President’s Report
James Kimpton
Welcome to The Probus Club of North Balwyn Inc. A0016781Z website, you are encouraged to visit the various pages within. Should you find an interesting topic please use our Contact Us page for further information or please come to one of our monthly meetings at the Greythorn Community Centre 2 Centreway Balwyn North on the 2nd Tuesday of the month commencing at 10 am – 12 pm
Special Announcement from the Committee
As a result of information concerning the Corona virus, the Committee has passed the following resolution.
That all Face to face meetings, functions and events, including general meetings, Special Interest Groups have been cancelled until further notice as a result of the increasing threat from the Corona virus.
The Committee in making this decision believes it is acting in the best interest of members particularly considering the age group of our membership. Our next Zoom Conferencing General Meeting will be Tuesday 8th September at 10am.
President’s Report continued
I became President of Probus Club of North Balwyn in April 2020.
Almost immediately the Governments (Federal and State) imposed requirements flowing from the need to avoid the spread of corona virus. “Covid-19” We have been concerned to comply with those requirements and believe that we have done so, notwithstanding the short-term impact upon our activity. Thus we have been unable to meet whether to discuss our interests via special interest groups or as an entire membership to hear a speaker of interest to all of us.
As the situation improves we look forward to returning to normal. The special interest groups will flourish, and our entire membership will enjoy meeting together again.
Meanwhile, we have been using the Zoom Video Conferencing over the internet to keep in touch for our committee meetings and our SIG meetings. It is proposed that our General meeting on 14th July will also be conducted by Zoom Video conferencing facility. 
General Meeting in July via first Zoom Video Conference
This web site has an important role in keeping us all up-to-date. It sets out all the activities that we encourage, and members can use it to see what we are doing. In these ways our membership is always active.
The Probus Club of North Balwyn looks forward to meeting you very soon.
Special Interest Group of the Month
New Special Interest Group “SIG” has been set up called Zoom Lunch and Chat.
Graydon Findlay is hosting the above new SIG to fill the void whilst we are not able to go to Dine-Out venues, Cinemas or Theatres. Further Lunch & Chat zoom meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month while these restrictions are in place.
About a fortnight before the zoom lunch meetings, two or three movies are selected and details sent to participants so they can decide which films to watch at home in comfort prior to the zoom lunch.
An invitation is emailed to participants with a link so they can join the zoom lunch meeting at home. While having a light lunch they talk about the films thy have watched and chat about what they have been doing and how their families have been coping during the changing COVID-19 restrictions.
The Zoom group that joined on the 25th June
Zoom Lunch & Chat SIG monthly meetings that have been held since May.
- Opal Dream – SBS OnDemand – May 2020
- Love Alaska – Beamafilm (using your Council Library card to view) _ May 2020
- Charlie and Boots – SBS OnDemand – May 2020
- Florence Foster Jenkin – SBS OnDemand – June 2020
- A Street Cat Named Bob – SBS OnDemand – June 2020
- The King’s Speech – Channel 32 (SBS Movies) – July 2020
- Maggie’s Plan 2015 – Channel 32 (SBS Movies)- July 2020
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople 2016 NZ Film – Channel 32 (SBS Movies) _ July 2020
- The Guernsy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2017)-Channel 76 (7Flix) – August 2020
- The man who invented Christmas (2017) – Channel 32 SBS Movies – August 2020
- Two is a Family – SBS On Demand – August 2020
- Viceroys House (2017) – Channel 32 – September 2020
- Interlude in Prague (2017) – Channel 32 – September 2020
- The Best Offer” (2017) – SBS On demand – September 2020
The next SIG meeting will be Thursday 22nd October to discuss the following Movies: –
- Get Low (2009) Channel 32 – Tuesday 13th October @ 7.35pm
- Tracks (2013) Channel 32 – Friday 16th October @ 7.30pm
- Chalet Girl (2011) Channel 32 17th @ 2.25pm,18th 9.35am & 19th October @ 4.10am
Please contact Graydon Findley E:graycol7@bigpond.com for more information and invitation process for the zoom meeting.
Guest Speaker’s
Our guest speaker for our Zoom General Meeting on Tuesday 10th November will be presenting “Pompey Elliott – in his own words”
Ross McMullin
Harold Edward Elliott
Major General Harold Edward “Pompey” Elliott, CB, CMG, DSO, DCM, VD was a senior officer in the Australian Army during the First World War. After the war he served as a Senator for Victoria in the Australian parliament.
Pompey Elliott was a remarkable Australian. During the Great War he was a charismatic, controversial, and outstandingly successful military leader. An accomplished tactician and ‘the bravest of the brave’, he was renowned for never sending anyone anywhere he was not prepared to go himself. As a result, no Australian general was more revered by those he led or more famous outside his own command. A man of unimpeachable integrity and unwavering commitment, he was also forthright and volatile. His tempestuousness generated a host of anecdotes that amused his men and disconcerted his superiors. Yet surprisingly little had been written about Elliott until the original edition of this book appeared in 2002. Now in a new format and with a foreword by Les Carlyon, this comprehensive, deeply researched biography tells Elliott’s fascinating story. It vividly examines Elliott’s origins and youth, his peacetime careers as a lawyer and politician, and his achievements – as well as the controversies he aroused during his years as a soldier. Ross McMullin’s masterly work retrieves a significant Australian from undeserved obscurity. It also judiciously reassesses notable battles he influenced – including the Gallipoli Landing, Lone Pine, Fromelles, Polygon Wood, and Villers-Brettoneux – and illuminates numerous aspects of Australia’s experiences during his lifetime, particularly the often-overlooked period of the aftermath to the Great War. ‘Australian who don’t read this book are short-changing themselves.’ Peter Ryan, The Australian ‘A striking aspect of Ross McMullin’s scrupulous biography is how little Elliott has been exaggerated by posterity . . . Pompey Elliott is a large book, and rightly.’ Gideon Haigh, The Age ‘May be the best Australian military biography yet to appear.’ Stephen Loosley, Sunday Telegraph
Previous Guest Speakers 2018 – 2020
| October 2020 | Vikki Petraitis | Crime stories “ Hodsons and Nicola Gobbo ” |
| September – 2020 August – 2020 | Julian Battistella Andrew Mitchell | Estate Planning Electric Cars and Clean Energy – Why? |
| July – 2020 | Anthony Caruana | Home Automation |
| March – 2020 | Brian Williams | Scams and Fake Tradies |
| February – 2020 | Radha Raghunath` | Add Years to Your Life |
| November – 2019 | Gary Ferguson | Elder Abuse and Seniors Rights |
| October – 2019 | Fiona Campbell | The Spencer Street Bridge |
| September 2019 | Thorold Merrett | Story of Collingswood Premiership 1958 |
| August 2019 | Rodney Richards | Angel Flights |
| July 2019 | Beverley Moss | Buckingham Palace in my underwear |
| June 2019 | Lloyd Phillips | Poetry can be fun |
| May 2019 | Joffa Corfe | My life and Gold Coat |
| April 2019 | No Speaker | Change over lunch |
| March 2019 | Kevin Trask | Myself and the media and the Australian singer Diana Trask |
| February 2019 | Madryn Sanderson & Alex Carter | Personalised In-home care and health |
| December 2018 | No Speaker | Christmas Luncheon |
| November 2018 | U3A Choir | Songs of Screen and Stage |
| October 2018 | Jacqueline Dinan | Racing the Boys |
| September 2018 | Anthony Knight | Beleura House Mornington |
| August 2018 | Cliff Hardy | The London Blitz |
| July 2018 | Natalie Durkovic | Shen Yen Performing Arts and Traditional Chinese Culture |
| June 2018 | Jessica Watts | Bladder & Bowel Health |
| May 2018 | Ross McMullin | Villers Bretonneux |
| April 2018 | No Speaker | Change Over Luncheon |
| March 2018 | Don McQueen | The Bush Balladeer |
| February 2018 | Elida Brereton | Travel Stories |
