July 2026 General Meeting - Saturday 18 July

                             

Guest Speaker:
Adam Courtenay

Join us in Gordon Library Meeting Room 1
at 2 pm on Saturday 18 July 2026 for

Mr Todd's Marvel

In his book Mr Todd's Marvel: How One Man Telegraphed Australia to the Modern World (Woodslane Press, 2023) Adam Courtenay tells the inspiring story of Sir Charles Todd, the visionary astronomer and scientist who led the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line - one of Australia's greatest engineering feats.

Spanning thousands of kilometres from Adelaide to Darwin, it connected Australia to the rest of the world in 1872, transforming communication across the continent. The book describes Todd’s ambition, the hardships endured by his team, and the lasting impact of this incredible project on Australia's development and global connectivity. It’s both a tribute to a pioneering mind, and a gripping account of overcoming nature, distance, and doubt.

By the bestselling author of The Ship That Never Was, The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter, Three Sheets to the Wind and his recent memoir, My Father Bryce.

Join us at the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society on Saturday 18 July as Adam Courtenay brings to life the story of this remarkable man and his achievements.

Free entry, no booking required. You are welcome to stay for refreshments and a chat following the presentation.

Adam will have copies of Mr Todd's Marvel available at the special price of $25 (cash, cards or mobile wallet).

About Adam Courtenay

Adam Courtenay is the author of six published non-fiction books, mostly specialising in the early history of the Australian colonies. He has also been a financial journalist for more than 30 years in the UK and Australia, working for newspapers such as the Financial Times, The Australian Financial Review and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is the son of legendary author Bryce Courtenay.

As always, please keep an eye on our website in case of any last-minute changes.

The venue is Gordon Library Meeting Room 1, in the Old Gordon Public School, which adjoins the Gordon Library, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner Pacific Highway and Park Avenue).

It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station.

For a map and parking information, see our Contact page.

June German SIG Meeting - Monday 15th June 2026

  

Join us at 1.30 pm on Monday 15th June 2026 for the next meeting of our German Special Interest Group.

Our German SIG is a fantastic way to explore your heritage and connect with like-minded locals researching their Germanic background in friendly discussions. We share information on researching your Germanic ancestors, including resources, techniques, history and customs.

Coming up at our June meeting will be several topics of interest to anyone with Germanic ancestors or researching their German family history including:

• A Group Show & Tell with participants bringing an item that helped them in their family research
• An update on online German family history activity
• A video - The Mass Migration from Hamburg and Bremen in the 18th and 19th Century

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting your family tree, you’re warmly invited to attend. Come and join us for the discussion, then stay for afternoon tea and a convivial chat - guests welcome!

Date: Monday 15th June 2026

Time: 1.30 pm

Location: Old Gordon Public School building, 799 Pacific Hwy (cnr Pacific Hwy & Park Ave)

Parking: Subject to time limits in Council’s Wade Lane carpark (entry via Park Ave or St Johns Ave)

Train: Our rooms are a short walk from Gordon Station.

For a map, please see our Contact page, https://khs.org.au/contact-us/#hours

For more details, see our website, https://khs.org.au/german-sig

Please keep an eye on our website's Events page in case of any last-minute changes. https://khs.org.au/events/