Well Heeled: Shoes Through Time
2025-12-12 08:00 - 17:00 (Australia/Sydney)
No matter how many pairs you have, there’s always room for another pair of shoes. Throughout history shoes have been seen as symbols of power or status in society. High heels were worn by aristocrats and nobility. Thongs started out in Ancient Egypt and made their way to Bondi. Sometimes we suffer for the love of our shoes. They don’t call them “killer heels” for nothing. Join Claudia Chan Shaw for an intriguing look at our fascination with shoes and the stories behind them – from flats and stilettos, to trainers, Crocs and the catwalk. Just think of Cinderella or the Wizard of Oz – it’s all about the shoes in the end.
Dates and Locations
Wednesday 24 June 2026 Adelaide (SA)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Reading the Landscape
2025-11-17 18:00 - 19:00 (Australia/Sydney)
This lecture celebrates the wealth of literature, sculpture and art whose wellspring is in the country. The Australian landscape has inspired great thinkers, authors, poets, sculptors and their work embodies the country. Trisha links many of our well loved as well as our not so well known creative thinkers to the landscape, properties, homes or gardens that inspired them. Trisha’s illustrated lecture looks at a number of artists and sculptors whose work embodies the landscape that nurtured the talent.
Date and Location:
Monday 17 November 2025, Albury Wodonga (NSW/VIC)

Goddess of the Sky: The Art of Everest and the Himalayas
2025-11-13 18:00 - 19:00 (Australia/Sydney)
This lecture examines the development of the British Great Trigonometrical Survey of India and the art of both the early efforts to ascend Mt. Everest as well as the art of modern climbing on the world’s highest mountain.
John Williamson has been a lecturer for 18 years, a teacher for 36 years and a tour guide. He has studied and taught about the Antarctic.
Date and Location
Thursday 13 November 2025 Armidale (NSW)

The 10 Great Houses of the Arts and Craft Movement
2025-11-12 18:00 - 19:00 (Australia/Sydney)
The Arts and Crafts movement began in Britain in the mid 19th Century through the philosophies of William Morris and John Ruskin. The lecture begins with Morris’s own house, Red House in Kent, designed by Philip Webb, and continues to examine some of the world’s most beautiful architectural masterpieces.
David Cole is a practising architect who has designed projects throughout Australia, Japan, Thailand, China, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. David has had a long-term interest in the architecture of the English Arts and Crafts movement.
Date and Location
Wednesday 12 November 2025, Geelong (VIC)

Glory is Fleeting: Napoleon Bonaparte and the Fine Art of Propaganda
2025-11-07 17:30 - 18:30 (Australia/Sydney)
Napoleon Bonaparte, the brilliant military general and nemesis of the Duke of Wellington, knew image was crucial to his power. Accomplished artists of the day were told exactly how to portray him and to depict defeats as resounding victories. This lecture will dig beneath the counter propaganda so skillfully established by the English.
Dates and Locations
Friday 7 November 2025, Mornington Peninsula (VIC)

Art and Architecture of Romania
2025-11-06 20:00 - 21:00 (Australia/Sydney)
This lecture introduces you to the art and architecture of Romania from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It begins with folk traditions, such as wood carving and the painted glass icons of Transylvania, before turning to the emergence of a distinct style of painting that draws on eastern and western traditions at the painted monasteries of Bucovina. We then look at the creation of a unique architectural style in the early 1600s by Constantijn Brancoveanu, a style which unites an eclectic range of influences from traditional rural architecture to Byzantine, Ottoman and the classicism of the Renaissance and Baroque.
Date and Location:
Thursday 6 November 2025 Melbourne (VIC)

The True Story Behind the World's Biggest Art Heist
2025-11-06 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-04 18:30 - 19:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
On 18 March 1990, the ‘impossible’ happened – thirteen works of art, valued at a total of $500 million, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Museum officials, police and security experts were completely baffled as to how this had happened. These great masterpieces have never been recovered; a devastating loss to the museum and its public. This talk relates the story of the fascinating police investigation into the missing paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas and Manet; resulting in knowledge of how, why and by whom the robbery was committed but leaving the crime officially ‘unsolved’.
Dates and Locations
Monday 13 October 2025 Hunter (NSW)
Wednesday​ 15 October 2025 Tamworth (NSW)
​Tuesday 4 November 2025 Scone (NSW)
Thursday 6 November 2025 Paddington, Sydney (NSW) Lectures at 12:30pm and 6:00pm
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Koh-I-Noor - The Most Famous Diamond in the World
2025-11-03 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-10-23 19:30 - 20:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
From an Indian riverbed thousands of years ago to the Tower of London – this is the fascinating story of the Koh-I-Noor, the ‘Mountain of Light’. The story of this celebrated diamond is not only intriguing but also full of surprises. It has been the subject of desire, jealousy, intrigue, passion and political chicanery. This talk follows the journey of this fabulous diamond from the depths of early Indian history, throughout the bloody history of the Mughals, to the power and politics of the British Empire.
Dates and Locations
Thursday 23 October 2025 Shoalhaven (NSW)
Monday 3 November 2025 Narrabri (NSW)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

The Knights Crusaders
2025-11-01 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-23 14:00 - 15:00 (Australia/Melbourne)
The Orders of knights who helped keep the Kingdom of Jerusalem safe for Christians settled and prospered on islands in the Mediterranean such as Rhodes. Learn of the exploits of the Hospitallers and Templars, their legacies and the notorious Assassins.
Dates and Locations
Sunday 12 October 2025 Cairns (QLD)
Wednesday 15 October 2025 Geelong (VIC)
Thursday 23 October 2025 Molonglo Plains (NSW / ACT)
Saturday 1 November 2025 Perth (WA)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Aztec and Maya Cilvilisatons of Mexico
2025-11-01 13:00 - 14:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
Human hearts, blood and children’s tears were all necessary to quench the hunger of the bloodthirsty gods of Mexico. If their needs were not satisfied the consequences for the nation would be catastrophic. Discover some of their ancient gods and learn about the religious rites designed to appease them.
Dates and Locations
Wednesday 15 October 2025 Geelong (VIC)
Thursday 16 October 2025 Melbourne (VIC)
Saturday 1 November 2025 Perth (WA)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

How Constable’s Late Paintings Changed the Face of Modern Art
2025-11-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-24 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-10-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-22 19:30 - 20:30, 2025-10-20 18:30 - 19:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
Would you recognise John Constable R.A.’s ‘late’ oil studies? Constable’s exuberant, almost abstract, brush and palette-knife work shocked audiences for a full 50 years before Impressionism. In fact, the handling is so avant-garde that it is impossible to tell what these paint strokes depict! Constable only sold 20 or so paintings in England during his lifetime, as their rough and ‘specky’ surfaces horrified audiences. By contrast, he sold many to forward-looking French art dealers and collectors. Consequently, his radical ‘late’ works influenced generations of French painters, making Constable a Forefather of Modern Painting. Sarah Cove’s work reveals a ‘Jackson Pollock of the 1830s’.
Dates and Locations
Monday 13 October 2025 Hobart (TAS)
Tuesday 14 October 2025 Launceston (TAS)
Monday 20 October 2025 Northern Rivers (NSW)
Wednesday 22 & Thursday 23 October Brisbane (QLD)
Friday 24 October 2025 Brisbane River (QLD)
Saturday 1 November 2025 Rockhampton (QLD)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

The Elegance of the Ocean Liner
2025-10-31 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-21 17:00 - 18:00 (Australia/Melbourne)
Experience the glitz and glamour of the ocean liner, from its 1920s heyday to modern times. Early ship design and décor was often utilised to resemble a British stately home or an Italian palazzo and intended to imbue passengers with a sense of high comfort, status and luxury. Designers embraced different artistic styles, from neoclassical and baroque to art nouveau and art deco to create ever more impressive and beautiful interiors. The talk will showcase exquisite gilded ballrooms, grand balustraded staircases and sumptuous panelled smoking rooms, whilst examining the fascinating social and design history of these ‘floating palaces’.
Dates and Locations
Tuesday 21 October 2025 Bowral (NSW)
Friday 31 October 2025 Blue Mountains (NSW)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

How to Understand Modern Art
2025-10-29 18:30 - 20:00 (Australia/Sydney)
How well do you know your Surrealism or Cubism? Abstract Expressionism or Pop Art? This is a simple and user-friendly reminder of some of the key movements of modern art and the intriguing historical, social and artistic triggers that brought them into being. These art worlds were populated by some larger-than-life personalities whom this talk will examine, illustrated throughout with many iconic works of the 20th century.
Dates and Locations
Wednesday 29 October 2025 Orange (NSW)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

A Day in the Life of a Picture Restorer
2025-10-29 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-10-24 10:30 - 11:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
We discuss the nature of oil painting materials, and common problems associated with the ageing and deterioration of, and damage to, easel paintings. These can be on canvas, panel, board or paper in a range of mediums: oil, acrylic, egg tempera, or mixed media. Problems can involve natural deterioration and neglect, accidental damage, vandalism and even war! Modern approaches to conservation and restoration will be illustrated with slides ranging from early Italian religious paintings via rapid oil sketches on paper to 20th century British paintings and modern abstract works. Hints and advice on the care of paintings is given liberally throughout!
Dates and Locations
Thursday 9 October 2025 Yarra (VIC). Lectures at 10am and 1:30pm
Friday 10 October 2025 Mornington Peninsula (VIC)
Saturday 18 October 2025 Gold Coast (QLD)
Friday 24 October 2025 Brisbane River (QLD)
Wednesday 29 October 2025 Toowoomba (QLD)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

The Tomb Builders of Ancient Egypt
2025-10-29 10:00 - 20:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
This lecture takes you on a voyage of discovery about the crème de la crème of the Ancient Egyptian workforce who created the Pharaohs’ tombs in the Valley of the Kings. It looks at their homes, families and village life in Deir el Medina as well as the skills, methods and materials they employed to accomplish such commendable work. Examples of their interpretation of the Afterlife in the tombs of the kings and their own burial places will demonstrate their skill and artistry.
Date and Location
Wednesday 29 October 2025 Adelaide (SA) Lectures 10:30am and 7:30pm
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Land of the Monkey God– The Art an Architecture of Sri Lanka
2025-10-27 18:00 - 19:00 (Australia/Melbourne)
Shrines, stupas, cave temples, colonial grandeur and modernist architecture – a look at the history of this beautiful island through its intriguing art and culture. For much of Sri Lanka’s past, Buddhist and Hindu have lived alongside each other peaceably and much of the nation’s culture is evidence of this spirit of tolerance and generosity. This talk examines the fascinating story of Sri Lankan art and the original minds, talents and spirits that created this unique visual world.
Dates and Locations
Friday 10 October 2025 Mudgee (NSW)
Monday 27 October 2025 Coffs Harbour (NSW)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Influential Queens of Egypt
2025-10-27 10:30 - 11:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
Throughout the ancient history of Egypt, its queens made a difference to the lives and fortunes of the country and its kings. For us, looking back down the millennia, they remain quite mysterious figures, always walking in the shadow of their husband, the pharaoh. This lecture identifies the women who were a real influence on society, the real powers behind the throne, the queen who was portrayed as a man, and the most beautiful and best loved of all the queens. It also examines the turbulent life and loves of Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt.
Date and Location
Monday 27 October 2025 Fleurieu (SA)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Fakes and Fortunes: Or Have I Found a Constable in My Attic?
2025-10-26 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-25 16:00 - 17:00 (Australia/Melbourne)
Sarah Cove ACR founded the Constable Research Project with the V&A Museum in 1986 to study John Constable RA’s materials and techniques. She has since examined over 250 works worldwide, from tiny oil sketches, to the ‘six-footers’, including the iconic The Haywain (1821). She has developed a technical chronology that assists with the dating of his known works, few of which were signed and dated by the artist. Sarah has been instrumental in the attribution of three significant Constable oils for BBC1’s Fake or Fortune? series. This lecture gives a ‘behind the scenes’ look at these decisions and describes some extraordinary successes but also crashing disappointments.
Dates and Locations
Saturday 25 October 2025 Noosa (QLD)
​Sunday 26 October 2025 Sunshine Coast (QLD)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

The Treasures of Tanis
2025-10-21 18:00 - 19:30 (Australia/Melbourne)
In 1939–1940 in the ancient Egyptian city of Tanis in the Nile Delta, French Egyptologist Pierre Montet discovered a complex of royal tombs— three were still intact! The treasures uncovered constitute one of the greatest, and most beautiful, archaeological discoveries, rivalling even those of Tutankhamun. But because its discovery was during World War II and as it was published only in French, it went unnoticed. This lecture covers the discovery of the tombs of the pharaohs Psusennes I, Sheshonq II, and Amenope with the gold and silver treasures, fine jewellery and artefacts now housed in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum.
Date and Location
Tuesday 21 October 2025 Canberra (ACT)
Click on your preferred location above for more details and to book tickets.

Art or Vandalism?
2025-10-20 18:30 - 20:00 (Australia/Melbourne)
‘Street Art’, regarded as one of the largest art movements of modern times, has achieved huge popularity and is still rapidly growing as an art form. It encompasses graffiti, protest art that speaks to political and social issues, and monumental painted murals. This talk explores the history of the medium from prehistoric times to the modern day and discusses how and why this art has ended up as a mainstream art practice exhibited in respected museums the world over.
Date and Location
Monday 20 October 2025 Newcastle (NSW)
Click on the location above for more details and to book tickets.
