Future guest speakers:

2024

• 02 December Christelle Ah Pew a Solicitor from Donnie Harris Law will outline the importance of updating wills, enduring power of attorney and health directives. They will discuss a number of legal aspects of elder abuse.

Previous speakers:

At each monthly meeting, a guest speaker is invited to address the members. Recent speakers have included:

2024

• 08 January We had three of our club members outlining the activities in which they are engaged and how you can be a part of these organisations. Gary Rebgetz told us about life in a Lions club and one of their special initiatives and Doug Millican gave us some comments on Legacy and how it had evloved. Richard Biadacz told us about the fun of Caravaning and life on the road in a caravan. He outlined what you may need to consider if you would like to embark on this venture.

• 05 February Genine Camilli and her colleague Barbara McCulloch from Life Tec outlined the Federal Government program Home Assist Secure. LifeTec is a social enterprise that provides dedicated assistive technology (AT) services. Their aim is to enable people of all ages and abilities to actively engage in home, work, school and community life. The Home Assist Secure program provides home maintenance, repairs, minor modifications and safety and security upgrades.

• 04 March Lyn Tarring gave us a brief presentation of some bush poetry. Lyn has a long history of involvement with the theatre scene is Townsville and she agreed to give us an entertaining presentation to complement our annual general meeting. It was well received by the members.

• 08 AprilHeather Martin from Queensland Railways outlined the deals that they have for Seniors. There are discount fares and some interesting holiday options to explore.

• 06 May Pauline Woodbridge who is the President of the Townsville branch of U3A outlined the contribution that this organisation makes to the Townsville community. They would welcome new members and there is much in common with our club.

• 03 June : Jasmine Gooda and Karen Davis of Townsville Enterprise gave an amazing presentation on what is happening in Townsville and our region. There are many new infrastructure and development projects in the pipeline.

• 01 July Judy Hunter and Lorna Mead who has been a member of Soroptimist International for several years discussed the role of this organisation. They outlined how the organisation is committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide. Lorna recently attended an international conference and she gave us some highlights for this event.

• 05 August Melina Seawright outlined the evolving role of pharmacies. There are many interesting changes in the services provided by pharmacies including vaccination for common infections. Recent changes in legislation mean that Doctors can prescribe double lots of drugs for dispensing. The introduction of the mega pharmacies provides intense competition for the family pharmacies.

• 02 September Sergeant Elise Feltham from the Townsville Domestic and Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit discussed the role of the Queensland Police and the support facilities available to potential victims.

• 07 October Betsy Jackes has recently been on an exciting tour of Vietnam with her daughter Kirsty. Betsy told us about this very interesting journey and her interactions with some very interesting people and some fascinating stories about the red river area of Vietnam and contrasted this with the neighbouring region of Cambodia.

• 04 November Leonne Cummins will present some oversight of the updated My Aged care, the packages offered and the process of engaging with this organisation.

2023

• 09 January – Two of our own members Betsy Jackes and Lorna Mead told us about some of the exciting recent travel that they have undertaken. We were treated to some beautiful images of the Eyre Peninsula and northern India. Lorna met with the Dali Lama and Betsy showed us some rugged coastline and some fascinating plants.

• 06 February Cherie Pope Coordinator of Community Engagement for Wellways, told us about the federal government initiative the Carer Gateway. Wellways are the chosen service provider to deliver the Carer Gateway program in Queensland. Carer Gateway is a free support service for unpaid carers, funded by the federal government. Cherie was accompanied by Rebecca Hilton who is the Community Engagement Support Worker in the team.

           They provide:

• Tailored support packages
• Planned and emergency respite
• Coaching
• Counselling
• Connect with other carers
• Online skills courses

• 06 March (AGM) Murray Holm from Queensland Youth Services Inc. outlined how (QYS), a not-for-profit, non-government, community-based organisation is providing a diverse range of support services to young people in Townsville, and recently, Mt Isa. These include the LearnIT Youth Mentoring Program which targets young people who do not have the ability to complete their 100 hours of supervised driving experience without the assistance of this program.

• 03 April Elizabeth Jackson of APM Employment services talked about the variety of services they provide including assessments for My Aged Care. They pride themselves on providing timely and effective assessments to support your health and welfare. We hope to find out about the many changes to the services provided by My Aged Care and how these can be accessed.

• 01 May Jude Morganson, Business Owner at Just Move It Health and Fitness Townsville lead the group in some gentle exercises. If you are struggling with the changes that being over 50 brings you may be ready to rewrite your health and wellness to discover a more vital, energised and happier you.

• 05 June The Queensland Government is trailing a program called “Helping seniors secure their homes” which will make grants available up to $10,000 to those who fit a fairly rigid set of criteria. Les Walker the member for Mundingburra outlined the scheme and discussed several aspects of home and car safety. There are a few initiatives in the pipeline such as engine immobilisers and he mentioned these.

• 03 July Darren Randall, Acting Inspector, Southern Patrol Group, from the Queensland Police Service will talked to us about security for seniors. They have a program called Safer Living for Queenslanders. Many of the aspects of this program were discussed.

• 07 August Gregory Pride from the Queensland Ambulance outlined the importance of having preparations in place to assist with an ambulance visit. He discussed several aspects of safety for seniors.

• 04 September Suzette Searle the President of the Wattle Day Association (since 2019) gave us a presentation on the Acacias including Australia's national floral emblem, the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha Benth) our very own green and gold. This will be a first for our club as Suzette joined us from Canberra via an mp4 especially prepared for our club.

• 02 October Tony Fitzsimmons and Kerrie Everett who are artists with a keen interest in the Museum of Underwater Art outlined a brief history of the artwork and how it fits with Brewer Reef. They showed how they are documenting the artwork including sketching under water.

• 06 November Christine Toia from ADA Australia outlined the activities of this aged and disability advocate organisation. Amanda Zugne from ADA Legal was unavailable and may be available in 2024 to outline the advocacy and legal support for enduring power of attorney and guardianship administration. ADA is the Queensland representative for the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN). Christine and Amanda are based in Townsville and Christine outlined the services available and how they can be contacted.

• 04 December Penny Nuth Education Officer from RACQ gave us a presentation that covered:
  • Recent changes to Queensland Road rules
  • Driver behaviour
  • Medical considerations
  • Alternative transport options

2022

•  03 January 2022 Four of our Probians were selected to tell us about their interests and hobbies. This provided an opportunity for members of our Probus family to expand their horizons and take on some new adventures.
  • Hospital volunteers including driving the buggies – Graham Bourke
  • An introduction into performing arts in Townsville - Judy Hunter
  • Writers groups – Barbara McCarthy
  • Share the dignity – Kaye Bowden

• 07 February The meeting was cancelled because of the Risk of Covid 19 infection.

• 07 March Cr Mark Molachino, Deputy Mayor of Townsville discussed are range of issues related to the Council and organisations such as ours. He emphasised how we could work together to provide opportunities for our members to remain active and participate in the activities of the community

• 04 April Jane Andreassen from Townsville Community Law Inc discussed the services provided by her organisation and outlined the importance of forward planning and ensuring that members have documents such as effective enduring power of attorney and health directives in place.

• 02 May One of our own members Pamela Redfern was recently recognised at the senior of the year awards. Pamela has been volunteering with RSPCA Queensland for more than 18 years as a carer and ambulance driver. In her time with the organisation, she has fostered more than 400 Townsville animals, including taking the time to bottle-feed injured wildlife around the clock. Pamela also helps the RSPCA to transport animals up to Cairns or down to Mackay and sews blankets for kittens, pouches for orphaned joeys and cage covers for larger animals.

• 06 June Dean Warren the Townsville Branch Manager of TransitCare discussed the services that Transitcare can offer in Townsville. TransitCare is an innovative, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing transport to people who have difficulty getting around. They also have a social support program for those looking to enjoy some time away from home. The Community Flyers can meet the needs of those who are eligible but have difficulty travelling to appointments.

• 04 July Associate Professor Liz Tynan from James Cook University took us back to 1950 when the Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies blithely agreed to atomic tests that offered no benefit to Australia and relinquished control over them leaving the public completely in the dark. In 2016 she published the book Atomic Thunder and she has recently published The Secret of Emu Field - Britain's forgotten atomic tests in Australia.

• 01 August Casey Scott NBN North Queensland gave a presentation on NBN 101 and Scams Awareness

• 05 September Suzy Batkovic gave us a fascinating presentation where she discussed the challenges and rewards of being a professional athlete and representing Australia at the Olympics. Suzy is now a councillor in the Townsville city council, representing division 6 and is the mother of two beautiful little girls. Many may remember the great contribution she made to our own Townsville Fire.

• 03 October Merle Prince outlined the activities of the charity Blankets of Love. The volunteers in this organisation make and deliver patchwork quilts and other items to members of our local community to aid with trauma, grieving, aged care and others in our community requiring comfort. Members enjoyed inspecting the blankets and Merle made a generous donation of a blanket for us to raffle.

• O7 November By popular demand Associate Professor Liz Tynan returned to tell us more about the atomic tests carried out in Australia and the devastating effects the exposure to radiation inevitably had on those living in the area and the army and air force staff involved in the operations. This is a part of our history that can be quite disturbing.

• 05 December – Lisa Woolfe Director Visitor Economy and Marketing at Townsville Enterprise discussed future projects for the Townsville region including the North Queensland Hydrogen Consortium.

2021

• 04 January 2021 – We had a series of short informative presentations by some of our members. We learnt about their interests outside Probus and how you may be able to participate in some additional enjoyable pastimes.

•  01 February 2021 – We had a presentation from Lissa Fleming and Jade from Complete Mobility and Rehab. The subject included Mobility aids and gadgets that can assist with the maintenance of independence and improve quality of life.

• 01 March 2021 – Graham Burgess gave a presentation on Coronaviruses, the disease syndromes produced by SARS Coronavirus 2, and some of the things we know about the front runners in the vaccines available.

• 12 April 2021 – Heather Martin from Queensland Rail covered a series of topics including Pension and Senior discounts, Train services and facilities, Holidays in Queensland using the train and Covid safe measures

• 03 May 2021 – Gaye Lovell, the president of North Queensland Wildlife Care Inc. discussed the role of the North Queensland Wildlife Carers and gave us an indication of the costs and other challenges facing her organisation. She brought some wallaby joeys in pouches. They peered out of the pouches and entertained the members

• 07 June 2021 – Elizabeth Anderson from APM Assessment Services discussed aged care assessment. The APM Group is a global human services and health care organisation with a purpose of enabling better lives. They have an office in Townsville.

• 05 July 2021 – Dr Paula Heggarty presented a discussion entitled Can diabetes be ‘cured’? Paula works as a practitioner at the Mount Louisa Medical Centre. At JCU she teaches medical students and junior doctors. Her major interest is prevention of chronic diseases. Paula is part of a team responsible for diabetes research at JCU.

• 02 August – Tracey Uber Cook is a yoga instructor known to many of our members. She outlined the importance of exercise and relaxation and led the group in a brief session of gentle exercise.

• 06 September – Cr Ann-Maree Greaney who is the chairperson of the Townsville City Council, Community and Cultural Development Committee discussed the role of the TCC in community support with special reference to how the Council can collaborate with organisations such as Probus to deliver maximum support to the senior members of our community.

• 04 October – Rachel Cook of Shed 3 outlined the great work done by Shed 3 and their recent initiative LIDS4KIDS. Shed 3 has been committed to delivering arts opportunities in Townsville and surrounding region since 2008 through the delivery of a range of activities run by a dedicated group of professional artists and volunteers. LIDS4KIDS North Queensland recently joined up with Shed 3. The project was started in Canberra in response to a Melbourne based initiative to provide material for the manufacture of prosthetic limbs for children.

• 01 November – Meagan Baldwin a Donation Specialist Nurse Coordinator discussed organ donation. DonateLife QLD coordinates all organ and tissue donor activities across the state. It works with hospitals and hospital-based DonateLife medical and nursing specialists to provide professional donation services and encourage best practice to increase donation rates. Their activities include:
  • raising awareness about organ and tissue donation
  • encouraging discussion about donation
  • educating health professionals about the donation process
  • offering care and support to donor families.

• 06 December – Joanne Tapiolas discussed the history of Italian prisoners of war in Queensland. She outlined how this history is not only found in the books in the libraries. It is found in the memories of Queensland locals and Italian families. Letters to editors, newspaper articles, letters to historical societies and radio interviews. She has had a particular interest in the story of 250 Italian POWs who lived in barracks and grew vegetables for the armed forces in North Queensland. Many of these men returned to become Australian citizens.

 2020

• 6 January - Gregory Pride from Queensland Ambulance discussed home emergencies including how to make your home safer and easier for emergency personnel to access and assit you in a time of crisis.
• 03 February – Annmarie Grasso from the TCC discussed waste management including improving our waste and recycling habits and she outlined some thoughts on the future of recycling in Australia and the new facilities in Townsville.
• 02 March – Jane Andreassen from Townsville Community Law Inc. discussed the role of the Community Law centre and elder abuse. She had some great advice on enduring power of attorney and health directive documents and their implementation.
• 03 August – Gregory Saunders representing Beyond Blue discussed his life journey and provided some useful advice on mental health and how to deal with depression.
• 07 September – Sam Savage Community Recovery & Development Officer from Red Cross Australia and Rebecca Torrisi, Emergency Management Officer from the Townsville City Council discussed disaster preparedness.
• 05 October – Mr Mick Olsen from the Townsville & District Bee Keepers Association discussed Honey bees, the industry and its challenges.
• 02 November – Smita Gupta, Project Officer, Connecting End of Life Care (CELC) discussed Palliative Care and the Connecting End of Life Care project in Townsville
• 07 December – We had a presentation by Mal Charlwood a director of the community radio station Triple T. He discussed his background with radio and what the station has to offer the Probians as well as the challenges facing community radio

2019

• January – Toni McGregor on Anti Discrimination in Queensland
• March – The secret life of Chemicals by Ray Bathgate - Carbon from graphene to diamonds
• April – Heather Martin from Queensland rail
• May - Raewyn Mannix from Cota spoke on Retirement villages and Residential Park preconstructed units, the pros and cons.
• June –Senior Constable Brad Taylor Community Crime Prevention Officer from the Queensland Police service discussed home security. BRING AND BUY also this day.
• July – John Jewell on WW2 Airforce
• August – Associate Professor Elizabeth Tynan addressed the topic of atomic tests in Australia. She is the author of the book Atomic Thunder the story of Maralinga.
• September – Dr Sunaina Miranda a clinical haematologist outlined her work in Yemen including the establishement of a blood bank under very challenging conditions.
• October – Helen Turner from Intecare NQ to discussed aged care placements
• November – Timothy Fulton- Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) discussed the role of the ACCC and provided some handy advice on avoiding scams
• December – Brendan Cook, General Manager Aviation - Townsville Airport discussed the plans for the upgrades to the Townsville Airport and gave us an insight into the complexities of running a busy airport.

2018

• July — Getting to know you - several members spoke
• August — Dance North with Susan van der Ham
• September — Graham Burgess – European travel
• October — Graham Burgess - Emerging and Infectious Diseases
• November — Ben Paine – Australian Red Cross
• December - Lester Qualischefski - Trivia quiz