Bev Kingston's book now available

Beverly Kingston, AM

To commemorate the recent Kings Birthday Honours and acknowledge well known Pearl

Beach identity Dr Beverley Kingston who has been appointed an AM for significant service to community history and tertiary education. The Pearl Beach Progress Association have re-printed her Pearl Beach book.

A past committee member of Pearl Beach Progress Association from 2017 to 2021, Beverly

Kingston wrote the book ‘Pearl Beach and Progress, The Story of a Community and Idea

1929-2009’ to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Beach Progress Association.

She was chair of the Australian Dictionary of Biography New South Wales Working Party from 1994 to 2023, editorial board member from 1996-2021 and member from 1970-2023. She has also been a patron of Jessie Street National Women's Library since 2022 and board member from 2006 to 2022.

A history teacher and former associate professor, she also wrote A History of New South Wales, Basket, Bag and Trolley: A History of Shopping in Australia, The World Moves Slowly: A Documentary History of Australian Women and My Wife, My Daughter, and Poor Mary Ann: Women and Work in Australia. Her awards and recognition include Fellow, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, 1994, and Annual History Citation, History Council of New South Wales.

This book explains how Pearl Beach came to be established. The Progress Association was

formed more or less as it was possible to buy land here, so it’s history parallels that of the area Beverly said. Several estates on the Woy Woy Peninsula developed after WW1 by the Staples family with the first land registered in 1927 and the first house built soon after with Pearl Beach continuing as a fishing camp into the 30’s.

Today Pearl Beach is know for spectacular scenic and environmental qualities set in a small,

friendly, caring community which enjoys living in the middle of a national park – Brisbane Water National Park and Broken Bay.

Beverly Kingston’s Book is available for $20, proceeds toward the Pearl Beach Memorial Hall

maintenance and upkeep.

Contact: pearlbeachprogress.org.au or 4344 2319. Cash or card accepted.

Lynne Lillico

Publicity Officer, Pearl Beach Progress Association