GENERAL MEETING

Meets 3rd Friday of the month at 9:30am (speaker at 10:30am).

BACK

We start with a short meeting, move on to a refreshment break followed by a guest speaker. Then we go to lunch at a local hostelry or cafe!

This months guest speaker was Emma, from NBN. She spoke about Scams Awareness and our Digital Legacy. Emma shared a set of slides with U3A members -  covering the tactics scammers use with phases including contact, the convincing story and the urgency generated. 

Bob is an Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Medical and Applied Science, CQU. He spoke on butterflies and their host plants as well general biology.

Local retired psychiatrist, Richard Zimmerman, spoke about the impacts of social media on society with a focus on young people. 

Zimmerman described correlations many of us could relate to, such as the benefits of family members spending time together and playing card and board games.  He talked about how this may lead to children developing better literacy; numeracy; emotional control; acceptance and understanding of rules; improved abilities in planning; patience and perseverance. Children playing games together may result in improved cooperation; trust; self-reliance; resilience; and learning to take responsibility for their actions.

Emma Murphy from NBN spoke to the meeting about our digital legacy. She addressed issues related to what happens to our online presence once we are no longer here to curate it. 

Livingstone Shire Local Disaster Management Team Members (Lindy Scott &Karen Sandy) spoke about prevention of, preparing for, responding to and recovering from local disasters.

Attendees received an Emergency Document Holder that lists which documents should go in it and gives important contact details e.g., LSC, Police, Energy Emergencies, Animal Emergencies, Health, Coast Guard & Radio Stations n ... an excellent resource to have.

You can find out more by visiting the LSC Disaster Dashboard at disaster.livingstone.qld.gov.au

A team from CQU Oral Health which included Karen Smart (Head of Course/Lecturer) & Leah and Cami (students who will both qualify as Oral Health Therapists) spoke at the meeting in April.

They had a comprehensive display of oral health products, models of teeth and gums, flyers and information sheets. A wide range of topics was covered including saliva, abnormalities/pathologies, dentures,  dental checks, cleaning teeth, flossing and x-rays, acidic food and drink, pH levels for tooth enamel and fluoride in water. 

In a very visual presentation we learnt about where robots are currently used and we learnt about mishaps. Ron told us that the word ‘robot’ is derived from the Czech word ‘robota’ which roughly translates as “doing all the hard work”.

“Robots” have been around for a long time: 2700 years ago, the Japanese used mechanical dolls in religious ceremonies. In the 1770s an amazing ‘writing doll’ was produced that, using a quill and ink, could write 40 different words.

Today, robots are ubiquitous on assembly lines and are increasingly making their way into our homes (robot vacuum cleaners and mowers).

We learnt that podiatrists are qualified to deal with not just foot problems, but with many aspects of the lower limbs from the hips down e.g., injuries and biomechanical gait analysis, neurological conditions, neurovascular assessments, strapping/taping, orthotics, wound management, and so on.

Feet are the most neglected part of the body, but are crucial for our mobility which in turn is crucial for our independence. The foot has 26 bones, hundreds of joints and ligaments. Twenty-nine muscles of the foot and ankle are involved in taking a step. 

We learnt how and why changes occur to our feet and legs, particularly as we age e.g., weakening of muscles, deterioration of the skin and its integrity; effects of chronic diseases such as diabetes and side-effects of medications. Diabetes and medications may affect the sensitivity of our feet, through blood flow changes, which is important for postural changes and balance.

Sally suggested that we might wish to try the student podiatry clinic at the university, as the cost is very reasonable and the students are very thorough.

In 1966, there was the Aberfan disaster when mine tailings which had been tipped on the top of a hill and on top of a spring, came down the hill smothering part of the village including the school; 116 children and 28 teachers were killed.

Such disasters had a big impact on Chris, and in 1968 he went into the mines to gain first-hand experience and understanding of the environment and work. He later studied engineering at university. 

His subsequent adventures included working in an old Roman mine (Ogofau), working in the Copperbelt in Zambia where he had an “interesting experience” when a large number of emeralds were stolen from the mine safe). Further adventures included work in PNG where he was instrumental in establishing agreements between governments, the mining companies and the tribal land owners. In 1995, he moved to Mt Isa where he was inspector of mines for 10 years. Chris lives locally, still does some occasional consultancy work in mining engineering, but also writes about his travel and experiences, as well as family histories.

One of our members, Malcolm, stepped in at the last minute to give a talk about his work in Landcare and how he ended up in that field. It was very well received, and very much appreciated.

Malcolm talked about growing up in England, meeting and marrying an Aussie girl on holiday in England, and then ending up in Australia. It was a life-changing series of events that he had never planned or foreseen. He says that, “having experienced the Blue Mountains, the Great Barrier Reef and so many more stunning areas, it was natural that I would fall in love with the environment.”

But it wasn’t until they bought a plot in the Hawkesbury area of NSW in the 1990s and built a house on it that he really developed an interest in native flora. Malcolm enrolled in a Bush Regeneration course at TAFE. (These courses are known today as Conservation and Land Management.) He quit his job and became a bush regenerator with the National Trust. A few years later Malcolm started his own bush regeneration company employing a dozen people and working with 8 councils in Sydney and the Hawkesbury area.

After a decade and a half, his wife took a job at CQU and they ended up on the Cap Coast. Malcolm became involved with local environmental groups and began to write a weekly column for the local newspaper. He was soon catapulted into the role of president of the local Landcare group. Today they have 40 volunteers and run working bees twice a week. Their volunteer work involves a variety of tasks including maintaining the Fig Tree creek site and maintaining the Farnborough Beach and Mulambin Beach dunes. Recently, the group took over the lease on the Waru Community Gardens which they plan to restore. Their work also takes them out to Konomie Island and sees them helping to run the Turtle Monitoring Program during the breeding season.

Some of his most rewarding experiences have been working with children at Yeppoon and Taranganba State Schools. He recounts the story of taking a group of 5 and 6-year-old students on a walk through a nature trail at Yeppoon State School. “One girl shuffled up to me and said, ‘This is the worst thing I’ve ever agreed to do, I don’t like this.’”
He later showed her a large St Andrews Cross spider in a web, with a tiny spider sitting above her.
“They all thought it was a baby,” he says “but I explained it was her husband, and that she would probably eat him after they had mated. The girl loved it, and suddenly began asking questions about everything around her. At the end of the walk she came up to me and shook my hand. 'Thank you, Malcolm, that was the best thing I’ve ever done.'"

In 2021 the group won the award for Best Coastcare group in Queensland. Malcolm was flown to Sydney the next year for the National Landcare awards in which they were finalists.