We are a community of curious, connected and interested Melburnians contributing to and engaging on the important issues of today and tomorrow.
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.
We are committed to providing a platform for, and the increased visibility of, diverse voices.
With varied formats (in-person or virtual; conversation leader or members engaging with each other; learning from experts or new experiences) there are multiple ways to participate.
Explore our upcoming program of events and forums.
Events Search and Views Navigation
July 2022
Building grassroots community engagement and action
How do you create an environment through strategy, messaging, IT and digital media that engages, focuses, and supports people to act? Anthony Reed is a 30-year veteran in influencing community and political audiences. A former Labor advisor and community campaign developer he drew on his…
Find out more »The civic role of the university and how it’s changing
Universities are already well known for playing a role in society that goes beyond education. They are places of discourse and exchange, innovation and exploration, and meeting grounds for new ideas and collaborations. As we move beyond the pandemic crisis, social and economic recovery is…
Find out more »August 2022
The REAL Mabo Story
For nearly 11 years Dr Bryan Keon-Cohen AM QC (but then a junior at the Victorian Bar) lived the Mabo experience. Bryan was junior to the late Ron Castan AM QC but the very limited Legal Aid funding meant that Bryan handled huge parts of…
Find out more »FUTURE.JOY.CLUB.
Melbourne’s artiste provocateurs Finucane & Smith return to the heart of Melbourne with FUTURE. JOY. CLUB. - a sultry decadent celebration of golden era burlesque and variety vanguard residing in the lush, mirrored ballroom of Sofitel Melbourne On Collins. Led by gothic glamazon Moira Finucane,…
Find out more »Vaccines – From breast cancer to Type 1 Diabetes, MS, mental health protection and beyond
Vaccines in the new era: what have we learnt in the last 30 years? Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos received her PhD in 1995 from the University of Melbourne and Advanced certificate in Protein Crystallography University of London. She has undertaken research at the Austin Research Institute…
Find out more »Should Albo try to bring Julian Assange home?
Many in our divergent community have a variety of opinions. Some regard Julian Assange as a hero, a journalist who exposed appalling practices within the intelligence community. Others are concerned that his revelations put many lives at risk and that he deserves to be punished.…
Find out more »AI and ESG – what are the synergies?
Artificial Intelligence is high on the corporate agenda. The topic is broad and complex. There is also a significant opportunity to extend this agenda to address the strategic considerations for environment, social and governance (ESG) practices. Conversations in boardrooms and c-suites naturally include technology, both…
Find out more »Landscapes of Our Hearts
If we look afresh at our history through the land we live on, might Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians find a path to a shared future? On this ancient continent, waves of people have made their mark on the landscape; in turn, it too has shaped…
Find out more »The Ajoona Guest House
Direct from a sold-out Adelaide season, award-winning, writer and actor Stephen House opens the door on a dangerously beautiful, hidden New Delhi world. When a wandering writer drifts back to an Indian guest house he has known for decades, he confronts his past, people from…
Find out more »In search of a better world
Indian writer and activist Arundhati Roy says: Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing. Is a better world on the way? The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked…
Find out more »Thirty Months of the Pandemic – Where to Now?
Professor Brett Sutton is the well known Chief Health Officer of Victoria, a role which he has effectively held since 2018. A graduate of Melbourne High School and University of Melbourne, his higher degree in public health was obtained through James Cook University. Professor Sutton,…
Find out more »Gas Infrastructure in a Zero Emissions Economy
Gas supply and costs are a hot topic across the world right now. But there’s an even more important challenge ahead. Immediate and sustained action is needed if Victoria’s gas sector is to reach net zero emissions by 2050. With more than two million household,…
Find out more »