Welcome to the Down Under Club of Winnipeg. We’re a social club based far, far from our original homes and hold regular events for members and guests. We also produce a monthly newsletter about connections in our new community and all things happening down under. Go on, explore our site and consider joining our group. Hooroo, mates!
25-Yarn_0506-MayJune 
The Yarn is once again ready for you to read.
At the risk of overdosing on folate, I have no plans to change my regular enjoyment of Vegemite and toast (p. 4). Hopefully the powers that be will take note of the nationwide, multi-generational “study” that has been in progress for more than a century down under with no warnings coming from the Australian medical profession, and add fortified spreads to their allowable imports.
In this issue, we also farewell a long-standing member (p. 3), offer some viewing ideas (p. 5) and get the low-down on the AFL (p. 7).
This resident ornithologist is taking a break this issue. And instead of my Birds I view column (p. 8), we share (with permission) Gord Mackintosh’s entertaining and informative bird tour of Manitoba. In case you’re of the Scottish persuasion, we have inserted an announcement for the upcoming Manitoba Highland Gathering (p. 3).
All this and so much more – for your reading pleasure.
OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
a play by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Directed by Dr. Bill Kerr
April 2 – April 5, 2025
John J. Conklin Theatre, Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall
150 Dafoe Road, West Taché Arts Complex, UM Fort Garry campus
Wednesday to Friday – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday – 2:00 p.m.
Our Country’s Good stages the landing of the First Fleet and its transported prisoners who enact the first theatrical production in Australia. Both highly comic and greatly troubling, the play suggests that theatre can enable positive futures while also acknowledging the pressing need for a just post-colonial future.
Tickets for Our Country’s Good are $10.00 plus Eventbrite fees and can be purchased online. You can also follow along with the theatre students on Instagram as they prepare for the production @umanitobatheatre.
Presented by the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media‘s Theatre Program. Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois. Set design by Bill Kerr with students Martina Caceres and Deklan Jocelyn. Additional design elements by technical staff Shane Stewart and Karen Schellenberg along with students from the production lab of THTR 3000. Promotional design by Joseph Ogbonnaya.
The March-April issue of The Southern Yarn is ready for you in glorious full colour. Come check it out by clicking on the image of the front page, or perhaps you are one of our postal subscribers, in which case you will be eagerly awaiting the swift delivery of the B&W version on distinctive yellow paper, by our venerable postal network.
As promised on page 5 of the newsletter, the answers (and JUST the answers) to the trivia questions are below. Don’t look until you’ve tried to answer from the questions first.
Australia Trivia Answers
New Zealand Trivia Answers
Another new year is upon us with 2025, and the first new edition of The Southern Yarn is ready for you, in both glorious colour online here, and (wait for it…) monochrome on yellow paper through the post, if you are so inclined. To get you started, here is Charlie’s editorial. Continue reading
The Southern Yarn is once again complete and ready. We held off in order to include content from our formal dinner last weekend where we celebrated our 75th anniversary as a club. Continue reading