The Plantagent Society has planned and exciting talk for their January 2020 meeting. They have kindly invited members and friends of our branch to share this event:
Our last general meeting of the year will be on the 14th of December 2019 at 2pm at the Sydney Mechanics Institute, as usual.
The featured speaker will be our long-time member Dianne Herbert on the topic of “A Closer Look at the Roses used as symbols for the Wars of the Roses.”
Looking forward to seeing you there!
I am excited to tell you about the two books that the committee has approved for the Book Discussion at our branch meeting 4 April 2020, in order to give everyone plenty of time to obtain and read them. The intention is to look more closely at the fascinating women of the Lancasters and Yorks. Both titles are nonfiction and come highly recommended.
If you prefer, you can, of course, choose any Ricardian or English History book, fiction or nonfiction, to read instead and share your opinion with us at the meeting. In our first discussion meeting this past June several members introduced the group to wonderful new titles to add to their ever-lengthening reading lists!
Book Depository.com has the best prices I have seen along with free shipping, but of course if you can find them second-hand or at the library that would be even better. The SMSA library has The Women of the Cousins’ War by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin & Michael Jones, and the City of Sydney library system has a copy of Blood Sisters by Sarah Gristwood.
Happy Reading!
The highly popular Biennial Conference is on again! After consultation with other branches, the date has been set for Friday, 11 September 2020. So pack your bags to join us at the Albury Manor Hotel for a day of fun and interesting talks – not to forget Ricardian fellowship!
The Biennial Conference started out as a one-day event of the NSW Branch to give also its members from further afield the chance to meet up. However, over time it has grown and is now equally popular with members from all the other branches of the Richard III Society in Australia and New Zealand. (It is not to be confused with the Australasian Conventions, which also take place every second year, but is a 2-day event. The next one will be in Adelaide, SA, 21-22 Aug. 2021.)
The Biennial Conference will be organised by Helen and Denise, who did outstanding work on the two previous Albury Conferences in 2016 and 2018. The Albury Manor Hotel offers not only comfortable rooms, but also has a medieval inspired ambience.
We would be happy if you can join us for a Welcome on Thursday, 10 September. Friday will be a full day of talks with dinner in the evening. Departure will be on 12 September, but of course you are welcome to take part in a tour with other attendees.
At present this is just to keep you informed so that you can keep the dates free in your diary for 2020. We will share further details as they become available.
Our Annual General Meeting for 2019 will take place on Saturday, 12 October 2019,at 2.00 pm at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD.
We will be electing new (or returning) members of the Executive Committee. The program will be our Scrabble Speakers, with selected members presenting their offerings on various Ricardian topics of interest.
Please remember that renewals for membership of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society are due by 1 October 2019. However, should you prefer to pay your renewal for the 2019/2010 Ricardian Year in person, you may do so at the meeting. Please come prepared with the membership form completed to accompany your payment.
A note to all members and friends of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society.
Nomination Forms for the committee and Subscription Renewal Forms have just been emailed to all members and friends of the NSW Branch who have supplied email addresses.
Should you not have received yours – or wish to join the NSW Branch – please contact the Membership Secretary and we will come back to you.
As promised, here is a full review of the recent Australasian Convention of the Richard III Society.
The biennial convention for the Australasian Branches of the Richard III Society was hosted in 2019 by the Victoria Branch of the Richard III Society. The venue was the Beau Monde International Hotel in Doncaster East and it was there that delegates convened on Friday, August 9, to enjoy an evening of reuniting with old friends and making new ones. Registration was accompanied by inspection of very desirable gift bags, a choice of drinks and canapes before most enjoyed dinner at the hotel.
Julia telling Shakespeare what he could have done better – quite emphatically!
Saturday began early with a welcome from Victoria Branch chairman Ron and a message from Society chairman Phil Stone. Then began the two-day programme of presentations that included David (Vic) on John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Dorothea (NSW) on Hertford, its castle and charm and place in history, and Julia (NSW) with her thoughts that Shakespeare could have done better. In this context she mentioned The Final Act of Mr Shakespeare by Robert Winder, which she had reviewed for this website.
We were privileged to see a video of Professor Jane Evans of Leicester analysing the skeleton of Richard III to reveal much about him as a person. Then it was the turn of Dr Jenny Spinks from Melbourne University on renaissance men and books, metalwork and art in 15th century Nuremberg.
JOAS demonstration of medieval arms and armour
This was followed by members of the JOAS (Juvenis of Accendo Sarcalogos) Living History Society from Ballarat, who gave a splendid demonstration of medieval arms and armour – and after some of us tested the weight of some items, even “small” ones such as gloves, understood why war horses had to be so powerfully built.
Testing the weight of some pieces of armour
Anne (Vic) spoke on the medieval story “Ipomedon”, a copy that was found in in Richard III’s possession after his death with his signature and approving comment: tant le desire. Louise (WA) spoke on Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham – “the most untrue person living” and Helen and Denise (NSW and ACT) explained how study of the revised portrait and reconstruction of Richard’s head could give us an idea of how he would have sounded.
Getting ready for the banquet
Saturday evening and it was time for the banquet, with many in medieval costume posing for some cameras and enjoying some mulled wine and canapes. Then the traditional Candle Ceremony took place when representatives of all branches lit a candle on behalf of their members.
Michael and Yvonne (Vic) were responsible for the Subtlety – a massive and superbly iced and decorated confection. Loyal toasts were proposed to The Queen (Ron), King Richard III (Louise) and Friends of the Society (Rob, Australasian Vice President and NZ secretary).
The subtlety
Sunday morning started with a video from Mark (Qld), unable to attend, on his search for Richard III. Robert (Vic) followed with a worthy consideration of Polydore Vergil’s Memoir of Richard III. Rob (Australasian Vice President and NZ secretary) then conducted a business session in which Sue’s offer on behalf of the South Australia Branch to host the 2021 Convention was warmly welcomed.
After morning tea break Mercia spoke on medieval courts and the legal profession of the times, before a final offering from Ron and some of his Victoria branch associates, plus Rob (NZ) explaining how Richard got his hump. Unbelievable! But incredibly amusing.
Then it was wrap-up time: the raffle was drawn for a wide selection of prizes and the quiz answers given before delegates formed a circle of farewells and singing of Auld Lang Syne – until the next time (20-22 August 2021 in Adelaide).
St James’ Church
Our annual service at Anglican Church of St James on King Street, commemorating the Battle of Bosworth, will be held this year on Sunday, 25 August 2019 at 11 am. NSW branch members Rhonda and David will be reading the lessons.
Members will convene for lunch nearby afterwards.
We hope you will be there to honour Richard III.
Over the last weekend, 9 to 11 August 2019, an Australasian Convention took place in Melbourne, as it was hosted by the Victoria Branch of the Richard III Society. It was a great and enjoyable event. The Victoria Branch has done an excellent job in organising this for the benefit of all members of the branches of the Richard III Society in Australia and New Zealand. A full review will follow in due course, so I won’t give away any spoilers.
In two years, the next Australasian Convention will take place in Adelaide over the Bosworth Weekend, 20 to 22 August 2021. We are very grateful to the South Australia Branch, who will be hosting this important event, for taking on all the work this involves. It would be great if the NSW Branch could show its appreciation by attending in great numbers. So put the date into your diaries already! More details will be available at a later stage.
As two years is a long time, there is also the prospect of another one-day conference in Albury in November 2020. Our experienced Albury Conference Team has agreed to consider organising another of these enjoyable conferences. Thank you, Helen and Denise!
Don’t miss out on these exciting events. It’s never too early to start planning. Therefore –
Our next general meeting will be on Saturday, 10 August 2019, at 2pm at the Sydney Mechanics Institute, Level 1, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.
We are fortunate to have as our speaker for this meeting the University of Sydney Honorary Research Associate in History, Judith Bonzol, who will speak on her chosen topic of “Cunning Folk: popular medicine and magic in the time of Richard III”.
Dr Bonzol is widely published in the academic press and has a long time interest in the medical attitude towards supposed demonic possession and supernatural illness in early modern England. This will be an outstanding program you should try not to miss!
