cultural life of Glebe.

Commendation given to John Gray
Since becoming a member of the Society John has fulfilled many roles within the organisation. These include Glebe Point Rd Project Team 2002-4, Paddy Gray Reserve Contact 2005-08, Management Committee Member 2005 – 2006, Convenor – Heritage, 2012-13, Vice President 2011-12; 2015-17, President 2012-14 and Immediate Past President 2014-5. Diane Gray joined at the same time as John and together they make a formidable team. Her contribution to the Society while John was President is particularly commendable due to the volume of policy renewal, correspondence and Minutes updates she undertook at that time.

During and since his presidential term John has concentrated his focus upon community engagement and placing the Society as an active community partner in this process. He guided the development of the Society’s 2013-2019 Strategy which identifies the strengthening of the Society’s core capability through community engagement, improving its technical capability and through activism.

Together with the late Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, Robyn Kemmis, he initiated the Glebe Project in 2014. Known as GlebeCAN this sought to engage residents through information sharing, and to commence discussion and planning for future contributions to the Glebe story. A major finding of this initiative was its identification of the need for better coordinated and integrated service provision in Glebe.

Resulting from this and together with the University of Sydney and the Glebe Community Development Project coordination team John, on behalf of the Society, supported the forum, ‘What can Glebe become?’ held at Sydney University on 30 August, 2016. From this forum the founding of a Collective Impact program for Glebe emerged. John became a member of its working group which is proceeding, with the cooperation of Sydney University personnel, funding and data sharing from the City of Sydney, and assistance from the Social Justice Directorate of the University of Technology Sydney, to develop a Collective Impact program. Without his driving force and guidance this important and ongoing community building enterprise may not have eventuated.

Commendation given to David McIntosh
For over 30 years the Glebe Society has admired the contributions that Society member, Dr David McIntosh, has made to music in Glebe. He is an organ recitalist (holding the qualification of Associate Music Australia [AMusA]), choir trainer, harpsichordist, and a performer on early pianos and of chamber music.

David is the founder and Artistic Director of the annual Glebe Music Festival, now in its twenty-eighth year; over 150 concerts featuring Australian and overseas musicians have been held. Dr McIntosh organises a program of six to eight concerts every spring in a range of venues in the suburb including his Sydney home, Margaretta Cottage (c1836), St John’s Church Bishopthorpe, St Scholastica’s School chapel, the Great Hall of the University of Sydney, the Old Court House, Glebe Town Hall and Gleebooks. The concerts at the University of Sydney provide an important venue for public performances by students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Dr McIntosh also has a significant interest in the history of music and music performance. Over the years, the Glebe Music Festival has included a series of historical concerts, recreations of concerts from the past, or a focus on a particular historical aspect of music. David has personally funded each of the Festivals.

Dr McIntosh has also provided Margaretta Cottage as a concert venue for numerous fundraising concerts. These concerts have resulted in funds to support the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children at Westmead, NSW, an international tour of the Choir of Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney, The Australian Ballet Club, and The Glebe Society Inc. He has also made his house available for performances organised by the Organ Society of Sydney, numerous Musical Soirées (to which were invited the people of Glebe), and the launch of new classical compact disks by Australian performers.

In his medical career, David contributes to Australian and international society as a paediatrician, specialist in infectious diseases and an academic. In 2011, in recognition of his exceptional work for the community and humanity at large, David was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Special guest speaker at the AGM, Senior Constable Renee Fortuna (Source: Allan Hogan)

After the formalities, the guest speaker, Senior Constable Renee Fortuna, spoke to the members about her work with the youth of Glebe. Renee is based at the Glebe Police Station and is Youth Liaison Officer. She is also a passionate boxer and has her eyes set on the up-coming state championships and possibly the 2018 Commonwealth Games which will be held on the Gold Coast in April. Renee is equally passionate about mentoring and encouraging Glebe youth and has taken a leadership role in developing programs to build self-confidence and self-worth in local adolescents. The new Vice-President, Diane Hutchinson gave the vote of thanks and this was supported by acclamation by the members. Members then enjoyed refreshments and conversations with old and new friends.

An edited video of Renee’s talk can be viewed on the Glebe Society YouTube channel.