Melbourne Bearbrass Probus is an active, engaging, member-driven group who come together to undertake a wide variety of enriching and enjoyable social activities and outings, which enhance their experiences and interests, whilst enjoying the fellowship of an expanding, diverse, network of friends.
Welcome members and potential members, to the Bearbrass Probus homepage!We are only a few weeks off spring so we can soon leave all the winter chills behind us. The longer daylight hours and warmer days ahead will give us all the opportunity to get out and about to some of the excursions and events on offer.
We have many activity groups to come and try such as our popular Craft Group, our Ten Pin Bowling Group and our Wine Appreciation Group, amongst others!
Melbourne will soon be buzzing with footy finals fever, so good luck to all in the running for prizes in our own Bearbrass Footy Tipping competition. I'm currently still hoping to see my Hawks feature in the finals!
Christmas seems a long way off, but we'll be planning some fun for the December Christmas Get Together soon, so watch this space for the date and venue!
If you are a visitor to this page, please feel free to browse around and if something takes your interest contact us on bearbrassprobus@gmail.com or call our friendly secretary Judy on 0421 037 555.
I would also like to thank the City of Melbourne for their generous financial grants which allow our club to keep membership fees as low as possible.
Keep having fun, keep meeting new friends, and get the most from your club by being involved! Remember, your best friend could be someone you haven't even met yet!
Cheers
Shane 😊
A full house of 12 Bearbrass wine tasters took a trip around the world at the most recent meeting, tasting tipples from Italy, Spain, Chile and the USA. Interestingly, all six wines tasted were very approachable even though views varied as to the wine of the night. The Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve chardonnay from Santa Barbara County in California edged out the Miius 2021 Godello from DOP Monterrei (Galicia, Spain) as the preferred white wine. On the reds, the 2021 Chianti Classico was seen as a drink any time wine while the two Rioja Reservas (Marques de Riscal and Marques de Murrieta, both 2019) were more robust and better accompanied with food. The outlier of the night was the Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from DO Valle de Maipo, Chile which was a totally different style. Considering price only, the Chilean red took the prize for the value for money at a shade under $27 per bottle. Tasters retired to the Wayside Inn for a tasty meal.
Assessment overall – an excellent and fun evening!
As the rain held off, a convoy of Bearbrass Probians followed our own Coral-Lee on an art appreciation walk around Docklands. Lots of abstract sculptures, some graffiti and good coffee were enjoyed
Even though we have a large number of members still traveling in warmer climes, the recent general meeting was very well attended. Members were fully engaged with a top-class speaker, the induction of (another) new member and some important information about what’s happening at the Club.
The President warmly welcomed members and advised that Judy S is back into her role as Secretary and thanked Ross, Sue and Maryla for assisting in her absence. He advised that the footy tipping competition had ended and congratulated all the prize winners, and also suggested that members might like to try their hand at the new activity of Pickleball.
Lastly, Shane advised that nomination forms should be available at the November meeting for 2025 committee positions and requested that members consider standing for a committee position, particularly some of the new 2024 members.
Next Dr Yanpu Zhang was re-inducted as a member. Yanpu first joined at the height of the Pandemic in 2020 and was a member for a few years, before taking a break – now she’s back, so we must be doing something right!! As well as her academic and research achievements Yanpu has interests in machine knitting, walking and cooking. In a short speech, Yanpu mentioned how much she was looking forward to getting reinvolved in club activities. The photo shows Yanpu being inducted by Membership Officer Sue and President Shane.
The fascinating speaker was Erina Reddan, whose topic was “Deep into the Forest: What lies behind the walls of the "Sanctuary"?”.
Erina thought she’d had a pretty ordinary childhood, but when she started writing about a woman who discovers terrible secrets about The Sanctuary, a neighbouring closed community, she realised that she too had grown up in a kind of cult. She lived on an isolated farm in a religious community with rules about what you ate, and when, and she never met or interacted with anybody who wasn’t of the same faith. It wasn’t until decades later when the Royal Commission revealed that her nearby town was one of the hot spots for paedophilia in Victoria that she saw just how harmful giving a leader the authority of God was.
The President thanked the Erina for her engaging presentation and presented a small gift in appreciation. In closing Shane noted that the October general meeting will have Professor Michelle Giles speaking about the several new vaccines being recommended for older adults related to Shingles and RSV and that guests are welcome.
With that all done, it was off to lunch at the always reliable TAP831 for more fun and fellowship!
Sunday lunch at the Brighton Hotel was turned into a bit of a “trip away” with 24 members and guests travelling down the bay for a pork roast and a few supporting beverages. Public transport was the popular option, to avoid parking issues (at least that’s what was said).
Organised impeccably as always by Cate T, the lunch managed to complete just before the evening rush at the pub started! We must have had fun!
Seven enthusiastic Probus members attended a tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and MCG Sports Museum.
We were guided by a wonderful and enthusiastic volunteer, John, who explained much of the history of the MCG and Melbourne Cricket Club. We were treated to a view of the ground from the player’s box, where the cricketers and their families sit, and followed the pathway taken by the batsman as he walks on the “G” to begin his batting innings. Although we were not allowed to walk on the hallowed turf, we were able to walk within the boundary line and sit in the players shelter (see photo), which is used by the AFL. Our tour included the players change rooms used by both cricket and AFL players, the media room and the various dining areas within the members area. Following our guided tour, we were treated to a fantastic display of memorabilia in the Sports Museum and MCC museum. A life like hologram of Shane Warne talking about his career was a highlight.
This month saw our first event held at mid-day. It was nice not to have to battle the cold of a Docklands morning at 10am.
We welcomed a prospective member and two guests from Melbourne Sunrise. Seven bowlers took to the lanes with Shane
excelling himself with his highest score yet. Well done, Shane! A lively conversation took place over light refreshments at a nearby cafe.
A moment of laughter ensued when our two white haired gentlemen both ordered chocolate milkshakes and came out with a mop of white fairy floss on top!
A group of techno-curious Probians gathered at the Toyota Hydrogen Dealer Education Facility this week to learn more about this most common of gases. School holidays meant that we had Andrew, the head honcho to show us around and share his knowledge. In the most convivial of Q&A sessions we looked over a Toyota Mirai car, models of batteries and fuel cells, compressors, generators and a retail dispenser. It was bitterly cold outside but food for the brain within. We all learned something.
This month we had a full house of member and guest tasters, comparing and contrasting three wines from Australia with wines from the same grape from other parts of the world.
For the Chardonnay grape we tasted a Chablis Jean-Marc Brocard 2022 Grand Vin de Bourgogne from France and a McHenry Hohnen 2022 Laterite Hills Chardonnay from Margaret River in WA.
For the Riesling grape we tasted a Thörle Saulheim Riesling Kalkstein Rheinhessen 2021 from Germany and a Grosset Springvale Clare Valley Riesling 2022 from SA.
For the Sangiovese grape we tasted a Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico 2021 from Tuscany in Italy and a Coriole McLaren Vale Sangiovese 2022 from SA and finished with a Talenti Roso di Montalcino 2022, also from Tuscany in Italy.
It was hard work, but we managed to persevere (some better than others!) and get the job done! There was plenty of discussion and laughter and we achieved what we set out to do - the different characteristics of the Australian and European wines were easily identifiable. Overall preferences were with the French and German wines for the Chardonnay and Riesling, but the Australian wine for the Sangiovese.
And another great night was finished off with a bite to eat at Pirate Life
Twenty-two Bearbrass-ians had a great morning tour of Melbourne Water's treatment plant at Werribee. Our hired bus deal from Dock Library with driver Danny went like clockwork. However, one of the internal roads at the plant was blocked, so we missed out on seeing the wetlands' bird life.
We started with a briefing by education guide Kim at the headquarters, who explained the vast size (27,000 ha) of the grounds. Then Catherine, an ex-history teacher, joined our bus and guided us around the ponds explaining how each step purified the material to good quality after 30 days It arrives at rate of 555m litres per day.
Among the amazing facts
# The main sewage pipes from Melbourne are 4m diameter - enough for our bus to drive inside. Pumping stations at Brooklyn and Hoppers Crossing lift the sewage 30m high.
# Bacteria in ten bio-towers scrub away all smell from the plant
# Workers sometimes discover bones and teeth of ancient megafauna on the bay shores, including teeth from a giant kangaroo
# Aeration ponds are stirred up by big sprayers. They are serviced by "poo-divers" in space-tight suits who can see nothing underwater but service the pumps by feel -- while earning $3000 an hour. These ponds are christened the "Frothing Milo Milkshake" zone.
# In the old days people in Melbourne would lose their false teeth and jewellery down the toilet (after a night's drinking) and reclaim them from the sewage screens at Spotswood near the present Science Museum.
# The 300 bird species have included rarities like American golden plovers that have flown vast distances off-course -- attracting bird-nerds even from interstate and overseas.
# Screening technology is being challenged by latest "forever chemicals" called P-FAS such as used on non-stick frypans
# Melbourne Water curses "disposable wipes" which people flush down the toilet but in fact don't dissolve and create horrible fatty lumps. Attempts to sue the makers to get rid of the false "disposable" label have failed.
After our tour we lunched at Commercial Hotel Werribee (pictured).
To see more pictures - these from Maryla - click on READ MORE
Daylesford was the location of an opportunity for members and friends to enjoy each other’s company, stay for a few days and explore the delights of this wonderful, vibrant town and surrounds, an hour and a half north west of Melbourne. The weather was beautiful and sunny and the autumn colours, magnificent.
Organised by our “alpha” event planner, Jan S, we got to Daylesford late on Sunday morning, had a look at the Farmer’s Market and then proceeded to lunch at the Convent Gallery, before touring the wonderful old building with its museum and art gallery. After checking in to the Central Springs Inn, the afternoon was filled with exploring the streets, buildings and monuments, shopping and wine tasting at Passing Clouds Winery and roast dinner at the Daylesford Bowling Club, cunningly within walking distance of the motel! Later that evening a never-ending game of Ludo was running and nearby a tightly fought game of 500 finished 1 all!
Monday commenced with a wonderful complimentary breakfast in the motel dining room which was blessed with the morning sun streaming in. Then off to a variety of pursuits including walking around the lake, nearly getting lost in dense bush outside of Hepburn Springs, visiting the botanic gardens, climbing a very narrow, very dark tower to take in the magnificent view, more shopping, sampling the local coffee shops and cafes, and a wonderful dinner at Bar Meranda (also cunningly within walking distance of the motel!) organised by our newest member Marianne D. After attempting to kick-on after dinner and being rebuffed by one of the local pubs (too noisy? too old? too late?) we went back to the motel for a (relatively) early night.
Tuesday morning for most was another great breakfast in the sunny motel dining room, then packing up and heading off back home, with many wonderful memories of another successful Bearbrass event.
On a glorious and perfect autumn day, three intrepid and enthusiastic golfer took to the popular Albert Park golf course to test their skills with club and ball and although the golf may have been erratic on occasion, the camaraderie and conversation was top class! Plans for travelling further afield were mooted for future rounds with opportunities for others to join in the future.
July 25: the perfect date for Christmas in July. A bunch of Probus elves gathered at PJ Obriens for mulled wine and the kind of 3 course comfort food that seems inappropriate in the middle of summer. Name tag wearers went into the draw to join a frantic game of heads and tails won by Ross' bottom so he was awarded the elf on a shelf and yards of tinsel. It seems a merry old time was had by all.
On the back of the presentation at our last General Meeting from DAM Busters Dragon Boat Club and the Think Pink Foundation, two of our Members joined in with these two organisations and enjoyed a fabulous paddle on the water last night.
With super weather for a Winters night and a beautiful sunset, it couldn't have been a more perfect evening.
John Bone you're an inspiration and congratulations to Susan Howarth for giving it a go too!
The outstanding service of one of the founding members of the Bearbrass Probus Club – Founding President Mel - was recognised with the conferring of Life Membership by members at the recent Annual General Meeting of the club. In her citation, 2023 President Jill noted Mel’s pivotal role in establishing the Club and his tremendous service across the past four years.
Thank you Mel, and congratulations.
Our joint July Probus Bearbrass and Sunrise clubs craft group saw 13 of us brave a very cold and wet afternoon to enjoy each other’s company and showcase what we have been working on and sharing our knowledge on our chosen works. The room was buzzing with conversation. We came with knitting, crocheting, tatting, Sashiko, drawing, embroidery and work on a family heirloom. The president of Bearbrass dropped in to see what we do. We hope he will join us with a knitting or macrame project.
Bearbrass's tour of the RAAF Museum at Point Cook had an unexpected bonus -- Wing Commander Jason Easthope gave us an 800kph flying display of an RAAF Mustang fighter. He was leaving Pt Cook to fly via Temora to take part in the Williamtown Newcastle air display next day. He told us the Temora stop after two hours flying was because the WW11 Mustang lacks a working toilet. Jason, a kiwi, is an RAF veteran of the Falklands war and then an F18 pilot, with 4500 hours flying all-up.Mechanics wheeled out a battery starter to his beautiful Mustang with its shark-tooth nose. The 12-cylinder Packard Merlin engine burst into life with its 1200HP roaring and a puff of blue smoke. Jason sat for a while with canopy open, ensuring engine pressures and temperature were OK. Then he swung the iconic fighter around onto the strip – blowing away a few hats from the prop-wash. The engine blared and the prop howled as the tips neared the sound barrier, then his Mustang was into the air and climbing for its first pass across our small party’s sightline.
He followed with a loop putting 4G stress on his body – as if it weighed more than 300kg. Several more passes and rolls, then a waggle of wings as he waved us ‘goodbye’. Watch him go here!
That was the highlight but our tour of the museum itself was also terrific. Behind every plane and exhibit there was a story and our guide Norm was keen to tell it. For example, the roundel in planes used in the Pacific have no red dot in the middle –because four planes including a Catalina were shot up by friendly fire from US gunners mistaking the red dot for Japan’s emblem.
The oldest plane there was a replica 1913 Bristol Boxkite aircraft that was actually flown 100 years later at Point Cook with former Air Force Test Pilot Air Vice Marshal Mark Skidmore (retired) at the controls. “Considering it’s mainly wood wire and cloth, Mark was a brave airman,” said Norm. We attach a video of the flight below, in case you don’t believe Norm.
The oldest plane there was a replica 1913 Bristol Boxkite aircraft that was actually flown 100 years later at Point Cook with former Air Force Test Pilot Air Vice Marshal Mark Skidmore (retired) at the controls. “Considering it’s mainly wood wire and cloth, Mark was a brave airman,” said Norm. We attach a video of the flight below, in case you don’t believe Norm.
Our tour numbers were increased with a group of guests from Tony's Rotary Keilor East.
912 Collins Street
Docklands, VIC 3008
Australia