Melbourne Forum gives you access to the highest level of expertise and real-world lessons that our conversation leaders – all with a reputation for excellence – bring to the table under the Chatham House rule.
With varied formats (in-person or virtual; conversation leader or members engaging with each other in interest groups; learning from experts or exploring viewpoints) there are multiple ways to participate.
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October 2022
‘Why do Women have to make nice’ – Is Society finally experiencing a cultural and gender shift?
Dangerous Dinners are back and with them the opportunity to fearlessly discuss contemporary, challenging and interesting ideas, themes and points of view. Dangerous Dinners are member-only events where instead of a guest speaker, the topic is developed and moderated by members. In a relaxed, intimate…
Find out more »Australia & the Pacific
Australia’s deep past and its modern history are intrinsically linked to the Pacific. This and other themes will be explored by this Melbourne Forum book group. In Australia & the Pacific (NewSouth, October 2021) Ian Hoskins, an academic and public historian for 30 years, expands his…
Find out more »Benchmarking Melbourne – A Tale of Two Cities?
“While Melbourne is still very much in recovery mode, now is the time to double down on what makes our city thrive and that starts with greater collaboration, integration and investment from all levels of government to business and community leaders.” – Mark Melvin, CEO,…
Find out more »COP 27 – can the UN climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh bring about change?
The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC will take place in the Red Sea resort, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt during 7-18 November 2022. The Conference of the Parties, or COP, is an annual conference in which participating nations and…
Find out more »Art as a weapon in the battle for the Australian imagination
Daniel, a Wiradjuri man with cultural connections throughout western NSW, commenced his role as the Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) in January 2022. He is the 6th Artistic Director in ADT’s 57-year history and the first First Nations person to be appointed. His…
Find out more »November 2022
Twilight Tour at Walsh Street
Robin Boyd is arguably the most influential architect there has been in Australia. Boyd was a renowned Victorian architect, author, critic, and public educator in the 50s and 60s, a leader in Melbourne’s Modern Architecture movement, a visionary in urban design, and outspoken on the…
Find out more »Economic Growth and Sustainability – Which Metrics?
GDP is the common measure of growth, but as World Economic Forum’s former chief economist Jennifer Blanke pointed out “there are three key questions that GDP overlooks: is growth fair, is it green and is it improving our lives?” As the business and economic landscape…
Find out more »Is the November State election ‘in the bag’?
As we approach the State Election there is continuing debate about the standing of Premier Andrews. Some believe he steered Victoria through the pandemic very effectively. Others consider that the government failed its constituents by imposing unnecessarily long lockdowns and other measures. Then, there is…
Find out more »Cyberweapons Arms Race
Filled with spies, hackers, arms dealers, and a few unsung heroes, written like a thriller and a reference, This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends is an astonishing feat of journalism. This will be another stimulating and enlightening Melbourne Forum book group discussion. Based on years…
Find out more »Beauty can be fleeting
Finding the friction point between beauty and decay is a thread that runs through much of Rone’s work. As a street artist best known for his haunting, stylised images of women’s faces, he understands better than most that beauty can be fleeting. Seeing his artworks…
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