Goodbye To Pittwater: Short Stories From The Northern Beaches

By Jim McCool

These stories were written for Australia's Berkelouw Books Pittwater Short Story Award between 2011 and 2016. This collection includes the 2014 winner, 'The Hole Thing' and three other stories which were either short-listed or commended. Following the contest rules, each of the stories is recognizably based in Sydney's Pittwater region and each makes a reference to a specific theme, different every year. These themes have often also been specific to the Northern Beaches area - Narrabeen Pool, the Mona Vale Rd, and the L90 bus, for example.
The stories reflect some of the pressures and changes that have been affecting the region as Sydney's property boom continues, and also detail some of the unique characteristics of the area. 'Darkly Pools in Narrabeen' is a grimly humorous tale of an elderly couple's response to devious property developers; 'The Hole Thing' is a satire on environmental destruction; 'Birth Day of the Biggest Moon' references the area's infamous L90 bus; while 'Ned Kelly's Laptop' examines history and celebrity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim McCool
• Release date: Mar 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370182862

Jim McCool

Jim McCool has been writing both fiction and non-fiction for over twenty years. His writing has been published in The Fred, The Irish Post, Force 10, and various other publications and websites. His work has also recently featured in New Philosopher magazine, and on ABC Radio National’s Pocketdocs. His short story ‘The Hole Thing’ won the Berkelouw Books Pittwater prize for short fiction in 2014. Jim was born in Northern Ireland, but now lives in Sydney, Australia.

Book preview

GOODBYE TO PITTWATER

By Jim McCool

This edition copyright Jim McCool 2017.

Published by McCool.com.au, Canberra, Australia

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

DARKLY POOLS IN NARRABEEN

BIRTH DAY OF THE BIGGEST MOON

THE HOLE THING

NED KELLY’S LAPTOP

INTRODUCTION

These stories were written for the annual Berkelouw Books Pittwater short story contest while I was living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and making the daily commuter grind to work in the CBD. In fact, they were written on the bus while I travelled back and forth, quietly observing the coming and goings of Sydneysiders as they wrestled with the changes that were affecting their area.

The contest rules stated that each story had to be recognisably based in the Pittwater area and refer to a specific theme – and the themes were usually something specific to Pittwater as well – such as Narrabeen Pool, the L90 bus, or Mona Vale Rd.

I was always stoked to have my stories accepted for the competition, and having them short-listed was hugely satisfying; having some commended made me very happy indeed; and actually winning in 2014 has inspired me in many different ways.

I’ve put this small collection of stories together as we move away from the Pittwater region. Like so many other people, my family and I have decided to leave $ydney and the beautiful Northern Beaches behind. So, it’s Goodbye Pittwater time.

We’ve already had to say Goodbye to the Pittwater local government region. Now it’s a real Goodbye to Pittwater itself and its bobbling boats and skulking flatheads, doggy beaches and flashing bream. Goodbye to the Hell 90. Goodbye to Boggin Boggin beach. Goodbye to Mona Vale Surf Lifesaving Patrol. Goodbye to the last of the little fibro beach houses, flattened by high density units.

Goodbye Pittwater.

Jim McCool, Canberra, ACT.

March 2017

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Berkelouw Books in Mona Vale (which is a really great bookshop, by the way) have always been enormously supportive of their community and of aspiring writers in the region and they certainly deserve a great deal of credit for their efforts.

Thanks are due to the Berkelouw staff at Mona Vale – especially Gillian - who worked so hard to make the Pittwater short story competition a success.

DARKLY POOLS