7 October 2011 Annual Golf Match vs Oxford at Royal Sydney Golf Club

Unfortunately Oxford were unable to field a team against the 8 Cambridge Society players.  So it was decided to have an individual stableford event among the 11 players.  Daryl Dixon (Clare) won with 34 points and afterward drinks and an excellent meal were enjoyed at Royal Sydney Golf Club.   The course was in excellent condition and the atmosphere in the Clubhouse was conivial as usual.

4 August 2011 Annual Winterfeast at The Royal Sydney Golf Club

Over 100 guests attended the Annual Winterfeast 2011.  Our speaker was HE Paul Madden (Gonville & Caius, 1977), the British High Commissioner to Australia who gave an excellent and witty speech on Cambridge, Diplomacy and Australia.  Paul is the third British High Commissioner from Cambridge to speak at a Winterfeast.  The first was Sir John Mason the British High Commissioner 1980-1984 (Peterhouse) and he was followed by Lord Goodlad (Kings) British High Commissioner to Australia 1999-2005.  

Paul Madden is a career diplomat.  He commenced his appointment as British High Commissioner to Australia in January 2011 following his posting as British High Commissioner in Singapore.  Paul has held posts in London, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington. He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University (Gonville & Caius), an MBA from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.  His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business Leadership, was published in 2003.  He is married to Sarah who is here tonight, has three children, and was born in Devon.

Other guests included Dr Ian Brentnall, Trinity Hall, who matriculated in 1942 and Mary Cahill & Ashley Rose, who both matriculated in 1999.  A new tradition of providing bottles of port and wine to the oldest and newest matriculators attending the Winterfeast started at this function.  

18 March 2011 Opera House Morning Tour

Ed Hossack, Committee Member of the Cambridge Society of NSW and in passing General Manager, Orchestra at Opera Australia, took advantage of his latter position and organised a terrific 2 hour tour behind the scenes of Australia's most iconic building the Sydney Opera House.  Opened in October 1973 the Sydney Opera House now hosts over 2,500 performances and around 8 million visitors per year. The group met at the Opera House stage door (there is only one for all six performing venues) and then following our guide, Anna Toltz, toured beneath the Opera House.  Opera was originally meant to be performed in the Concert Hall but then as costs escalated it was decided to move opera to the second smaller building and create the theatres down the west wing of the building.  The small size of the orchestra pit and lack of space in the wings only increased our admiration of the performers.  Finally there was an explanation of the TV monitors about the audience; they are there so the singers can see the conductor!!  Otherwise he would be invisible.

We then moved on to the Concert Hall where the YouTube orchestra was practising for their big performance that night.  We even had a few words from the conductor Micheal Tilsen Thomas!! Google YouTube Orchestra 2011 and you can see the whole performance including the spoctacular light show on the sails (easily the best that has ever been done).

We finished at the Utzon Room, which was reopened in 2008 and is the first interior designed by architect Jørn Utzon, who was the original architect for Sydney Opera House.  The room has a magnificent and rare easterly view of Sydney Harbour.

Thanks to Ed for organising this.  It was definitely one of the most interesting mornings I have spent in my 38 years in Sydney.  I arrived here the week the Opera House opened.  If anyone comes to Sydney there is no doubt that top of the bucket list is to attend a performance at the Opera House and then walk slowly down the forecourt steps following the performance.  I have done it dozens of times and the tingle down the back still happens.   (Written by Chris Golis - photos in the gallery)

19 February 2011 Garden Party Sancta Sophia College

Around 40 people attended the inaugural Garden Party held at Sancta Sophia College on 19 February 2011. 

The weather was perfect, the music from the jazz trio was excellent and the canapes supplied by the college kitchen were superb.  The drinks and conversation flowed.  Photos are on the gallery (Thank you Helen Cox for bringing a camera.)

Emily Baxter and Rhys Goodey did a great job getting this organised and from the feed back we are going to try to do this again next year as our kick off event.

9 December 2010 Annual Xmas Drinks

Vice-President Chris Dawson hosted the annual Xmas drinks at the Union, University and Schools Club on Thursday 9 December 2010.  Over 30 alumni turned up and the evening turned into a very convivial evening.  At one time your president was in a group of four people all from Sidney Sussex matriculating from 1964 to 2003 and all who had rowed for their college.  While it was a cash bar, excellent hors d'oeuvre were provided by the Club and paid for by the Society.