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.

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July 2024

Dangerous Dinner: Have descriptions of Gender ever been more fluid?

July 30 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Mister Munro, 215 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000 Australia
$45.00

How do we define a Man or a Woman? Society has started a potent debate on this. The term TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) accusations and clashes rage on, with J.K. Rowling often at the epicentre. Could both sides of the debate be right?  Please share…

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The Greg Lynn verdict: a jury compromise or a jury inspired?

July 31 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Mister Munro, 215 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000 Australia
$85.00 – $95.00

Greg Lynn, a former Jetstar pilot, was tried for the murders of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, who went missing in the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020. Lynn pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the deaths were accidental. He claimed that an altercation with Hill over…

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August 2024

Current Issues Driving Sustainability Practice

August 20 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Krimper Cafe, 20 Guildford Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia
$55.00 – $65.00

We are delighted that member Jill Riseley AM will lead a conversation for members and guests on current issues driving sustainability practice. Jill is a Partner, Consulting - Climate and Sustainability, Public Sector at Deloitte. Considered one of Australia’s pioneering and preeminent climate, sustainability, circular…

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The Assange Legacy

August 22 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Krimper Cafe, 20 Guildford Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia
$55.00 – $65.00

Julian Assange is finally free. The Wikileaks founder is a free man after a 14 year legal battle that included seven years of self-imposed exile and 5 years incarceration. He returned to Australia in June 2024 after pleading guilty to a charge of “conspiracy to…

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September 2024

Carbon Trading and Management

September 4 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Mister Munro, 215 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000 Australia
$55.00 – $65.00

How do we understand the nuances of carbon credits, offsetting, decarbonisation and funding climate action? Is the voluntary carbon market going through an evolution? What future changes will we see? What is the importance of continuing to fund major climate projects that reduce and avoid…

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Connections

September 10 @ 5:30 pm - 7:15 pm
Natural History Public Bar, 401 Collins Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia
Free

Camaraderie and exchange are evident as we come together for drinks at an enchanting city location. Cultivating Community As members of the Melbourne Forum, you have been pivotal in shaping our community's civic engagement landscape. This special event offers a unique opportunity to further strengthen…

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Leading Initiatives In Higher Education

September 13 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Mister Munro, 215 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000 Australia
$85.00 – $95.00

Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University, Professor Sharon Pickering, was appointed on 29 January 2024. Professor Pickering is a leading international scholar in the field of criminology with global expertise on border crossings, migration and trafficking. Her work across criminology and higher education has attracted…

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History In The Making: the 2024 US elections

September 18 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
A Zoom event under Chatham House rule
$30.00 – $45.00

The "leader of the free world” as the American President is described has considerable influence on the lives of people in the US and across the world. Who will prevail on the 5 November 2024 election and go on to claim the keys to the…

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The Metaverse

September 23 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Member Forum on Zoom under Chatham House rule
Free

What, exactly, is the Metaverse? As pioneering theorist and venture capitalist Matthew Ball explains in The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything, it is a persistent and interconnected network of 3D virtual worlds that will eventually serve as the gateway to most online experiences,…

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October 2024

Countdown To America’s Presidential Election

October 3 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
A Zoom event under the Chatham House rule
$30.00 – $45.00

The US Presidential Elections are fast approaching. On 5 November Americans will go to the polls. With a month to go, what can we expect? What were the critical turning points in each campaign? What are the polls showing? Will domestic challenges rather than global…

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Ethics In The Modern World

October 8 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Mister Munro, 215 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000 Australia
$85.00 – $95.00

Is our evolved sense of right and wrong out of step with the modern world? How do we separate what's natural from what's right? How can we reshape our thinking to thrive in the world? To guide us through this conversation is Dr. Tim Dean…

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Scaling a Global Agricultural Manufacturing Business

October 9 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
A Melbourne CBD Location
$55.00 – $65.00

Rob McGavin is the co-founder, Chair and Non-Executive Director of Cobram Estate Olives. Cobram Estate Olives was founded by Rob and Paul Riordan in 1998. Over more than 20 years the Company has grown to become the market leader in the Australian olive industry and…

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