My Business

CAE Short Course “Revelatory Voices” begins next week. Enrol now before it’s too late.
Highly recommended!

http://www.cae.edu.au/course_categ…/talks/poetry-literature/

Another Perspective on Learning (aka Richard Stone) is pleased to report that a series of lectures focusing on Renaissance Florence have been successfully delivered for the Council of Adult Education (CAE). Providing a mixture of history, art appreciation and travel advice, the three sessions were well received by a responsive audience.

Further lectures addressing a variety of historical, cultural and literary topics will be presented over the next few months. Next up was to be a four part look at Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1953 entitled The Art of Revolution, but sadly this course has been cancelled due to insufficient numbers. However, an extension of the Florence lecture series may run as a replacement. Watch this space!

A series of five lectures – Revelatory Voices – considering the life and work of a selection of early to mid 20^th Century authors is scheduled to begin mid-October. Take a journey through Medieval France later that month with Cloisters, Cathars and Cathedrals or explore the Great War from an Australian perspective by following the path of a young recruit growing up in a newly federated nation. Spain: Selling the Truth will look at the propaganda wars within the brutal Spanish Civil War.

Check out the History and Poetry and Literature sections of the CAE Course Guide for more details.

http://www.cae.edu.au/short-courses/

The above Short Courses are all scheduled for a late morning timeslot, but it may be possible to consider extra early evening presentations for those who have daytime commitments. Let me know if you think this option may be worth pursuing.

There are plenty more lectures in the APL cupboard awaiting an audience, so if you or an acquaintance have an interest in History, the Visual Arts, Literature, Theatre or Music History and would like an opportunity to extend your knowledge, please advise. This will assist with future planning. Information about the contents of the cupboard can be found here:

http://www.acuriousbird.com/educational/another-perspective-on-learning/ap-lecture-program/

100 years ago today, my grandfather, William James Bruce Carfrae (1083/Private) was involved in the infamous Battle of Fromelles, the first set-piece engagement experienced by Australian forces on the Western Front during the Great War. The battle was engineered as one of a series of diversionary operations designed to divert German troops from the ongoing Allied Somme offensive that had begun earlier in the month.

Soldiers of the Fifth AIF Division, recently landed at Marseilles following six months of training in Egypt, arrived at the front, around 90 km north of the Somme battlefields, on July 10 after a two day, 50 km march in full kit from Morbecque. Will was a member of the 29^th Battalion (8^th Brigade), and over the next week he would become familiar with the routine of trench life as his Battalion was shuffled from reserve to frontline trenches, back to billets and forward again to the danger zone. Will maintained a diary throughout the war and we are fortunate to have this brief, but succinct record of his years of service.

The objective of the operation was for a combined AIF and British force to capture the enemy positions along a two kilometre stretch between the village of Fromelles and Aubers Ridge. During 1915 and 1916 British troops had thrice failed to take the ridge, and by now the Germans in this zone were well and truly entrenched – the most significant feature of their occupation being a cement bunker complex of machine guns known as the Sugar Loaf Salient.

General Haking’s plan was to soften up the enemy with a three day artillery barrage, followed by an infantry attack. After a brief delay due to bad weather, the infantry was finally engaged late in the afternoon of July 19. Will’s Battalion was ordered to occupy a reserve position as the first assault force of Battalions from the 14^th and 8^th Brigades went over the top at 5.45pm.

After traversing a marshy 150 to 200 yard stretch of No Man’s Land, the Australians were to clear the German front trenches, force the enemy back and to take control of a third trench line. The outcome of the operation would depend very much on the ability of the 15^th Brigade under Pompey Elliott in combination with the 61^st British Division, to take out the Sugarloaf machine gun nest and suppress adjacent German trench fire.

Despite heavy casualties during the advance, some men of the first wave negotiated the enemy bullets and successfully cleared the German dugouts, but the so-called “third trench line” turned out to be no more than a map reader’s fantasy and soldiers were forced to shelter in watery ditches and shell holes until they were able to construct a temporary line with shovels and sandbags.

Meanwhile, the first attack on the Sugarloaf Salient had proved a costly failure and Elliott was left with barely 20% of his original assault Battalions. The German machine guns were still as active as ever and presented a real danger to the exposed Australians of the 14^th Brigade. General Haking ordered the British to mount a second attack at 9.00 and requested assistance from the 15^th Brigade. Elliott cobbled together a force and sent them forward, but by then Haking had changed his mind. News that the operation had been cancelled did not reach Elliott until 9.10, and the 15^th Brigade suffered further devastating losses.

The surviving members of the 8^th and 14^th Brigades who had successfully claimed more than 1000 metres of enemy trench were placed in a risky position as the Germans began a counter attack around 9.00. It was necessary to strengthen the Australian hold on enemy territory, and as the Germans began to reoccupy their original positions, the 29^th Battalion was called into action. Since 8.00, parties from the four Companies of the 29^th had been engaged in support activities, carrying grenades, bombs, shovels and stores to the front line, and some soldiers had remained to fight. Around 11.00 it was officially determined that D and C Companies would be deployed to reinforce the now thinly held front line. At 11.35 the commanding officer, Lieut Col Clark reported: I have now no men left at all. There was no other option.

During the early morning of July 20 B and A Companies of the 29^th were pulled out of the battle, whilst C and D Companies remained in the trenches to cover their withdrawal. It was now every man for himself and the challenge for the remaining infantrymen, including Private Carfrae, was to find a way back across No Man’s Land. Will was one of the fortunate ones to reach safety. Many fell into German hands and were taken prisoner. Others were killed in the attempt or were left to die a lingering death on the field of battle. By 6am on July 20 the battle was officially over, but the wounded were still being retrieved three days later.

Although a relatively brief conflict, the cost of the Battle of Fromelles was considerable. In its first major engagement on the Western Front, the Fifth Division of the AIF had lost 5533 men killed, wounded or captured. Naturally, many questions have been asked since 1916, and many reasons have been put forward as to why the exercise failed and why thousands of lives were sacrificed in what was after all, only a feint. The Great War would continue for a further two and a half years, and it would continue to generate many such riddles.

Private Carfrae served in France with the Black and Gold 29^th Battalion until it was disbanded in October 1918. By that time almost 500 of its officers and men had given their lives. He was one of the fortunate ones to live to tell the tale… but he rarely mentioned “the war”… and who can blame him? A fellow Private from the 29th, Jim Cleworth, summed up his experience of the battle thus; the novelty of being a soldier wore off in about 5 seconds, from that point on it was a question of survival. Fromelles was confusion at its best, it was like a bloody butcher’s shop, it was terrible.

Will’s understated diary entries for July 19 and 20, 1916 read as follows;

19    We took German first line trenches  Stopped there all night but retired to our own line next morning      20   In front line trenches all day (The 19^th and 20^th I shall never forget)

You can learn more about Private Carfrae, his generation and Australia’s involvement in the Great War by enrolling in the CAE course The Great War: An Australian Perspective scheduled for November

http://www.cae.edu.au/course_category/talks/history/

Good news for Life Long Learners and CAE supporters!

I have been invited to contribute to the upcoming Council of Adult Education Short Course Winter/Spring program and will be offering several courses in the Talks category. The topics include: Renaissance Florence, Soviet Russia, the Great War and a selection of 20^th Century authors. Check out the History and Poetry and Literature sections of the CAE Course Guide for more details.

http://www.cae.edu.au/short-courses/

This is also good news for an out of work educator/redundant school teacher so please spread the word. Perhaps you or an acquaintance may be interested?

Another Perspective on Learning recently delivered an interesting new lecture on the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39.

This intense, brutal conflict – often overshadowed by the major conflicts of the 20^th Century – split world opinion and focused attention on the developing power struggle between Fascism and Communism. Today it is generally considered a localized prelude to the Second World War. The lecture explores how the Republican left and Franco’s right wing rebels each used propaganda techniques to galvanise support for their respective causes, within Spain and at an international level.

Photographs from the 2015 PAI Tour have finally been posted!

The 2015 PAI  (Passionate About Italy) Tour took place during September/October.  A keen group of cultural enthusiasts, including a number of seasoned PAI veterans, travelled to Italy for a 26 day tour of discovery.

Following a prelude in Rome which included visits to Hadrian’s Villa, Villa d’Este and the fascinating archaeological site of Ostia Antica, the group moved north into Etruscan territory. From a base near Lake Bolsena we explored the heritage of this ancient civilisation in towns such as Orvieto, Viterbo and Tarquinia and at evocative sites like Norcia and Cerveteri. We also enjoyed exploring the Renaissance gardens of the Villa Lante and the Sacro Bosco at Bomarzo. En route to our next home away from home, an elegant villa in central Tuscany, we heard Cistercian monks chanting at the Abbey of Sant’Antimo and admired the fresco cycle in the cloister of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. From the Villa Alba we were well placed to visit Livorno on the Tuscan coast, the Island of Elba and several historic inland cities, including Pisa, Lucca and Volterra – as well as cooking up a storm in the villa’s professional kitchen! Before moving on to Liguria we relaxed in the grounds of several Lucchese villas, dropped in on Puccini at Torre del Lago and Pietra Santa “The City of Artists”. We were welcomed to our Agriturismo accommodation near Framura with open arms by generous hosts, Lidia and Guido, and with their assistance we enjoyed exploring the coastal region of Liguria from the Cinque Terre through to Portofino, travelling variously by foot, by rail, ferry, private bus and car. The final phase of our journey took us to the intriguing city of Genoa with its unique mix of old and new, and to Milan for a night at the opera and a shopping spree!  Yet another rewarding PAI adventure!

Go to: Travel – PAI Cultural Tours – and follow the links to the 2015 Tour page:

http://acuriousbirdcom.fatcow.com/travel/

Four new lectures have recently been added to the Literature and Theatre category of the Another Perspective on Learning Lecture Program. The first of these was developed as a response to Milan Kundera’s book “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” and provides a contextual introduction to the historical phenomenon known as the Prague Spring.
The achievement of the controversial Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is addressed in another presentation. His well known play “A Doll’s House” being granted special attention.
A further lecture considers the Great War through the multi faceted lenses of literature and the written word – from propaganda to poetry and published prose.
The other new addition to the catalogue is a lecture focusing on the influential playwright, theorist and director, Bertolt Brecht. Brecht’s life and achievement are viewed within the volatile political context of the Twentieth Century.

A proposed itinerary for a tour to North Western Italy has been posted in the PAI Travel section of the website.

PAI 2015 North Western Italy

There is also a map and information regarding accommodation options.

Please contact me to express interest or to obtain further details

Several new lectures have been added to the Literature and Theatre category of the Another Perspective Lecture Program. The first of these addresses the life and work of the English writer, George Orwell, whilst another focuses on his popular satirical novel, Animal Farm. The third lecture considers in detail the life and achievement of the 20th Century Russian theatre director Vsevolod Meyerhold – a controversial figure whose reputation has been re-established in recent decades following the fall of the communist regime.

http://acuriousbirdcom.fatcow.com/educational/another-perspective-on-learning/ap-lecture-program/