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Below you will find some of the highlights of our Club's activities over the last six months or so. If you need additional details, please check the Club Bulletins.
Knitting and Crochet group: This small but close knit group meets monthly at the home of one of the members of the group. New members are welcome to join the group for a BYO lunch with the hostess provided tea and coffee. Between the members there is over 100 years of experience so if you have problem with a knitting or crochet article, they will almost certainly be able to help with a solution.
Theatre Group: Thanks to Bianca, many of us enjoyed the performance at The Round theatre in Nunawading of the music of Michel LeGrand.
This was an excellent program interlacing the performances by the singer Vincent Hooper and the superb pianist and arrranger, Ben Clarke with footage of Le Grand talking about his approach to composing and interviews with his most frequent lyricist-collaborators - Alan and Marilyn Bergman. They performed such famous standards as 'The Summer Knows' and 'What are you doing with the rest of your life'. These ballads are not only part of many soloists repertoire, they have also become jazz standards.
In the splendid auditorium that is the major performance space at The Round.
July Gardening Group: A big turn-out for the July meeting, despite the cold at Bunnings Box Hill. Peter The Gardening Guru was in fine form with plenty of advice for us now that our gardens have received some rain.
Roses - now is time to prune and treat with Lime Sulphur to prevent the dreaded black spot fungal disease. Spray the soil around the base where the fungal spores are hibernating over winter.
To early to fertilise citrus - wait for spring when the soil warms and growth starts. The problem with citrus gall wasp cannot be prevented. Unless the tree is severely affected, leave it alone. The so-called wasp traps seem to catch every other insect (some of which are beneficial) but do not prevent gall wasp attack! A waste of money.
For sick-looking indoor ferns - spray the leaves with water plus water around the base with added Seasol. For cyclamens, inside for 2-3 days and then outside for a day or two. Once they die back, plant them in a shaded spot in the garden and they will grow back each spring.
For dahlias and spider mite Peter recommends a safe alternative to herbicides by using white oil.
A big turn-out in spite of the wintery conditions...gardeners are a tough lot.
The very please winners of the gardening group's raffle. Thanks to Joan for the splendid presentation, not to mention having grown them!
July Dine-out: It was time for Christmas in July at the Mitcham Hotel. A great turn out with 23 members and some even got into the Christmas swing with appropriate dress. A great time was had and despite the noon arrival, the last to leave were there until 3pm. Thanks to Dennis and Jill for a great event.
August meeting: The cold weather continues and it is certainly impacting attendances this year - 65 members attended with three visitors. However, we were not forgotten since 25 members sent their apologies. Of course at present we have many members on the sick list with the dreadful cold that is doing the rounds. Unfortunately it laid low our invited speaker who had to cancel due to a bad cold and laryngititis.
At the meeting the first details of Getaway '26 were announced. We will be going to Cowes for the week staying at the Amaroo Caravan Park. The full details of all the activities with costings will be advised at the September meeting but 21 members have already signed up.
Fortunately one of our members was able to step in and fill the gap with a presentation that he has delivered to other Probus Clubs and U3A but never to his own Club. The presentation discussed the serious effects that scurvy had on ships' crews as Western Europe began long ocean voyages in seach of the Spice Islands. James Lind and later, Sir Gilbert Blain were the two Royal Navy physicians who proved to the navy that citrus juice was the solution in the period 1745 to 1795. Campbell corrected the widely held misconception that James Cook was the person who was responsible for conquering scurvy in the navy.
Campbell discussing how scurvy was conquered in the British Navy in the period 1745 to 1795 and why it took this long for the them to accept the evidence.
October meeting: The webmaster was on holidays for the September meeting so there is no report for that month.
There were only 64 at today's meeting - how many forgot to advance their clocks for daylight saving? At the meeting our latest inductee - Pam - was welcomed to the Club. Pam has many interests but to these she is adding Probus Burwood East. Welcome Pam.
Our outstanding speaker was Dr Greg Moore, past Director of what we all remember as the Burnley Agricultural College but now the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecoscience. Now retired from academia, but still very active, Dr Moore outlined the devestating effects of climate change due to global warming that are already being felt but which will be much greater unless urgent steps are taken to mitigate and reverse the effects of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the oceans. The most effective and least expensive mitigant is the preservation and the extension of tree canopy cover.
Whilst many countries and councils have introduced the aim of achieving 30% canopy cover, few have been able to reach this once canopy has been removed. He also discussed a new urban planning benchmark - the 3:30:300 design. This means that for human health and welfare and to reduce the urban heat island effect, everyone should be able to see 3 trees from their home, live with 30% canopy cover and live within 300 metres of treed green space. An excellent presentation from an expert in the field.
Our latest member, Pam watching to see that our Membership manager, Bev, is reading the list of Pam's current interests correctly!
Dr Greg Moore spoke to the now widely recognised fact that climate change and global warming are indeed occurring and the important role that trees play in mitigating their effects.
Trips and Tours: The October trip saw a large party avail themselves of the $5.50 return ticket to Geelong visit the Geelong gallery where 'The best of the Archibald portraits' were on show. They portraits covered a wide range of styles with a significant number of self-portraits. The levels of technical skill demonstrated in some of the portraits was truly astounding.
Arriving at 10am, and leaving for lunch at midday, many of us had not completed the in-depth viewing that some would have preferred. And none of us picked the winner!
Those staying for lunch moved to Davidson restaurant, a training school for the hospitality industry attached to the Gordon Institute.
Another great outing Jim.
October Walking Group: It was a return visit to Jells Park for the walkers (13) and their dogs (3) - difficult to know who gets the greater pleasure.
Despite Jells Park being a regular walking area for us, our leader Kevin had found a brand new walk only opened by Parks Victoria in the last couple of months. The new trail has obviously had some significant money spent on it and the result is a very rewarding 90 minute loop starting from the rear of Caulfield Grammar School. Then of course, coffee at the restaurant finishing up with a picnic lunch. Indifferent weather but that does not deter enthusiastic walkers!
And dogs make three extra...they love a walk in Jells Park!
November meeting: A great get-together on Melbourne Cup eve. It is our good fortune to meet on the first Monday of the month so our meeting often coincides with the day before the Big Race Day and many members take the opportunity to dress appropriately. And of course there are prizes - Best Dressed Filly, Best Hat and Best Dressed Stallion. Many members were very inventive with their raiment!
Our speaker, Ian Marchment, had been warned what to expect when he entered the meeting.
Ian's presentation was a fascinating one - the played by the RAAF and the American airforce during WW2 and the base on Hook Island. Hook Island is just off Cape York and it was designated as a RAAF base to protect Port Moresby and to attack the Japanese on the north side of New Guinea and in particular, the large Japanese base at Lae. Being so close to the front line, the base was a frequent site of bombing by the enemy airforce. As Ian pointed out, Hook Island was the second most bombed site in Australia after Darwin.
Ian's presentation was based upon the recollections, photos and documentation in the possession of his late father who served with the RAAF on Hook Island.
Today, little remains to show what a vital base the site was during the war.
Ian Marchment and his presentation on the RAAF base on Hook Island during WW2.
Well you might think that Andrianna and Bev had won a prize...but not this year.
Best outfit won by Margot, here with President Sandy.
Best hat award to Kaye. To see the hat at its best, it was best viewed from behind.
Best dressed stallion to Jim for the second year in a row. And another excellent fascinator in the background too.
November Walkaway: Walkaway signals the end of the walking group activities for the year. This year the organisers - Kevin and Robert - excelled themselves and 22 members attended the three day event on the Mornington Peninsula. We stayed at the Rosebud motel and ventured out each day after a generous breakfast provided by Sue, Jeanette, Kevin and Robert at the motel's camp kitchen. After happy hour and a barbecue evening meal on Sunday night and a great get-together of the members it was late to bed despite an early start on Monday.
Despite the dreary weather every-one was at the Quarantine station at the Point Nepean National Park on time. An unexpected pop-up coffee caravan served by Chrissy provided great coffee before we started the tour with our superb guide and raconteur, Clive. We heard all the history of the establishment of the quarantine station starting in the 1850s - how passengers were 'processed' and the measures undertaken to prevent contagion and to treat the sick coming off the sailing ships arriving with 1000s of passengers arriving in Melbourne, especially after the gold rushes began.
After lunch - in a brief sunny spell - it was off to the fort on Point Nepean, built to repel a Russian invasion during the Crimean campaign!
Tuesday was impacted by severe storms and hail so we all spent the morning in the Coppin restarant on Sorrento back beach. With finer weather in the afternoon we all ventured out to take the millionaires walk on the Sorrento clifftops overlooking Port Phillip Bay followed by the famour Sorrento vanilla slices. Dinner at the Rye RSL was a great success.
Wednesday morning was a very enjoyable walk along the Capel Sound shore enjoying fine sunny weather ... a fitting end to another excellent Walkaway.
The early arrivals at the quarantine station were the first to be served excellent coffee by Chrissy in the permanent pop-up coffee shop. The late comers were well-served too.
The famous 'Triconderoga' memorial stone. It commemorates the first ship to disembark passengers at the quarantine station in 1852. The final death toll from typhus was 178 from a passenger complement of 700.
The boiler room at the quarantine station. It provided steam to fumigate the clothes, possessions and mail of passengers passing into quarantine for their 40 day stay before they could progress to Melbourne.
Our excellent guide, Clive, discussing the fort at Point Nepean and the other forts established along the line of the South Channel to prevent invasion by a Russian fleet. These two naval guns have particular historical significance related to both WW1 and WW2.
November Trips and Tours: an excellent choice for the last event for 2025 - a pleasant drive to Mt Evelyn and the famous nursery dedicated exclusively to native Australian plants, Kurange Nursery. Most of us had not heard of this famous nursery but we know it now! With many 100s of native plants and very reasonable prices, this is the place for those hard to get indigenous plants and of course, the more common plants for your native garden.
Lunch was at the restaurant attached to the nursery - the Paperbark cafe. This provided excellent food and very good coffee.
All in all, an excellent selection by our Trips and Tours co-ordinator, Jim.
The photo shows about 10% of the nursery. In addition to the plants on sale, the area surrounding the sale area is a beautifully planted native garden with lots of ideas on how to utilize native plants - ground covers, shrubs and trees, if you have the space.
Just a few of our members selecting plants for purchase or perhaps pots for purchase.
November Dine Out: A big turn up, as always, for the lunch at the refurbished Box Hill RSL club. Mind you - refurbishment was scarcely required for this elegant venue. A excellent value Seniors menu and an even better a la carte menu plus a great selection of good wines. I enjoyed an excellent Italian prosecco. For the last dine out for the year, just another successful choice by our co-ordinators Dennis and Jill.
Just a few of the many who gathered at the Box Hill RSL club for lunch. Dennis is returning to his chair after thanking members for their strong support of the 2025 dining out program. Every-one is looking forward to next year!
Christmas Lunch: Over 70 of our members gathered at The Village Green Hotel, Mulgrave for this year's final event for 2025, our Christmas lunch.
This year we enjoyed a substantial festive buffet lunch of an excellent standard - roast meats, fish, roast vegetables and salads followed by traditional desserts.
Congratulations to our Vice President, Robert for all the organisation that made for problem-free planning and a great day. The format had the additional benefit in that is ensured more mingling and lots of chat!
Robert expressed his gratitude to the unfailingly helpful Village Green staff. This has set the standard for next year and the expectation is that we will return in 2026.
During lunch we made use of the big screen for a revolving slideshow of all our activities for 2025. A great way to see just how much we did and our thanks to all the convenors of the programs.
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