Guest Speakers

Normanhurst Mixed Probus has had many speakers, covering a wide range of topics.  The list below covers the period from July 2018 to the present..

Note that some meetings had to be cancelled between 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This means that there are some inevitable gaps - 'N/A' means that details of the speaker are not available, due to the monthly meeting having been cancelled, or other deviation from 'normal' procedures.

2025

Topic:  Medical Adventures and 'Imagine'

Dr. Richard Harris, one of Australia's prominent vascular surgeons, will discuss his medical adventures and recent advancements in the field.  He will also present his book titled 'Imagine: A Novel', which envisions a compassionate world inspired by John Lennon's song 'Imagine' and incorporates a love story that spans various parts of the globe.

Topic:  Why Did They Build That Railway Line?

Allan will answer the questions of why many of the first railway lines were built between towns which are seemingly insignificant today.  Where were those towns?  What was special about those towns in the last half of the 19th century that prompted the railway builders to put the lines there?

April Speaker:  Noel Phelan

Topic:  The Navy at Gallipoli

Noel will give us an overview of WWI in 1914/1915 and the role of our Royal Australian Navy ships under the command of the Royal Navy.  The overview includes the ...

• Naval attacks on the Turkish Dardanelles forts
• Landing of the ANZACs role of the RAN Bridging Train and the AE2, and
• Evacuation of the ANZACs.

Topic:  The Thornleigh Zig Zag Railway

The Thornleigh Zig Zag is one of Sydney’s forgotten railways, a hidden gem and engineering marvel from the late 19th century.  This temporary quarry line helped overcome steep terrain to supply crushed rock for track ballast along the Great Northern Railway, which helped open-up new areas of growth around Thornleigh, Normanhurst, Hornsby and across the Hawkesbury River towards Newcastle.

Topic:  Staying Safe Online

This presentation is designed to help you to identify and avoid scams and fraud, to protect yourself online and to give you the confidence to securely manage your finances online.

Topic:  Virtual Walk-through Kings Cross and Darlinghurst

Today we are going on a virtual/actual walk which begins at Circular Quay.  We will weave our way through Woolloomooloo, Kings Cross, Darlinghurst and if time permits, Surry Hills and Chippendale.  We will see where the villains of the past conducted their businesses - people like Kate Leigh and Tilley Devine and in more recent times, Abe Saffron and Roger Rogerson.  We will see what remains of the time when Kings Cross was high status living and when the Darlinghurst Courthouse and Gaol could be seen from almost anywhere in the city.  We see what was left after the vicious battle to save Victoria Street had unfolded and we glimpse the most charming of Sydney's hidden streets and the almost forgotten remnants from its past.

2024

Topic:  History of Rock and Roll in the mid 1960s

Paul will share with us the history, the artists and a selection of their greatest hits of the British Invasion era 1963 - 1967.

Topic:  The Arnott's Story

Wendell worked for Arnott's Biscuits for nearly 40 years and his time with the company covered a time of major evolution from family owned to part of a global organisation and beyond.  Arnott's was certainly an employer of choice, and he was given many opportunities and experiences that he’ll share.  He will also bring some 'memorabilia' from his time.

Topic:  Advance Care Planning

The aim of Kellie's presentation is to raise awareness and understanding of what advance care planning is.  She will talk about:

• the importance of thinking and talking about it
• what a medical or healthcare decision maker is and how is one determined
• how to document advance care planning conversations
• where to store advance care planning documents and
• how the advance care documents are used in the health care setting.

September Speaker:  Jan Brady

Topic:  Family History

Some of the questions Jan will address are:

• What is family history?
• Why do I want to do it?
• Do I really want to do it?
• What if I found out what I thought was true really isn't?

August Speaker:  Judith Dunn

Topic:  The Curious Case of the Amorous Dentist - A Victorian Style Melodrama

An exciting story, full of both melodrama and unbelievable twists and turns.  The dentist was a duellist, avowed ladies' man, mesmerist and would be axe murderer with a story ranging from Sydney to Parramatta, New Zealand to America and ending up in England - the gaol and lunatic asylum were put to good use.  But was the right person gaoled?  With conflicting newspaper reports, did the dentist act alone?  Listen and decide for yourself if justice was completely served.

July Speaker:  Trevor McAlister

Topic:  Virtual Walk-through Sydney's CBD, The Rocks and Parramatta

We will see what became of Sydney's market (It is in Market Street) and Sydney's Barracks (in Barrack Street of course).  We will find out why the kangaroo on Sydney's GPO is looking the other way, see a portion of the Tank Stream and we will find out why NSW is exposing her breast over the northern entrance to Sydney's GPO.  There will be time to pause outside Sydney's oldest public convenience (for men only) and to travel up the harbour to see what John Hodges did with the £1000 he won in a card game back in 1821.  We will also pay our respects to Henry Edward Dodd.  His is the oldest undisturbed European grave anywhere in Australia.  Finally, we will observe a sample of what remains mostly hidden within the Sydney region, of the oldest continuous culture on earth.

Topic:  Royal Flying Doctors Dubbo Support Group

David will cover the beginnings and history of the RFDS, the work of the Dubbo Support Group in supporting the work of the Dubbo Base of the RFDS, the work of the RFDS across Australia and future directions of the RFDS at and from the Dubbo Base.

Topic:  Stroke Awareness

Michelle Sharkey from the Stroke Recovery Association will be presenting on Strokes.  She will address what is a Stroke and the different types of Strokes, the rate of Strokes in Australia, how to recognise a Stroke and what are the main risk factors for having a Stroke.  She will also address what to do if you suspect someone is having a Stroke or if someone has already had a Stroke.  She will also be available for questions on these areas and more afterwards.

Topic:  The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway - How it came about

Alice's talk will focus on the story of how this memorial, which spans 800m, came about and the machinations and struggle to get it built and where it is today.

Topic:  Road Safety for Seniors

Keith's presentation will include information about The Older Driver Assessment Scheme, Low Risk Driving, Road Rules and Pedestrian Safety.

Topic:  The Bombing of Darwin 1942

Darwin was a small country 'frontier' town in 1942.  However, it was an important supply base for ships and an important airstrip for American planes being ferried from Pearl Harbour to Asia.  On 19th February 1942 Darwin was ferociously attacked at 10 am.  Noel will describe the details of this event.

Topic:  Australian Inventions

A look at some of our classic Australian inventions from the 19^th century colonial era through to our present time, and the people and science behind these discoveries and inventions and how they changed our lives.

2023

Topic:  History of Rock and Roll in the early 1960s

Paul will present the history and a selection of great old Rock & Roll songs and original video clips from the early 1960s.  Featured artists include the Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, the Supremes and many more.

Topic:  Ginger Meggs - 100 years old

Nathan will be speaking on Australia's longest continuous comic strip, Ginger Meggs, and its strong connection to the Hornsby Shire.

Topic:  An unorthodox life in music

Classical pianist and composer, Ambre Hammond shares the story of her extraordinary adventures in music, from humble beginnings starting in Moss Vale NSW, to gracing the international concert stage and her travels around the world with her humanitarian project Girl Piano Truck.

Topic:  Healthy Eating and Nutrition

Many of us underestimate the importance of correctly fuelling our bodies for an active lifestyle.  If you are looking to make some dietary improvements in your life, this talk will cover the basic nutrition principles, how to energise your day through healthy eating as well as the benefits of low GI foods, fibre rich foods, antioxidants, healthy fats and protein.

Topic:  An awfully Big Adventure

Gav enjoys a challenge and is always searching for his next big 'achievable' adventure.  This led him to the notion of circumnavigating the Australian continent on tiny Honda 110cc ex-Postie bike as a challenge to himself and to raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders.  He began his journey out of Sydney on ANZAC day (25 April 2022) and completed the journey (15,420km) on 24 July 2022; 3 months to the day.  Gav will talk about his trip, its genesis, the many challenges along the way and how he accomplished this amazing ride.

Topic:  History of the Australian Backyard

Judy Horton is a horticulturist who worked for 22 years as a garden adviser for Yates.  One of Judy's responsibilities at Yates was to look after the company archives.  These archives gave her a wonderful overview of gardening in Australia, particularly during the 20th century.

Judy's talk draws on these archives and other resources to outline the trends, world events and social changes that have affected our gardens in that time, with particular emphasis on the ubiquitous quarter-acre Aussie backyard.  'History of the Australian Backyard' is a fun talk that will have everyone recognising something they remember from past gardens and their childhoods and will also pose a few questions about where our gardens are heading in the future.

Topic:  Turning Bystanders into Responders

Julie's presentation is on the subject of cardiac arrest and turning bystanders into responders.  This presentation will increase your awareness about what cardiac arrest is and provide knowledge on how to respond effectively in real life.  Hopefully this presentation will give you the information which might help you save lives!  Julie is the founding Director of the Michael Hughes Foundation.

Topic:  A Woman of Force

Deborah is referred to as "the gangbuster".  She will be sharing some of her experiences from her career in the NSW Police which spanned more than 30 years.

Topic:  Australia's Greatest War Horse

Little is known of the story of Australia's greatest war horse.  He was called Bill, but was known as Bill the Bastard because, as the mounted troops said, that was what he was.  The story of Bill is exciting, sometimes sad, a love story and a story of animal and human heroism.

Topic:  The Sinking and Salvage of the Costa Concordia

Noel will tell us what really happened and the chain of events that led to this disaster and the brilliant engineering to salvage the ship that took years and 2 billion dollars. The ship cost $900 million to build.  Click For More Information   (PDF).

Topic:  Tony Park - an adventurous Life

Tony grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney and while his one dream in life was to write a novel - he never knew it would come true in Africa.  Tony and his wife, Nicola, first visited southern Africa as tourists in 1995 on what was supposed to be a once in a lifetime trip - it turned out to be anything but.  On this third trip to Africa, he wrote a manuscript about a fictitious tour around southern Africa.  The book was accepted by Pan Macmillan and published as 'Far Horizon' in 2004.  He will talk about his adventures in Africa while following his dream of becoming a writer.

Search Dogs Sydney Inc are a specialist team with specially trained canines to find 'live' and 'deceased' humans.  Whether that be lost in the bush, natural or man-made disasters, single or mass casualty events, our qualified Search Technicians and their canines are available to support NSW law enforcement, emergency management agencies and the community 24/7, 365 days.  They are available for deployment anywhere in NSW, Nationally or internationally depending on the circumstances.

K9 Boof is an extremely difficult dog to trick, no matter where the person/s are hiding, he will find you.  A pound dog that no one wanted because of his destructiveness and high drive for a ball which led him into a career of Search and Rescue.  He has since retired and as part of his retirement package he now does community engagements.

2022

December 2022:  Paul Kearney

Topic:  The History of Rock and Roll - the 1950s era

Paul will be presenting the history of rock and roll in the 1950s era. He will play videos and songs featuring artists as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Harry Belafonte and many others.

November 2022:  Ian Small

Topic:  Kurrajongs - A Forgotten Story from World War I

In January 1916 a group of 114 men left the New South Wales town of Inverell to fight in World War 1.  This was the largest group of men to leave any single town in Australia during the war.  The group was named 'The Kurrajongs', taking the name of the hardy evergreen tree which was abundant in the local district.  As the years and the survivors and families passed, the story of The Kurrajongs was almost totally forgotten.

October 2022:  Rod Best

Topic:  Murder and Mayhem

In 1905 there was a dramatic incident in Pennant Hills that left two people dead and others significantly harmed or traumatised.  It was one of the few times mob action occurred in our neighbourhood.  This event shines a light on life in what the district looked like over a hundred years ago, in the Federation years before World War 1.  By looking at the lives of all groups in society at the time it forces us to think beyond what was happening for the big land owners.

September 2022:  Dianne Sammut

Topic:  The Magic Kingdom

Dianne accompanied her husband and 2 children for a 3-year stint to Saudi Arabia, and they were there during the first gulf war.  She will talk about their experiences living there.

August 2022:  Dilshara Suriyarachchi

Topic:  Strategies to Help You Reduce Your Risk

More than a quarter of Australians over the age of 65 fall every year and account for 37% of hospital admissions.  The causes of falls are multifactorial and can be minimized by simple changes in environment, performance of tasks and functional review of an individual's strength and balance.  Dilshara will discuss some practical advice to help reduce your risk.

July 2022:  Chris Russell

Topic:  Can We Have our Cake and Heat it Too? - Food Security & Global Warming - Conflict or Adaptation!

Chris is an Animal Scientist, Agribusinessman and former National President and current Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Australian Institute of Agriculture and host of the 'AgriMinders' podcast series.

June 2022:  Don Eyb

Topic:  NSW Mounted Police

Don, an ex-Commander of the NSW Mounted Police, will talk about the history of the NSW Mounted Police, the training of the horses and riders and their role in policing.

May 2022:  Kathy Potter

Topic:  Getting to know your neighbours, local frogs and how you can help them

Kathy will be talking about the local frog species:

• how to identify them
• what they need to survive
• how to build a frog friendly habitat just about anywhere
• some general information about frog conservation, and
• what to do next with your newly found frog obsession

April 2022:  Johanna Wilcox

Topic:  Living With The Enemy

Johanna will talk about the five-year occupation of the Netherlands by the German forces during WWII and in particular, about her family's experiences of that time.  It is a story of the choices people make during a time of invasion, loss of freedom and oppression.  Many tried to live their lives as best they could, trying to maintain some sort of normality.  Some resisted in passive ways, others were more active.

Others opted to become collaborators.  Her parents were active in the underground resistance movement and her father was imprisoned in a concentration camp because of this.  Her mother continued her work as a courier for the resistance until the war came to an end.

March 2022:  Graham Sims

Topic:  Funny Dunnies

We Aussies have made a 'thing' about our dunnies, (despite the fact that we did not invent the word) whether they be in the bush or in suburbia.  We write poems, stories and songs, and take photos of them.  Graham will relate a lifetime of 'dunny' reminiscences, from both here and overseas ... keeping it clean and wholesome for audiences of delicate or genteel disposition.

February 2022:  Senior Constable Colin Mitchell

Topic:  Scams - Now you see it.  Now you don't!

What is a scam?  What did scams cost the Australian people in 2020?  How do I avoid being scammed?  What types of scams are there?  How do I report that I have been scammed?

Come along and hear a presentation from Senior Constable Mitchell, Kuring Gai Police Area Command's Crime Prevention Officer, on scams, the types of scams and how to minimise the chances of becoming another victim of a scammer.

January 2022:  Dr Ross Brown

Topic:  Blood Doping In Elite Athletes

Athletes dope to improve their performance.  There are 2 basic types of doping.  Drugs like steroids to build strength and blood boosting for endurance.  For many years, Antidoping laboratories only tested for drugs that built up strength - like steroids.  This all changed at the Sydney Olympics.  Then at the Athens Olympics a new test was introduced which was invented by Ross Brown and his team at RPAH in Sydney.  In this talk Ross will tell the history of blood doping and then his involvement.  Be warned - You may be shocked at the widespread use of doping in recent years amongst top athletes!

2021

Topic:  Snakes in Your Backyard

Rob gave a laid back and often very funny presentation in two parts - he has many qualifications in herpetology and today has two roles which embody his continuing love and knowledge of snakes.  One of his roles is as the current 'Snake Man' at La Perouse.  Every Sunday (except when closed due to Covid) - rain or shine - Rob is there.  The Snake Man has been a popular event at La Perouse since 1898.  There have been many snake handlers at La Perouse since this time and most of them have performed this role for many years.

Rob's other activity is as a Snake Catcher when a snake is spotted in someone's back yard.  In spite of the popularity of The Snake Man shows, we remain fearful of snakes in our everyday environment.

November 2021:  Lis Foster and Fiona McQuillan

Topic:  Chiropractic and Physiotherapy

Liz and Fiona work at Active Spine which is a Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Practice.  Both will talk about their professions and cover topics which include their training and qualifications, treatment techniques that they use and the type of conditions that they treat.  Liz will talk about Chiropractic and Fiona about Physiotherapy.  They will also discuss the differences and also the similarities between chiropractic and physiotherapy.

October 2021:  Peter Mace

Topic:  Australian Bush Poetry

Peter will talk about how he got into the Bush Poetry game, the awards he has won, and then recite some poems.

September 2021:  Robyn Monteleone

Topic:  Surviving and Striving to Thrive in Lockdown

Nine weeks into our second major lockdown, we are living in times not seen in generations.  We are learning to deal with isolation, uncertainty ... and technology!  Now, more than ever, it is important to be aware of how we can best look after ourselves and our mental wellbeing.  Lifestyle coach Robyn Monteleone will discuss how we can identify the stumbling blocks that can cause heavy emotional loads, and will go through some practical exercises on how to relieve stress during lockdown.

August 2021:  None

Topic:  N/A

July 2021:  Don Eyb

Topic:  NSW Mounted Police.

Don will be talking about the history of the NSW Mounted Police, the training of the riders and horses, and its role within the Police Force.

June 2021:  Merv Rosen

Topic:  Japanese Midget Submarine Attack On Sydney Harbour - May 1942.

Every country tried to have a secret weapon that would give them an edge and help to win the war.  Germany had the V1 and V2 rockets and jet planes.  Britain had RADAR, the Spitfire and Winston Churchill.  The USA had the ultimate secret weapon - the atomic bomb.  Australia had brave and courageous men and women.  Japan had submarines that could launch planes and carry midget submarines that provided both stealth and surprise.  No other Navy had this capability.  What happened in Sydney Harbour is a good example of how people react when the unexpected happens and the defences are inadequate.  If you thought that the Americans at Pearl Harbour misinterpreted and ignored warnings and were slow to react, wait until you see how we handled the Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney harbour.

May 2021:  Hans Kunnen

Topic:  My Story.

Sometimes bad things happen.  How we respond and how we find our feet again varies from person to person.  On 11th September 2001, I found myself at the World Trade Centre caught up in a series of events that changed the world.  I saw the horrific loss of life, amazing acts of bravery and gracious acts of kindness.  I am not the hero of my story.  That role belongs to others who, in my time of distress and in a time of chaos, held out their hands in care and concern.

April 2021:  Ian 'Herbie' Hemphill

Topic:  Spices - The Plants That Changed the World.

Ian 'Herbie' Hemphill, author of The Spice & Herb Bible 3rd Edition, will share his obsession with spices, nature's key elements in an exotic world of flavours.  Herbie will talk about just what defines spices, their origins, and how they are processed and traded.  He will de-mystify their flavours, identify important quality indicators, explain optimum storage conditions, and debunk a few popular myths widely promulgated by the media and unscrupulous spice traders.

His talk will be peppered with interesting anecdotes he has gathered on his many trips to exotic climes in search of spices and their origins.

March 2021:  Stephanie Lane

Topic:  Perspectives and Growing Up Global.

In 2017, 1 in 30 people was living outside their country of birth.  As multiculturalism becomes the norm rather than the peculiar, Stephanie Lane talks about what it was like to grow up global, the impacts this has had on her, and how this growing mix of global experiences is increasingly influencing generations going forward.

February 2021:  Jim Haynes

Topic:  Australia's Unbelievable True Stories & Things You Thought You Knew.

Jim looks at the truth behind some of our most commonly believed Aussie myths and shares some of Australia's oddest and most amazing true stories.

2020

January 2021:  Sue Butler

Topic:  Rebel without a Clause.

Sue will be talking about Rebel without a Clause, her latest book published in October 2020.  In it, she argues that we need to know when to care and when not to care about language change.  There are some things that really are changes for the worse, but others that do not matter because there is no loss in effective communication.  We can all tolerate a fair degree of variation in spelling and pronunciation, and shifts in meaning.  Mistakes in grammar are harder to overlook. On the bright side, the book deals with word play, with origins of words and phrases and the allure of obsolete words.  Language doesn't always have to be a battleground.  It can be a source of interest and entertainment as well.

December 2020:  Robert Harris

Topic:  Captain Cook, Beethoven and the World Wars!  -  Tall tales but true from the world of music both global and local.

Rob will link the 250th anniversaries of Captain Cook and Beethoven to other recent anniversaries, including the Great War and World War II.  Rob will play famous tunes of great composers before linking to music by composers who survived serving as soldiers in World War I.  He'll then return that global vision to music happening in our own local communities, including the Galston Concerts, set to return post-pandemic in 2021.

November 2020:  Christopher Gilbert

Topic:  mydrbill.com

mydrbill.com.au is a new website that aims to help you when you are making decisions about a forth-coming medical procedure in the private health system.  It provides information on the out-of-pocket costs associated with a list of common procedures and guidance on how to choose a reliable and affordable Specialist.  The site relies on people helping each other by sharing their experiences with costs anonymously.  To assist others, the site asks you to share information about the out of-pocket costs associated with your own medical procedures.  My Dr Bill is a free, not-for-profit service and has been designed and financed by two retired doctors ... Dr Katherine McGrath and Dr Stephen Clarke.

October 2020:  Dale Rees-Bevan

Topic:  Magic of the Mind: Memory Mastery What makes some people able to remember names but not their keys?  How does our memory work (or not)? What does research tell us about what the brain can do?

Dale's talk will focus on the incredible things the mind is capable of - from memorising lists of names to holding a full presentation in your head.  She will share some of her success secrets with brain training, mastering the art of memory and exploring the powers of the mind.

September 2020:  Dr Howard Brady

Topic:  Climate Science is on Steroids.

The Earth has been in a warming period since the 18th century.  The science of weather forecasting and climate has advanced considerably since WW11.  The computer modelling of climate began in the late 1960s.  Unfortunately, computer climate models dominate climate science and are driving nations to make crazy decisions.  We need to check the climate models against the past.  We are not in a climate catastrophe, but we need to sensibly fund and develop alternative energy without bankrupting our-selves in the process.

August 2020:  N/A

July 2020:  NMPC Members

June 2020:  N/A

May 2020:  N/A

April 2020:  N/A

March 2020:  Tom Ware

Topic:  'Surprise' - You will have to come to the meeting to hear this from a highly recommended speaker who decides what to talk about on the day.

February 2020:  Rafael Joudry

Topic:  Sound Therapy.

Sound Therapy was developed by an ear specialist, Dr Alfred Tomatis, who found that he could restore missing frequencies to the hearing of singers by retraining their ears using filtered voice or music recordings.  Tomatis later applied his meth-od to children with learning difficulties, speech problems and autism.

In the 1980s, Canadian Patricia Joudry, received treatment from Dt Tomatis and was inspired to make the treatment available to a wider audience.  Patricia's daughter, Rafael, established Sound Therapy International in Australia in 1989.  Rafael will tell us about the many claimed benefits of the therapy.

January 2020:  Noel Phelan

Topic:  Wooden Boats - Iron Men: The Halvorsen Story.

Most of us are descendants of immigrants or immigrants to this country seeking a better life for ourselves and our families.  The Halvorsen family was typical in that it came with very little and worked very hard to build a better life.  However the Halvorsen family did more than that - they showed extraordinary commitment to boat building and excellent craftsmanship and boat design skills that made their boats desired by wealthy business people, commercial companies and key politicians.

They demonstrated outstanding seamanship by designing, building and sailing their yachts with great success in all the classic ocean racing events and also closed water racing.  They won back to back handicap honours three times in the Sydney Hobart race.  It would take the mighty WILD OATS XI 50 odd years later to repeat this type of achievement. They also built and raced the first Australian challenger for the America's Cup - GRETEL for Frank Packer.

The Halvorsen boat yard at Ryde produced over 250 boats of all types to support the war effort during WWII.  Many of the Halvorsen cruisers were requisitioned by the government to become Patrol Boats protecting Sydney Harbour - the HOLLYWOOD FLEET.  Many people enjoyed a holiday on a Halvorsen cruiser based at Bobbin Head.  This was the largest hire fleet in the southern hemisphere with lots of celebrities enjoying the beautiful Hawkesbury River.

Noel Phelan from the Australian National Maritime Museum will elaborate on this fascinating story.

2019

December 2019:  Mark Diesendorf

Topic:  A Renewable Energy Future for Australia.

We now have essentially all the technologies needed to transition from an energy system based on fossil fuels to one based on renewable energy and energy efficiency.  Most of these cleaner technologies are already economically competitive.  Because electricity is the easiest and cheapest energy form to transition, the key strategies must be to transition electricity to renewables and to convert almost all transportation and non-electrical heating to renewable electricity, while making our buildings, appliances and industries more energy efficient.  This pathway is opening up new industries and jobs and, in future, exports.  The speed bumps slowing down the transition result from the resistance of incumbent industries and their supporters in Parliament and the media.

November 2019:  Prof. Maria Fiatarone Singh (MD FRACP)

Topic:  Brains versus Brawn - is there a need to choose?

Emerging evidence suggests that robust anabolic exercise may be one pathway to reduce the risk of dementia, as well as slowing or stopping cognitive decline.  Prof. Fiatarone Singh will present evidence that robust forms of exercise may be what the brain needs for optimal neuroplasticity, even in the face of physical and psychological stressors which can lead to accelerated cognitive decline and ultimately dementia in some individuals.  She will also present opportunities to become involved in clinical trials researching the types and doses of exercise which may be most productive for brain function.

October 2019:  Mark Bundy

Topic:  Rookwood Cemetery.

Rookwood is not only the largest cemetery in the southern hemisphere, but the largest operating Victorian cemetery in the world, containing over 1 million graves.  The cemetery now hosts over 2,000 internments per year, providing for 89 religious beliefs and 14 different types of internment.

Mark has filled several different roles since starting work at the Cemetery.  He loves Australian history and his access to all aspects of the Cemetery has revealed many interesting stories.  He will speak about the history of the Cemetery, some of his experiences there and about some of the stories he has discovered.

September 2019:  Steven Miller

Topic:  Place, people, pennies and politics: a brief history of the Art Gallery of NSW.

Founded as an art society in 1871 the Art Gallery of NSW is now one of Australia's leading cultural institutions.  In 2021 it will celebrate its 150th anniversary, with a new building opening on the Sydney Harbour.  Gallery archivist Steven Miller will tell the fascinating tale of the Gallery's history over the last century and a half.

August 2019:  David Rosenberg

Topic:  Pine Gap.

In 1966, Australia and the USA signed a treaty that allowed the establishment of a jointly run satellite tracking station at Pine Gap, near Alice Springs.  For more than 50 years it has operated in a shroud of secrecy and has been the subject of much public and political controversy.

David Rosenberg was a civilian employed by the US National Security Agency for 23 years, completing the last 18 years to 2008 managing a team in Operations at the facility at Pine Gap.  He will talk about his experiences there and about the significance of the facility for Australia and the USA.  David is the author of a book on the subject published in 2018.  He was the technical and creative consultant for the ABC and Netflix TV series based on his book.

July 2019:  Bill Phippen

Topic:  The Search For The Morse Photo Albums.

The first railway bridge across the Hawkesbury River, just a few miles from the heart of Sydney was the last link in the rail connection between the eastern main-land capitals, and a necessary pre-requisite to the federation of Australia.  The bridge was built by American contractors who kept photographic and other records of their work, but which they took home at the end of the job.  In 2015 Bill Phippen tracked these documents and photo albums down in Kansas City, Missouri and the Library of Congress in Washington DC.  A coalition of Sydney groups including the Australian Railway Historical Society, Hornsby Shire, Sydney Trains, Dangar Island Historical Society and Engineers Australia pooled a substantial amount of money to buy scans of the photos.

The presentation follows the search and illustrates the images and pages from the scrapbook from Missouri. (The subject is too large to cover in a single presentation and the ultimate failure of the bridge, and its complete replacement during the Second World War is left for another day.)

June 2019:  Denis Smith

Topic:  Some early English influences on Australia.

Denis' talk will be based on his PowerPoint presentation "Governor Arthur Phillip and the reason the First Fleet in 1788 was a success".  He will cover the 2 years before 1788 and the preparation by the Royal Navy to make sure the new settlement would survive and be the foundation for a future Nation.  Denis will also mention Matthew Flinders' great mapping skills and his naming of Australia.

May 2019:  Apology

The scheduled speaker apologised for failing to give his address to our April meeting.

February 2019:  Graham Simms

Topic:  Arthur Stace : 'The Eternity Man'

For over 37 years, a mysterious, one word message - 'Eternity' - appeared on steps and footpaths around the streets of Sydney.  For many years, its meaning and its author remained unknown, until a small, essentially private little man, named Arthur Stace, gradually revealed himself.  He had had a dreadful childhood and early life, had been a petty criminal, a hopeless alcoholic and metho addict, until his life was turned around in remarkable circumstances and he spent the rest of his life spreading his heartfelt message.  Graham met Arthur Stace, and recounts his story.

January 2019:  Christine Thomas, supported by Estelle Davis, with contributions by Julie Acton and Robyn Richardson

Topic:  Mission Australia

Mission Australia is a non-denominational Christian community service organisation that has been helping people to regain their independence for over 155 years.  Christine, Julie and Robyn will describe the work of Mission Australia, supported by governments, corporate partners and everyday Australians, to alleviate homelessness and to provide affordable housing, early learning and youth services, family support and employment and skills development.  Christine will be assisted by Estelle in responding to any personal enquiries after the presentation.

2018

December 2018:  N/A

Topic:  Members Photo Exhibition

November 2018:  NSW Fair Trading

Topic:  Scams

Millions of dollars a year are lost to scammers in Australia. It is almost impossible to recover money once lost to scammers.  This Department of Fair Trading's Scams Awareness presentation aims to educate the community about the current scams and to suggest strategies to help people avoid becoming a victim to a scam. This presentation will give important information on the many different types of scams in the community including:

• Online banking and credit card
• Lotteries and competitions
• Government rebate scams
• Investment opportunities or money transfers
• Dating and romance scams
• Online selling scam
• Computer repair scam

The guest speaker from NSW Fair Trading will be raising awareness of scam delivery methods, including by telephone or internet, so that you can identify a scam at the point of contact and protect yourself.

October 2018:  Graham Rutledge Wilcox

Topic:  The Struggle for Unity - A Story of the Federation of Australia

Graham will talk about the work of his great-grandfather, Sir Arthur Rutledge QC, MP, who struggled in the late 19th century to bring Queensland into the Commonwealth of Australia.

September 2018:  Clive Small

Topic:  The Dark Side

Clive will talk about the corrupt history of Mark Standen, the senior investigator at the New South Wales Crime Commission whose conviction on drug importation charges sparked one of Australia's biggest law-enforcement crises since the Wood Royal Commission.  Clive's presentation will include cover-ups, strategic blunders and missed opportunities that continue to make Australia a soft target for international drug traffickers.  Clive asserts that organised crime is hooked on the limitless profits of the drug trade and has grown so powerful that it poses a major threat to Australia's national security.

August 2018:  Rob Shipton

Topic:  The History of Clocks

Rob will give an illustrated talk about the history of clocks. He will start by mentioning ancient time indicating devices, but will speak mainly about domestic mechanical clocks since the 14th century.  He will also speak about various special purpose clocks, about various clock mechanisms and about inventions that contributed to increased accuracy in time keeping.

July 2018:  Steven Reinhardt

Topic:  Hearing Loss & Dementia

Steven will start his presentation with an anatomical explanation of the human ear and how our hearing system works. He will then discuss current research trends linking hearing loss with dementia and suggest how to minimise or avoid the risk of hearing loss, including use of ear protection equipment.  He will also outline current and developing trends in hearing aid technology (without bias to any particular brand).

June 2018:  Richard Flemming

Topic:  Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network.

When disasters, such as the recent fires in Tathra and last year's floods around Lismore crash down on communities, people are affected in every aspect of their lives, physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.

Chaplains from the Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network (DRCN) are key members of the team that strives to provide holistic care and support to those affected.  They provide pastoral and spiritual support for people struggling to deal with issues of meaning, justice, forgiveness and worldview at a time of major loss.

In his talk Richard Fleming will show how DRCN works in serving people suffering in disaster situations, explain how it is organised and who is involved.