Upcoming Speakers
18th November 2025, Perry Celestino
We welcome Perry back to speak to Abbotsford-Chiswick Probus. Perry came to Australia in 1973 after being recruited in the States as a Social Science teacher. In 2000 Perry began offering music appreciation courses with the WEA. These have covered the soundtrack to most Baby Boomers lives. Course have been offered on Blues, Early Rock, The British Invasion, Soul, Surf Music, and biographical respective on artists such as Aretha Franklin, Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King, Chuck Berry and others. In 2024 he received the Public Service Medal for his contributions to Education and Teaching.
“Be My Surfin’ Baby” Two Sub-Genres of 60s Music.
In this talk, we will sample two of the most interesting musical styles of the 1960s. The Girl Groups appeared in the late 1950s and developed into many popular acts in the early 1960s. They were mostly black teenagers from the east coast urban environments. They were young 13-25 and mostly school friends. They developed into the soul, R&B and disco groups of the 70s and beyond. Typical examples were Martha and the Vandellas, the Shangri-Las, the Supremes, the Marvelettes and the Ronettes. Surf Music started as instrumental music in California in the early 1960S and developed with the help of the Beach Boys in vocal harmony groups that blended Barbershop, rock and jazz into wonderful songs about the teenage experience. We will hear the Beach Boys, the Venture, the Chatays, Dick Dale and other exponents of the Surf Sound. There will be many memories.
Past Speakers in 2025
16 September 2025, Dr Anuka Parapuram
Dr Parapuram was born in Malaysia and obtained her Undergraduate Medical degree in University of Wales , UK. She moved to Australia in 1998 and became a Rehabilitation Physician in 2008. She works at both Royal Rehab Private Petersham and Ryde .
Dr Parapuram has a special interest in Rehabilitation for Parkinson's Disease and Oncology Rehab and has been involved in setting up Multidisciplinary Rehab programs at both Hospitals in which she practices in.
She is keen increase awareness of the benefits of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in both these patient groups to improve quality of lives .
In her spare time Dr Parapuram is an active member of the local Community is a member of a Local Award winning Community Choir “ The Mamas” that is involved in fund-raising for charities though their annual Concert .
Dr Parapuram is thrilled to be able to Practice as a Rehabilitation Physician within her local community .
Dr Parapuram and her Team from Royal Rehab Private Petersham ( formerly known as MetroRehab Hospital ) will be giving the Probus Club an overview of both the Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation programs available at Royal Rehab Private Petersham ,a brief update on Healthy Bones and Falls Prevention with some exercises to take home and practice
19th August: Dr Hugh Mackay
Dr Hugh Mackay is a psychologist and social researcher who has spent 35 years studying the attitudes and behaviour of the Australian community. Hugh Mackay's best selling book Reinventing Australia shows how Australians attitudes have changed over the last 20 years. His latest book, The Way We Are: Lessons from a lifetime of listening, examines the major trends that are shaking the foundations of the Australian way of life, including the complex legacy of the "Baby Boomers".