Past events
Druisilla Modjeska
Sunday 22 July, 2012
In this lecture, in conjunction with the Arts Mildura Writers' Festival Druisilla Modjeska discusses her novel The Mountain. This novel draws upon Drusilla's experience of moving to Papua New Guinea in 1968 at the age of 20 and her return there three years later. Drusilla, one of Australia's most acclaimed essayists and non-fiction authors, has won numerous awards for her non-fiction, as well as an Australian Literature Society Gold Medal.
NAIDOC Celebration event: Public screening of Fantome Island
Wednesday 11 July, 2012
To celebrate NAIDOC, La Trobe University, Mallee Family Care and Mildura Aboriginal Corporation invited the community to view the Australian film based Fantome Island around the life story of Joe Eggmolesse. As a seven year old Joe was diagnosed with leprosy. He was taken from his family under police escort, transported to Fantome Island, the isolated tropical island off the North Queensland coast, where he was to be incarcerated for the next ten years. In the film Joe, a South Sea Islander elder, reflects on his indelible Fantome years shedding light on what it was like to be both indigenous or South Sea Islander and a 'leper', during a period of racism and paranoia. Joe lived in Sunraysia for many years and many of his family attended the viewing.
Autumn Graduation 2012
Congratulations to all of our new graduates who received their awards at our graduation ceremony on Friday April 20.
Dr Patricia Edgar, Australian author, television producer and education, delivered the key note address at the ceremony.
Dr Luisella Botteon - Who is Don Giovanni?
Sunday 29 January, 2012
In this lecture, in conjunction with the Arts Mildura Murray River International Music Festival, Dr Botteon discussed Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. Giovanni is a young, arrogant, sexually promiscuous nobleman who makes one conquest after another until he encounters something he cannot kill, beat up, dodge or outwit. Dr Botteon is currently Professor or Music at the Conservatory 'L. Cherubini' of Floerence.
Dr Bill Garner - Henry Lawson was a camper – and so was Bertha Lawson. How the campfire shapes our democratic culture.
Sunday 30 October, 2011
Dr Bill Garner currently teaches history writing in the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies at Monash University. His lecture was based on research for a book he is preparing on the history of camping. Bill consider the role of camping in the settlement of Australia and how for Lawson and others the camp is a primary site of Australian identity. Before returning to academic life Bill was an award-winning television writer. He has written for many popular series, including Blue Heelers on which he was head writer.
Dr Don Edgar and Dr Patricia Edgar - Mr Mildura: The Public and Secret Life of Reg Etherington
Sunday August 28, 2011
Reginald Robert Etherington (1905-2000) OBE, JP, contributed to widely to the development of Mildura's progress - from a Mallee dustbowl to a thriving cultural centre - that his friends called him 'Mr Mildura', but important parts of his work were little known to the citizens of Mildura. In this lecture, Reg's youngest daughter, Dr Patricia Edgar, described his life and career; and his son-in-law Dr Don Edgar, discussed his contributions to both the arts and the field of missile technology.
Professor Alan Frost - Botany Bay, The Real Story
Sunday 17 July, 2011
In this lecture, Professor Frost discussed his new book Botany Bay, The Real Story”. Professor Frost contends that Australia was not settled simply in response to the need to free the UK of an excessive number of prisoners, as it has been maintained by a number of generations of historians, including Manning Clark. He has discovered over 2500 documents - now available from the NSW Library - which point to serious, concrete, strategic and economic interests in the South Pacific as the reason for Botany Bay.
Mr Peter Goddon - What style of Pinot G are you? - helping consumers understand the styles of wines made from Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris
Sunday 29 May, 2011
In this lecture, Peter Godden, Group Manager of Industry Applications and Winemaker at the Australian Wine Research Institute discussed how the Australian Wine Research Institue has been working to solve the problem of consumer confusion between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris - two names for the same grape variety.
In 1996 and 1997, Peter lectured in wine science and wine appreciation for various educational institutions in Adelaide, before joining the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) in July 1997 as manager of the technical services group; providing technical, problem solving and extension support to the Australian wine industry. In 2008 Peter formed the Industry Applications group within the AWRI, the role of which is to develop research findings into useable technologies for the wine industry.
Mr Michael Thurston - The Global Challenges of Water Scarcity and Climate Change – an American Perspective
Tuesday 7 December, 2010
In this lecture, Mr Michael Thurston discussed the interrelated challenges of global water scarcity and climate change, and efforts by the Obama Administration to address them. The controversial issue of water management in the Murray-Darling River basin is a debate that is replicated across the globe, from the American West to the Mekong in Southeast Asia, and in many cases requires a multi-national response. The problem of water scarcity is expected to be exacerbated by the related challenge of climate change, which can only be addressed through global cooperation. Even in a challenging political environment following the recent U.S. mid-term elections, the Obama Administration remains committed to addressing these twin issues, including through shaping how we fundamentally view them.
Ms Kate Jennings - Who are you?
Sunday 18 July, 2010
In conjunction with the artsmildura Writer’s Festival La Trobe was proud to present poet Kate Jennings' lecture on 18 July. Kate's lecture "Who are you?" covered function, adaptability, and survival in new world order where talent has been democratized, creativity is being true to oneself, no-one wants to pay for content, and everyone in Starbucks is a critic.
Autumn graduation 2010
Congratulations to all of our new graduates who received their awards at our graduation ceremony on 28 May.
Australian public arts advocate (and wearer of many other artistic hats) Robyn Archer delivered the keynote speech (PDF, 21.7KB) at the ceremony.
Professor Lin Crase, Water Policy in Australia: Spin Versus Reality
Thursday 27 May, 2010
Executive Director of the Albury-Wodonga Campus and Professor of Applied Economics at the Regional School of Business, Professor Lin Crase's research interests range from the management of regional resources to broader local government and community issues. Of particular relevance are two of his current fields of study: contracts for managing inter-sectoral water trade and biodiversity planning in the face of climate change.
Professor Crase delivered a lecture on the 'spin' surrounding government irrigation infrastructure funding with specific reference to the Victorian government's Foodbowl Modernisation Project.
Dr Luisella Botteon, Lorenzo da Ponte - Mozart’s Librettist
Sunday January 24, 2010
Dr Luisella Botteon, Professor of Music History for Teaching at the Conservatory 'L. Cherubini' of Florence, presented a lecture to La Trobe on Lorenzo da Ponte, who wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and Figaro. Da Ponte led a remarkable life being Mozart's Poet, Casanova's Friend, and Italian Opera's Impresario in America, New York as well as writing librettos in French, German, Spanish, and Italian. Dr. Botteon shared stories of this extraordinary man’s life as a poet, priest and womaniser, who also wrote the words to some of the world’s greatest operas.
Rudolph Kirby, Lateral Violence - What is it? From a Koori Perspective
Sunday 2 August, 2009
Rudolph Kirby, Deputy Director of the Koori Justice Unit for the Department of Justice, is passionate about his work in the legal system. He contributes to the improvement of the Koori people's encounters within this system. At this public lecture, Rudolph discussed lateral violence (violence directed against peers). His talk included discussions on recognising what lateral violence is in the Koori community and, more importantly, how we can get rid of it.
Professor Ronald Sharp - Mateship, Friendship & National Identity
Sunday 19 July, 2009
Professor Ronald Sharp, a highly regarded US author, presented this lecture in conjunction with the Mildura Writers Festival. He examined the relationship between mateship and friendship, and explored Australia's natural cultural discourse with regard to national identity. This event was the fifth of the La Trobe Lecture Series for 2009, and was proudly supported by artsmildura.
Alastair Davidson - Global Culture and Migration: a Personal Story
Sunday 3 May, 2009
Alastair Davidson is Adjunct Professor in Social Sciences at La Trobe University. He is author of ten books, and founding editor of Thesis Eleven, Intervention and Australian Left Review. He presented a public lecture in May 2009 on globalisation and the changing face of migration.
Domenico de Claria - Triestement: Melancholia, Beingness and Transcendence
Sunday 5 April, 2009
Born in Trieste, Italy, Domenico is actively involved in the arts as an artist, curator, academic and critic. He has held more than 150 solo exhibitions of visual and performance art, and has been invited to exhibit in more than 140 group shows. La Trobe was proud to present Domenico de Claria with his free public lecture in April 2009, held in conjunction with the artsmildura Murray Darling Palimpsest.
Roberto Mãrquez - A Mexican artist living in New York
Sunday 15 February, 2009
Roberto Mãrquez is an artist whose work often refers to twentieth-century Mexican art having been compared to Diego Rivera and Frido Kahlo . His style has been deemed that of an exiled artist, who paints all the more passionately because of his sense of exile. As a lover of great literature and music, Roberto interweaves ideas taken from the writers and composers who moved him with intimate autobiographical statements. La Trobe University was pleased to present Robert Mãrquez's lecture with the support of the Art Vault.
Dr Lamberto Tronchin - Acoustics from a Musician's Point of View
Wednesday 21 January, 2009
Dr Tronchin is Assistant Professor in Environmental Physics from the University of Bologna and is recognised internationally as a leading authority on sound and acoustics. This lecture presented the results of a world-wide campaign of acoustic measurements of different theatres and auditoria. The effects of the acoustics on the music was presented by listening to music 'virtually played' in theatres of Europe, Japan and Australia.
Julian Burnside, QC - Arts and Society
Sunday 2 November, 2008
In conjunction with the Art Vault and La Trobe University, Julian Burnside, QC, presented a public lecture in November 2008. Julian is a barrister, writer, President of Liberty Victoria, who has acted pro bono in many human rights cases and is passionate about the arts. He elaborated the law in relation to art censorship and how it is exercised, including the complexities of 'intention', 'context', 'reasonableness', public attitudes, protecting human rights and freedom of expression.
Professor Miles Lewis - Decotech the materials and technology of the twenties and thirties
Sunday 14 September, 2008
In conjunction with Mildura Rural City Council, La Trobe University is pleased to have presented Professor Miles Lewis, who is an architectural historian with a special interest in building materials and technology, and their role in cultural history. Professor Lewis is an author of a number of books, and editor of the new international publication, Architectura.
David Malouf - Where Australian culture is going at the moment
Sunday 20 July 2008
The David Malouf lecture was delivered as the inaugural La Trobe University Lecture as part of the Mildura Writer's Festival. David Malouf is a multi-award winning writer.
David Malouf was born in 1934 in Brisbane. In 2000 David Malouf was the sixteenth Newstadt Laureat in the US. David Malouf is the author of short story collections Dream Stuff and the 2007 Age Book of the Year Award winner, Every Move You Make. His acclaimed novels include The Great World, which won the Commonwealth Writers, and Miles Franklin Prizes as well as the Prix Fémina Etranger, and Remembering Babylon, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize and won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the LA Times Fiction Award. Davids new work of poetry, Typewriter Music, was published in 2007 by University of Queensland Press. David Maloufs The Complete Stories is his latest comprehensive collection of shorter works.
" I had such a good time at the last Festival (2003) that I am very happy to come again I usually say no to invitations like this, so I really do mean it when I say how much I enjoyed the last occasion in Mildura." David Malouf.
