Pittwater Life September 2023 Issue

Life Stories
A real page-turner
Albert Einstein wasn’t
just a mathematical and
physics genius but a
philosopher with a pithy knack
of distilling the universe into
language the rest of us can
understand. The only thing
you “absolutely need to know”
in life, he once said, “is the
location of the library”.
The more local the library is,
the better – encouraging both
inspiration in children and
escape or knowledge in adults.
In October, Avalon
Community Library celebrates
its 40th anniversary.
Along with Woolies, the
surf club, RSL, churches,
schools and a handful of
other buildings, the library
is the beating heart of the
community it serves.
Perched on the top floor of
Avalon Recreation Centre –
above the various halls and
rooms hosting everything
from martial arts and toddler
gymnastics to federal election
Avalon Community Library is
gearing up for its 40th anniversary
celebration; here, those involved in
its history tell its story…
counts and Alcoholics
Anonymous meetings – the
library is such a cornerstone
of “village” life, it’s hard
to imagine Avalon and its
northern fringes without it.
And yet it involved a
community campaign to give it
seed, as Craig Boaden recalls.
Speaking from St Louis,
Missouri – where he’s
visiting his daughter and
grandchildren – Craig was a
conspicuous member of the
launch on Friday October
28, 1983. He was one of the
few males, and the only one
wearing a bow tie.
Story by Steve Meacham
At that time, under
Warringah Shire Council,
there was no library further
north on the peninsula than
Mona Vale. Young mothers
and pensioners would often
need to catch a bus below “the
Bends” to borrow a book – and
catch it back again.
Brenda Kable was the
driving force to get the
community to finance a library
in Avalon, as Craig – now
the President of the Avalon
Preservation Association –
recalls.
To be fair, Craig says,
Warringah Council was
running on a shoestring
budget. Which is why Brenda
Kable suggested that an Avalon
Community Library could
largely support itself.
A crucial moment came
in a council debate, explains
Meg Dunn, who has been
a volunteer for 12 years
and is now President of the
community library.
“Warringah Councillor
Frank Webeck was reported in
The Manly Daily as saying, ‘We
should not stand in the way
of people who want to help
themselves. It’s a fine example
of the community spirit and
effort of the people’.”
Cr Webeck also suggested
a possible venue for the
fledgling library. “It was
a small room in the old
Baby Health Centre,” Craig
remembers. “Ironically,
almost exactly where the
library is now.”
Craig claims no credit for
the opening of the library.
40 SEPTEMBER 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991