Twilight Talks 2025, Season 2 | Connections to War from a Ballarat Perspective: Feeling the Battlefield Spirits
Bar open at 5pm
Humffray Room
Feeling the Battlefield Spirits
Speakers: Rene Degryse, Garry Snowden & Marion Snowden
Feeling the Battlefield Spirits
Sometimes in life, a seemingly inconsequential event can, without us realising it, nudge our life along a new and exciting pathway.
This talk will look at how such a fortuitous meeting, in Turkey, between a Ballarat man and a Belgian union official, triggered by a piece of music by Scottish, now Australian singer–song writer, Eric Bogle, would positively touch the lives of many Ballarat people and many more people across Australia.
Garry Snowden
President of Ballarat’s Arch of Victory/Avenue of Honour Committee.
Garry has visited Gallipoli 19 times. On one of those visits he fortuitously met Rene, and the resulting friendship has taken his Western Front (France and Flanders) tour tally to nine, with many of those tours involving people from Ballarat.
Garry’s WWI interest is not so much focused on the strategies and technicalities of major battles but on the stories and experiences of the soldiers and nurses involved.
Marion Snowden
Throughout her life Marion has been aware of her family connections to the First World War. With that foundation, combined with Garry’s passion, it was inevitable that at least one pilgrimage would be on the cards. She never expected to have felt the spirits in England, Turkey, Belgium, France, Malta and Greece in the company of a Belgian chap named Rene, with his depth of knowledge, combined with pathos and a unique sense of humour.
Rene Degryse
Rene grew up in Belgium, often playing in remnant trenches and tunnels of WWI battlefields. In later life he established his own business as a battlefield guide, Feel the Spirits Tours, specialising in guiding Australians. After his chance meeting with Garry, at Gallipoli in 2009, he has formed a strong connection to Ballarat, and he was here for the opening of our Garden of the Grieving Mother in the Arch precinct. He has twice been engaged by the Order of Australia Association to guide their Western Front tours.
This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong
Community Bank Buninyong & District not only gives you access to award-winning financial products and services, we’re also committed to returning profits to our local communities.
Tickets and Bookings
Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance, includes gst & bkg fee.
This event is part of the Australian Heritage Festival
