2023

January – Fiona McDonald – The Australia Institute

February – Ros Otzen – Melbourne’s Extraordinary Women of the 1850s and 60s

March – Geoff Widmer – Honorary Consul South America

April – Em. Prof. Dr. Mike Regan – Designing and Deploying Automated and Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities and Challenges

May – Dr Jodie Long – Doing schools differently

June – Amie Marom – Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Watch Commission

July – Charlotte Sterrett – Yarra Riverkeeper

August – Justice David Harper AM – Courtroom Consequences

September – George Deutsch OAM – Courage to Care: A Holocaust survivor’s family story 

October – Lorraine Smith – Journey of a Lost Manuscript 

November – Geoff Chambers – Colours of Jazz

2022

January – Anna Davey – Forensic Science

February – Catherine Kelly and Sue Matthews – Advance Care Planning

March – Dr. Sue Schofield – Free the Bears

April – Carolyn Pethick – To Hell and Back; A Policewoman’s Story

May – Peter Philp – The History of Australian Radio Serials

June – Dr. Brian Gunn – Rottnest Island: An Icon of Western Australia

July – Jennifer Porter – Artefacts and Archaeological Sites

August – Prof. Richard Broome – Remembering Melbourne

September – Dr. David Hay – A Story from World War 1 of Major Henry Farrar

October – Lian Buchanan – Victorian Commissioner for Children and Young People

November – Jill Gallagher – Uluru Statement From the Heart and Victorian National Treaty Proposal

2021

January – Leigh Hay – Author and Poet

February – Katelyn Fryer – The Future of Food Management in Boroondara

March – Emma Dawson – Per Capita Think Tank

April – Ken Tsirigotis – With the Australian Army in Afghanistan

May – Bernardo Tobias – OzHarvest

June – Thomas Currie – Actor, Singer, Producer

July – Dr. Nicholas Opie – The Brain Device ‘Stenrods’

August – Prof. Richard Broome – Aboriginal History

September – Martin Semken – Chelsea Gardens

October – Chris Hayward – Narrowing the Canals of England

November – Colin Neave – Reflections of a Career in the Public and Private Sectors; A Contrast

2020

January – Jenny Yates, The Lifelong Impact of Domestic Violence

February – Frances Deng, Sudanese Refugees – The ‘Lost Boys’

MarchMeeting cancelled due to COVID19

AprilNo meeting due to COVID19 restrictions

May – Paresa Spanos, State Coroner

June – Getting to know Club members Paul Nieuwenhuizen and Eric McGee

July – Stephen Fontana, Assistant Commissioner Crime Command

August – Sandra Erickson, Dementia

September – Prof. Greg de Moore, Changes in Psychiatry Over 100 Years

October – Joy Braybrook, John Batman: Inside Story of the Birth of Melbourne

November – Prof. Nicholas Cox, Matters of the Heart

2019

January – James Nicolas, The Mystery of Fairyland, Kew

February – Les Twentyman, Working with Youth at Risk

March – Amanda Tuohy, Wildlife Artist and Author

April – Chris Plumridge, Crimestoppers

May – Sue Thompson, Dame Nellie Melba

June – Craig Richards, Bicycle Victoria

July – Elizabeth McCrae, Mirabel Foundation

August – The Hon. Diana Bryant, Former Chief Justice of Victoria

September – Brian Negus, Future Transport in Australia

October – Steven Bevens, Incident Response Management at VicRoads

November – Greg de Moore, Finding Sanity: How an Australian POW Changed Medical History

2018

January – Vikki Mustapha, Women in the Middle East

February – Lisette Curnow, Genetics and You

March – Heather Burge, Cycling the Silk Road

April – Ross McMullin, Will Dyson: Australia’s Finest War Artist

May – Prof. David Finkelstein, New Discoveries in Brain Research

June – Ted Cavey, Swagmen in Australia

July – Clif Hardy, Memories of the London Blitz

August – Geoff Bransbury, Around the World by Motor Cycle

September – Greg de Moore, Tom Wills: Creator of Australian Rules Football

October – Gabriel Gate

November – John Howell, The Only Woman at Gallipoli

2017

January – Peter Hall, Better Education for Nepali Kids

February – Prof. David Finkelstein, Brain Research

March – Nick Richardson, “The Game of Their Lives”

April – Don Miller, “The Will to Win”

May – Ken Gosbell, Shorebird Migration

June – Dr, Euan Ritchie, Conserving Australian Biodiversity

July – Doug Ackerly, “Coleman: The Untold Story of a Legend”

August – Michael Rowland, ABC Journalist and Presenter

September – Paul Wheelton, Scrambled Eggs – A Journey in Philanthropy

October – Dr. Graeme Killer – Me and My Prime Minister

November – Laura Waters – Five Months Walking in New Zealand

2016

January – Dr Mark Pownceby – The Titanium Dioxide Story

February – Jim Beggs – Proud to be a Wharfie

March – Pete Smith OAM – A Pete Smith Special

April – Dr Peter Hollingworth AC, CBE – Reflections of a Governor-General

May – Christopher Lamb, Former Ambassador to Myanmar

June – Anna Burke MP – Life as a Federal Politician

July – Ross McMullin – “Farewell Dear People”

August – Peter Knights, Former AFL Footballer and Coach

September – Yvonne Lynch – Melbourne Urban Forest Strategy

October – Dr Hilary Hollingsworth – How Students Learn and Teacher Feedback

November – Richard Coombs – Working in the Middle East

2015

January – Geoff Goodall – Life and Aviation in Soviet Georgia

February – Ross McMullin – H.E. “Pompey” Elliott

March – Don Jones, Comedian

April – Vici Funnell – Transforming Children’s Lives in Bangladesh

May – Annette Allison – Royal Flying Doctor Service

June – Dr Eric Allan – The Life of a Vet

July – Jacqueline Dinan – “Between the Dances” (Women’s lives during WW2)

August – Tim Lane, Sports Broadcaster

September – Prof. Graeme Davison, AO

October – Tim Wilson, Human Rights Commissioner

November – Prof. Ian Howie – The United Nations in North Korea

2014

January – A Speaker from Amnesty International

February – John Gardner (‘The Dunny Man’ author) – Taking care of ‘business’

March – Prof. Ian Howie

April – Josh Frybenberg MP, Federal Member for Kooyong

May – Dr Mark Zirnsak – Gambling

June – Geoff Gaff – Life in Saudi Arabia

July – Dr Mark Pownceby – Journey to the Centre of the Earth

August – Rob Willis – Bureau of Meteorology

September – Lindy Burns, ABC Presenter and 774 Announcer

October – Christie Faulks – Aid in Kenya

November – Dina Burgess – A Waverley U3A Concert

2013

January – Peter Swan – Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association

February – Brian Trenfield – Walking the Kokoda Track

March – Roger Canty – His work as an MCG Guide

April – Graham Beanland – His recent Antarctic trip

May – Tony Michael – Life on the Yarra from the 1860s to the 1960s

June – Gerald Quigley – Living with arthritis

July – Warren Joel – Auctioneer

August – Margo Honeyman – Growing old (dis)gracefully

September – Gillian Hibbins – The origins of Australian football

October – Sheree Marris – The underwater world of Port Phillip Bay

November – Ex-Detective Gary Ayres – The Russell Street Bombing

2012

January – Dale Newton – Qantas Pilot

February – Graham Beanland – Retirement Villages

March – Carolyn Pethick – Community Policing

April – Father Bob Maguire

May – Marcus Taylor – Justice

June – Lloyd Jenkins – Those Unmentionable Women

July – Tony Wells – Route 66

August – Grant McKenzie – Retirement Options

September – Ken Jepson – Bees and Us

October – John Langmore – United Nations

November – Stephen Mayne