MELBOURNE BELOW
- The Calendar of Times Past (2012) -

Post-Christmas Catch Up!
What did you get for Christmas?

The event features a huge collection of LEGO models including trains, castles, pirate ships, Star Wars™, space ships, planes, buildings, sculptures and any more. There will also be competitions, face painting and LEGO sets and merchandise for sale.

Brickvention will be held over the weekend of 21st and 22nd January 2012 at The Melbourne Town Hall, corner of Swanston and Collins Streets Melbourne Victoria, where anyone can come along and view the amazing creations made out of LEGO.

"Outland": Guest Speaker John Richards!
It's finally coming to the ABC! John talks about the trials and tribuations of getting his stow to air, and we might see some sneak previews.

Food and Quiz Night
"Though no one seems quite sure what it means, our Web site promises a Valentine's day theme. We're also not sure whether that applies to the trivia or the food (perhaps both). Whatever the case, roll along for the evening for a night celebrating the twin pillars of existence - food and love - and see what sort of SF slant we can put on them."

Doors open 8.00pm.
Quiz starts 9.00pm.

COSTS:

• Food: $6.00 Members, $9.50 Visitors.
• Trivia: $3.00 Members, $6.00 Visitors.
• Food and Trivia: $8.00 Members, $11.00 Visitors.

The quiz is Five rounds, of 10 questions, one of these rounds is normally a handout round, of visual questions.

Socialising and use of the library: FREE!

Thu to Mon

The festival will feature three free events, Shadowlife: Moving Image, Remembered By and Blak Nite Cinema.

Guest speaker: Nicole Murphy
Just days before Valentine Day, How important is Romance in SF and Fantasy?

Saturday, February 11, 3pm. Resistance Centre, level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT).

AGENDA:

• 3:00-3:30pm. Introduction: Robbie Thorpe, longtime Indigenous rights activist.
• 3:30-4:30pm. The Coolbaroo Club. Deals with situation facing Aboriginal people in Perth in post-World War II years. Excluded from white social clubs and venues by an apartheid colour bar, they began organising their own dances at an East Perth hall (the Coolbaroo Club). (1996, 55 mins)
• 4:45-6:15pm. The Tall Man. The story of Cameron Doomadgee (Mulrinji), a resident of Palm Island in far north Queensland. In 2004 he was arrested for swearing at Senion Sergeant Chris Hurley (the 'tall man' of the title). Forty-five minutes later he was dead. (2011, 80 mins)
• 6:15-7:15pm. Dinner (cheap meal available)
• 7:15-8:30pm. Ningla A-na (Hungry for Our Land). A documentary about the 1972 establishment of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House, the most symbolic action ever taken by Aboriginal people in their struggle for justice in their own land. (1972, 72 mins)
• 8.30-8:40pm. Guest speaker: Sharon Firebrace. 3KND presenter & Indigenous rights activist.
• 8:40-9:10pm. BarbaKiueria. Satirical film about relations between Aboriginal Australians and those of European descent. The plot revolves around a role-reversal, whereby it is the Indigenous Australians who have invaded the land of stereotypical European Australians, the fictitious country of BarbaKiueria. (1986, 29 mins)

Tickets: One film: $10/$7/$5 (high school); two films: $15/$10/$7; whole festival: $25/$15/$10. Bookings recommended.

Come to the Melbourne Town Hall (90-120 Swanston Street, Melbourne).

Movie Night: "The Naked Jungle"
No it's not about Tarzan!

Guest speaker: Jack Dann
In which Jack talks about the state of the publishing industry in Australia and what the future may hold.

When: Saturday February 25th from 2pm.
Where: Resistance Centre, Level 5,
407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT).

Food and Quiz Night
"Though no one seems quite sure what it means, our Web site promises a Valentine's day theme. We're also not sure whether that applies to the trivia or the food (perhaps both). Whatever the case, roll along for the evening for a night celebrating the twin pillars of existence - food and love - and see what sort of SF slant we can put on them."

Doors open 8.00pm.
Quiz starts 9.00pm.

COSTS:

• Food: $6.00 Members, $9.50 Visitors.
• Trivia: $3.00 Members, $6.00 Visitors.
• Food and Trivia: $8.00 Members, $11.00 Visitors.

The quiz is Five rounds, of 10 questions, one of these rounds is normally a handout round, of visual questions.

Socialising and use of the library: FREE!

Discussion Night: Australian SF
Find out about the rich field of Australian SF!

12:00pm until 2:00pm
State Parliament - Spring and Bourke Streets

Ballieu's government is attempting to close Melbourne's Last Indigenous School. This will be met with peaceful community resistance and a rally from Parliament to the Minister for Education's office in Collins St.

The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have stated they are closing down the Ballerrt Mooroop College, the last surviving Aboriginal School in Melbourne. The closure announcement was sudden and shocked the school community and school committee. Aboriginal people in the area have worked hard to keep the school, but over the last twelve months the department has taken much of the land away and bulldozed the valuable student and community asset, the Gymnasium/Gathering Place.

We demand:

• the entire school be placed under community ownership and management
• the administration building be used to house community education
• the protection of our Ceremonial Ground and Spirit Tree
• all missing documentation of previous agreements made after the last occupation be returned

Running a Science Fiction Convention - Would You Do It?
We talk to some veterans about their experiences and get some great advice.

Show & Tell
Cool collectibles you own. Bring along that item that makes your friends gasp with envy.

Let’s have some inspired conversation and watch some inspiring movies!

Where: The Birmingham Hotel, 333 Smith Street Fitzroy.

When: From 5.47PM.

Cost: A donation.

Debate: Is the book better than the movie?
Pick a side and state your case.

Gloriana presents the "Fauré Requiem."

For our first concert for 2012, Gloriana will be presenting: Fauré Requiem.

Few choral works are as beloved as GABRIEL FAURÉ'S REQUIEM. The composer's view of death as being 'an aspiration towards a happiness beyond the grave' informs every page of this uniquely consoling score. To sing the sublime Pie Jesu, we are thrilled to have rising star Siobhán Stagg for this performance. FRANCIS POULENC’S Mass in G is one of the greatest acappella works of the twentieth century. Witty and brilliant, Poulenc's music invigorates the age-old words of the mass with startling originality. This concert of works by French masters also includes music by DEBUSSY, SAINT-SAENS, BERLIOZ and MESSIAEN. Not to be missed!

Gloriana Chamber Choir, directed by Andrew Raiskums

Siobhán Stagg, soprano
Matt Thomas, baritone

Christopher Cook, organ

Musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music

Sunday 1 April 2012 at 2:30pm

St Mark's Anglican Church 250 George Street Fitzroy (Melway 2C C9).
Tickets $30 pre-purchased or $35 at the door

A PDF flyer (446kB) for this concert can be downloaded from this link.

Food and Quiz Night

Doors open 8.00pm.
Quiz starts 9.00pm.

COSTS:

• Food: $6.00 Members, $9.50 Visitors.
• Trivia: $3.00 Members, $6.00 Visitors.
• Food and Trivia: $8.00 Members, $11.00 Visitors.

The quiz is Five rounds, of 10 questions, one of these rounds is normally a handout round, of visual questions.

Socialising and use of the library: FREE!