GENERAL MEETINGS  

                            

We meet for two hours from 10.00am on the second Tuesday of each month at theWhitehorse Civic Centre, in the Willis Room.

This comprises a brief general meeting, outlining important club matters and a summary of the most recent Management Committee meeting.

Morning tea and socialising is followed by a guest speaker.

All are invited to a post meeting lunch at The Coach in Ringwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 SPEAKERS

APRIL SPEAKER –  Dr Janet Werkmeister

Wireless to wallabies. A Life of Norman McCance.

 

 

MARCH SPEAKER

Elida Brereton - Antarctic and South Georga Island.

At very short notice, Elida Brereton stepped in and gave a very hurried but brilliant talk on her 2020 excursion to South Georgia Island and Antarctica. Her slides were most interesting featuring life on the ship, rough seas, the zodiak trips and land trips, which featured penguins, seals and glaciers. A highlight was seeing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s grave – Elida’s favourite explorer. He was 37 years old when buried in the far distance from his homeland, but where he  would want to be.

The biggest table top glacier in the world (then but no longer) measured 35ks across and 175ks long and moved at 4cm per year.  Following the huge fires Victoria suffered in 1966, ash from those fires settled on the surface of this huge iceberg. 

The largest penguin rookery had over 100,000 inhabitants The trip was at the time of Covid, so many parts of the trip were altered as they travelled back up the South American Coast.

 Photos Courtesy Elida’s presentation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEBRUARY SPEAKER

Phillip Johnson from Phillip Johnson Landscapes. 

Chelsea Australian Garden at Olinda

Courtesy: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/dandenong-ranges-botanic-garden/attractions/chelsea-australian-garden-at-olinda

Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden

In 2013, Phillip Johnson, Wes Fleming and the Trailfinders team's ‘Australian Garden’ display became the first ever Australian entry to win at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show. The display was toured by the Queen and Prince Harry and was unanimously voted ‘Best in Show’ by the judges. Now visitors can experience this stunning design through a re-creation of the display at 20 times the size of the original.

Located within the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, the Chelsea Australian Garden at Olinda is a permanent display, featuring an enormous Waratah sculpture, waterfall and billabong. Over 15,000 plants have been used in the design, with over 400 different Australian species. 

Built on an unused grassed area of the former Olinda Golf Course, this feature enhances the environment by introducing additional rare and endangered plant species and providing more native habitat for plants and animals. The garden also provides a fantastic opportunity for locals and tourists to connect with Australian nature and learn about native plants and sustainable landscape design. 

Wander around the sealed paths and discover an amazing variety of building materials, plant shapes and beautiful vistas. Sit and listen to the frogs and birds. Discover the interpretive signs and read more about this enormous project. If you have time bring a picnic and enjoy the spacious lawn next to the stunning Boab trees. Remember to keep wildlife wild by not feeding them. All plants, animals and other natural features and cultural sites are protected and must not be disturbed or removed.  

Photo Courtesy Philip’s presentation.