Last week Astrida took the reins and provided a wonderfully informative and entertaining programme. Reports on recent projects were provided: Treasurer Ross reported on an analysis of exactly what we sold at the Candle Festival . This will provide a confident basis for ordering supplies next year and minimise losses. I estimate that by avoiding wastage and donated food we can increase profits by up to $1000. Monica reported on the goodwill and value of our Information stall at the Radford college Twilight Fete where youth projects were highlighted and new member opportunities followed up.
Our guest speaker was Astrida's husband, Emeritus Professor Jim Hone . His. topic - " In the footsteps of Alfred Russell Wallace". A wonderful journey through the history of discovery of the Origin of the Species.
Also this week, the students of War Memorial High School are preparing for their prize night. The 4 recipients of our Indigenous Students Scholarships will be recognised and 4 new students nominated for 2026 year. Each of the recipient students have adhered to our scholarship aims to stick to their secondary studies and pursue worthwhile tertiary studies or vocational pursuits. There have been no dropouts in the 8 years of our scholarships scheme. A great result! I will distribute the final reports when they arrive.
Ed. Bill
Alfred Russell Wallace
Wallace was born in Usk, in Monmouthshire, Wales on 8 January 1823 and died aged 90 on 7 November 1913 in Dorset, England. He left school at 14, so his areas of interest and the recognition he received were from his self education and hands-on work in various areas of the world, including Indonesia. Those travels in SE Asia meant adjusting to a very hot and humid climate; correspondence between Indonesia and the UK taking months; he and his colleagues being often ill; along with contending with earthquakes, volcanoes erupting and tsunamis.
Alfred Russell Wallace was a British humanist, naturalist, geographer and social critic. His main areas of study paralleled those of Charles Darwin, including evolution, natural selection and survival of the fittest. His research on the geographic distribution of animals of the Malay Archipelago he believed supported his evolutionary theories. Wallace's major specimen collection in SE Asia was in Indonesia from 1854 - 1862. Many of his specimens are now in the National History Museum in London. His picture also hangs in the great hall of the National History Museum.
He also devised what became known as the Wallace Line - the boundary separating Australian fauna from Asian fauna which is caused by the deep ocean channels of the Lombok Strait which separate each shelf. This makes it difficult for animals to cross from one side to the other.
Over Wallace's lifetime he amassed many awards including his prestigious election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, The Order of Merit, the Copley Medal, the Royal Medal.and the Medallion in Westminster Abbey - but sadly, no Nobel Prize. That was given to Charles Darwin for his write up of his theory of evolution.
Alfred Russell Wallace had a brilliant scientific mind and quietly achieved great things in his lifetime, with many species being named after him, but sadly his ultimate goal of a Nobel Prize eluded him.
Liz Scrivener.
The routes taken by the 2 naturalists - Darwin to South America and the Galapagos, and Wallace to South East Asia
Unique species were discovered in the Indonesian archipelago. Did you know there are Willy wagtails and Cockatoos in Indonesia?
The challenge is - "Creative imagination in science" ie identifying new questions ........
Nara Peace Bell Ringing – December 10th 2025
7.15am Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla.
Zonta Says NO to Violence, YES to respectful relationships.
Each year the Zonta Club of Canberra Breakfast participates in the UN “16 days of activism” in honour of the lives lost to domestic violence and to highlight our community need for change and respectful relationships
In seeking to uphold the United Nations Goal No5 to `Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’, we will continue our actions by:
highlighting our concerns through social media, and Wrapping trees in civic,
lighting of the Parliamentary triangle buildings in orange for December 10th,
Presenting a free webinar on Coercive Control on Nov 29th at 3.30pm. This is a joint initiative between CWA, Soroptimists and National Council of Women and Fearless Women, and Ringing the Peace Bell to honour those who have lost their lives in this calendar year.
We invite you to share with us and Rotary Burley Griffin in the ringing of the Rotary Nara Peace
Bell. The bell will be struck once for each life lost, once for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, once for the children, once for the New Zealand women, and once for the men who have lost their lives through domestic violence.
While the event is free, we ask you to book through Humanitix as numbers are limited. We encourage you to gather from 6.30am for a 7am start and the event will close by 8.30. Yours sincerely,
Kay Fredericks
Advocacy Chair, Zonta Club of Canberra Breakfast
Coming up, and Door Duties
If you are planning on attending but haven’t responded to Eric’s invitation, please do so by 11 am on Tuesday, 11 November.
