Bruce will discuss the state of Trump’s presidency, major issues and decisions that have marked the first year of his second term, the US-Australia relationship under Trump, Trump and global issues from Ukraine to Gaza to China, and the political outlook in the US for the 2026 midterm elections.
Thursday 9 October 2025, 6.30pm for 7pm start at the Balmain Town Hall Library (rear of the Town Hall).
About Bruce Wolpe
Bruce Wolpe is a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the United States Studies Centre at Sydney University. Bruce is a regular contributor on US politics across media platforms in Australia. Bruce is the author of two books on Trump and Australia, including “What Trump’s Second Term Means for Australia (Allen & Unwin, January 2025). He has worked with the Democrats during President Obama’s first term and on the staff of Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
These two talks will address important issues facing community members in the Balmain peninsular:
1. Stay in your current home, whilst unlocking the money stored in your residence (Reverse Mortgage).
2. Move to a smaller and more manageable apartment (Downsizing).
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1. Unlock your home equity to boost your retirement income. (Andrew Black)
Join us to learn about your options to boost your retirement income by accessing the equity currently locked in your home. Whether you are looking for an additional retirement income stream, a lump sum to pay for home modifications, a world trip or other large purchase, find out if a reverse mortgage could be a suitable solution.
This information session will show you how a reverse mortgage works, the process from application, accessing your funds through to closing your account. Find out what the funds can be used for and all the important factors you will need to consider, such as impact on aged pension, equity in your home and any inheritance for your family.
2. Why now is the best time to Downsizer you home. (Mark Macduffie)
Hear from the award-winning company helping Australians downsize without the need for a cash deposit. Mark will unpack the key demographic drivers behind the downsizing movement in Australia and explain why now—amid potential interest rate cuts—presents a unique opportunity for this segment.
He’ll also reveal one of superannuation’s best-kept secrets: a tax incentive designed specifically for downsizers. This session offers practical insights for anyone looking to move sooner, not later.
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About Andrew Black
(MFinPlan, Dip. Financial Services (Finance and Mortgage Broking))
Andrew is the Chair of Gateway Bank with over 40 years’ of financial services experience in banking, wealth, insurance and investments with Citibank (United Kingdom and Australia), Commonwealth Bank, St. George Bank and CEO & MD of Skandia Australia and CEO of Plan B Group Holdings.
Andrew has held other non-executive director and advisory board roles in business coaching and personal insurances. He is currently a responsible manager for the AFSL of Alternative Media providing personal and general advice for personal insurances at Compare Club.
Andrew has recent personal experience of a reverse mortgage advising his mother-in-law.
About Mark Macduffie
Mark is the Co-founder and CEO of Downsizer.com, a platform designed to support the 1.9 million Australians planning to downsize their homes. With over 30 years’ experience across international wealth management, institutional banking, global markets and real estate, Mark is a seasoned executive who has led digital innovation across both startup and enterprise. He has served as Chief Technical Office of a social impact platform supporting Indigenous languages and continues to coach founders on tech and go-to-market strategy.
Actor, writer and director, Jonathan Biggins, will discuss satire, its relevance and the challenges it faces in the modern world.
The American playwright George S Kaufman famously said “Satire is what closes on Saturday night”. The 25 year run of the Wharf Revue might have proved him wrong but can satire survive in an increasingly bizarre world? It’s difficult to speak truth to power when truth is tenuous at best. But perhaps in a world increasingly dominated by technology and the few who control it, the intrinsically human need for comedy and our innate satisfaction at seeing the rug pulled from under those in power will become even more important. Discuss in 250 words or less, no AI allowed.
Thursday 12 June 2025, 6.30pm for 7pm start at the Balmain Town Hall Library (rear of the Town Hall).
About Jonathan Biggins
Jonathan is an actor, writer and director, perhaps best known as a co-creator of The Wharf Revue and his one-man play about Paul Keating, The Gospel According to Paul. His plays include Australia Day and Talk and he has performed with all the state theatre and opera companies. He lives in Balmain, naturally.
ABC radio’s Marius Webb will discuss the birth of DoubleJay and other ABC stories.
Marius Webb worked at the ABC and was the first staff-elected ABC Board Member.
Marius played a pivotal role in the establishment of DoubleJay which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Join Marius in discussing the beginnings of youth radio and its evolution to today’s media.
Marius will be introduced by Bruce Spence who will keep him on track if he wanders off topic.
Thursday 8 May 2025, 6.30pm for 7pm start at the Balmain Town Hall Library (rear of the Town Hall).
Veteran actor and SMH letter writer Bruce Spence and ABC radio’s Marius Webb share stories of their exploits and transgressions.
Veteran Balmain residents Bruce Spence and Marius Webb will share stories of their varied careers and dubious achievements over a combined hundred years of radio, television, theatre and politics. Bruce is of course well known for his various roles on stage and screen since the ‘70’s and Marius recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the birth of DoubleJay/TripleJay. They will regale us with fascinating tales from the 1970s, acting in Melbourne, falling foul of the law, their political activities, to their more recent ventures such as writing letters to the SMH, and living in Italy. Despite the witty interjections by Marius, Bruce maintains a serious demeanour. Old friends for many years, they have a lot in common except their height.
Thursday 13 March 2025, 6.30pm for 7pm start at the Balmain Town Hall Library (rear of the Town Hall).
About Bruce Spence and Marius Webb
Bruce was recently awarded the 2024 Equity Lifetime Award in recognition of his contribution to his profession, his work with The NSW Actors Benevolent Fund and Actors Equity, while Marius received a boxed set of Bananas in Pyjamas from a grateful ABC.
America 2024: No escape from the ballot or the bullet
Why do so many Americans still support Donald Trump, who is enjoying his highest approval ratings ever? Given that Kamala Harris has proven to be such a better candidate than Joe Biden, why did it take so long for her to emerge as one? And what are the prospects for serious social unrest in the United States, regardless of the election outcome? Is the country, as many suggest, on the verge of falling apart?
The answers to all these questions lie in the great paradox of American politics: American political parties are weak, often futile organisations that command strong, sometimes violent loyalties. Understanding why this is the case may not fill you with hope for the future, but it may help you make sense of the madness.
About David Smith
David Smith is the Associate Professor of American Politics and Foreign Policy. David is jointly appointed between the US Studies Centre and the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney.
Smith has a PhD in political science from the University of Michigan and a BA from the University of Sydney. His research examines political relations between states and minorities, with a focus on religion in the US.
EXPERTISE: Australia-US relations, US politics and elections, Gender, race and religion, US foreign policy, defence and strategy.
Living longer, Living better: exploring the science and social impact of increased longevity
Over the past century, average life expectancy has doubled, largely due to advancements in healthcare and public health measures. Despite global pandemics, obesity, and the opioid crisis impacting mortality rates, overall mortality continues to improve. This prompts the question: could someone alive today be the first to reach the age of 200? Additionally, what factors contribute to our increased longevity, and is there a natural limit to how long humans can live?
Join Barry Rafe as he reviews current research on longevity, exploring factors influencing mortality differences among population groups, such as gender and socioeconomic status. Contrary to expectations, populations with the largest increase in longevity have also exhibited slower population growth. Barry will look at global population growth and projections. He will also briefly touch on some of the social implications of longevity trends.
about Barry Rafe
Barry brings a wealth of knowledge to this topic. He is a former president of the Actuaries Institute, and has experience as a director, CEO and consultant. Barry presents courses on board governance, strategy and finance for the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). As a Fellow of both the Actuaries Institute and AICD, Barry is highly respected in his field. He has contributed to the body of knowledge through the publication of several research papers on topics including longevity and board governance. Beyond his academic and professional pursuits, Barry is also a skilled presenter and entertainer. He frequently speaks at conferences and serves as an MC for various events. Interestingly, he has honed his presentation skills on the stand-up comedy stage, having performed at numerous comedy clubs in Sydney and even competed in and won rounds in the national Raw Comedy competition.
‘Alopi Latukefu is the Director of The Edmund Rice Centre for justice and community
‘Alopi will share how the centre works to promote human rights, social justice and eco-justice through research, community education, advocacy and networking.
The Centre’s traditional priority areas have included Indigenous People and Reconciliation, Refugees, People Seeking Asylum and Pacific Island people affected by climate change.
‘Alopi has a diverse career including 17 years in the Commonwealth Government working on Australia’s aid, foreign policy and economic diplomacy agendas. His last job with DFAT was looking after global education scholarships including the Australia Awards program. ‘Alopi was also CEO of Goolarri Media in Broome and held roles in the University sector including with the National Centre for Development Studies at ANU and the Australian Graduate School of Management at UNSW.
You should forgive those who have wronged you, or so we are often told. In this talk we will delve into the philosophy of forgiveness to see whether we can figure out what it means to forgive.
Christians say that unconditional forgiveness is a generous gift that heals the wounds created by wrongdoing. Therapists tell us to forgive so as to move on from the burden of resentment and regain our own happiness. But might it sometimes be unwise to forgive an unrepentant wrongdoer? To answer these questions, we first need to know exactly what forgiveness is supposed to be. Unfortunately, it seems that we cannot agree on a definition.
about Associate Professor Luke Russell
Luke has a BA (Hons) and a PhD in philosophy at the University of Sydney, where he now teaches ethics and critical thinking. Luke’s main area of research is moral philosophy. He has focused on questions concerning evil, virtue and vice, and forgiveness and has published several books and numerous papers on these and other related topics.
Richard will give an overview of the current state of cybersecurity, structural reasons why we expect systems to remain vulnerable to attack into the foreseeable future, and extrapolate current and emerging trends.
Issues discussed will be how citizens can best make themselves cyber secure, which official advice is useful and which is less useful, and how we can help our friends family and community. We’ll explore issues including trends in privacy and the Australia card 2.0, tradeoffs between security and the impact on individuals, electronic voting, information warfare and foreign influence, and the challenges faced by governments and civil society.
About the Speaker
Richard Buckland is Professor in CyberCrime Cyberwar and Cyberterror at the School of Computer Science and Engineering UNSW, Visiting Professor in Educational Design at the National University of Malaysia UKM, and Grand Challenge Visiting Professor in CyberSecurity at Taylors University.
Lara will outline the concept of co-living, using built examples of co-living communities and will then hone in on the process needed to deliver customised co-housing developments in Sydney’s Inner West.
Agency Cohousing and Community is co-hosting this event. Louise Silburn from Agency will give a local perspective on cohousing initiatives in the Inner West.
About the Speaker
Lara Calder is the Managing Director of Calderflower Architects. With a focus on innovative and sustainable architecture, Lara champions her team to challenge the conventions of aged care, seniors living and community design.
Lara is passionate about delivering and positively influencing the future needs for the care and accommodation of the elderly and fostering their social relationships within our communities.
Coming from a professional background in healthcare, Lara brings first-hand experience in the field and uses her experience and deep understanding of the needs of the elderly to design successful projects. She also participates in research projects and sits on various committees relating to aged care and seniors housing design. She has presented her own research and ideas at conferences throughout Australia and the world.
Community engagement & town planning: putting the public interest back into planning
Meaningful engagement with the planning system can be an impossible task for many members of the community. Planning decisions can often seem to reflect the desires of industry and not those of the local community.
In this talk, Tim will reflect on the challenges facing communities in influencing NSW Government planning policy decisions, as well as how residents can meaningfully engage with the planning system at a local level – both strategic planning and development assessment. Tim will also discuss the creation of a new Community Planning Advocate role that Waverley Council has recently sought to establish.
About Tim Sneesby
Tim Sneesby is a manager of strategic planning at a Sydney council and an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Sydney. He was recently seconded to the Greater Cities Commission to assist with a vexed metropolitan planning policy of industrial lands. He has worked in an urban economics consultancy in Sydney, as a planner in London and throughout his career has worked with developers. He is a recipient of the Planning Institute of Australia’s National Young Planner of the Year award. His views are his own.
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