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 THE PROBUS CLUB OF NORTH SYDNEY  Newsletter 395 21 October, 2025

PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Barbara B

Probus Month is almost over. In October  every year Probus clubs throughout  Australia and New Zealand celebrate and  promote “fun and friendship in retirement”  enjoyed by Probus members. The month  started with our club’s participation in a  Probus Open Day at Mosman Art Gallery,  organised by Probus Cluster 9, of which  North Sydney Probus is a member. Thanks  to Mary Ann I, our Cluster  

representative, who worked tirelessly to  co-ordinate our contribution, to Patrick  W who very ably agreed to be the North  Sydney speaker, to Bill B for designing  and printing our promotional posters, and  Douglas who created a very slick slide  show to support the other promotional  material. The day was a great success,  and Lyn M has been assiduously  following up all the people who expressed  an interest in North Sydney Probus. 

Of course we have had our usual range of  outings and walks since our last meeting -  attending Downton Abbey the movie,  organised by Peter W, the picnic  organised by Douglas and Mary Ann in  conjunction with Waverton Probus, a tour  of the State Theatre organised by Jocelyn,  attending a performance of Gilbert and  Sullivan’s The Sorcerer, organised by  Robin, and the walk at Sydney Olympic  Park, organised by Lindsay. These  activities take considerable planning to co ordinate and plan, and our thanks go to all  

the members who are involved in the  planning and leading of these activities. 

The focus on attracting new members is  very important - to maintain financial  viability, whilst keeping membership fees  affordable, we need to maintain member  numbers. We don’t necessarily want to  become a very big club, but we do need to  maintain our current size. Please share  your Probus experience with your friends,  and invite them to attend as guests - this is  one of the best ways of attracting new  members. They will always be welcome to  our group. 

I look forward to seeing everyone at our  next meeting. 

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MEMBERSHIP - Lyn M

Currently we have 55 Members.We are  looking forward to some guests at the next  meeting who may be interested in joining  our Club. Please look out for them and  make them welcome. 

WELFARE - Jackie M

Remember to call Jackie (0412 836 997) if  you know of any members needing  welfare support. 

BIRTHDAYS 

Eleanor S 26 October, Bill By 27  October, Joan Be 29 October. 

 SPEAKERS - Patrick W 

• Our Speaker this month will be Dr  Kathryn Goozee and her subject is  Dementia and Alzheimers. 

• In November we will be welcoming  Simone Carson, who will be  

accompanied by a string quartet from the  Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. After  Simone’s brief talk, the quartet will  entertain us. 

MOVIES - Peter W

This month’s film on Tuesday 28 October,  at a time to be advised, is The  

Travellers with Bryan Brown and directed  by Bruce Beresford. 

A charismatic, successful stage designer  returns to Australia for a quick visit to see  his dying mother. However, family  responsibilities, a difficult relationship with  his father and a number of other issues  make his return to Europe and the opera  he has committed to design, increasingly  problematic. 

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MELBOURNE CUP LUNCH - Patrick  W

Our club has booked a table of 10 for a  Melbourne Cup lunch at the Cammeray Golf  Club on Tuesday 4 November. As of 16  October, 9 have booked and paid, and  there’s room for one more if anyone else is  interested. The 3 course lunch costs $110  per head, with prizes for best dressed table  and best dressed individual, and sweeps  will be organised on the day. 

Please email Patrick  

patrick_h_wale@yahoo.co.uk 

if you’d like to attend. 

WALKS - Lindsay K

LAST WALK 

16 of us turned up for the walk around  Sydney Olympic Park to Newington  Armory, on a warm sunny day. We had  our coffee at the cafe near the Sydney  Olympic Park Ferry Wharf, then walked to  Newington Armory and back to the Wharf.  We caught the ferry to Meadowbank to  have lunch at the Fork and Spoon, where  we were joined by Anne and Don. The  walkers were: Bill B, Peter & Noreen, Mary  Anne, Carol-anne, Ivan, Peter W, Robin S,  Jackie, Joan, Deon, Louise, Mary & John,  and Penny and I. 

NEXT WALK  

On 11 November we will do our regular  walk from Bronte to Bondi. It is a bit less  than 3 kilometres of varying grades, a few  stairs. Lunch at the Bondi Icebergs. I  haven't worked out times yet. So watch  this space. 

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PROBUS OPEN DAY - Report from Mary Ann I

Our club featured a table at the recent  Probus Open day held 1 October by our  Cluster Clubs at the Mosman Art Gallery.  More than 100 prospective members  attended the event and 6 clubs had tables  to encourage people to join. The morning  was voted to have been an  

outstanding success. 

19 people expressed an interest in joining  our club and Lyn has contacted them all  with more details about what we do and  invited them to our October meeting. 

Thank you to Barbara for designing and  creating our stunning tablecloth, Bill for  designing the posters, Douglas for the  slide presentation and Patrick for  presenting on behalf of the club. 

We are hoping that several of those people  who expressed an interest will attend our  meeting on 21st October. Please keep an  eye out for them, assist Robin with  welcoming them, and ensure that they are  included in morning tea and lunch tables. 

‘MAGIC NUMBER’ REMINDER  

For anyone who needs a reminder on how  to obtain the Transport Code, please  speak to Lyn, who will give you a refresher  and a printed handout. Having the ‘magic  number’ makes the trip cheaper for  everyone. 

What a fabulous outing to the  

State Theatre, in all the glory of  

1929, a mixture of original and  

restoration, talks of the stars and  

of avoiding the developers. How  

we ooh’d and aah’d! Thanks to  

Jocelyn for arranging such a  

splendid visit. 

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PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT  FOR ALL PROBUS ACTIVITIES Probus bank account: 

BSB 032-099 

Acc number

Information in Description: name of the  activity and your name. 

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Happy picnic people at  the combined Probus  picnic at Tunks park  

Probus Tuesday monthly schedule  

1st Tuesday outing 

2nd Tuesday walk 

3rd Tuesday committee meeting 9.15am followed by general meeting 10.15 am 4th Tuesday movie 

5th Tuesday picnic/lunch/other activity 

DATES FOR THE DIARY:  OCTOBER, NOVEMBER,  DECEMBER 

Tuesday 21 October, 9.15am  Committee meeting, Northbridge  Golf Club 

Tuesday 21 October, 10.15am  Probus general meeting,  

Northbridge Golf Club 

Tuesday 28 October, film, The  Travellers, Cremorne Orpheum,  TBA, See p 2 

Tuesday 4 November, Melbourne  Cup lunch, Cammerary Golf Club,  See p 2 

Tuesday 11 November, walk Bondi  to Bronte am, See p 3 

Tuesday 18 November, 9.15 Probus  Committee, 10.15 am Probus  general meeting, Northbridge Golf  Club. 

Tuesday 9 December, 12 noon - 3  pm., Christmas lunch, Northbridge  Golf Club. Payment date has now  passed. 

 THE PROBUS CLUB OF NORTH SYDNEY           Newsletter 394 16 September 2025

PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Barbara B

Since our last meeting a lot of thought and  planning has gone into the upcoming  Probus Cluster 9 Open Day which will be  held on Wednesday October 1 at Mosman  Art Gallery to mark the beginning of  Probus month in October. We will be  joining other clubs from the cluster to  promote Probus to the community. It will  be a good opportunity for us to showcase  what Probus membership offers to  retirees, and will hopefully result in the  recruitment of new members to our club.  Mary Ann Irvin has committed a lot of time  and thought to our display, ably assisted  by Bill B and Lyn M. We have  placed promotional posters in a number of  locations in North Sydney and Kirribilli,  hoping to stimulate interest from the local  community and encourage them to attend  the open day and, hopefully, join our club. 

Thank you to Bill B for co-ordinating  the guided tour of Chau Chak Wing  Museum which was fascinating; it was  good to have so many people attend.  

Thanks also to Lindsay K and  Penny W for organising the walk from  Watsons Bay to Dover Heights which was  spectacular. A few drops of rain did not  interfere with a really enjoyable walk,  followed by an al fresco lunch at Watsons  Bay Hotel. 

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WELFARE - Jackie M

Remember to call Jackie (0412 836 997) if  you know of any members needing  welfare support. 

BIRTHDAYS (apologies for repeating the July  birthdays in the August newsletter; here are the  birthdays for August & September) 

August: Jeanette G 7, John W  9, Ian S 10, Maurice O 12,  Valerie W 13, Annika T 24,  Prue T 30. 

September: Paul O 1, Cynthia  C 6, Douglas I 17,  Annemarie R 18, Patrick W 20,  Anne P 21, Peggy B 28, Polly G 29. 

SPEAKERS - Patrick W

• This month our speaker is Jess Mudditt  who will take us through the steps of  Publishing Your Own Book. Jess has  written and self published 2 books and  will tell us how easy this is. 

• The speaker in October will be Kathryn  Goozee and her subject is Dementia and  Alzheimers. 

MEMBERSHIP - Lyn M

Current membership is 55. We have had  some interest from a number of people  who are interested in joining our Club. Look out for them and have a chat with  them letting them know a little of what we  do and what a friendly and welcoming  group we are. 

‘MAGIC NUMBER’ REMINDER  For those who need a reminder on how to  obtain the Transport Code, please speak  to Lyn, who will give you a refresher and a  printed handout. Having the ‘magic  number’ makes the trip cheaper for  everyone. 

MOVIES - Peter W

This month’s film is on Tuesday 23  September at a time to be advised. It has  been difficult to make a selection this  month so I propose voting at the next  meeting on 16 September on whether to  see: either The Roses or Downton Abbey -  The Grande Finale. 

The Roses stars Olivia Colman and  Benedict Cumberbatch who appear to  have the perfect marriage until it  nosedives into a fractious relationship and  follows a downward spiral - with all that  entails. 

Downton Abbey is the return of the  Crawley family and their staff as they enter  the 1930’s. It is the final saga in a long  running global phenomenon. 

So think about which film you’d prefer  and be ready to vote. 

OUTING TO CHAU CHAK WING  MUSEUM - Bill B

Thirteen Probus members and two guests  were treated to a very interesting guided  tour including a demonstration of amazing  new non-destructive technology which  allowed us to see cross-sectional views of an ancient Egyptian mummy in great  detail. The digital re-colourisation of a  2,600 year old coffin was also impressive  and an exhibition of work by the Australian  abstract painter JW Power was another  highlight. The design of museum building  itself was also impressive in its layout,  exhibition spaces and use of concrete.  Following the tour we took lunch at  'Sounds' the museum's on site cafe. 

NEXT OUTING - Jocelyn M

A tour of the State Theatre will be the  October Outing and will take place on  Wednesday 8 October at 1.00 p.m . The  15 places reserved for this tour have  already been taken up. If anyone wants to  be placed on the waiting list please contact  Jocelyn. At the next General Meeting we will  decide where to meet for lunch or coffee  prior to the tour. 

WALKS - Lindsay K

Last walk: Watsons Bay to Dover Heights. 

Rain threatened for  

most of the walk  

and we had a  

slight shower near  

the end. No  

whales were seen.  

The sun was out  

by the time we got  

to the Watsons  

Bay Hotel. Penny  

and myself, Doug  

and Mary Ann,  

Anne Marie,  

Barbara, Carol-anne, Joan B, Robin S,  Ivan, Peter W, Enzo and visitor Ruth  attended, 13 in all. 

NEXT WALK  

Barangaroo to Sydney Olympic Park, 14 October by ferry  

The F3 Parramatta River Service leaves  Circular Quay, Wharf 5 at 10.07 am and  arrives at Barangaroo Wharf 1 for pickup  of passengers to Sydney Olympic Park at  10.18 am. Meet our group either at  Circular Quay or Barangaroo. 

We will be having our coffee near the  Olympic Park ferry wharf. We will be  doing the walk along the Parramatta River  passing the Newington Armoury. and  back. It is a flat well-maintained path, 3.8  klm about 1 1/2 hours. Unfortunately, we  will have to walk around a large  

construction complex at the start. We will  return to the Olympic Park ferry wharf to  catch the 12.48 pm ferry, from which we  

will disembark at Meadowbank, where we  will have a short walk to lunch at the Fork  and Spoon. 

REPORT FROM PENNY W ON  COOK ISLAND TRIP 

The OnCourse Tour to the island of  Raratonga in the Cook Islands was well  organised and full of varied and interesting  things to do. Our tour leader Wayne was  excellent. 

The hotel was very comfortable with a big  pool in spite of it being on the lagoon.  Food was a preoccupation of Islanders  with a whopping big breakfast; you only  needed a snack for lunch! Highlights were  a trip to the Botanic gardens, the day  markets, a boat trip to a local island with  the chance to snorkel along the way(23  degree water) with entertainment on the  island involving drums, ukelele and  singing. 

Then a demonstration on how to tie a  sarong on a woman and a man and the  ubiquitous demonstration of how get into  a coconut for the milk and flesh with a  

lethal looking machete. Our bus driver  Mike was fabulous, and we went to a  primary school where his wife taught and  the children sang and danced for us, then  a huge morning tea was provided. 

A progressive dinner was also fantastic.  We went to Islanders' homes, learnt about  their way of life, then had a different  course at each home. You may remember  them from the 70s. Some of the group  flew to the Island of Atitiki for the day  which apparently was pristine with plenty  of time to snorkle and eat lunch on a  cruise. Others went on a trip through the  mountains on rough tracks. Our final night  was in a 1904 home that used to belong  to The Union Steamship Coy and then the  New Zealand High Commission. Facing  the lagoon and reef, we enjoyed a sunset  plus fabulous food. A fitting end to a  wonderful holiday. 

We were sad to leave. Life is so simple  compared to Sydney and we had no rain  and 19-to-24-degree days! 

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30 SEPTEMBER JOINT OUTING WITH  WAVERTON PROBUS, PICNIC AT  TUNKS PARK 11.30 am - Douglas Irwin 

Bring finger food to share, labelled in case  of allergies, drinks, your own plate, cup,  cutlery, glass and chair.  

We will provide hot water, tea bags, instant  coffee, milk and sugar ($1.00 per head). 

Note: there may or may not be a coffee  van in the park. 

Beware of kookaburras stealing food. Any  suitable outdoor games are welcomed. Please wear name badges to make it easy  for the visitors. 

In case of rain there will be an advisory  cancellation email by 9 am. 

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CLUSTER MUSTER - Report from Mary Ann I

Open Day Promotion. Seven clubs from  our area will be holding an open day at the  Mosman Art Gallery on Wednesday 1  October from 10am until noon. There  will be leaflets available at the meeting for  members to distribute to any friends and  acquaintances that you think might be  interested in learning more about Probus  and our club in particular. A small  committee has been formed to organise  our table. 

Invitations. 

We have been invited to join the following  tours organised by other clubs in the  Cluster. 

1. A two Day Blue Mountains Tour with  Alura Coaches organised by Mosman  Club. $473 with a single supplement of  $110. 23-24 October. 

2. A one day tour of Kings Cross called Sin  in the City with Lane Cove Probus on  October 20. An historian will lead a two hour wander through the streets of Kings  Cross and will uncover the sensational  stories, secrets and scandals of its many  years in the spotlight. $140 includes the  tour, morning tea at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair  and lunch at the Penny Hotel. OnCourse  Tours will pick up from the Lane Cove  Bowling Club at 9.15am, and return to the  Club at 4.00pm. 

DETAILS FOR BOTH OF THESE WILL  BE AVAILABLE AT THE MEETING. 

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PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT  FOR ALL PROBUS ACTIVITIES Probus bank account: 

BSB 032-099 

Acc number

Information in Description: name of the  activity and your name. 

Probus Tuesday monthly schedule  

1st Tuesday outing 

2nd Tuesday walk 

3rd Tuesday committee meeting 9.15am followed by general meeting 10.15 am 4th Tuesday movie 

5th Tuesday picnic/lunch/other activity 

DATES FOR THE DIARY: SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER

Tuesday 16 September, 9.15am Committee meeting, Northbridge Golf Club 

Tuesday 16 September, 10.15am Probus general meeting, Northbridge Golf  Club 

Tuesday 23 September, film, Cremorne Orpheum, TBA, See p.2

Tuesday 30 September, 11.30 am, picnic Tunks Park, See p.4 

Wednesday 1 October, Probus Open Day promotion, Mosman Art Gallery 10  am - 12 noon, See p.4 

Wednesday 8 October State Theatre tour 1pm, See p.2 

Tuesday 14 October, walk Sydney Olympic Park, Circular Quay 10.07 am OR  Barangaroo 10.18 am, See p.3 

Tuesday 21 October, 9.15am Committee meeting, Northbridge Golf Club 

Tuesday 21 October, 10.15am Probus general meeting, Northbridge Golf  Club 

Probus Cluster events October 20 and October 23-24. See p.4