MILITARY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA

 

2010 CONFERENCE PROGRAM

 

Friday 2 April

 

6.00 - 9.00pm     ‘Meet and Greet’ at the Upton Room, Box Hill RSL, Box Hill, Melbourne.

Registrations and refreshments.

 

Saturday 3 April

Start to Lunch

 

8.30 am               Conference Registrations cont.

 

9.00 am               Formal Opening

Conference format and housekeeping

Conference Convenor

 

9.05 am               Welcome address by VIC Branch President, Mr Robbie Dalton and introduction to the MHSA Patron, Air Marshal IB Gration, AO, AFC, who will officially open the Conference

 

9.15 am               Keynote Speaker: ‘Australian Defence and the Legacy of Alfred Deakin’

Professor David Lowe, Director, Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Deakin University

 

10.00 am             Morning Tea in Upton Room

 

10.30 am             Paper: “Farm Burning in the South African War. The Australian Trooper's Perspective”

                            Mr Robin Drooglever , Convenor, Anglo-Boer War Study Group

 

11.10 am             Paper: ‘The First Course – RAAF Point Cook 1923’

                            Mr Leigh Ryan (VIC)

 

11.50 am             Paper: ‘Saving Australia?  25th Battalion at Milne Bay     August 1942’

Mr Bob Doneley (QLD)

 

12.30 pm            Conference lunch Box Hill RSL Bistro

 

Saturday 3 April

After lunch through dinner

 

1.30 pm          Paper: ‘The Evolution of the Infantry State Regiment System in the Army Reserve’

                        Mr Peter Shaw (WA)

 

2.10 pm          Paper: ‘Khaki to Green: The Australian Army 1941-45’

Dr Adrian Threlfall, Victorian University

 

2.50 pm          Afternoon Tea in Upton Room

 

3.15 pm          Paper: ‘Lieutenant De Neufville Lucas, 40th Regiment of Foot’ 

Mr Tony Harris (SA)

 

3.55 pm          Paper: ‘Diggers and Greeks – the Australian Campaigns in Greece and Crete’

                        Dr Maria Hill, Visiting Fellow UNSW@ADFA

 

4.35 pm          ‘Research in Progress’ – Five minute presentations by members seeking information or reporting on the progress of various research pursuits

 

5.15 pm          Program for Sunday 4th April 

                        Close of session – Conference Convener

 

Conference Dinner

7.00 for          

7.30 pm           Pre-dinner drinks in members’ bar anteroom next to Upton

Room, Box Hill RSL, Box Hill

 

Dress: Lounge Suit and Evening Wear (Ladies)

Miniatures

 

Dinner Speaker

‘Australia’s Use of Force in International Relations’

Major General (Retd) Andrew ‘Jim’ Molan, AO, DSC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday 4 April

 

8 -10.00 am    Closed Federal Council and Branch Representatives Meeting

                        Chaired by Federal President Major Rob Morrison, RFD

 

9.00 am           Field Trip participants (48) assemble at Box Hill RSL

 

9.15 am           Bus arrives at Box Hill RSL

 

9.30 am           Field Trip departs for military heritage tour

                       

10.15 am         Guided tour of The Shrine

 

12.15 pm        Depart for Box Hill RSL

 

1.00 pm          Lunch at Box Hill RSL

 

Conference resumes in Upton Room

2.00 pm          Paper: ‘Shattered Anzacs –Disabled Soldiers and Family Life after 1914-18' 

Dr. Marina Larsson, La Trobe University

 

2.40 pm          Paper: 'Timor Triumph - the Dutch Expedition Cross With Clasp TIMOR 1942 and its Links With Australian Military History'

Mr Graham Wilson (ACT)

 

3.20 pm          Afternoon Tea

 

3.40 pm          ‘Work-in-Progress Paper: High Command Decision Making during the Gallipoli Campaign’

Dr Jim Wood (VIC)

 

4.20 pm          Paper: ‘The Great White Fleet and the Australian-United States Defence Relationship 1908-2008’

            Capt. John Sheehan, USN, US Naval Attaché, Canberra

 

5.00 pm          Program for Monday 4th April & Close of Session – Conference Convener

 

6 - 9.00 pm     Upton Room - Members and Guests  - Trade, swap and Sell books, militaria, collectables etc.

 

Monday 5 April

Conference resumes in Upton Room, Box Hill RSL

 

9.00 am           Venue open

 

9:30 am           Paper: ‘The Gibraltar of the South - The Evolution of Melbourne’s Fixed Defences 1860-1945’

                        Dr Bob Marmion (VIC)

 

10.10 am         Morning Tea in Upton Room

 

10.30 am        Work in Progress Paper:  ‘‘The British Commonwealth Occupation Force Japan 1946-1952’
Lieutenant-Colonel Neil Smith AM (VIC)

 

10.50 am         Work in Progress Paper: ‘The Rifle Club Movement and Defence 1850-1920’
Andrew Kilsby (VIC)

 

11.10 am        Paper: ‘The Courtney Family through Peace and War’

Mr Ron Austin, RFD ED (VIC)

 

11.50 am         Paper: ‘Small but Irritating Bites:  The AGAS Operations of "Z"

                        Special Unit in Borneo 1945’

                        Dr Kevin Smith, OAM (NSW)

 

12.30 pm        Formal Closure of the Conference – Victorian Branch President Robbie Dalton to introduce Federal President Major Rob Morrison, RFD for closing followed by closing words from the Patron Air Marshal IB Gration, AO, AFC (retd).

 

                        The next Conference

 

12.40 pm        Lunch (members’ own)

Farewell and closure of venue

 

 

Notes:

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

4:35 – 5:10 pm, Saturday 3 April

 

The following researchers will be presenting a brief overview of the project/s they currently have under way.  The purpose of these presentations is to show the diversity of research that our members are engaged in and to provide opportunity for them to seek further assistance in their research if required.  Anyone who feels they can offer help or guidance, or who might like to discuss the projects with their respective authors, are requested to contact the presenters after the session.

 

1.        John Pollock                       Australian Volunteers in Malaya during WWII

      (Malayan Volunteers Group) 

                                           

2.        Tony Harris (SA)               Royal Sappers and Miners in SA

 

3.        Stephen Gray (VIC)           Australian Light Horse 1934-1944           

 

4.        David Howell (VIC)         Recovering the Missing 39th on Kokoda