GUEST SPEAKERS
At Hawkesbury Probus Club care is taken to provide guest speakers for our monthly club meetings.
Their subjects are varied and of considerable interest to members.
In addition to the Guest Speaker there are presentations by the convenors of the clubs activities who update members and visitors about upcoming events they have planned.
Visitors who are interested in joining Probus are also welcome to attend. (see Club Activities page for details)
Arrive by 10:15am for a 10:30am start at the Richmond Club. Meetings close by about 12:30pm.
Should any member or visitor have any suggestions of a possible speaker, that information should be passed to the Programs Officer Margaret Novak, email-
Note: The Hawkesbury Probus Club is currently seeking a new Programs Officer to organise guest speakers.
If any members are interested please contact Margaret Novak on email or use the contact page on this website.
Coming Guest Speakers
19th January 2026
Ron Ray OAM
Ron has been a volunteer guide and member of the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) for 15 years after retiring from a corporate career in human resources and training, including a number of years working as a part time teacher in TAFE.
He also spent 10 years in the Army working in signals and artillery.
His other volunteer activities include visitor services with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust in the visitor centre on Cockatoo Island and North Head.
Ron also conducts tours of the North Fort tunnels and gun emplacements at North Head and the tunnels and fortifications at Georges Heights.
On Australia Day 2020, Ron was awarded an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) for services to the Australian community across a wide range of roles, preserving history and heritage
Also in 2020, Ron was awarded the title of Community Fellow of the University of Western Sydney for services to the communities of Western Sydney
Ron will present the story of Bass and Flinders.
Find out about the backgrounds of these two famous Australian maritime explorers, their fates and their voyages of exploration around the coasts of NSW, Tasmania and Terra Australis in small boats and their legacy.
The talk will explore the men themselves, Tom Thumb I and II, their voyages to southern NSW and the Victorian coast and around Tasmania and then Flinder’s circumnavigation of Australia
George Bass was born in Lincolnshire on 30 January 1771, the son of a tenant farmer. At the age of 16 he was apprenticed to a surgeon and after 2 years at 18 he moved to London to undertake training as a surgeon
Matthew Flinders, the first man to circumnavigate Australia, was born on 16 March 1774, also in Lincolnshire. His grandfather and father were both doctors and it was expected that he would follow the family tradition but he entered the Royal Navy at the age of 15 after reading the book Robinson Crusoe
16th Febuary 2026
Ben Britton - Wild Cat Conservation
Ben will talk about the Wild Cat conservation breeding and protection programs.
Established in 2016 under the leadership of Director Ben Britton, the Wild Cat Conservation Centre stands proudly in Wilberforce, Australia, as a pioneering force in understanding and protecting smaller wild cat species.
Nestled in the Hawkesbury valley, just an hour’s journey northwest of Sydney, our centre is an oasis for conservation efforts focused on wild cats from around the globe. Notably, we proudly run the only conservation breeding program for Clouded Leopards and Cheetah in Sydney. We are not a zoo or wildlife park, all visitation is by appointment and our pre-booked tours.
Visitors to our centre can learn about our conservation breeding and rewilding programs and research efforts to conserve these smaller though enigmatic wild cat species. By joining us, you become a vital part of our mission to safeguard these remarkable creatures!
Securing a future for the forgotten wild cat species
16th March 2026
Club AGM meeting
No Guest Speaker on this day
20th April 2026
Peter Plowman will join us once again.
His talk will cover the history of the Cunard Liners Lusitania, Mauretania, and Aquitania
Peter has had a fascinating life which has resulted in a amazing interest about vessels large and small on our oceans and rivers. He says he has been interested in passenger liners as long as he can remember. He was born and raised in Bermuda, but as his relatives lived in England, his family would visit there every two or three years, going by ship from New York to Southampton and back. He travelled on some of the greatest liners ever built, including (the original Queens) Elizabeth and Mary, Caronia, Mauretania and Ile de France. In 1965 he migrated to Australia, travelling from London by Orsova to Sydney. Since 1980 he has had over a dozen books published on various aspects of Australian maritime history.
18th May 2026
David Huchinson
Subject: Climate Change
David's Profile:
First class honours graduate in chemical engineering. Spent career working in
environmental field. Now retired but have researched climate change issues over
the last 2 years and have been making presentations for over a year.
community by showing where perceptions are refuted by the facts.
The presentation then provides information on what the world in general is doing
to address climate change and what 2 countries (Australia and China) are doing
specifically.
Ther presentation ends with a summary of where we stand and scientific
predictions of what the world will look like once earth’s temperature stabilises at a
new higher level.
15th June 2026
TBA
20th July 2026
Deborah Baker of RSL Life Care
Subject: Home care packages
17th August 2026
'From the Ridiculous to the Sublime --True Travel Tales' (audience encouraged to remember their own funny, scary and amazing experiences while travelling)
Jo-Anne grew up in Brisbane Australia but is now based in Sydney.
She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry, before undertaking her writing journey.
Jo-Anne loves encouraging others through both the written and spoken word. She writes a weekly blog and also speaks regularly at both church and community groups.
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Past Guest Speakers
17 Nov 2025
Paul Kearney, a rock 'n roll historian, will be presenting his very popular talk on the music of the British Invasion
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in Australia.
Paul will entertain us with music and video clips from this period.
Featured Artists Include: The Beatles, Dave Clark 5, Animals, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Searchers
The Kinks, Manfred Man, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Lulu,
Gerry & Pacemakers
Plus, some short comedy clips.
20 Oct 2025
Grant Chalk
Grant went to James Ruse Agricultural High School and studied at Hawkesbury Agricultural College -
He is a local and lives in the Hawkesbury.
Grant has had quite a number of businesses in the agricultural sector.
He organises tours to India, and has also been a volunteer advising Indian farmers.
Grant provided a video and map of the regions he covers in his tours.
15 Sept 2025
Lisa Connors presented a talk on The Humour Foundation
The Humour Foundation is an organisation of expertly trained performers who bring laughter, joy and genuine human connection to children’s hospitals and aged care facilities through our Clown Doctors™ and Laughter Care™ programs around Australia.
The Power of a Smile
The Humour Foundation brightens the lives of people facing illness, palliative care, and the later stages of life, bringing moments of joy and connection that uplift the spirit. Every interaction is personal and meaningful, tailored to provide comfort and hope in the way it’s needed most.
Even in life’s most challenging moments, a smile has the power to heal and bring light to the darkest of days. By focusing on what is possible and present, rather than what is wrong or has been lost, we show the transformative impact that humour can have on health and wellbeing.
Pictured is Marg Novak with Lisa Connors (right)
18 August 2025
Bill Phippen spoke about Kathleen Butler (mother of the Sydney Harbour Bridge).
Kathleen Muriel Butler (1891–1972) was known as 'the Godmother of the Sydney Harbour Bridge'. She played a significant role in the conception and development of the bridge. Technically, her role was as the confidential secretary to the chief engineer, John JC Bradfield. Today she would be recognised as the project manager, tender manager, negotiator, administrator and publicist for the Sydney Harbour Bridge project.
21 July 2025
Cruise Cauchi
Principal Audiologist and Director of Cruise Audiology
Cruise Audiology is an independently owned, on- site, and mobile Audiology practice offering hearing and earwax removal services throughout the Hawkesbury, Penrith, and Greater Western Sydney region.
At Cruise Audiology, our mission is to work closely with client’s and their families to tailor hearing rehabilitation which directly addresses any concerns, wants, and needs that they may have.
Cruise will discuss how to achieve the best outcomes for your hearing health and greatly improve your quality of life, including:
- General information on hearing health (how the ear works)
- Signs of hearing loss (what to look out for)
- What to expect in a consultation
- Different rehabilitation options for hearing loss (I can also go into some detail regarding cheaper online hearing aids vs hearing aids from a clinic)
Cruise Audiology
Phone: 02 7233 4765
Email:
Location: Greater Western Health
128 Francis St, Richmond NSW 2753
Website: www. https://www.cruiseaudiology.com.au
Opening hours
- Appointments are available on Saturdays in-clinic.
- Mobile appointments available on weekdays and weekends from 8am-6pm.
- After hours and emergency callouts are available .
In cases of a sudden hearing loss, a hearing test or ear wax removal can be organised as soon as possible and does not require a referral.
Pensioners are eligible for some of the free hearing tests.
16 June 2025
Monique Pryce"Dementia Awareness"
Wentworth Healthcare is a local not-for-profit organisation striving to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Lithgow and Penrith.
There was a lot of discussion and interest from club members about the important need for people to have an "Advanced Care Plan" in place so that their wishes can be adhered to in the event they can no longer make decisions on their own.
19 May 2025
Judith Dunn OAM FPDHS is a tour guide and sought-after public speaker, who received an Order of Australia medal for services to history and heritage and holds a Parramatta and District Historical Society Fellowship (FPDHS) for researching and recording Parramatta history.
The presentation will be titled "Hoofbeats in History".
- a presentation regarding early horse racing in the colony of NSW -
The beginnings of horse breeding and racing gave the populace fun and entertainment, was rich in incident and adventure, giving some owners prestige while bankrupting others.
It improved the breeding of horses in the colony and was particularly evident in the Parramatta area.
Above all it delivered drama and excitement in days of often unremitting toil.
28 April 2025 (late meeting due to Easter Monday and Anzac Day)
Phil Greenidge of Digital Literacy Foundation discussed all things scam and digital wellbeing for seniors and where to get advice.
This "Online Safety" presentation covered:
There were many questions raised by club members who showed a lot of interest in this presentation.
17 March 2025
Club AGM so no guest speaker.
Election of new committee members (see History and Management Page)
Gary Condon was elected as new President for 2025.
Peter Plowman presented a history of the giant cruise ships, which show that the Titanic is actually quite small by today's standards. He discussed the various cruise lines and that most ships arre now built in Finland. They are built in sections (prefabricated) that can be fitted together, which means that each ship can be built much faster.
Tommy Galea of Greater Western Health presented a very interesting talk on how to care for your feet.
Jan Nash, member of our club, presented an interesting talk about sponsoring students from overseas. Something that Jan and her husband have done many times. There were many photos of the visiting students as well as of the trips that Jan and her husband of been on visiting families overseas.
August 2024
July 2024
Tania Patterson presented a talk on the "Fulfillment of Life and Preparation for End-of-Life Support and Care."
June 2024
Damian Tomasiello from Care Flight presented the history of Care Flight and outlined all of their services.
The artists will included: Buddy Holly, Bill Haley & the Comets, Johnny Ray, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Connie Francis, Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard.
Everyone enjoyed reminiscing and singing along.
Peter Plowman presented a talk on the Titanic and her sister ships. The Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 and no-one recalls the sister ships which were built at the same time. It is the 112th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Peter discussed the ships of the White Star Line and other cruise companies that were building large ships for the New York to England run.
Michael Clark worked in the NSW Public Works Department with member Guy Boncardo. Michael talked about the engineering feats needed to successfully build the Sydney Opera House.
Robert explained the history and context of the Hugenots. Starting with their formation in France, problems with the Catholic regimes and movement to Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, England, Ireland and Scotland, and also to Australia. It was a very detailed presentation with many historical photos and explanations.
Zvonimir Gavranovic, author and scholar, presented a talk about
Hawkesbury Council representatives, Andrew Kearns, Manager Strategic Planning, Colleen Haron, Floodplain Management Officer and Joanne McWilliams, Community Recovery Officer, talked to us on floodplain management, flood mitigation and arrangements for residents in the event of flooding of the Hawkesbury River.August 2023
July 2023
Guy Boncardo is a Professional Civil Engineer with 47 years of experience in the investigation and design of Civil Engineering works. Guy's presentation focussed on the management of wastewater, commoinky known as sewerage. It included issues relating to investigation, design and operation of sewerage collection, transfer, and more specifically, treatment systems. The presentation was titled "Wastewater Management - this is what happens when you push the button".
June 2023
Peter Plowman presented an interestingtalk about the earlysteam powered and paddlewheeler ferries of Sydney. Beginning in 1791 right through to the present day. This included the constant changes and developments of Circular Quay. Finishing with the hawkesbury Paddle Wheeler, which began life on the Lane Cove River and was eventually sold and moved to the Hawkesbury River at Windsor. After the recent floods it was based at Lower Portland, but is now at Brooklyn waiting to be sold and put to use again
May 2023
David Short presented a very interesting talk on the Royal Flying Doctor Service. He started with the history of it starting in 1911 with John Flynn. The first plane used was the Victory. Many people were involved in the setting up of the service including putting together a meicine chest for isolated families and inventing a pedal radion that could work anywhere in the outback. He covered the many centres throughout south east Australia and the RFDS roll which covers emergency care; primary health care; dental work; mental health (drug and alcohol); and community engagement. He discussed their role in the roll out of the Covid vaccine as well as the funding sources available, withg the majority coming form community donations.
April 2023
Michael Clarke is an eminent senior engineer and was the last Chief Engineer of the NSW Public Works Department when he retired in the 1990s. He has researched the history of the development of Sydney.
His talk covered the history of Sydney's water supply, through to the Height of Buildings Act 1912 and then the building of the Opera House. He also covered Macquarie's Sydney, Circular Quay (1874), railway to Parramatta (1855), Darling Harbour and the Goods line, Central Station (1906 - 1921) the bridges of Sydney, Hydraulic Power; among other interesting subjects.
Senior Constable Carmen Bagust of Windsor Police discussed scams, how to avoid them and what to do if you are scammed. The talk also covered the Next of Kin Register.
The information presented now has people concerned and careful about their online security.
Graham Wilcox, long term club member, presentedd an interesting talk titled "Message in a Bottle."November 2022
Noel Phelan from the National Maritime Museum related another amazing maritime story. The subject this time was the Teddy Sheehan Story.
Teddy Sheean, on HMAS Armidale was the youngest at 18 and the most junior rank – an ordinary seaman and a loader for the OERLIKON anti-aircraft gun. The ship was attacked by 13 Japanese planes, attacking from different directions. Two torpedoes hit the ship and the order was given to abandon ship. Teddy helped launch the motorboat then decided to stop the Japanese who were strafing his mates in the water.
Read The Teddy Sheehan Story on this link.
More Past Guest Speakers
February 2017
Narelle Norrie who is the Relationship Manager for the Home Doctor Service spoke on the subject of "13SICK", being this entity's phone number. This is a service providing after hours home visits by doctors for n
on-emergency medical problems. They operate under contract with the Government and the aim is to reduce the need for people to have to go to Emergency Clinics for treatment.
March 2017
Nancy and Vince Cosgrove talked on their subject of "Off the Bucket List". A 2016 World War I western-front battlefields tour including commemorations services at Fromelles and Poziers - five great uncles' supreme sacrifice remembered. Their impressive presentation included many photos of the battlefields in France and Belgium where their family members had been buried as a result of First World War casualties.
April 2017
Michelle Gosewinckel is a solicitor in her law firm Hawkesbury Legal (one of our club website supporters). She gave a talk on the very important subject of "Wills, Estates and Elder Abuse". Michelle has a particular concern with this because she has had many elderly clients who have have been badly treated by their own families. The welfare of elderly people includes such matters as the need for a Will and the dangers that can arise when a Power-of-Attorney is given. The response to her talk was so well received that Michelle has been invited to speak to the club again in 2018 on the subject of "Powers of Attorney".
May 2017
Denis Smith enthralled our members with his subject, "Governor Arthur Phillip and the reason the First Fleet in 1788 was a success". His message was that the success of the colony was due to the careful planning of Arthur Phillip, our first governor. He also spoke about Matthew Flinders and the naming of Australia. Denis is a direct descendant of First Fleeters John Barrisford (a marine) and his wife Hannah.
June 2017
Debbie Ward Harris's title for her talk was "Meditation". Each week involves teaches up to six meditation classes in Richmond and Dural plus volunteer work for the University of the Third Age (U3A). Debbie explained that meditation is a readily available tool to use for relieving stress, helping with anxiety and changing our thought patterns from negative to more positive thoughts.
July 2017
Peter Webb gave an absorbing address about "Building the North West Rail Link". Peter represents Impregilo-Salini who were awarded a joint venture $340 million contract in December 2013. This contract involves building the four kilometre elevated sky-train between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill, including the 270-metre cable-stayed bridge over Windsor Road at Rouse Hill.
August 2017
Our member Olga Dickinson shared with us the story of her career in British film and television. After leaving Drama School Olga started her career in a Repertory Theatre Company moving on to Stage Management at Granada Television for 20 years. During this time she worked on major drama series and the longest running soap in history. She finished her paid working career as Head of Performing Arts at Bolton Technical College in the north of England.
September 2017
Our member John Butler told us about the coming 200th anniversary of St Matthew's Anglican Church, Windsor on Saturday 14th October 2017.
The book by Ian Jack and Jan Barkley-Jack entitled, St Matthews Windsor an Anglican Landmark celebrating 200 years was on sale at the meeting by courtesy of the Hawkesbury Historical Society.
October 2017
Cassandra O'Connor represents the Lendlease and Bouygues Joint Venture on behalf of Roads and Maritime Services and Transurban. She spoke to us about NorthConnex, the $3 billion project being built to provide a nine kilometre underground motorway link between the M2 Hills Motorway at West Pennant Hills and the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga. We were advised that this tunnel, the longest in Australia will be opened to motorists in late 2019.
November 2017
Greg Vincent from One Agency (one of the supporters of the Hawkesbury Probus Club website) addressed us on "The Pitfalls in Selling Your Property". Greg shared information that he has gathered in his twenty years in Hawkesbury real estate. This included general advice for vendors and purchasers and how to view the market appraisals given by various agents.
January 2018
Noel Phelan from the Australian National Maritime Museum told us the full story of a very important event in Australia's wartime history. On the night of 31st May 1942 three Japanese midget submarines attacked Sydney Harbour.
February 2018
The response last year to the talk by Michelle Gosewinckel from Hawkesbury Legal was so strong that Michelle was invited to speak to the club again; this time on the subject of "Powers of Attorney".
March 2018
In 1966, Australia and the US signed a treaty that allowed the establishment of a jointly run satellite tracking station, just south of Alice Springs. For more than forty years it operated in a shroud of secrecy and had been the target of much public and political controversy.
For the first time, a US high-tech spy who worked at Pine Gap for 18 years spoke out to give an insider’s account of what happens behind those locked gates in the middle of the Australian desert. David Rosenberg detailed his career with an American intelligence agency during a tumultuous period in history that covered the terms of three American Presidents, four Australian Prime Ministers, the end of the Cold War, a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, two wars in Iraq, genocide in Rwanda, as well as the ‘War against Terror’ and the emergence of North Korea as a nuclear-armed nation. This was a fascinating glimpse inside the top-secret world of military surveillance.
June 2018
Our guest speaker this month was Colette Kinsellay who is a Senior Education 
Officer with Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA). MDFA is the leading independent expert supporting those impacted by macular disease to live well on each step of their journey. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and severe vision loss in Australian’s over the age of 50. During the talk we learned about macular degeneration, its symptoms, treatment options, how we can reduce our risk and the importance of diet and lifestyle. An early diagnosis can help prevent unnecessary blindness.
July 2018
Graham Wilcox told us the story in his book, The Struggle For Unity - A Story of the Federation of Australia. Graham explained that ten years ago he was writing the biography of his great-grandfather, Attorney-General of Queensland Sir Arthur Rutledge, when he discovered a story of vital historical importance which had been buried for 120 years.
During the late 1890s the Australian continent was destined to be occupied by three countries. By 1899 the Queensland government was urging Queenslanders to vote NO to federation. Two weeks before the vital Queensland referendum Rutledge managed, by a skilful manoeuvre, to turn North Queenslanders to such an extent that the whole colony swung to voting YES. This made Queensland part of Australia instead of being a separate country and as a result Australians today are able to live in a country on a continent with no international borders.
August 2018
This month we had a very informative talk by CareFlight. Its mission is to save lives, speed recovery and serve the community by providing the highest standard of rapid response and critical care. CareFlight started as single helicopter operation in 1986.
CareFlight doctors and nurses now fly to and from destinations throughout Australia and beyond, on helicopters, aeroplanes and medi-jets.
September 2018
Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Sweeney (Retired) addressed us on the subject of the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942.
For a detailed introduction to Tom please go to Tom Sweeney
November 2018
February 2019
“The Search for the Morse Photo Albums”
The first railway bridge across the Hawkesbury River was the last link in the rail connection between the eastern mainland 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 at the end of the job they took them all home to the USA. In 2015 Bill Phippen tracked down these documents and photo albums in Kansas City, Missouri and the Library of Congress in Washington DC. A coalition of Sydney groups pooled a substantial amount of money to buy scans of the photos. Bill's presentation followed the search and illustrates the images and pages from the scrapbook from Missouri.
March 2019
Club member Deirdre Dehn entertained us with the story of her singing careers.
In 1962 Deirdre sailed to London to establish her career. In 1967 after a very successful first career she returned to Australia for her second career, touring in Australia and New Zealand. Deirdre then joined the Sydney Opera Company and sang at the newly opened Sydney Opera House.
This photo is Deirdre in her heyday.
May 2019
Composers in the Great War ... tall tales but true from a world of music!
Today we were enthralled with Robert Harris' musical presentation. Many great composers - familiar names such as Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky - had lives of intriguing, surprising experience, at times tragic, at others amusing, some of 'believe it or not' status. The context of those and other Classical composers allows Robert to share similar incredible but true tales of some less familiar names, of composers who served in the Great War - Australians amongst them. Some made the ultimate sacrifice. Others served, suffered yet survived, often in quite amazing circumstances, to lead long, successful careers. A world conflict, a parallel world of music; global musical treasures offering undeniable local riches too.
A truly excellent presentation.
June 2019
Roland Storm. Instead of a Guest Speaker this month we were very lucky to be entertained by 
Roland Storm. Roland was born in Rockhampton but his feet seem to have rarely touched ground since he started performing. He has been a firm favourite in 25 countries and has performed with many very well known entertainers. He has a repertoire of hundreds of songs ranging from the Sixties through the Millennium to the present. Roland was awarded a Gold Medal for his biggest hit, Rolling With The Flow.
September 2019
Our Guest Speaker was be our much-loved long-time member Emeritus Professor E. Graham Swain AM, Bsc Agr (Hons1) (Syd), PhD (Md USA), Hon D Litt (UWS), FAIST.
Graham spoke about the challenging, yet exciting challenges for agricultural scientists and farmers to cope with feeding an increasing world population.
October 2019
NUTCOTE AND THE LIFE OF MAY GIBBS
December 2019
Lester Morris presented his story, The Life and Times of a Professional Actor/Singer/Stage Director. Lester has had a very long and impressive career in all these roles and was well known to members who have seen him on television over the years.
Lester has presented his interesting story many times and was been referred to us as someone we really wanted to hear
January 2020
February 2020.
Our Guest Speaker for February was Peter Plowman whose subject Voyage to Gallipoli fascinated members. It is based on his book which tells the largely unknown story of the events around the Pacific Ocean in 1914 that delayed the departure of the first convoy to leave Australia in November that year. This ultimately resulted in those troops ending up being sent to Gallipoli.
Peter has had a fascinating life which has resulted in a amazing interest about vessels large and small on our oceans and rivers. He says he has been interested in passenger liners as long as he can remember. He was born and raised in Bermuda, but as his relatives lived in England, his family would visit there every two or three years, going by ship from New York to Southampton and back. He travelled on some of the greatest liners ever built, including (the original Queens) Elizabeth and Mary, Caronia, Mauretania and Ile de France. In 1965 he migrated to Australia, travelling from London by Orsova to Sydney. Since 1980 he has had over a dozen books published on various aspects of Australian maritime history.
October 2020
Our Home Swapping Sojourn in France - Johanna Wilcox
In 2007 Johanna and Graham fulfilled a long-held ambition to live in France. The result was that they swapped their apartment for back-to-back living in eight homes right around France. Johanna painstakingly recorded every day of this adventure and at last has published a book about it, entitled Odyssey Abroad. Her talk was an illustrated version of her story.
November 2020
A professional entertainer since 1988, Jim Haynes OAM, MA, M.Litt. has written many songs, recorded for Festival, Sony, EMI and ABC, had a national hit with ‘Don’t Call Wagga Wagga Wagga’ and is the Australiana expert on 2GB. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the Australia Day Honour's List in 2016, 'for service to the performing arts as an entertainer, author, broadcaster and historian'.
To see Jim's full Bio click Jim Haynes Bio
February 2021
Our member Neville Dehn is the secretary and a very active member of Hawkesbury Historical Society. His talk this month will be a presentation of photos he has taken of heritage buildings within the Hawkesbury City Council Local Government Area and east of the Hawkesbury River. It is a series of photos (about 50) of early buildings and some background on the people who built them and have lived in them. He is hoping that it will be of particular interest to members fairly new to the Hawkesbury and who may not be aware of the rich heritage this region has to offer. The title for his talk will be "Hawkesbury Heritage".
April 2021
But he says what he has done is unimportant - it's what he inflicted on this day that counts!
His subject is Putting Humour to Work in which he shows how our attitudes and perspectives can create unnecessary stress, making us old – or should that be older? – before our time and what we can do to reduce our stress levels?
His talk is half serious and half humorous because Johnny believes that when the mouth is open for laughter, it is possible to shovel in a little food for thought.
May 2021
June 2021
Today we learnt more of the true story of this colourful figure of our past through this presentation by Arthur Pearce from the National Maritime Museum.
January 2022
Saskia Zaitzieff of Avalon Computer Pals. Downsize by selling your "stuff" on line. If you have to move house, especially to a retirement unit or nursing home, what do you keep and what do you get rid of? This is a step by step guide to help make appropriate decisions - and perhaps to get a bit of money towards your move
February 2022
What is wrong with this picture?
Once again Noel Phelan from the National Maritime Museum told us an amazing maritime story. Most of us will recall hearing of the wrecking of the Costa Concordia in 2012 but few of us will know the detail of how it happened.
One might well ask "how on earth could a ship's captain risk the safety of a $900 million dollar ship and all the lives of its passengers and crew just to impress a lady passenger?"
Read The Sinking and Salvage of Costa Concordia on this link.
March 2022
Dr Douglas Goulding speaking on Palestine and Israel. This involved the history of the area and a discussion on ways to Solve the Conflict.
June 2022
Phil Greenidge of LEEP. Leep's purpose is to ensure people experiencing disadvantage have the skills to get online confidently and safelythereby reaping the economic and social benefits that technology offers.
Phil's talk was titled 'Digital Literacy in Seniors and how to recognise scams.'
July 2022
Peter Plowman filled in at short notice and talked about 'Australia Under Attack'. it has been 80 years since the attack on Darwin and Peter took us through an illustrated talk outlining the details of the attack on Darwin and in the Pacific.
August 2022
Peter Plowman again visited us , but this time to talk about the cruise industry. he looked at the history of cruise companies listing the rise and fall of various companies. He discussed how the Covid pandemic affected cruise companies and considered the future now that cruises are returning around the world.
September 2022
Wade Dennis and Leks Duric from Service NSW in Penrith discussed the many benefits and savings available to seniors. This is a NSW government initiative to bring all types of services to people who need them. More than 70 rebates and savings have been brought together in one convenient location. This office is no longer just about road use and vehicle registration.
Just a few things that this office can help seniors with are, Energy Switch, Toll Relief, Family Energy Rebate, Regional Seniors Travel Card, Pensioner Travel Vouchers, Appliance Replacement Offer, Pensioner Water Rebate, Gas Rebates and Pensioner Concessions on Vehicle Registrations.
More information is available on www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/cost-living
October 2022
Christine Sykes, author of three books: The Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast, Gough and Me, and The Changing Room had a theme of " It’s never too late"
Christine traced her journey from being a reluctant retiree from the Australian Public Service over 9 years ago to being an author with 3 books published, and taking up tap dancing. Christine, 72, is living proof that life begins at retirement.
Christine discussed the path from the genesis of an idea, or inspiration, through drafting to re-writing, editing and publishing, and reflected on how becoming an author has changed her life and opened up experiences and people of which she would never have dreamed.
For more detail about Christine please go to this link Christine Sykes