Balmoral Lectures

The Balmoral Lectures at Queenwood are an ideal forum for Queenwood students and members of the wider community to engage with big ideas. Distinguished speakers are invited to speak on topics of importance to our community. 

The lively Q&A and resulting discussions stimulate civil discourse and encourage wider public understanding of contemporary social and political issues.
 

To join our mailing list for invitations to the Lectures click here.

A series of lectures from distinguished Australians seeking to stimulate public understanding and discourse on topics of importance to our community.

Any queries, please contact Mrs Donna Hughes, Director of Community Relations, here or on +61 8968 7721 


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Is There Still a Place for Humanity? Reflections from 30 Years Working to Improve Justice and Dignity at a Global Level
Dr Helen Durham AO

CEO RedR Australia
Monday 29 July 2024, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
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Dr Helen Durham joins the team with 30 years’ experience in the
humanitarian sector and high-level expertise in international humanitarian law, policy and diplomacy.

Helen was the first women and first Australian to be the Director of
International Law and Policy for the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, a role that saw her actively involved in field
missions in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia as well as diplomatic negotiations in New York, Brussels and London.

Helen has regularly addressed the Security Council on topics such as cyber warfare, counterterrorism and women and armed conflict, and has been the Director of International Law and Strategy at Australian Red Cross, Head of Office Australia ICRC, Legal Adviser to ICRC Pacific delegation and Director of Research at the Asia Pacific Centre of Military Law at Melbourne Law School. With a Law/Arts degree, a PhD in international law (Melbourne and New York University), as well as being admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor, she is well regarded and highly sought for her advice and opinion. In addition, Helen is a Senior Fellow at Lieber Institute at Westpoint, an honorary Professorial Fellow at Melbourne Law School and a Board member of Geneva Call. She is widely published in areas of international humanitarian and criminal law and has significant experience with the media as well as an Officer of the Order AO.

2024 Series

‘Women's Changing Lives: Work, Family, and Public Policy in a Time of Rising Gender Equality'

Betsey Stevenson
Economist, Professor of Economics and Public Policy

2023 Series

‘Poison: The unexpected secret to health'

Jonathan Stone
PhD, DSc (Sydney), FAA. Fellow, Australian Academy of Science
 


‘Cyber - The Opportunity and Harms: Why Spies, Lies and Thieves all love it'

Rachael Falk
Chief Executive Officer, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre


‘Breaking the Cycle of Polarisation: Solutions for Divided Times'

Tim Dixon
Co-Founder, More in Common

2022 Series

‘Shakespeare’s Women, with special reference to The Merchant of Venice '

John Bell AO OBE FRSN, Australian actor & Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare

‘Indigenous Constitutional Recognition: Australia’s Greatest Moral Challenge'

Dr Shireen Morris, Senior Lecturer Macquarie University Law School

2021 Series

‘China and the West in the Era of COVID-19

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director Lowy Institute

2020 Series

‘Guns Don’t Kill People’ and Other Fantasies in the Firearms Debate

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP, Shadow Assistant Minister Treasury and Charities

Black Death and Yellow Rain

Annabelle Duncan, Chair New South Wales Physical Sciences Fund

 

2019 Series

An Economy Fit for Humans

Ross Gittins AM, Economics Editor Sydney Morning Herald


A Century of Women's Achievements: unfinished business 

The Hon Margaret Beazley AO, Governor of NSW 

 

 

The Ethics of Spying: eyes on the spies

The Hon Margaret Stone AO FAAL, Inspector-General of Intelligence & Security

 

2018 Series

Challenging the STEM Orthodoxy

The Hon Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Education

 
 
Finding the Language of Cultural Change

Lieutenant General David Morrison AO, Chief Of Army (retired)

 
Growing Up During Holocaust Years

Ana Deleon, Holocaust Survivor

2017 Series

Post-Trump, Post-Brexit, Post-Politics

John Daley, CEO of The Grattan Institute


The Case for an Australian Republic

Peter FitzSimons, Chair of the Australian Republic Movement

 

Niromi de Soyza

Author of Tamil Tigress and former Child Soldier

2016 Series

 

An Unexpected Public Life

Wendy McCarthy AO, Author, campaigner, entrepreneur    

 

Foreign Policy & National Security

David Irvine AO, Director-General of ASIO 2009-2014

 

Australia’s Response to Refugees

Graham Thom, National Refugee Coordinator, Amnesty International Australia