BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Australia/Melbourne BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20240406T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20241005T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20250405T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20251004T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20260404T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20261003T160000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251008T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251008T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250813T044851Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T045058Z UID:66952-1759950000-1759953600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | Three Methods for Overcoming Bad Habits DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-8-october-25/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-bad-habits-v2.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251009T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251009T210000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250212T040547Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T110559Z UID:62016-1760038200-1760043600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Film Society | To Thank the Room DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/bfs-to-thank-the-room-oct/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Ballarat Film Society,Externally Produced Event,Film ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/sqaure-promo-bfs-update2.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251015T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251015T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250813T045048Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T045830Z UID:66955-1760554800-1760558400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | Three Methods for Overcoming Bad Habits DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-15-october-25/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-bad-habits-v2.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251016T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251016T213000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250709T002656Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T023644Z UID:66088-1760643000-1760650200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:'God of Carnage'\, A Ballarat National Theatre Production | This season NOW CANCELLED | BNT apologises. DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/god-of-carnage/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat National Theatre,Theatre Production,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/God-of-Carnage-BMI-Square.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Ballarat National Theatre":MAILTO:contact@bnt.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251019T140000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251019T160000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250710T035225Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T023809Z UID:66112-1760882400-1760889600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:'God of Carnage'\, A Ballarat National Theatre Production | This season NOW CANCELLED | BNT apologises. DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/god-of-carnage-5/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat National Theatre,Theatre Production,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/God-of-Carnage-BMI-Square.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Ballarat National Theatre":MAILTO:contact@bnt.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251021T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251021T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250919T003912Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251020T045545Z UID:67443-1761069600-1761075000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with J Mary Masters *This event has now been CANCELLED* DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/j-mary-masters/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Fundraiser,Library,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/sq-promo-judith-final.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251022T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251022T140000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250930T012758Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T061535Z UID:67775-1761127200-1761141600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Seniors Expo | BMI component now CANCELLED DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/ballarat-seniors-festival-expo/ LOCATION:Ballarat Show Grounds\, Ballarat\, Australia CATEGORIES:Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/seniors-2025-sq-promo.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251022T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251022T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250813T045930Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T050518Z UID:66964-1761159600-1761163200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to solve our human problems DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-22-october-25/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-human-poblems.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251024T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251024T201500 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20251001T035625Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T045612Z UID:67819-1761332400-1761336900@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Opera's Bad Girl: Anna Bishop\, the World's First Daringly Defiant Diva DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/operas-bad-girl/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Live Music,Theatre Production,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/sq-promo-bad-girl.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251025T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251025T160000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250805T043957Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T061603Z UID:66614-1761386400-1761408000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Linen and Lace: An exhibition through the decades DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/linen-and-lace-fundraiser/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Art programs,Fundraiser,Important Dates,Members,Urban Agriculture Month,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/linen-and-lace-sq-promo-v3-1.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251026T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251026T160000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250903T045545Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T013159Z UID:67296-1761472800-1761494400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Linen and Lace: An exhibition through the decades DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/linen-and-lace-fundraiser-2/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Art programs,Fundraiser,Important Dates,Members,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/linen-and-lace-sq-promo-v3.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251029T173000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251029T183000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250728T043616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250905T043434Z UID:66385-1761759000-1761762600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 4\, Remembrance Day | A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook - Ballarat Connections to HMAS Sydney 2 in 1941 DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/twilight-talks-surgeon-commander-leading-cook/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Fundraiser,Important Dates,Members,Talk,Twilight Talks,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/hmas-sydney-2.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251029T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251029T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250813T050626Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T050736Z UID:66969-1761764400-1761768000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to solve our human problems DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-29-october-25/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-human-poblems.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251031T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251031T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250923T045951Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T051016Z UID:67550-1761937200-1761940800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Minerva's Secrets | Night Tour DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/minervas-secrets-night-tours-31-oct-25/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Important Dates,Night Tours,Tours,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/received_908662326866361-e1708918930337.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251031T210000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251031T220000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250923T044958Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T051126Z UID:67531-1761944400-1761948000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Minerva's Secrets | Night Tour DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/minervas-secrets-night-tours-31-oct-25-2/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Fundraiser,Important Dates,Night Tours,Tours,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/received_265285705882698-e1708919200874.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T173000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T183000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250728T053444Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T033437Z UID:66400-1762363800-1762367400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 4\, Remembrance Day | Recent War Memorabilia - from WW2 to Afghanistan\, Presented by David Wright. DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/twilight-talks-war-memorabilia/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Fundraiser,Important Dates,Members,Talk,Twilight Talks,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/square-promo-medals-v36.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T184500 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250812T005546Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T040122Z UID:66788-1762365600-1762368300@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Stella Day Out Ballarat | Katia Ariel 'The Swift Dark Tide' in conversation with Kelly Gardiner DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/stella-day-out-katia-ariel/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Important Dates,Library,Stella Day Out ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-katia.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180641 CREATED:20250813T050815Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T050909Z UID:66971-1762369200-1762372800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to solve our human problems DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-5-november-25/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-human-poblems.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T191500 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251105T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250812T054350Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T035952Z UID:66822-1762370100-1762372800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Stella Day Out Ballarat | Samah Sabawi 'Cactus Pear For My Beloved' in conversation with Fatima Measham DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/stella-day-out-samah-sabawi/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Important Dates,Library,Stella Day Out ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-samah.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251106T183000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251106T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250711T034827Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T003339Z UID:66176-1762453800-1762459200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Rachael Johns DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/rachael-johns/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Fundraiser,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/sq-promo-rachael-johns.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251112T170000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251112T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20251017T014102Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T032148Z UID:68029-1762966800-1762975800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Crafting Conversation: The Artists Edition DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/crafting-conversation-artists/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Art programs ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-mgth.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Make Good Things Happen":MAILTO:angela@daltonbaker.com.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251112T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251112T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250813T050947Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T051100Z UID:66973-1762974000-1762977600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to solve our human problems DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-12-november-25/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/square-promo-human-poblems.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251113T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251113T210000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250212T031341Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T110605Z UID:61989-1763062200-1763067600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Film Society | ​Hammarskjöld: The Fight for Peace DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/bfs-hammarskjold/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Ballarat Film Society,Externally Produced Event,Film ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/sqaure-promo-bfs3.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251115T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251115T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250923T040314Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T052823Z UID:67502-1763233200-1763236800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Minerva's Secrets | Night Tour DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/minervas-secrets-night-tours-15-nov-25/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Fundraiser,Important Dates,Night Tours,Tours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/received_908662326866361-e1708918930337.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251115T210000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251115T220000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250923T051356Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T052637Z UID:67555-1763240400-1763244000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Minerva's Secrets | Night Tour DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/minervas-secrets-night-tours-15-nov-25-2/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Fundraiser,Important Dates,Night Tours,Tours ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/received_265285705882698-e1708919200874.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251118T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251118T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250917T050616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T062718Z UID:67363-1763488800-1763494200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Margaret Hickey DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/margaret-hickey-25/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Fundraiser,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/margaret-hickey-sq-promo.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251119T173000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251119T183000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250728T054722Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T232935Z UID:66407-1763573400-1763577000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 5\, Recent Years | Ballarat's Her Majesty's Reinvention\, Presented by Richard Nicholson DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/her-majestys-reinvention/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Fundraiser,Important Dates,Members,Talk,Twilight Talks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/square-promo-2025-her-majestys-final.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251119T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251119T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250917T030336Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250917T031134Z UID:67346-1763578800-1763582400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | Meditations on the Mind: How to Create Mental Space DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/kadampa-meditation-series-19-nov-2025/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Med_on_mind_Sq.webp ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251120T183000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251120T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20251110T031233Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T031636Z UID:68444-1763663400-1763668800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:An Evening with Peter FitzSimons AM DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/an-evening-with-peter-fitzsimons-am/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/cover-peter-fitzsimonos-book-e1762145093105.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251121T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20251121T210000 DTSTAMP:20260507T180642 CREATED:20250917T004106Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T233455Z UID:67335-1763753400-1763758800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ben Knight: The Parent Teacher Interview | Show now SOLD OUT DESCRIPTION:Twilight Talks 2025\, Season 3\, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 3\n\n \n\n @ \n\n\n5:30 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n6:30 pm\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Bar open at 5pm \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n$9.73 – $13.83 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humffray Room \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ballarat's Henry Lawson\, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The young Henry visited Ballarat\, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so – the effects of its outcome on the developing Australian national identity; that many of his pieces mention Ballarat in the same context. As with so many of our iconic personalities across our history\, there’s much that is not well-known about their lives and achievements. Henry Lawson is a case in point\, with the special appeal that in 1889\, as a twenty two-year old\, he actually came to Ballarat and that the visit materially affected his subsequent writings over the course of his nearly forty-year career. To help make up for that deficiency\, as the first of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Spring 2025 ‘Twilight Talks’\, Hedley Thomson – local actor and a big Lawson fan – will be presenting a talk on Lawson’s time in Ballarat\, which will include performances of several of the more notable pieces (both poetry and prose) that Lawson was inspired to write following his Ballarat visit. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speaker: Hedley Thomson \n \n \n Hedley Thomson | Former Environmental Manager\, City of Ballarat\n \n \n \n Hedley Thomson ‘I’ve spent 35 of my 70 years in Ballarat\, having been raised in suburban Melbourne and holidayed and worked on the Mornington Peninsula\, where I also met my wife\, Christine\, and started raising our family of three excellent daughters. My work has been in the fields of land use\, environmental\, strategic and corporate planning\, principally in local government\, but also with stints in State\, regional\, private and community organisations. Throughout my life I’ve had an interest in regional Australia\, in theatre – especially performing – and\, developing from not much to a near obsession (in all the right ways)\, in Henry Lawson. Coming to Ballarat\, which I/the family did in 1988\, has enabled me to indulge all three interests; e.g.: the Rosebud Memorial Hall was OK for the occasional play but I never counted on a venue as wonderful as Her Majesty’s Theatre\, being part of Fred Fargher-directed musicals\, and being on stage with my children in ballet performances at Royal South Street Society competitions (I like to demuse people by boasting that I have a ‘first’ in ballet from those comps – as ‘the male’ in a winning troupe). As far as Henry Lawson is concerned\, like many of us growing up\, I knew of his well-known pieces such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover’s Wife but little else. I’d scanned through a few selections of his works but – like many people\, I think – I found them a bit too serious; ‘Banjo’ Patterson was certainly the more popular writer. Then\, in the 1980s\, I happened to buy what became the very popular two-volume complete works of Lawson\, compiled by Leonard Cronin (I also bought a similar two-volume job of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Patterson’s works that came out around the same time); once I started reading\, I was hooked. I discovered he wrote about everything\, in almost every possible style\, with humour\, with pathos\, with serious analysis of the topic chosen\, with prophetic intent. This clearly was/is no ‘bush poet’. I found – like all great writers – that his truths\, his observations\, his descriptions of human foibles and failings\, the brilliance of his verbal descriptions of the settings of his pieces stand the test of time; that is why I am so infatuated with his work. And that it is of Australia; palpably of this country\, including when he writes of our indigenous peoples (with whom he frequently had amicable dealings\, despite the views of some commentators). To find that Lawson visited Ballarat in 1887\, following which he wrote a number of pieces about that seminal event in modern Australian history – the Eureka rising\, has enabled me to make a connection between my passion for his writings\, my place of residence and my long-time involvement with theatre/performance. During 2022 – the 100th anniversary year of Lawson’s death – a trio of us performed various of Lawson’s works to community group audiences. Now the BMI has provided me with the opportunity to focus on Ballarat’s Henry Lawson and to highlight the effect that the young Henry’s visit had on his writings.’ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 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. \n \n This event is proudly supported by Community Bank Buninyong \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets and Bookings \n \n \n \n \n \n Tickets $9.73 BMI members & $13.83 general admittance\, includes gst & bkg fee. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Get tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n More Twilight Talks\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work\, learn and create. Always Was\, Always Will Be\, Aboriginal Land. URL:https://ballaratmi.org.au/event/ben-knight-parent-teacher/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Comedy ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ben-knight-sq-promo.webp ORGANIZER;CN="KEG Touring":MAILTO:Contact@kegtouring.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR