There was a good attendance at the November meeting of Bairnsdale Probus Club which now has more than 50 members.
A group had just returned from a visit to South Australia and preparations are well underway for the 40th anniversary on November 27 at the Riversleigh.
The profile speaker for the meeting was Geoff Robertson who coincidentally was recognised with 30 years membership.
Geoff was born in the 1920s in East Malvern, the son of a pharmacist.
He went to Gardenvale Central School and then to Scotch College.
After leaving school he studied wool classing at Gordon Institute and accountancy at night.
He then went to work for Pacific Wool in Williamstown leaving home on his bike at 6.15am to catch the train to Williamstown.
He then worked as a wool buyer in Geelong, Albury and Melbourne.
In Melbourne he met his future wife Mal.
He then went and worked as a jackaroo for six months before buying a property Gracemere of 982 acres at Bengworden.
He lived in a shearing shed made from wooden car crates imported from England and organised a builder to build a house on the property.
He married Mal in 1950.
For 15 years they had no electricity but only a wood fired stove and kerosene lamps and a kero petrol tractor. They raised four boys who went to the local primary schools and then to Scotch College and then to university and agricultural college.
Geoff was very involved in community activities and was president of the yacht club, ski club, Merino Breeders Association and CFA.
He was also on the Bairnsdale Shire Council until amalgamation and also on the board of Strathfieldsaye run by Melbourne University.
He went through a rabbit plague and purchased several local properties.
After 23 years his son Rick came to help run the property for 35 years.
Twenty years ago they moved to Bairnsdale and are actively involved in Probus, book club and bridge.
They have travelled extensively to Europe, Russia, Papua New Guinea, South America and China.
The guest speaker for the meeting was Danny Anderson, an expert in calligraphy and fountain pens history and repairs.
Danny gave an interesting illustrated talk on calligraphy and fountain pens.
Danny had been an aircraft engineer working for the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC).
He worked on many aircraft such as the F1 11 until much of that maintenance was moved overseas.
He was also a manufacturing advisor to the Australian Government .
After retirement he developed an interest in calligraphy and fountain pens.
He said these days many people are now looking away from the digital world to hand crafts such as calligraphy. He is a member of many Facebook groups interested in fountain pens such as the pen Pal World and Fountain Pens Australia.
He currently runs workshops on calligraphy and fountain pen repairs.
He brought along many of his fountain pens that he collects some nearly 100 years old.
He also showed the group samples of his calligraphy such as the Batarde illustrated scripts as used by Monks in the middle ages, he also brought along his range of pens and inks that he uses.
