Previous Guest Speakers
2nd September 2024: Lisa Mead - Life of a Luxury Yacht Chef
Website: https://lisamead.com/
Chef, Lisa MEAD and assistant, Kaye, demonstrated how to make Lisa’s prize winning Mascarpone and Berry Flowers. This recipe and many other gourmet dishes are published in Lisa’s book: Fine Dining Made Easy: Galley Gourmet with Chef Lisa Mead available through Amazon.
Recipe abridged from Lisa Mead’s cooking demonstration.
Prepare oven tray by spraying with oil or brushing with butter. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Prepare filo pastry by cutting into squares – cover with a damp tea towel until ready to use.
Layer filo pastry squares into muffin tray, rotating each square to form a flower. Brush each layer with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Cool.
Combine a tub of Mascarpone Cream, a dessertspoon of vanilla bean paste, 2 tablespoons of golden syrup in a bowl and mix well. Spoon mixture into cooled flowers, decorate with berries, add a swirl of golden syrup and dust with icing sugar to serve.
5th August - Peter Dunn OAM – Brisbane @ War – Military locations in Brisbane during WWII
1st July 2024 - Dr Christopher Reynolds - Australian History as you've never heard it
Dr Christopher Reynolds, his new Book in hand. Rob thanking Dr Reynolds
Dr. Christopher Reynolds completed his Ph.D. and Masters degrees at Claremont Graduate University, one of America’s most prestigious universities, where he was heavily influenced by leading academics, Peter Drucker and Alvin Toffler.
Dr Reynolds has held appointments with both the United States Senate and House of Representatives. As Senior Professional Staff with the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, he worked under Senators Teddy Kennedy and Mitch McConnell. Dr Reynolds worked on several projects with White House staff receiving a Commendation from President Ronald Reagan for his ‘excellent work. He was first listed in the International Who’s Who Historical Society in 2006.
Having launched his new Book - What a Capital Idea - Australia 1770-1901, with the Hon. Tony Abbott, in Sydney in May, Dr. Reynolds brings an exciting and fresh look at Australian history - with all its wonderful stories, revealing information that will surprise you. Indeed, he lifts the lid off Australian history like never before and confronts the myths and misinformation that the media and academics have come to rely on.
Christopher is a charismatic speaker and draws from his global experience and knowledge to make him truly exciting to hear.
Contact: 0422 467 842 Website: https://drchristopherreynolds.com/
3rd June 2024 – Rick Maher - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dancer
Rick has served in the Australian Army for more than three decades and is also an enthusiastic, yet ungainly, ballet danseur. Up until a few years ago Rick’s regular soldiery gig included standing around looking cool as a Combat Aviation Officer. During this time, Rick served in a number of roles that included Regimental Command, operational deployments to East Timor, overseas service to both Singapore and Israel, and an ADF appointment to the Australian Senate. In 2019, whilst otherwise minding his own business, his career made an unexpected turn, and he was posted to Joint Health Command as a research officer. In what Rick describes as a cosmic level act of kismet, Rick’s two worlds of the military, and of dance, collided and he commenced his PhD research at QUT with a focus on designing dance-based quality-of-life enhancements for war veterans with trauma based mental health injuries.
1st May – Bec Redsell – Associate Producer, QPAC
Bec is an Associate Producer in the Curatorial Team at QPAC. Her primary focus is in managing the projects for Digital Stage, QPAC’s digital platform aimed at making art accessible to all. But she also works on other live events presented by QPAC such as creative developments of new shows and Friends of QPAC special events.
Bec shared information about Digital Stage and some exciting highlights coming up in QPAC’s 2024 program. She was joined by QPAC’s Philanthropy Manager, Sara-Jane Dean, who shared information on QPAC’s new theatre.
They are calling on their community to help grow this support so that QPAC can continue as a thriving arts centre for everyone - well into the future.
QPAC’s fifth theatre will be the jewel in QPAC’s crown and its construction is well underway. The new 1500 seat theatre will elevate Queensland’s reputation, positioning them as the largest performing arts centre in Australia.
To support the new theatre, there is an upcoming philanthropic opportunity where you can have your name, a loved one’s name, or even a club or organisation name and message engraved on a plaque on a seat in this new theatre, where it will remain for the next ten years. You may wish to use the opportunity to highlight your support of the arts, mark a milestone in your life, honour the memory of a loved one or give a memorable gift to a loved one. Please get in touch with the QPAC Philanthropy team to learn more.
Please visit the Digital Stage website to browse the catalogue and sign up for a free account to start watching: Browse - Digital Stage (qpac.com.au)
3rd April - Dr James Lergessner - Ageing Down Under: Is 70 the New 50?
Dr James G. Lergessner is one of Queensland’s most distinguished historians, biographers and memoir writers. Formerly a university professor of education and an academic consultant within Australia and Canada, James is also a passionate observer and recorder of life and events in Brisbane. He has published twenty-four books – fiction and non-fiction - related to early Queensland. He says his presentation to our Club will be humorous and appropriate to our membership, that we will all go away “pumped” for the interesting senior years ahead.
5th February 2024: Shae Miller. Topic: MyCare, MyChoices
Visit https://metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/acp
6th November, 2023: Kate Richards.
Topic: A Female Construction Management Expert in a Man's World
4th October, 2023: Milly Blakely: Topic: Music in Silent Movies.
Milly, who came to Australia in 1965, will be talking about her father’s life as a musician in the US.
Monday 4th September - Mark and Wilna from the Cross River Rail Project
Kaye introduced our guest speakers from The Experience Centre of Cross River Rail, Mark and Wilna. Mark gave a very informative overview of the Cross River Rail Project with visuals and answered questions which were many and varied. The project is expected to be finished in 2025 and operational in 2026. This lead in time will allow security and fire systems to be thoroughly checked before opening to the Public.
A Vote of thanks was given by Darryl Rossberg.
For additional information check out the Cross River Rail webste: https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/
A great experience for the whole family (lots of activities for the young and the young of heart) is to visit the Cross River Rail Experience Centre. For details visit: https://crossriverrailexperiencecentre.qld.gov.au/
Monday 7th August 2023 - Bec O’Connell, Manager BOQ Kenmore
Topic: Scam awareness.
BOQ Kenmore is headed up by Owner-Manager Bec O’Connell who has owned and operated the business for the past 5 years. Bec works alongside a dedicated, long-serving team that many of you may know Jenny, Katherine, Kym & Grant who between them have over 100 years of banking experience to support the banking needs of the Kenmore community. The team at BOQ Kenmore has grown welcoming Peta, Anita & Byron over the past 12 months. They are close knit team who genuinely care about creating long-term relationships with their customers. Not just passionate about banking, Bec and her team created the idea to share their knowledge around how to protect yourself as a direct impact of more and more of their clients being the victims of fraud. The opportunity to present their Scam Awareness Presentation to the members is a way to share their knowledge, inform and support more members of the community.
Monday 12th June - Brad McGregor
Clinical and Operations Manager, UQHealthy Living (for Seniors) - Topic: STRENGTH TRAINING AND THE OLDER ADULT: HOW TO IMPROVE FUNCTION & BUILD BONE MASS
https://www.uqhealthyliving.org.au/
8th May 2023 - Robyn Gattera
Regional Coordinator (South) and Team Leader (Corinda Library). Robyn has worked for Brisbane City Council libraries for over 30 years. She has worked in a variety of different role including Team Leader, First 5 Forever Outreach Officer and her most recent role as Regional Coordinator, South Region.
Topic: Brisbane Libraries – a place to discover new worlds, learn new skills and enjoy social connection.
6th February 2023 - Paul Hobbs
Paul Hobbs is Business Development and Operations Manager for Meals on Wheels North West.
The objective of Paul’s presentation to the Probus Club of Kenmore Gardens was to focus on the critical role home delivered meal services plays in supporting older Australians to live independently.
- Most older Australians aspire to lead independent lives in their own home
- Home delivered meal services help older Australians achieve independent living
- Understanding the options may be useful for Probus Club members in supporting friends or family who have such needs
- Some Probus Club members may wish to consider volunteering
Paul provided us with sample muffins cooked by the Meals On Wheels Chef. These were well received and delicious.
7th November 2022 - Philip Castle
Philip Castle, is an Historian and his topic is The Stinson.
Philip in the middle of his talk. Our own retired pilot, Bob, thanking Philip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AFDwwHW9sY
10th October 2022 - Greg McGahan
Greg has a Masters in Mental Health Nursing and qualifications in Health Management. He has worked extensively in mental health for over 25 years. He has managed Adolescent Mental Health units in Queensland and has also had project and policy roles focusing on mental health. For the past 7 years he has been planning commissioning and managing Mater Young Adult Health Centre Brisbane which provides a range of health, mental health, restorative justice, alcohol and other drug services to young people aged 16-25. Greg also manages Maters mental health services and has been key in planning Maters newest service - Catherine’s House for Mothers, Babies and Families, due to open in early 2023.
Greg McGahan, Head of Adolescent Health at the Mater, spoke on Youth Health and Care.