Probus concentrates on making sure that retired and semi-retired persons, enjoy the fellowship of each other.
To achieve those aims, our club, as well as staging interesting monthly meetings each with a speaker, endeavours to have a range of activities based on member interest. Groups are formed around activities such as picnics, golf, walking, entertainment, drone flying, photography, monthly film day, Monday morning coffee group and lunches at various places e.g. RSL's and Clubs in ther vicinity.
Each group needs a convener to ensure its' smooth running so if you are interested and able please consider volunteering for these positions as new groups are formed.
COMPLETED ACTIVITIES
Victoria’s Government House Tours
Having arrived at Flinders Street station bright and early a group of us trammed and walked to Government House Drive to be ‘wanded’ at the gatehouse with ID checked and all our pocket knives, portable hard drives and car keys locked in a secure on-site Government trailer. Our guide, Joan, escorted us with assistance from Security officer Jeremy, through the elegant garden surrounds and entry to the tiled vestibule of Government House.
Joan had explained that the yellow Australian flag flying at the gateway is the Governor’s flag and when at full mast indicates the Governor is within Victoria. Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC is the 30th and current Governor of Victoria.
Recently installed thick colourful carpets felt plush underfoot and we all drank in the ambience of the high-ceilinged spaces adorned with familiar paintings of Australian landscape and significant personalities.
We moved through the formal spaces and conservatory then to the dining room with its dining table to seat 50 guests, and beyond to the ballroom set up for the Order of Australia 2026 investiture ceremonies in the coming days.
We moved through the formal spaces and conservatory then to the dining room with its dining table to seat 50 guests, and beyond to the ballroom set up for the Order of Australia 2026 investiture ceremonies in the coming days.
Collecting our possessions from security we moved out to Latrobe’s Cottage where we took a big step back into the past when in 1839 Charles Joseph Latrobe and his Swiss wife, Sophie with their 2yr old daughter, left England for Sydney before travelling on to take the position of Superintendent of the then primitive settlement of Port Phillip.
We learned of the lives they led in their cottage brought pre-fabricated from England, to Jolimont, and added to over the years as the family grew until Sophie became unwell and returned to her Swiss family and passed away before Latrobe was able to retire from his post of Lieutenant Governor in 1854, and follow her.
Our group finished the day in the Observatory Cafe? recently refurbished and offering a wide range of food in a sunny cheerful interior – which we understand is frantically busy on weekends so we were all pleased to have visited on a weekday.
Photos Courtesy: Anne Osman
MARCH 2026
SOUND OF MUSIC
On a lovely Autumn’s Day at The Round in Nunawading, twenty members and friends turned up to see a great performance of “The Sound of Music”. Nova has a reputation for putting on better than average shows, but this performance (the last for their limited season) was a corker. The voice of “Mother Superior” was particularly beautiful.
Those members I spoke to were feeling uplifted and joyful after seeing the show and the final bonus was to walk out into a warm and beautiful afternoon, to go about our business and reflect on the warmth which also radiated from the performance we had enjoyed.
Ray King, Event Organiser
Chris Summers
Thank you Ray for organising this wonderful performance at our local theatre, The Round.
The start of the performance was wonderful – 20 nuns walked in from the sides of the auditorium and across the centre aisle with soft overhead lights illuminating them. Their singing was magical. Later, when Captain von Trapp was ordered into the navy of the Third Reich, two flags with the ‘crooked spider’ were lowered from the theatre fly and were ‘spotlighted’. Storm Troopers also came on stage and then walked alongside the audience and stood guard, while the von Trapp Family Singers did their farewell performance.
Photos Courtesy Ray King
FEBRUARY 2026
BOX HILL CEMETERY WALK
On a mild February morning more than twenty Probus enthusiasts met at the grave of C J Dennis to embark on a tour of the Box Hill Cemetery visiting the graves of 16 notable persons. Glenn Ewing has created an inspired tour which brings to life some of the characters from our past who are now left only in memories.
From a sunny start beside the grave of C J Dennis 1876-1938 ‘the Laureate of the Larrikan’ and author of ‘The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke’ we made our way under dappled light from the tree-lined avenues to the graves of another 15 personalities who Glenn has researched so we could hear their story.
There is a family grave where Maurice and Doris Blackburn, 1889-1970, both politicians who fought for Civil rights, are buried. Tributes in the papers spoke of a remarkable couple who worked for justice at all levels.
The family grave of Sydney Myer is a significant space with a beautifully maintained garden.
Edouard 1902-1959 and Xenia Borovansky born in Czechslovakia settled in Australia and founded the Boronansky Ballet Company, a forerunner to the National Australian Ballet company established 1962.
We learned of Gustav Kovacs 1895 – 1969 a founder of the film industry in Hungary who emigrated to Melbourne with his family in 1950 to escape the communist regime. His movie of the journey can be watched on Youtube.
The most moving moment came as we all gathered around the grave of Amy Castles. Born in 1880 she was a young Opera singer hailed as the new Melba. As if from the grave, we were suddenly hearing the voice of Paris-trained Amy, singing from a recording made in 1906.
Take a walk in this beautiful tree lined cemetery and you can see many more persons whose life story will impress you.
Several more we visited are: Sir George Tallis 1869-1948, John Grainger 1854-1917, Constance Dickens 1859-1914, Jane Sutherland 1853-1928, Charles Merfield 1866-1931, John Mitchell Christie 1845-1927, Joy Hester 1920-1960, Cyril Callister 1893-1949, Sir William Anglis 1865-1957, Georgine Gadsden 1920-1943.
Glenn described each personality and some of the intriguing detail of their life.
A big thank you to Glenn for a fascinating trip to a picturesque cemetery followed by a perfect lunch at The Red Cup Café just around the corner.
Anne Osman
Quiet please, class has started.
Photos Courtesy: Anne Osman and Dale Perkins
