Past Speakers for 2014
January 15th. 2014 – Banyan Night
February 15th. 2014 – Annual General Meeting #45 – Scott Rickard was installed as President (the first father/son combination as President in the club). Geoff Rickard was President in 1978 and 1979. Dr. John Couper-Smartt (Member), then presented his book called ‘A Sailing-boat Club at Port Adelaide’, A History of the Port Adelaide Sailing Club 1897-2007.
March 19th. 2014 – Dorothy Heindrich presented her book “The Man Who Hunted Whales” – a tale of Kangaroo Island and a doomed ship.
April 16th. 2014 – Flinders Night – Professor John West-Sooby , the head of French studies at Adelaide University spoke on the encounter and what may have taken place between Matthew Flinders and Nicholas Baudin in what is now known as Encounter Bay. This was a crucial meeting as it may have determined which colonial power was to prevail over the eventual occupation of Australia given the tensions between the French and the British back in Europe at the time.
May 21st. 2014 – Mal and John Morgan were farmers on Kangaroo Island. They bought a Duncanson 29′ boat and learned how to sail it. Their cruising range increased until they eventually sailed it around the world. We were privileged to hear their amazing story.
June 18th. 2014 – Ladies Night –Marion and Roger Holden (Member) gave a great account of their world cruise in ‘Marionette IV’. The voyage took eighteen years taking into account extremes of climate and family commitments.
July 16th 2014 – Peter Gaffney gave an update on the Flinders Ports Adelaide Container Terminal since new ownership.—D.B.J.
August 20th. 2014 – Michael Niemann presented a detailed history of the Sealink Ferries that operate between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island.
September 17th. 2014 – Brian Johnson (Member), recently attended the International Towing Conference in Hamburg and talked on how the latest technology could impact on the tugs at Port Adelaide.
October 15th. 2014 – Trafalgar Night – Dr. Jim Wilson prepared an excellent talk on Lord Nelson, plus asides on Chinese and Korean Naval History. This was presented by Warren Reed as Dr. Wilson was unable to attend from Sydney. Sponsored by John Strang (Member).
November 19th. 2014 – Capt. Bob Smedley (Member) presented a paper on ‘Human Torpedoes’. Local Pt. Adelaide identity Capt. Chris Dale is reported to have been at the forefront of early design concepts of these weapons. He went on to further develop the machine in 1905 and took it to Europe where it is rumoured to have been sold to the Italians.
December 5th. 2014 – Ladies Christmas Night. – Wing Commander and Mrs Gordon Waller told us of their 10 year restoration of the 150 ft. ‘Heartsease’.
Members also met and had the chance to hear from Zoe Greer who was the recipient of a grant from the Australian Baxter and Grimshaw Trust. This enabled her to complete her Master Class V Certificate at the Australian Maritime and Fisheries Academy.
Zoe Greer