Category Archives: Getting to Know

Matthew Flinders (1774-1814)

We’ve had many ‘Getting to Know’ interviews with our club members, so we are also featuring some brief biographies of notable Australians and New Zealanders from history. – Ed.

Raised in Lincolnshire, where men usually turned to agriculture for a livelihood, Matthew Flinders showed originality by choosing the sea. Flinders was born on 16 March 1774 at Donington, Lincolnshire. From a family of doctors, Flinders was expected to take up the same profession, but inspired by reports of Cook’s discoveries, and the reading of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, he decided to go to sea. Continue reading →

Getting to Know: Gordon Keatch

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Gordon Keatch

One of our favourite people, Gordon Keatch, has retired as our intrepid “getting to know” columnist. In his letter of retirement, Gord wrote that his monthly column in The Southern Yarn about getting to know members was “a most rewarding and interesting experience”.

We are looking for someone to take over the column, but first we thought we’d let you all “get to know” Gord a little better. Continue reading →

Thank you, Mr Keatch

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One of our favourite people, Gordon Keatch, has decided to put down his pen as our intrepid “getting to know” columnist. And since he did so in a most official and gentlemanly way, we decided to share his letter of “resignation” for everyone to see (click below). Thanks, Gordon, for telling the stories of 150 or more members over the years and helping us really get to know each other. Cheers, mate!

Gordon’s letter 2014

PS If anyone is interested in taking up the pen and keeping the column going, we’d love to hear from you.

Dennis and Janet Woodford

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Getting to Know:
Dennis and Janet Woodford

I have said it before, but it bears repeating, that I am often struck by the careers of many of our members who have come from rather humble beginnings. Dennis Woodford is no exception.

He was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father, a WWII veteran, worked for the Wool Commission and qualified for a soldier’s settlement at Bobinawarrah East, a speck on the map southeast of Wangaratta in the Great Dividing Range area. This was Ned Kelly country and several of his artifacts have been found there at Bobinawarrah, not far from Glenrowan, Kelly’s last stand.

Continue reading →

Matt Sutton

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Getting to Know:
Matt Sutton

Matt Sutton

Matthew was born in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla – famous for its beaches – and took all his schooling there. He started in on-air radio broadcasting and moved around a lot, working in Goulburn, Dubbo, the Gold Coast, Hobart, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast, and 3 ½ years in Brisbane at B105 FM.

About three years ago, he backpacked by car across Canada and became infatuated with the country. In London, Ontario, he worked in a bar for six months. Continue reading →