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: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 BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20270403T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20271002T160000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260112T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260112T190000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20241217T012501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251209T010209Z UID:60743-1768240800-1768244400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Festival of Organ and Fine Music | Darkness & Delight - Jerry Wong (solo piano) 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/jerry-wong/ LOCATION:The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Classical Music,Live Music,organs ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jerry-wong.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260123T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260123T213000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251203T003308Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T010553Z UID:69281-1769196600-1769203800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Billy Hinde's Big Band presents: A Night of Big Band 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/a-night-of-big-band/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Live Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/sq-promo-billy-hinde.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260128T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260128T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251120T065224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251215T040410Z UID:68764-1769623200-1769628600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Geoff Parkes and Susi Fox 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/in-conversation-with-geoff-parks-susi-fox/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/sq-promo-geoff.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260128T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260128T201500 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251124T043242Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T032638Z UID:68875-1769626800-1769631300@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Living From a Place of Inner Peace - Ballarat Public Talk 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/living-from-a-place-of-inner-peace/ LOCATION:VIC CATEGORIES:kadampa,Talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/square-promo2-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="KMC Australia & Melbourne":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260204T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260204T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260119T040646Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T235306Z UID:70116-1770231600-1770235200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | A Fresh Start: Discover the Power of Meditation 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-4-feb-26/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Square-A_Fresh_Start.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260211T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260211T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260119T041205Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T235116Z UID:70121-1770836400-1770840000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | A Fresh Start: Discover the Power of Meditation 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-11-feb-26/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Square-A_Fresh_Start.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260212T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260212T210000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260128T030546Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260129T033730Z UID:70313-1770924600-1770930000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Film Society | Flow 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-film-society-flow/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat Film Society,Film ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/flow-sq-promo.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260214T120000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260214T140000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260112T012814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T060448Z UID:69779-1771070400-1771077600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In conversation with Tori Baxter | Book Launch 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/in-conversation-with-tori-baxter/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Author Talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Untitled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260215T170000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260215T183000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260112T034344Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T000304Z UID:69818-1771174800-1771180200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Joseph Tawadros | Solo Oud 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/joseph-tawadros-solo-oud/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Live Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/sq-promo-joseph-tawadros.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260218T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260218T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260119T041316Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T234924Z UID:70123-1771441200-1771444800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | A Fresh Start: Discover the Power of Meditation 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-18-feb-26/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Square-A_Fresh_Start.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260225T183000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260225T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251008T011020Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T030310Z UID:67900-1772044200-1772049600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Paula McLean 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/paula-mclean/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/sp-promo-paula-mclean.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260225T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260225T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260119T041447Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T235607Z UID:70125-1772046000-1772049600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | A Fresh Start: Discover the Power of Meditation 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-25-feb-26/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Square-A_Fresh_Start.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260228T200000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260228T230000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251202T061155Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T225623Z UID:69260-1772308800-1772319600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Whispers of Shadows 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/whispers-of-shadows/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Live Music,Theatre Production ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/square-promo-wos.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260302T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260302T210000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260112T025228Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T022511Z UID:69804-1772478000-1772485200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Pub Cinemas Presents: 'In The Shadow of the Gallows' & short film 'Vendetta 19' 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/pub-cinemas-in-the-shadow-of-the-gallows/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Film ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/sq-promo-shadow-of-the-gallows.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260304T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260304T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260226T225959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T230259Z UID:70943-1772650800-1772654400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to Solve Our Human Problems: Managing Anger & Difficult Relationships 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-4mar/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-HTSHP-BMI-Square.png ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260310T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260310T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251110T032113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T233337Z UID:68454-1773165600-1773171000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Kate Mildenhall & Josh Pomare 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/in-conversation-with-christian-white-josh-pomare/ 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/square-promo-kate-josh.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260311T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260311T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260226T230339Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T230419Z UID:70950-1773255600-1773259200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to Solve Our Human Problems: Managing Anger & Difficult Relationships 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-11-mar/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-HTSHP-BMI-Square.png ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260312T193000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260312T210000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260129T021756Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260129T033824Z UID:70390-1773343800-1773349200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Film Society | All We Imagine As Light 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-film-society-all-we-imagine-as-light/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat Film Society,Film ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/all-we-imagine-sq-promo.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260318T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260318T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260226T230513Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T230537Z UID:70952-1773860400-1773864000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | How to Solve Our Human Problems: Managing Anger & Difficult Relationships 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-18-mar/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-HTSHP-BMI-Square.png ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260322T140000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260322T173000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260209T234433Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T004415Z UID:70649-1774188000-1774200600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Ballarat Scottish Country Dance 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-scottish-country-dance/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:external event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ballarat-scottish-square-promo-26.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Ballarat Country Scottish Dancing":MAILTO:heathermross2021@outlook.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260324T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260324T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260201T232719Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T030026Z UID:70486-1774375200-1774380600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Chrissie Bellbrae 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/in-conversation-with-chrissie-bellbrae/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sp-promo-chrissie-bellbrae.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260325T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260325T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260302T002708Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T005942Z UID:71005-1774465200-1774468800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | Stillness in Motion: Living Spiritually in a Fast-Paced World 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-25-mar/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Stillness-in-motion-BMI-Square.png ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260401T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260401T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260302T003106Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045515Z UID:71009-1775070000-1775073600@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | Stillness in Motion: Living Spiritually in a Fast-Paced World 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-1-apr/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Stillness-in-motion-BMI-Square.png ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260408T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260408T200000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260302T003212Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045434Z UID:71011-1775674800-1775678400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Kadampa Meditation Series | Stillness in Motion: Living Spiritually in a Fast-Paced World 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-apr/ LOCATION:Lending Library\, Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, Victoria\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:kadampa ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Stillness-in-motion-BMI-Square.png ORGANIZER;CN="Kadampa Meditation":MAILTO:info@kadampa.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260410T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260410T203000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260223T060045Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045403Z UID:70828-1775847600-1775853000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:The Dog Logs\, A Ballarat National Theatre Production 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/the-dog-logs-10-april/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat National Theatre,Theatre Production ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sq-promo-dog-log-222.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Ballarat National Theatre":MAILTO:contact@bnt.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260411T190000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260411T203000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260224T002907Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045326Z UID:70851-1775934000-1775939400@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:The Dog Logs\, A Ballarat National Theatre Production 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/the-dog-logs-11-april/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat National Theatre,Theatre Production ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sq-promo-dog-log-222.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Ballarat National Theatre":MAILTO:contact@bnt.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260412T140000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260412T153000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260224T003215Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045248Z UID:70853-1776002400-1776007800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:The Dog Logs\, A Ballarat National Theatre Production 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/the-dog-logs-12-april/ LOCATION:BMI – Minerva Space\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350 CATEGORIES:Ballarat National Theatre,Theatre Production ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sq-promo-dog-log-222.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Ballarat National Theatre":MAILTO:contact@bnt.org.au END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260412T150000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260412T170000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20251203T013015Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045211Z UID:69291-1776006000-1776013200@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Brian Chapman & Friends: A Trio of Stunning Piano Quartets 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/trio-piano-quartets/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Classical Music,Live Music,Victorian Seniors Festival ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/sq-promo-brian-champman-final.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260414T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260414T193000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260303T223948Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T045131Z UID:71084-1776189600-1776195000@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:In Conversation with Gerardine Christou: The story of Peg Rankin 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/in-conversation-with-gerardine-christou/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Author Talk,Library ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/sp-promo-talks-v4.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260415T173000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260415T183000 DTSTAMP:20260507T200555 CREATED:20260316T052458Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T033540Z UID:71316-1776274200-1776277800@ballaratmi.org.au SUMMARY:Twilight Talks: Focus on Ballarat - Henry Lawson in Ballarat revisited 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-focus-on-ballarat-henry-lawson-in-ballarat-revisited/ LOCATION:BMI – Humffray Room\, 117-119 Sturt Street\, Ballarat Central\, VIC\, 3350\, Australia CATEGORIES:Twilight Talks ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ballaratmi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/square-promo-2025-henry-lawson-ballarat-revisited.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR