Speakers we heard from in 2016
January 20th. – Dinner Meeting – Banyan Night. Where members are encouraged to speak on any subject of a nautical nature. Dr. John Cowper-Smartt (our Purser) discussed with passion, the building of ‘Raffaella’ his steel junk rigged ketch, his love for sailing and flying, and the heartache of running aground at the entrance to Christmas Cove (KI).
February 17th. – Dinner Meeting – It was a very special evening as we had the Governor of South Australia, our Patron, His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le, AO, attend the Club Dinner at the Public Schools Club. He spoke of his journey to Australia and how he left Vietnam in a small boat in 1977. Travelling via Malaysia, they were one of the early groups of Vietnamese refugees to arrive in Darwin Harbour. The members were enthralled by his story which was so well received.
March 16th. – Dinner Meeting – Annual General Meeting #47, was followed by our Dinner Meeting where Commander Troy Battishall talked on the proposed new submarines and his 30 years in the service.
Apr 20th Dinner Meeting – Peter Nelson spoke on his career as an RAN Navy ship Flight Commander on HMAS Melbourne and other aspects of the Fleet Air Arm.
May 18th Dinner Meeting — Danielle Cload spoke on her research and books relating to French Explorers in the South Seas. Her book ‘Voyages to the South Seas, a search for Terra Australes’ is a winner. Well written and enlightening as to how the French thought and operated while exploring New Holland. 
June 15th. Dinner Meeting — Ladies Night. Everyone glammed up for the Ladies Night (even some of our wives and partners). We heard Catherine Linley speak on her experiences as a Marine Surveyor working for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. It was a very interesting talk on a very wide ranging subject covering all aspects of Marine Safety and regulation of ships entering our ports.
July 20th Dinner Meeting – ‘Don’t Sack the Captain’ – Member Capt. Bob Smedley talked on a paper which explains some of the contributing factors which led to the grounding of ‘Exxon Valdez’ in 1989 and a discussion on what we may have learned from subsequent oil spills.
Aug 17th Dinner Meeting – Mr Sam Gaylard, Principal Marine Biologist with the Environmental Protection Agency talked about various aspects of pollution in South Australian waters, including storm water run off into the Gulf of St. Vincent.
Sept 21st Dinner Meeting –Member Brian Johnson Spoke on the International Tug and Salvage Conference held in Boston, U.S.A. – The concept of unmanned tugs may be closer than we realise.
Oct 19th Dinner Meeting – Trafalgar Night – ‘What Happened after the Battle of Trafalgar and the Passing of Nelson’ – Member Dr. John Couper-Smartt presented an interesting talk on the politics of Nelson’s demise, the effect it had on Britain and the legacy of the battle.
We were also joined by two members from the Jubilee Sailing Trust who gave a short presentation on the S.T.S. Tenacious which was visiting Port Adelaide at this time.
