Speakers

Donna is the Melbourne community relations Manager for Cottage by the Sea and shares the inspiration, fun and opportunity that the Cottage by the Sea offers disadvantaged children, all over Victoria.

Donna speaks with warmth, compassion, engaging with her audience in an informative and relaxed manner, with a touch of humour. 

Cottage by the Sea’s focus is on providing the best possible opportunities for children who are struggling, and further supporting their families and community. 

Cottage by the Sea is based in beautiful sunny Queenscliff, right by the sea, where the children attend camp programs from primary school age to eighteen years of age. Creating a positive safe environment for the children, with their skilled program leaders and volunteers supporting the children all the way. This builds confidence in children to take with them when they leave the Cottage, enhancing their lives at school in a positive way and for their future endeavours. 

 

In 1708 a big Dutch ship the Concordia disappeared in a storm south of Indonesia’s Sunda Strait. Nothing was known of its fate until 1834 when the Leeds Mercury UK newspaper published a long account of a British/Australian exploring expedition that travelled south from near modern Darwin. 
The leader reported that he had met in Central Australia near Palm Valley a thriving colony of 300 Dutch settlers.  They said they were descendants of the shipwrecked people. A hundred survivors had wound up on Australia’s NW coast with some ship’s supplies, and trekked east until they settled by a fertile watercourse far inland.
But by 1860 when explorers traversed the spot from the south, no trace of the Dutch settlement or people remained. Major Les Hiddins, the famous Bush Tuckerman, has been working on this mystery for 30 years and with Tony Thomas, has published the striking evidence that this story is real and not any myth. Will their evidence convince you or not? 

Tony has been a journalist since 1958 and has published a dozen books on history, business, climate, Aboriginal affairs and collections of his own essays (5 books). In 2011 through Melbourne Central Rotary he established Melbourne Sunrise Probus, now with 120 members, and in 2020 he established Melbourne Bearbrass Probus, now with close to 80 members. He's also a member of  Keilor East Probus and Keilor East Rotary.