Talks

A BMI Fundraising Public Talk | The world in 2025 and beyond with Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC

March 5 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Bar Open from 5:30pm $35 – $110 Humffray Room Get tickets The world in 2025 and beyond : What is the good news? What is the not-so-good news? Brought to you by Nicolson Construction Speaker: Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC Now in his mid nineties, Professor Geoffrey Blainey

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 2, Special Event | The Life of Walter Withers

April 30 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets The Life of Walter Withers Until now there has been no family history of Walter Withers (1854-1914), a notable but underestimated Australian landscape artist of the Heidelberg school. For nearly 200 years his Birmingham ancestors had

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 1, Special Event | Dancers on the Sea by Gabrielle Samson

February 26 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9 – $13 Humffray Room Get tickets Dancers on the Sea: Stories from Atauro Island, Timor-Leste 1994-2002 Speaker: Gabrielle Samson, Author Gabrielle Samson Gabrielle, a writer of fiction and memoir, has won national prizes for her short stories and has co-written a radio

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 2 | Connections to War from a Ballarat Perspective: Medals and Memorabilia

April 16 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Medals and Memorabilia David will talk about Australian medals from the Sudan in 1885, The Boer War 1899-1905, WW1, WW2 and the other conflicts where Australians were awarded medals. He will also talk about the correct

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 2 | Connections to War from a Ballarat Perspective: Feeling the Battlefield Spirits

April 23 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Feeling the Battlefield Spirits Speakers: Rene Degryse, Garry Snowden & Marion Snowden Feeling the Battlefield Spirits Sometimes in life, a seemingly inconsequential event can, without us realising it, nudge our life along a new and exciting

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 2 | Connections to War from a Ballarat Perspective: War Grieving – Doctor’s Perspective

April 9 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets War Grieving from a Doctor’s Perspective Grief is a natural response to loss. War Grief is complex.  Ballarat’ s participation in WW1 was substantial: about 4000 men from Ballarat enlisted in World War One and approximately

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 2 | Connections to War from a Ballarat Perspective: Dr Hardy

April 2 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Dr Hardy and the Men of St Paul’s Anglican Church WWI Participants Speaker: Neil Leckie – Co-Cordinator Twilight Talks Neil Leckie is a BMI Member with many years of military service and an interest in The

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 1 | Ballarat’s Changing Scene – Changes to the Canadian Corridor

March 26 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets The Changing Face of the Canadian Corridor This talk will outline the impact of the goldrush and forestry on the corridor’s native vegetation and waterways. Featuring the long gone Bunny Railway, mining water races, mining infrastructure,

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 1 | Ballarat’s Changing Scene – Change in Ballarat’s Car Industry

March 19 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Changes in Ballarat’s Car Industry Panel Discussion: Chair, Phil Roberts OAM, Patron & Twilight Talks Coordinator. Dr Phil Roberts OAM Phil Roberts is the co-ordinator of the BMI Twilight Talks and BMI Patron. He is a former

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with Nicole Alexander

28 May at 6pm

Ballarat Heritage Festival BMI Day Tours

Two tours  on 20 &  21 May 

 

portrait of author with book cover

Australian Heritage Festival

Natasha Lester in conversation

1 May at 6pm

guides dressed in period costum

Australian Heritage Festival

Minerva's Secrets

25 April – Tour 1 at 7.30pm – fully booked
Tour 2 at 9.30pm – still tickets. 

portrait of author with book cover

Australian Heritage Festival

Natasha Lester in conversation

1 May at 6pm

Dame Nellie Melba Birthday Celebration

Fundraising Dinner
17 May. 

  Performance – 18 May.

Ballarat Heritage Festival Events at the BMI

16 to 25 May 

Connections to War from a Ballarat Perspective

Wed 2-30 April, 5.30pm

Australian Heritage Festival Events at the BMI

18 April to 18 May

Dame Nellie Melba Birthday Celebration

Fundraising Dinner
17 May. 

  Performance – 18 May.

Christmas Holiday Closures | Library

Monday 23 December – Sunday 5 January

Devonshire Tea & Fashion Parade

Bubbly on arrival & Featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop | $60

The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute 2025 Calendar

Featuring the BMI Image Collection | Now $20

Tax Deductible 

Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.

We need
your help.

2024 End of Financial Year Appeal 

Or alternatively go to our Donations web page.

Our Challenge

Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges. 

We thank you for your support.

BMI Fundraiser

Featuring:
The Hideaways,
The Harmonies &
Surf Shadows. 

2 course dinner & lots
of dancing