Rotary Club of Melbourne Newsletter

View email in your browser Rotary Club of Melbourne www.rotaryclubofmelbourne.org.au Meeting No 4845 in the Club’s 99th year DON'T FORGET! COVID-19 FIGHTING FUND https://www.trybooking.com/BJOZO THIS WEEK'S MEETING MAL WALDEN Author, Broadcaster and veteran Newsman - Mal Walden Mal Walden's career spanned six decades in broadcasting and television. On his retirement in 2013 he was reported to be the longest ‘continually’ serving face on Melbourne television. He began his media career in 1961 at Warrnambool radio station 3YB. From Warrnambool he moved across Bass Strait to Tasmania where he joined 7EX and later TNT Channel 9, also in Launceston. Between 1966 and 1969 Mal was a general announcer and news reporter for Melbourne's 3DB. In 1969 he based himself in the Middle East spending six months on a kibbutz in Israel from where he filed news reports to Melbourne’s radio 3DB talk back host Gerald Lions. Mal returned to Melbourne in 1970 and joined HSV-7 where he hosted a number of shows, including the popular program Jeopardy. In 1970 he also read his first news bulletin on Melbourne television before beginning a journalism cadetship with Seven. One of the highlights of Mal's early career was a world scoop as the first reporter to file from the scene of Cyclone Tracey in Darwin in 1974. In 1978 Mal became the first working journalist to be appointed a senior television news presenter, a trend that has since been adopted by most other Networks. In April 1987 Mal not only read the news, he made the news. His controversial sacking from HSV7 by the Fairfax Sydney Television Group led to public protests, staff walkouts and a plunge in news ratings to an unprecedented zero. His immediate move to the TEN Network brought a record news rating of 40% market share - the equivalent of one million viewers a night. At Network TEN Mal presented the news bulletin with David Johnston along with a new innovative segment called "Mal's Melbourne" which covered a wide variety of human- interest stories. This segment would become the genesis of his second successful book ‘Good News’ published 30 years later. In December 1995 Mal was appointed senior co-presenter of Network Ten's 5pm Melbourne News a position he held until his retirement at the end of 2013. Such was the respect in the eyes of Victorians the Premier Denis Napthine hosted a State Reception at Parliament House. Several weeks later he was awarded the Quill Life Time Achievement Award by the Victorian Press Council. He was 17 years of age when he applied for his first job and retired at the age of 70 (on the day of his choosing) something very rare in the television industry. Over six decades there was not a news headline or major news event that Mal had not read or reported. Since his retirement Mal has written three children’s books and published his memoir 'The Newsman’ and ‘Good News’ a selection of stories that helped shape Melbourne. His third book published by Brolga - ‘Don’t piss in my pocket and tell me it’s raining’- a selection of unforgettable and inspirational quotes, was released in December 2018. Mal has volunteered his time in support of the Rotary Melbourne R100 Year Centenary Project - Rotary Safe Families Program awareness videos. ROTARY SAFE FAMILIES PROGRAM Welcome to Rotary Safe Families Program Rotary Safe Families is an initiative of Rotary Melbourne and is providing a lasting legacy that propels Rotary into the next century of service. The Project is an official Rotary 100 Year Celebration project. We have created two films and a message from Victoria Police for you to access, download and use as a “tool” to stem the flow, and for prevention of family violence in particular violence against women, its impact on our children and abuse of our elderly. You can create a safer world for women and children You can be part of the solution to family violence Our mission: For everyone to be equipped to: “Identify”, “Be Informed”, “Support in Prevention”, “Make Referral” Click on the Links for our Rotary Safe Families Films: 1. Be Part of the Solution: Family Violence 2. Be Part of the Solution: Elder Abuse 3. Victoria Police Message Vic. Police Ass. Commissioner for Family Violence, Dean McWhirter Rotary Safe Families Program (Films, Rotary Safe Families Manual and Toolkit) has been created for your use in diverse ways: Rotary meeting Fund raiser on Prevention of Family Violence/Elder Abuse As an educational information program in your workplace, community We have attached a detailed Rotary Safe Families Manual and Toolkit for you to download and utilise in the understanding and prevention Family Violence: Rotary_Safe_Families_Manual_Version_April,_2020.pdf Rotary_Safe_Families_Tool_Kit_April_2020.pdf WHO ARE WE? Rotary Safe Families has been created by two Rotarians from Rotary Melbourne who want to make a positive difference to the world by the prevention of family violence in particular violence against women and their children and elder abuse. Dorothy Gilmour has vast experience and professional, academic history in Social Sciences including human behaviours and challenges of specialised groups. Main practice was in private practice and university lecturing in trauma, loss, grief, mediation and suicide. Dorothy remains an advocate for social justice and fairness for those less fortunate. She believes: "We must make changes now, we must ensure our children and grandchildren do not perpetrate this lack of respect for humanity." Passionate Rotarian, Editor of Bulletin, 'champion' of Rotary Safe Families, Dorothy is known for her saying: "Onwards and Upwards!" Mary Barry is a CEO with over 20 years’ experience across a number of sectors including health and aged care, emergency services and family violence. Mary is passionate about creating a better world where women and men, boys and girls can live free from the fear of violence, particularly from those whom they should be able to trust and those who are supposed to love them. Mary is a Past President of Rotary Melbourne and has worked in partnership with Dorothy to create the Rotary Safe Families program and is confident that by working together we can all be part of the solution in preventing violence against women and their children and the elderly in our community. Thank you for now being Part of the Solution to Prevent Family Violence, its impact on our Children and Abuse of our Elderly LAST WEEK'S MEETING ALAN FINKEL AND TILMAN RUFF Alan Finkel Meets Tilman Ruff - Working in isolation – what’s been occupying Australia’s Chief Scientist in 2020? The presentation by Honorary Member, Dr. Alan Finkel AO, at the Rotary Melbourne Zoom meeting on Wednesday 3 June was a major highlight of the 2019/20 Rotary Year. Alan was artfully introduced by Honorary Member and Nobel Peace Laureate Dr Tilman Ruff AO, who noted Alan's incredible breadth of capability drawn from his experience as a high-tech innovator, scientist, engineer and leading academic. Alan treated members and guests to a detailed presentation on how he has brought science and research-based evidence front and centre in their response of all Australian Governments to three vital policy areas: COVID-19 Pandemic response, Disaster response, particularly bushfires and floods, Responding to climate change with a plan to develop low emission technologies. Alan reminded us of the fears of policy makers that the Australian health care system could have been overwhelmed with a lack of adequate numbers of emergency beds, medical professionals and ventilators. He acknowledged that Australia had the benefit of learning from early experiences in Europe and North America in designing its own response and this has worked very effectively, to the relief of all. The number of ventilators in emergency rooms has been increased over 3 months from around 2,000 in February to more than 7,500 units now. This was achieved by releasing reserves, strategic purchasing offshore, and mobilising existing and new medical equipment manufacturers. He praised the efforts of a major public service task force which drove mobilization of this response. He outlined the valuable insights produced by the Rapid Research Information Forum which brings together the best minds and institutions in answering specific questions to inform policy, ranging from tracking the spread of COVID-19 infections, vaccine developments, therapeutic treatments, through to trust in Governments as the major driver of Australia achieving a 40% adoption of the COVID-Safe app. Turning to disaster response Alan noted that while the 2019/20 Black summer devastated 17 million hectares, compared to ½ million hectares in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the number of fatalities was just 33 in 2020, compared with 173 on Black Saturday. Clearly, lessons had been learned. Alan provided a sneak-peek on the report his committee on the Bushfire response will deliver.His inspiring outline of the recently announced Government’s Technology Road Map holds promise that in future Australia can be a “clean energy” exporter. His summary of his learnings from several months of crisis response noted unity of purpose of governments and business in using what we have learned in the crisis response as the foundation for building a better Australia. Alan then generously spent a further 20 minutes dealing with our questions. This summary just touches the surface of an extraordinary presentation. If you missed it or want to view it again, click this link to the Rotary Melbourne YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiElUQHXfDmMNb1h7BzAtdebwi32gRWsj A huge thank you to our Hon Secretary Reg Smith for providing this summary which as Reg highlighted "just touches the surface of an extraordinary presentation." Thank you Tilman for your note of appreciation which reads: "Many thanks for the honour of inviting me Kevin, a privilege to introduce Alan, and thanks to you, Jo and Reg for superb organisation and managing the tech so seamlessly.

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