Previous Speakers
Speakers
Speaker: Kingsley Perry
Topic: The Battle of Leyte Gulf October 1944
Date: November 2024
Our very own King Perry [Commander Kingsley Perry (Ret’d)] presented an account of The Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, October 1944. The series of sea battles at and around Leyte Gulf marked a turning point in the Pacific war. Despite together representing the greatest sea battle in history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf is not as well-known as many other naval encounters of that war. King gave us a brief description of the great battle, highlighting the Royal Australian Navy’s contribution to the huge American naval force which took part.
Click here to view Kingsley's article "The Royal Australian Navy at Leyte Gulf October 1944" on the Naval Historical Society of Australia's website.
Speaker: Winston Reinboth
Topic: The Future of Travel - Way-finding, Self-drive, Self-guided Exploration and Story Telling
Date: October 2024
Today, we find ourselves at the forefront of a technological revolution that is significantly altering the way we travel and explore our world. Innovations in way-finding, self-drive, self-guided travel, and storytelling are transforming the future of tourism. With over 40 years in Tourism and Hospitality, and now retired, Winston Reinboth is starting a new digital venture. He has enjoyed taking trips on the open road since childhood and is now encouraging Aussies to explore the country on four wheels and provide a much-needed boost to the regions. The NSW resident is the driving force behind Go Drivin - a new free app which offers a range of mapped, curated road trips to travellers, encouraging them to venture off the beaten track for a taste of the real Australia. Go Drivin encourages travellers to not only stop by towns that are bypassed by the country's major highways, but to really explore them. The app currently features 30 fully mapped routes in NSW. Each road trip begins with a personalised introduction to each destination. Other features of each trip include audio commentary to fully immerse the driver in the experience, turn by turn navigation, and the ability to customise each trip, with drivers able to choose from a wide range of points of interest to include in their itinerary.
The app is totally free to download. For Winston, it is a passion project but he also aims to provide a shot in the arm to Aussie towns that are in desperate need of a tourism boost. The app is still in development, and Winston is encouraging Aussies to download it, try out the maps and share their feedback. He is also interested in hearing from any community groups or organisations in NSW who would be interested in hearing a talk about the app.
The app is available for download via Google play. For more information visit www.godrivin.com.au or email info@godrivin.com.au.
Speaker: Alan Lawrenson
Topic: Australia's Looming Energy Crisis. Can We Keep the Lights On?
Date: September 2024
Our September guest speaker was Alan Lawrenson. Alan holds tertiary qualifications in chemistry and metallurgy (3 years at VW factory – South Africa). Alan had thirty years selling & marketing scientific and medical products as well as significant exposure to biochemistry and nuclear technology. His post-graduate qualifications are in advanced management studies from Macquarie University. Alan had nine years as Head of a Peak Industry Body and thirty years of mining sector investment, including minority ownership of a Queensland oil field, during which he visited thirty plus mines. Alan spoke about his recent book; “Australia’s Looming Energy Crisis - Can We Keep The Lights On?”
Speaker: Ken Hutt
Topic: An attempt to paraglide from Mt Everest to support Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign
Date: August 2024
Ken Hutt, a farmer from Berry NSW, is a retired Police Rescue Squad member and a member of the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia. In 2014 Ken glided from the summit of the world's sixth highest mountain, Choy Oyu, in Tibet. In 2022, aged 63, Ken then set off to do something that's never been done before - to climb 8,846 metres and then fly a solo paraglider from the top of Mt Everest, all in the name of raising funds and awareness for Rotary's End Polio Now campaign. However, the glide was not to be - Ken developed a life-threatening chest infection at camp two, about 6,400 metres up the world's highest mountain. Without the ability to breathe properly in an environment where every gram of oxygen inhaled can mean the difference between surviving and death, he had no choice but to descend. Once you get beyond camp two you cannot get medical aid or be rescued. One in seven people don't survive their attempts at Everest and three people died while the group was on the mountain. Ken returned to the Everest region in 2023 to spend two days hiking to an altitude of 5,200 metres to fly from the Lobuche Peak in Nepal. So far, Ken has raised $250,000 for Rotary's End Polio Now campaign.
Dr Joe Carter (Senior Lecturer in Film and TV) filmed and directed a documentary about Ken's adventure, researching and filming in some of Australia's best paragliding locations and for three months on location in the Nepalese Himalaya. "Fly from Everest" is an epic story of adventure, sacrifice and daring - with an incredible ending no-one saw coming. Click here to view the trailer for the documentary.
Topic: Novelist "On a Bright Hillside in Paradise"
Presenter: Annette Higgs
Date: July 2024
2022 Penguin Literary Prize-winning Novelist, Annette Higgs, shared the story of a family of convict descendants in the back-blocks of Tasmania. It is loosely based on her own family. Annette is a writer living in Sydney. After a long career as an Intellectual Property lawyer, she turned to creative writing, earning a Masters of Creative Writing and Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Sydney. Her short fiction has been published in a number of international and Australian literary journals. Her novel "On a Bright Hillside in Paradise" was first published in 2023, to critical acclaim.
Topic: Aged Care Reforms
Presenter: Michele Bell
Date: June 2024
Michele Bell joined the Ku-ring-gai Neighbourhood Centre (KNC) as a volunteer in March 2013. KNC is a not-for-profit community organisation assisting the elderly and disabled stay in their homes as long as possible with assistance as well as social interaction through group activities. Michele initially became the KNC’s Manager and as the organisation expanded in 2019, the CEO. With the significant growth over the last few years the staff numbers have grown from four to fifty, ably led by Michele. Michele is an excellent networker with other community groups such as Rotary, Women’s Shelter, Men’s Shed, D’café coffee mornings, and Lifeline. This was particularly evident during COVID when she organised masks, hand sanitiser, food parcels and other essential items to KNC clients to help keep them safe. Nichele was also the worthy recipient of Ku-ring-gai's Women of the Year in 2020 and Citizen of the Year in 2024.
Topic: "The SAN - 2024 and Beyond"
Presenter: Brett Goods - CEO, Adventist HealthCare
Date: May 2024
Brett Goods is a hospital leader and administrator with over thirty years of experience working in hospitals, including twenty-eight years in management, administration and senior leadership. Brett has a positive personality and a unique combination of commercial instinct, academic knowledge, experience, well developed networks, and industry knowledge. Prior to his appointment as CEO of Adventist HealthCare in June 2018, Brett was General Manager Hospitals and Deputy CEO for Adventist HealthCare (2014 – 2018), CEO Mayo Private Hospital Taree (2012 – 2014), CEO/DON – Toronto Private Hospital NSW (2008 – 2012), Manager Perioperative Services – The Mater Private Hospital North Sydney (2002 – 2008), and Director Perioperative Services – Sydney Adventist Hospital (1999 - 2002). In addition, Brett has served on the APHA Finance Audit & Risk Committee since February 2018.
Topic: “Ironclad Sisterhood: Convict Women in NSW”
Presenter: Dr Alexandra Mountain
Date: April 2024
Dr Alexandra Mountain, Archives Manager for the Society of Australian Genealogists took us back in time to the first settlement. She treated us with a presentation entitled “Ironclad Sisterhood: Convict Women in NSW”. Ironclad Sisterhood drew our attention to the more than 4,700 women who were transported to NSW from 1788-1818. The original research on the subject had been initiated by Jess Hill, Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists. The project incorporates a website, an online searchable database, a podcast and artificial intelligence images. Alexandra discussed how the project came together, its ongoing development, and how it can be useful for your own family history research!
Presenter: Peter Watson
Topic: “The Rise of Ransomware with a Focus on Ransomware Gangs”
Date: March 2024
Peter Watson took us into unfamiliar territory with his presentation on “The Rise of Ransomware” - a look at the evolution of Ransomware with a focus on several of the most notorious Ransomware Gangs and their tactics”. Peter is a Cyber Security specialist with broad experience in a range of security related roles. He holds Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN) certifications. In addition to Security Intelligence, other focus areas over the past 10 years have included Network Forensics and Malware Analysis.
Presenter: Lindsay May
Topic: “Kialoa II’s Return Voyage to UK and my 50th Sydney to Hobart”
Date: February 2024
Lindsay May OAM is a navigator on ocean racing yachts and has just completed his 50th consecutive (a record) Sydney Hobart Race. In 2023 he was part of the crew who sailed Kialoa II to the UK to compete in the Fastnet yacht race. Lindsay has raced in 3 Fastnets, 1 Newport USA to Bermuda, 1 Transpac (Long Beach to Hawaii) and 3 South China Sea races (HK to Philippines). Lindsay has been winning navigator of one Line Honours (1997) and three Handicap winners (1984, 1991, 2006). Amongst other things, Lindsay is an active member of Lane Cove Rotary Club and a Past District Governor of Rotary District 9685.
Lindsay gave us a stimulating presentation at our February meeting, about his amazing sailing adventures that included the return of Kialoa II to the UK, a selection of experiences from his 50 Sydney-Hobarts and commentary on his recent UK Fastnet experience. Lindsay May is a truly inspiring human. His experience is not limited to sailing, and he continues to be involved in Rotary at both Lane Cove Club and Rotary District 9685.
Background:
Topic: “Museums of History in New South Wales”
Presenter: Agnes Devine
Date: November 2023
Agnes joined Museums of History NSW and its predecessor Sydney Living Museums as a volunteer in 2016 and was selected for the speakers’ program four years ago. She is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and after two decades of practice served many years as a Director in various Federal and State government agencies. She is on the Board and the Company Secretary of the NSW Bridge Association, is a guide at the Sydney Jewish Museum and active in several not-for-profit cultural organisations. A keen golfer and sailor, she travels extensively to spend time with her family and friends here and overseas. See https://mhnsw.au/ for more detail.
Agnes walked us through a series of slides showing the various MHNSW properties including historical and anecdotal information.
Topic: “Royal Flying Doctor Service”
Presenter: David Short
Date: October 2023
David Short worked in education for 48 years prior to his retirement from the University of Notre Dame in 2020. His career included teaching, consulting and administration in the Public Education System to the end of 2010, when he retired from the Department of Education as a Secondary School Principal. He then moved into the university sector for the next 10 years. David holds degrees in Arts, Education and Law. Concurrent with these positions, David worked with the Department of Juvenile Justice and later the Attorney-General’s Department, the NSW Police Force and legal entities within the Department of Education. He has received awards for Excellence in Teaching, Community Service and Service to Schools and was nominated by the NSW Police for NSW Volunteer of the Year Award. David is a pianist and organist and has been accompanying the Sydney Welsh Choir for 18 years.
David gave us a comprehensive overview of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. There is certainly something very special about organisations like the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the wonderful connections that emerge. Hugh Anderson shared with us a story about his grandmother’s very early support of the Service and was able to tell us that his grandmother was one of the very early donors to the Service in its formative years.
Topic: “Let’s put on a show”
Presenter: Tom Sweeney
Date: September 2023
Tom Sweeney was President of Willoughby Theatre Company (WTC) for 12 years, which in 2022 celebrated 65 years of staging Broadway musicals to patrons on the north shore and wider Sydney. Both Tom and his wife Joy have been members of WTC for over 54 years and during that time, Tom has directed over 40 musicals for that company and directed plays and musicals for other companies in Sydney. The WTC now stages all its productions in the magnificent Concourse Chatswood and annually stages two major Broadway musicals and one Cabaret. In 2023 the company will stage “Sound of Music” and “Cats”. Tom has directed such shows as Les Miserable, The Boy From Oz, Titanic, Zorba, Meet Me In St Louis, The Scarlet Pimpernel, 42nd Street and has appeared on stage in Camelot, Half a Sixpence, Brigadoon and Pyjama Game to name a few.
Tom presented a behind the scenes description of how musicals are actually chosen, cast, rehearsed and staged and how it is now a big business not just a hobby. WTC regularly attracts about 10,000 patrons a year to its shows and spends an average of $275,000 on each production.
Topic: "Ku-ring-gai Council’s Inspirational Initiatives and its Services for Seniors"
Presenter: Robin Hall
Date: August 2023
Robin Hall is a very well qualified, well-travelled, well-educated and well-experienced Aged Services Coordinator at Ku-ring-gai Council, a role she has worked in since 2018. Robin came to Council in 2009 & worked there in a range of other roles over time. Many will know that Council aims to provide a range of activities for older people, all designed to keep them healthy & engaged with their communities. The Ku-ring-gai aged care team also supports local organisations to provide activities and in-home services for older people. Volunteering is also encouraged. Many Council and other local volunteer opportunities are promoted, and volunteer-involving organisations are supported by Council. She will provide further details on these opportunities during her presentation.
Topic: "Mapping an Empire"
Presenter: Tony McCurdy
Date: July 2023
After a career working internationally as a consultant in the public and private sectors, Tony has, since his retirement in 2000, been a sought-after speaker in U3A, Probus and a wide variety of special interest groups on more than 20 engaging topics. We were delighted to have Tony with us again, this time speaking on “Mapping an Empire”, the gripping story of the stupendous work of 19th century science, exploration and achievement involved in the mapping by Britain of the Indian subcontinent. Who would have thought that a highly qualified mathematician could make a presentation on the mapping of the Indian Sub-continent such an interesting experience? Well, Tony did that . . . and more!
Topic: "Fraud, Identity Crime and Senior Safety"
Presenter: Geoff Moeller
Date: June 2023
This month we heard from Senior Constable Geoff Moeller. Geoff has been a police officer (in General Duties) for 27 years. He is now a Crime Prevention Officer and has been stationed at Hornsby for the past three years. Geoff enlightened us about Fraud, Identity Crime and Senior Safety.
Topic: Iconic Australian Inventions and Discoveries
Presenter: Ian Thompson
Date: May 2023
At our May meeting we heard from Ian Thompson on “Iconic Australian Inventions and Discoveries”. Ian is a graduate industrial chemist with experience in agriculture and entomology, and he holds six patents to his name. Every day, throughout the world, over a billion people rely heavily on Australian inventions. Every time they drive a car, fly, eat or communicate there is a good chance that it’s enabled, in some way, by Aussies. We all know some of the great inventions made by Australians - Victa, Hills Hoist, Wine Bladder, Vegemite - but our speaker, Ian Thompson, treated us to many more.
Topic: "The Story of AE2 - Australian Submarine at Gallipoli"
Presenter: Jeff Hughes
Date: April 2023
Dr Jeffery Hughes is an internationally acclaimed Orthopaedic Surgeon who specialises in shoulder and elbow reconstruction, arthroscopy and joint arthroplasty. But his presentation this month didn't relate to his day job but to his wide range of interests, especially history of things associated with water. Did you realise that the Australian Navy had submarines at the time of the First World War? What were they used for? Where were they stationed? What exploits did they get involved in? AE2 was one of these submarines and Jeff Hughes has a special interest in its history. He presented the story of AE2 from its beginnings right up to the present time including his special relationship with the submarine - a fascinating story!
Topic: "Patrols in the Stone Age"
Presenter: Dave Wilkins
Date: March 2023
Dave Wilkins graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1963. His career in the Australian Regular Army spanned 26 years including three years in Papua New Guinea with the local Pacific Islands Regiment where his patrols into the wilds of that primitive land confronted threatening locals. It is some of those experiences during his 3 years of patrolling there in the mid 1960's that are the subject of his talk called “Patrols into The Stone Age; Escapades in Papua New Guinea”. As a Captain he saw active service for 14 months in the Vietnam. Upon his return from active service he embarked upon a new career direction in law, initially as a military lawyer as a Defence Force Magistrate and Judge Advocate for trials by court martial. Dave retired as a Colonel from the Regular Army in 1985 to work as a barrister in Sydney for the next 20 years. In 2019 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to community history, a consequence of the four volume Rallying the Troops; A World War I Commemoration.
Topic: "Gang Busting Cop"
Presenter: Deborah Wallace
Date: February 2023
Detective Superintendent Deborah Wallace rose to the top of the New South Wales Police Force with grace, humour and an iconic sense of style. In her incredible 36 years in the Force, Deb commanded a range of specialist crime squads. Bringing order to the wild west of 1990s Cabramatta and busting criminal bikie gangs with Strike Force Raptor. She spoke to us on this period during a previous talk to Probus Wahroonga East. Deb retired in 2019. In retirement, Deb moved to Lake Macquarie and enjoys spending time with her three rescue dogs Lily, Bonny and Clyde. She is involved in much charitable work and, in addition, Deb is hosting the True Crime series on the Nine Network, 'Million Dollar Murders' where she takes viewers inside active investigations. These are some of Australia’s most challenging murder mysteries where Police have posted a one million dollar reward for information.
Topic: "Wood - Carbon, Health and the Circular Economy"
Presenter: David Rowlinson
Date: November 2022
David Rowlinson is the Make It Wood program manager at Planet Ark and is passionate about the subject and all Planet Ark’s environmental pursuits. Planet Ark makes it easy for Australians to take simple, powerful and positive environmental actions. David hails from Lancashire, England and has lived in Australia since 1994. He studied Architecture at Sheffield University and also has an MBA from Macquarie University and a Master of Marketing from UNSW. Prior to joining Planet Ark in 2016 David was Marketing Manager then CEO of a major Sydney-based manufacturer of modular carpets used in all commercial building applications. He addressed these matters in his presentation and explained things like the “why” of wood’s wellbeing benefits when used for the fabric and furnishings of buildings.
Topic: "My Mind's Made Up - Don't Confuse me with Facts"
Presenter: Tony McCurdy
Date: October 2022
Tony McCurdy has a degree in mathematics from London University and has extensive experience working at a senior level worldwide with a leading consultancy to major international clients. He moved to Australia in 1988 and since his retirement in 2003 has been a sought after speaker for both U3A and Probus. Tony spoke to us earlier this year when his topic was “Ghosts of Everest—George Mallory 1924”. If you were there, you will remember this presentation because it was most enthralling and made good use of photos and videos in his presentation. This month’s presentation used a similar style but involved and challenged us in the audience to demonstrate the gap between Perception and Fact.
Topic: "From Gods to Gigabytes - A Brief History of Weather Forecasting"
Presenter: Richard Whitaker
Date: September 2022
Richard (Dick) Whitaker is an Australian meteorologist and author. Whitaker is currently the Chief Meteorologist on The Weather Channel, following his esteemed thirty-year career as a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology. His presentation traces the fascinating story of humanity's love affair with the weather - together with the strong desire to predict it. Many different forecasting methods have been tried down the ages such as using prayer and sacrifice to the Sky Gods, observing the behaviour of plants and animals, looking at cloud patterns and in more recent times using science, technology and mathematics as the main forecasting tools. Modern weather prediction is one of the more recent scientific endeavours. Mathematical weather forecasting is barely 100 years old and has made astonishing progress in such a short time. We can now predict the weather far more accurately than ever before and the story of how we reached this point has involved inspiration, communication and calculation. Dick enlightened us on this interesting journey - one of the great philosophical and practical triumphs of human achievement.
Topic: "The Price of Power"
Presenter: Graham Barclay
Date: August 2022
Graham Barclay has degrees in engineering from Sydney University and the University of New South Wales. He has worked in the power industry all his life and has had senior roles in the technical and commercial aspects of the engineering, pronouncement and construction of central and remote power plants, the planning, funding and development of large central and smaller remote power systems and the design, manufacture and installation of plant and equipment.The National Electricity Market (NEM) is struggling to cope with the arrival of large numbers of disparate, relatively unreliable, privately owned, renewable sources of generation which progressively replace a small number of large, technically proven (albeit CO2 emitting) and reliable sources of generation which still underpin the majority of the market's need for energy. Costs of electricity have risen dramatically and more fluctuations can be expected. Public debate is loud and polarised on whether, for example, Australia has a plan, whether the country is moving too quickly or too slowly and whether soaring electricity costs are caused by the rush to renewables or the result of other factors. Our political leaders are responsible for dictating the pace and direction of the changes involved but receive advice from a mix of competent firms and institutions as well as vested interests, climate change activists and journalists, most of whom have a poor understanding of the subject. The presentation will try to provide clarity on some of these vexed questions and looks at the implications of integrating disparate, widely-spread sources of power and the outlook for electricity prices and costs as renewables begin to dominate the power generation landscape.
Topic: "Hydrogen & Nuclear Energy"
Presenter: Martin Thomas
Date: July 2022
Martin Thomas was born and educated in the UK. He moved to Perth in 1967 in his early 30s. He moved to Sydney and has had a lifetime career in energy consulting with Sinclair Knight Merz specialising in industrial energy conservation in Australia and overseas. He has held many honorary positions within the industry and in 1992 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to energy and engineering and in 2015 received the AGM Michell Medal, the highest award of College of Mechanical Engineers and the Annual Award of the Australian Nuclear Association. His topic is “Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy, an Unlikely Marriage”. Nuclear energy is one of the most remarkable, extraordinary and potentially valuable resources known to man. Respected and exploited intelligently by some, it is feared and rejected by others; often on grounds that lack rationality or persuasive logic. But may the current political drive for clean energy and the use of “Green Hydrogen” bring opportunities to bring nuclear back into the viable options?