Molonglo Plains (Queanbeyan)

Thursday 19 February 2026
FLORENCE ON FOOT: Walking the Renaissance City in Time of Plague
Presented by Nick Eckstein
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

With pestilence approaching in August 1630, Florence’s health officials commissioned a society of aristocratic lay brothers to search the city’s streets and alleys for signs of disease. This lecture is a journey like no other!

Nick Eckstein is a historian with an international reputation for his innovative research into the society and culture of Renaissance Florence. As Cassamarca Associate Professor of Italian Renaissance History, Nick taught and researched in the History Department at the University of Sydney for 22 years. Recipient of numerous Australian Research Council grants, Nick is also a former Deborah Loeb Brice fellow (1999-2000) and Visiting Professor (2003, 2006) at the prestigious Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, ‘Villa I Tatti’, in Florence. His many publications include Painted Glories: The Brancacci Chapel in Renaissance Florence (Yale University Press, 2014), a lively exploration of how contemporary audiences viewed and engaged with one of the greatest artistic commissions of the early Renaissance. Nick has long been recognised as an inspiring teacher, and for his ability to bring the world of the Italian Renaissance to life in the minds of his students, and he has received several University awards for his teaching.

Thursday 12 March 2026
IGNITING THE RAINBOW: The Dramatic Developments in Colour in Textiles in the 19th Century 
Presented by Susan Kay-Williams
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

My current research is on the 19th century developments in dyeing and social history. This lecture begins with the last great developments in natural colours at the end of the 18th century and then looks at the impact of Scheele’s green. We visit the chief dye scientist of the Gobelins factory in Paris, Michel Chevreul and explore the impact of the great international exhibitions where new developments were proudly displayed. Then we reach the serendipitous discovery of coal tar colours by the 18-year-old William Perkin and all that unleashed, resulting in hundreds of new colours and shades by the end of the 19th century used in everything from fashion to painting and household items. This is a vibrant lecture that reveals the pace of change.

The Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered Institute of Marketing and in 2015 was made a Fellow of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in recognition of her work on the history of dyes. Susan has a longstanding interest in textiles, especially colour, and published her first book, The Story of Colour in Textiles (Bloomsbury) in 2013. She has extensive lecturing experience and has been invited to lecture in the USA, Canada, China, Japan and Taiwan as well as for the V&A and across the UK. In 2022 she published An Unbroken Thread: the 150-year history of the Royal School of Needlework. She is currently the President elect of the Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Thursday 16 April 2026
ON TOUR WITH THE QUEEN: Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand
Presented by Pieter de Vries
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

Pieter was the cinematographer for this delightful BBC series, and in this presentation, he’ll be screening and discussing various segments. The documentary aimed to emulate Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip’s extensive 1953/54 Coronation Tour of the Commonwealth. It blended gorgeous archival films with contemporary footage to create a nostalgic time-capsule of that tour.

Pieter de Vries ACS, is a renowned documentary cinematographer whose incredible journey has taken him from his primary schooling at Whyralla Public School, to the heights of the Space Shuttle and the depths of the North Atlantic. Regarded as one of the world’s leading documentary cinematographers, Pieter has captured extraordinary moments world-wide. His films have garnered numerous accolades, including Emmys and BAFTAs. His work spans over 180 countries and territories, filming for prestigious organizations like NASA and collaborating with acclaimed director James Cameron in exploring the Titanic wreck. His contributions to David Attenborough’s nature documentaries have captivated audiences worldwide.

Thursday 21 May 2026
BHUTAN: The Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
Presented by Zara Flemming
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

A general introduction to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, known by its inhabitants as Druk Yul or land of the Thunder Dragon. This is a reference to the Drukpa tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism that permeates every aspect of Bhutanese life. This lecture explores the history, art and culture of this extraordinary country, which for centuries has preserved its traditional Buddhist values. Over the last few decades there have been many changes; such as the introduction of roads, television and tourism. Will Bhutan be able to maintain the fine balance between tradition and modernity without diminishing its unique culture?

Freelance lecturer, art consultant and exhibition curator specialising in the art and culture of Tibet, the Himalayan areas and Mongolia. Initially based at the V&A, but also worked with the Central Asian Department of Bonn University, the Orient Foundation, the Royal Academy, Tibet House, the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside and Asia House. In addition to lecturing for The Arts Society, she lectures for museums, universities, Asian art societies, and private associations. Guest lecturer and tour guide on numerous trips to the Himalayas. Edited Masterpieces of Mongolian Art: Vol 1 and has published many articles in the field of Buddhist art and culture

Thursday 18 June 2026
NIGHTINGALES AND ROSES: The Art of Iran
Presented by Sam Bowker
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

This lecture will focus on the cultural legacies of the Safavid and Qajar dynasties and discuss the extent to which they have informed contemporary art in Iran and the Persian diaspora. Using remarkable case studies, we will review how Iranian art has made distinctive contributions to global art histories, including architecture, textiles, painting, photography and literature. We will also discuss the “Women, Life, Freedom!” movement as a social phenomenon through creative arts. The art of Iran is complex, vast and diverse, so this is designed to provide a compelling introduction for a lifetime of exploration.

Associate Professor Sam Bowker specializes in Art History and Visual Culture at Charles Sturt University, where he is also the Sub Dean of Graduate Research. Beyond developing Australia’s leading Islamic art and design subject for university students, he is a shadow puppeteer, a curator of diverse exhibitions, and has published widely on the history of Egyptian tentmaker applique. He also lectures for ‘The Art of Everywhere Else’ – a global art history survey, shared online with ArtsNational in 2024.

Thursday 16 July 2026
PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: A Lifetime of Collecting
Presented by Charlie Hall
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

Describing herself by writing, “I am a museum”, Peggy Guggenheim’s life took a clear path, from setting up a commercial gallery in London, going on a single-minded shopping trip to Paris in the late 1930’s even as the German tanks were rolling in to the suburbs, to escape (with her selection of European artists) to New York and the subsequent establishment of her museum (and Arts centre), and finally the purchase of the eccentric ‘unfinished palazzo’ in Venice, her collection remains one of the most iconic assemblages of Twentieth century art in the world.

A passionate arts educator, lecturer, and guide, based in London and Italy. Director of the highly regarded John Hall Venice Course, (est. 1965) Tour lecturer and leader for Kirker Holidays since 2013, and of independent tours in Italy. Designer and host of a series of art talks and events for the Soho House group of private member’s clubs. Designed and led courses for Christie’s Education and The Serpentine Gallery ‘Collector’s Circle.

Thursday 20 August 2026
SHOWMEN AND SHOPGIRLS: Behind Those Famous London Department Stores
Presented by Tessa Boase
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

Mr Gamage, Mr Selfridge & co created palaces for the coming generation. We look at the colourful human stories behind those famous facades, from the powerful men at the top to the humble shop assistants sleeping like sardines in the attics. Behind the facades of some of London’s best-known ‘houses’, life’s dramas are playing out. There are arson attacks, sackings, strikes, marriage proposals – even murders. From Harrods’ amateur dramatics society to the Channel Islands department store that served the Nazis, this is social history at its most colourful and engaging. We’ll end with the modern heroes bringing these archaic buildings back to life, including Afghani immigrant Mr Khan of Peckham.

Tessa Boase is a freelance journalist, author, lecturer, and campaigner with an interest in uncovering the stories of invisible women from the 19th and early 20th-centuries – revealing how they drove industry, propped up society and influenced politics. She is the author of three books of social history: The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House (2014); Etta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved the Birds (first published as Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather in 2018), and London’s Lost Department Stores: A Vanished World of Dazzle and Dreams (2022). Since uncovering the feminist origins of the RSPB, Tessa has been campaigning for public recognition of its female founders with plaques, portraits, and a statue.

Thursday 17 September 2026
JAN VAN EYCK: God is in the Detail
Presented by Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

Famed for inventing oil paint (although we now know this not to be true) Jan van Eyck used this medium to his advantage when painting his minutely decorated paintings. Jan van Eyck worked in Flanders, part of modern-day Belgium, at a time of great artistic advances called the Northern Renaissance. Inspired by local Gothic traditions and illuminated manuscripts his paintings are filled by the most delightful details. Often not even visible to onlooker’s eyes, one wonders if he painted some for his own enjoyment. Join Mariska for this journey looking at some of the most wonderful works by Jan van Eyck and his extraordinary eye for life’s details

Mariska read Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and was tempted to do a PhD in Decision Making Behavior. In the end she turned to her true love – the Arts. Whilst having her three children, she completed her BA and MA in Art History, majoring in The Dutch Baroque Arts from the 17th century at the Courtauld Institute of Arts. She started as a College Lecturer, but soon after started her own company, Art Historical London, offering art historical lectures, museum visits, courses, tours, travel and events from Amsterdam, London and New York, and since 2020 online. A fully accredited PTLLS lecturer, she also teaches on the public program of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, for the New York Adventure Club in the States.

Thursday 22 October 2026
MUSIC POWER
Presented by Graham Jones
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

From the earliest days of warfare music has been used in battle as a means to communicate orders, help give soldiers courage and to improve the morale of the Armed Forces. This presentation looks at how music worked in warfare and it is still relevant in today’s military. Does it help sustain history, heritage and tradition or is there more, perhaps psychological warfare? Find out more in this unique presentation on the power of music.

Dr Graham Jones started his professional life as a musician in the British Army and over a glittering career spanning nearly forty years he retired as the Senior Director of Music, Household Division and Director of Music, Coldstream Guards a position unequalled throughout military music in Great Britain. During his illustrious career he has recorded over 40 albums and been responsible for the largest commissioning programme of wind band music in recent history commissioning over 30 new works for wind band. He pioneered a music education programme with the University of Salford for military musicians resulting in a new Master of Music in performance degree. Graham was made a Member of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace for outstanding service to military music in 1993. Having retired from military service Graham is enjoying a second career as a guest conductor, adjudicator, guest speaker, lecturer, clinician, recording consultant and educator.

Thursday 19 November 2026
TALES FROM A CAMPHORWOOD CHEST
Presented by Claudia Chan Shaw
Venue & Time: C3 Church, 116 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, 2pm

From the Australian Gold Rush to cosmopolitan Shanghai in the 1930s, the Cultural Revolution and the world of high fashion in New York. Join Claudia Chan Shaw for a personal journey telling the story of the strong women of her Australian Chinese family, and the design legacy that runs through each generation.  

Sydney born creative Claudia Chan Shaw has a multi-faceted career as a fashion designer, television and radio presenter, author, public speaker, installation artist, photo artist, and curator.  With a BA in Visual Communication Design from Sydney College of the Arts, she is co-designer and director for the internationally acclaimed Australian fashion label, Vivian Chan Shaw. The label is renowned for its exquisite handmade knitwear and jewellery. The designs are represented in the permanent collection of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.