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Speakers
The speakers at our monthly meetings cover a wide variety of topics.
Coming speakers February: Gregory de Moore will talk about legendary sportsman, Tom Wills.
Our recent speakers January: Garry Kirkby told us about the Riding School for the Disabled at Kariong. It was very informative and obviously something very close to his heart. We were fascinated to hear of the rapport between the horses and people with special needs. The talk generated many questions and we are now looking forward to our visit to the school in March. Garry also distributed these two thought provoking poems by John Anthony Davies. I Can I cannot walk, or run or play A game of tennis every day I cannot dance or ride a bike I’ll never know what skating’s like I have no soccer boots or ball, They are no use to me at all. I’ll never ski the waves or snow. So many thrills I’ll never know I’ll never sail the wind or surf Or chase a ball across the turf, Nor climb the snow-capped peaks above, So many things I’ll never love. But I can ride through forest trails To see the fox and rabbits’ tails And watch the geese and ducks take flight While leaping stags and deer take fright. And I can follow mountain tracks past climbers weighted down with packs, To trace a river to its source Astride the broad back of a horse. Yes, I enjoy the “sport of kings’ When carried high my feet take wings, To fly me on a pleasure course, For I can mount and ride a horse.
I saw a child I saw a child who couldn’t walk, Sit on a horse, laugh and talk. Then ride it through a field of daisies And yet he could not walk unaided. I saw a child, no legs below, Sit on a horse, and make it go Through woods of green And places he had never been To sit and stare, Except from a chair. I saw a child who could only crawl Mount a horse and sit up tall. Put it through degrees of paces And laugh at the wonder in our faces I saw a child born into strife, Take up and hold the reins of life And that same child, I heard him say, Thank God for showing me the way…..
Our profile speaker was Laurie McClure
November: John Tilston who is the economic advisor to Gosford Council and the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation spoke about the proposed development of the Gosford Waterfront – called “The Landing”. Several stages of the development are planned, they include the development of a City Park, with a swimming pool, public gardens, and a Performing Arts Centre. An integral and essential part of the development plan is a privately funded commercial centre adjacent to the Performing Arts Centre. This includes three office buildings, a hotel, and a car park. Two large privately funded residential developments are also planned which would include their own car parking; these will be adjacent to the Blue Tongue Stadium. Also three large blocks of units are planned for where the swimming pool is now. A boardwalk will provide public access all along the waterfront as far as Point Clare and on to Woy Woy. In response to questions during his talk. John’s talk was supported by an informative set of slides showing details of the proposed development. John M. thanked John Tilston for his talk.
It was Pam’s turn to give her profile.
October: Lorraine George has been a volunteer and member of the Gosford Musical Society for over forty years. She told us some of the history and the challenges faced over the years at the Laycock Street Theatre.
Fred also shared his memorable moments with our club.
September: John Ralph from the Camera House at Erina brought us up to date with the latest developments in photography and gave some tips for taking good photos. He demonstrated the extraordinary capabilities of all of the cameras. The rapid development of this technology over the past few years shows no sign of slowing – it is hard to imagine what will be possible in the future! In thanking John for his talk, Col remarked that its quality and appropriateness was evident by from the interest shown by members and the number of questions.
Member John S. gave us his profile
August: Instead of a speaker this month we had the final of the 2011 Debating competition. Richard welcomed the debating teams from Erina High School and Central Coast Grammar School. These teams reached today’s final by winning debates against teams from Green Point Christian College and Kincumber High School. Richard also welcomed the teachers accompanying the teams, Paul White from Erina High School and Emma Henshaw from Central Coast Grammar School, and he introduced and thanked Sue MacNeil who had generously given her time to adjudicate all three debates. The topic of today’s final debate was: “That life was better before Facebook and Twitter”. We were treated to six excellent presentations which raised many thought-provoking issues, both positive and negative, associated with the new phenomenon of social media. Following the debate, Paul and Emma spoke briefly about their schools and current educational issues. Adjudicator Sue than gave her comments on the debate and awarded the debate to Erina High School. Before handing the Chair back to Rhoda, Richard thanked Lerryn Mutton who had initiated the Debates in 1994, remarking that he had done something very worthwhile with lasting benefits. Rhoda congratulated the teams and thanked all involved in the debate, commenting that it had been a most enjoyable and stimulating experience. Rhoda then presented the shield to the winning team from Erina High School.
Pat presented her profile
July: Bruce Dunlop, a Life Member of our Club, gave us a most interesting talk on the history of the Bouddi Peninsula. He covered from Captain Cook naming landmarks, Captain Phillip exploring the area. The early settlers and individuals of note over the years, the development the Peninsula, the wreck of the Maitland and much more. His talk was complimented with a great video which brought back many memories for most of us. Ken then thanked Bruce for his wonderful presentation.
Richard gave an historical presentation, he said that Fred and himself have compiled a complete list of the over 300 guest speakers during the 27 years of our Club’s existence. He spoke briefly about a few of the talks, some well before he joined the Club, and some that left a lasting impact on him. He offered to make the list available to any Member wishing to learn more about what had happened in the past or simply wanting to take a trip down memory lane. Richard added that the Club was greatly indebted to those who had served as Speaker Convenor over the years.
June: Marilyn Collins who is Vice President and Secretary of Gosford Orchid Society gave a most interesting talk about orchids. She brought with her many of her own plants in full flower including one of her Cattleyas that had won Director’s prize at the Mingara Orchid Show held the previous weekend. Marilyn described the different types of orchids that she had brought along and gave advice about how to grow them. Orchids actually make up over 10% of all plant species, with more than 30,000 naturally occurring species and are found growing in all regions. She suggested that a good way to get into growing orchids is to join a local orchid club where you can talk to professional and amateur growers and learn more about this fascinating pastime. Her talk generated a lot of interest and there were many questions during and afterwards. Heather thanked Marilyn for her outstanding talk.
Irene gave her profile
Marie ph. 4381 2759
May: Kimberly Mahy and Hilda Bird gave a most entertaining talk about ‘Radio 50 plus’
April: Trevor Phelps from the Cancer Council spoke about the 5 main forms of cancer: breast cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, bowel cancer and lung cancer. He emphasised the importance of a healthy lifestyle and prevention strategies to reduce the harm that cancer can do. Everyone should eat a proper diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, less meat and more fish, and limited alcohol. Above all, don’t smoke. Regular check-ups facilitate early detection of cancer – two thirds of cancers that are detected early can be cured. Everyone should watch for warning signs, such as lumps, or changes in moles or in bowel habits. Trevor also spoke about the work of the Cancer Council which raises $50m each year to help fight cancer. The Council offers information, and provides advice and resources about cancer. All of this can be accessed by calling 131120. After questions, John thanked Trevor for his talk.
Col ph. 4369 5269
March: AGM was held this month, so there was no speaker.
Di presented her profile.
February: Our guest speaker was Senior Constable Carina Hassett. Carina has been in the Police force for thirty years, the last 6 at Gosford Police Station. She has served in many capacities, but is currently Crime Prevention Officer at Gosford. Over 200 police are attached to Gosford station, 100 of which are “general duties” which includes interacting with the public, and the remainder have operational duties. Carina stressed the importance of reporting all incidents to the police. For urgent matters, call 000 or the Police Assistance Line: 131444. For non-urgent matters call Gosford Police Station. Carina spoke about strategies for keeping yourself safe, including: keep handbags close to you; be aware of other people in your surroundings when using an ATM; lock front doors when at home; put locks on windows and deadlocks on doors; get a dog; have sensor lights installed on your home; pre-program phones with emergency numbers; and don’t let strangers into your home. In vehicles, you should keep doors locked when driving, and don’t put handbags or valuables on seats. Carina summarised her talk by saying that personal safety is all about assertiveness and alertness. John thanked Carina for a most interesting and relevant talk.
Our Historian Fred spoke about foundation and Life Member, Jim Price. As our first guest speaker, he spoke about “Guided missiles”. Fred concluded his talk by saying that Jim was a very enthusiastic and tireless worker for our club and held several positions during his 6½ years with the club, He had been our most frequent guest speaker, and a great ambassador for Probus.
January: Speaker Convenor Patrick introduced our speaker. Nicholas Altuneg. Nicholas was trained as an optometrist at the University of NSW and has a Masters degree in Behavioural optometry. He has run an optometry practice at Kincumber shopping village since 1998. Nicholas talked about the major causes of blindness in our society. Macular degeneration is caused by a build up a fatty acid deposits behind the retina. Although sufferers can be helped with glasses and magnifiers, including sophisticated camera and/TV enlargement systems, the most important thing is prevention with a good diet including antioxidants, vitamin A (yellow vegetables), vitamin C (citrus fruit and tomatoes), and vitamin E (fish oils). The second major cause of blindness is glaucoma. The difficulty with this disease is the people don't know they have it until it has caused the damage. Glaucoma is caused by high water pressure in the eye. It can be treated with drops, but not cured. Glaucoma is detected by measurement of eye pressure, retinal scanning, measurement of cornea thickness, and a field test which measures the side vision. The next most significant cause of blindness is cataracts in which the eye lens becomes progressively more opaque. Cataracts are effectively treated by surgery. The fourth cause of blindness in our society is diabetes. The key here is to control blood sugar levels and to have regular examinations. Nicholas then talked about his discipline of Behavioural optometry. While most optometrists look only at the eyes, Behavioural optometrists look at the whole body. The eyes can affect the balance of the body and vice versa. Behavioural optometrists are best known for their work with children who very often don't know that they have a sight problem. Nicholas’ talk was followed by an active question-and-answer session which dealt with molecular fibrosis, the use of coloured spectacles to treat optical problems, and the difficulties in managing sight impairment in children. Ken thanked Nicholas for his talk.
Barbara presented her profile
November: After morning tea, Speaker Convenor Patrick introduced our speaker David Poulton, an animal attendant at the RSPCA shelter at Somersby. The RSPCA is the largest animal care organisation in New South Wales. It has 11 shelters, and handles over 40,000 animals per year, mostly dogs and cats, but also including birds, goats and ferrets. Only about half of the dogs given to the RSPCA are able to be adopted – the rest have to be euthanized. David talked about the work of RSPCA inspectors investigating cruelty complaints. These inspectors work to an RSPCA code of practice which specifies that animals should have freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain and disease, freedom to express their normal behaviour, and freedom from fear and distress. The RSPCA also investigates many complaints about battery hen farms and pet shops. The RSPCA only receives $200,000 each year from the government which can only be used for legal expenses associated with prosecutions. Therefore, virtually all of their $17.5 million annual operating costs is obtained by public fundraising. David's talk prompted an extended question-and-answer session dealing with many topics including the role of pet shops in encouraging over breeding, how to report animal cruelty, how to deal with the barking dogs and bush turkeys, and the training of RSPCA workers. John Orme thanked David for a very interesting talk.
It was Lorraine’s turn to give her profile
October: Denise Lawrence spoke about her husband and Member Bruce who died recently. Denise said that Bruce was a quiet man with a dry sense of humour who enjoyed our Probus meetings a great deal. When he joined Kincumber Probus Club in 2000, his health was deteriorating Despite 10 years of ill-health he never complained, and retained his humour and intellect right to the end of his life. Bruce made his living as a musician and an artist – an unusual combination – and he had an international reputation in both fields. He achieved a great deal during his life, but he never involved himself in such mundane matters as household chores or financial management. Bruce was always immaculately dressed, a habit that came from his father and grandfather. He despised pretensions. Bruce composed many different types of music including cello pieces for Denise to perform. During his last two years he wrote some of his best music, much of which were commissioned pieces. Denise played recordings of several pieces of music written by Bruce, including Toccata, played by pianist Aaron McMillan who tragically died at the age of 30. This piece was composed specifically to be included in a collection of music by Australian composers in the Great Library at Alexandria. She also played a piece composed by Bruce for contra bass flute. Bruce received his music education first at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and then the Royal College of Music in London. Denise met Bruce in Sydney where he became her accompanist and then mentor. He took Denise to London for further study. After this they had eight years of intensive work, including concert tours. However, having started a family, they decided to return to Australia where Bruce became Head of Music at Knox Grammar School. As a painter, Bruce inherited his talents from his father George Feather Lawrence, and they held many joint exhibitions. In contrast to his music, Bruce’s painting training was informal. He tended to paint in bursts of creativity, often finishing a whole painting in two days. Denise showed some examples of Bruce’s original music compositions – these beautifully written manuscripts reflected his extraordinary artistic skills. She also showed photographs of some of his paintings, many of them landscapes, to the accompaniment of Bruce's composition Rhapsody for Jack. To conclude her talk, Denise read a lovely poem of tribute to Bruce accompanied by a piece that he had written in memory of his father.
Fred also entertained us with a talk about some early history of the Club.
September: Speaker Convener Patrick introduced our speaker Mick Joffe “ a cartoonist, historian and author of several books.” Mick’s books contain material drawn from interviews with literally hundreds of Australian characters, mostly quite elderly, who have led extraordinary lives. He has been doing this for all of his adult life at age 20 he interviewed a lady aged 101! All of his books contain unedited words actually spoken by the people he has interviewed. Mack’s first book was called Yarns and Photos: Beautiful Old Berowra and Hornsby to the Hawkesbury. Subsequent books are: Endangered Characters of Australia; Living Relics of Australia Their Yarns and Caricatures; and Living Treasures of Oberon. He is currently preparing books on people in the Snowy Mountains and on Australian Military people. Mack’s books contain his caricatures of those whom he has interviewed. All of his early books sold out very quickly (a copy of Endangered Characters of Australia recently sold for $1000!). However, he had a few copies of his latest one for sale. Mick began his presentation by drawing a caricature of Life Member Fred. He then gave an enthralling talk drawn from the material in his books. He leafed through his books and spoke briefly about a few of the hundreds of characters in them, many of whom we knew. Mick said that he had made these books his life’s work because he believed that the memories of people represent a unique aspect of the history of our country, and should therefore be recorded. In thanking Mick for a wonderful talk, Marie said how important it is for historians not to modify the words spoken by others. She commended Mick on his outstanding achievements.
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