It was time to gather at the Gold Coast so we convened on the Grand Hotel Labrador for a few Christmas drinks and lunch. Thanks to John Black and John Mac for organising it.

We are going to have to make aformal name change soon as the numbers from south of the border continue to grow. Good to see Sue and Lindsay Rowlands join us for the first time from Pottsville and also to welcome Judy and Murray Smith from Coffs Harbour and Janet and Kevin Loughrey from Ballina. Unfortunately Maurie Meecham missed out on being in the photo.

Happy Chritmas to all. . .

Per the Warning Order, the next class lunch in Canberra will be on Monday 29^th Sep, starting at 12.30 at the Bistro in the Hellenic Club at Woden.

Car parking is fairly easy and we can order and pay individually. 

If you need to be signed in, please text Kym MacMillan (0418 295 511) when you arrive and he’ll meet you in the foyer.

Spouses, friends, out-of-town mates always welcome. Could you please let Kym know if you can make it by midday on Friday 26 September so he can confirm numbers with the club.

And for Canberra classmates, please also come with some thoughts and suggestions on a Xmas lunch in early December.

At first I thought it was just another class photo and then I realised it was something I hadn’t seen before. Obviously I didn’t spend enough time in the corridors of power. Many thanks to Al McMurran for bringing it to the surface after all these years. If you talk to Al, he’ll reveal how come he managed to obtain and retain such a piece. Many thanks Al. The 56 year old original will be on display at Coffs.

John Mac and I went to Landsborough for the official handover. A nice outing to the Sunshine Coast.

If you want to see the memorabillia, click here.

Cheers

John Elph

Canberra Classmates, a hardy bunch, will meet for lunch on Monday week – 7 July.  

Details for the lunch are as follows:

• Location: Kingston Hotel
• Date/Time:   1200, Monday 7 Jul

Could Kym have confirmed numbers (including partners/friends/out of towners etc) by COB Thursday next week (3 July). Those who have already told Kym they’ll be swanning around in warmer climes need not reply again – it’s just too depressing!

Replies email to Kym please (do not reply to this blog!) at kymmac@ozemail.com.au

Needless to say, all are very welcome especially partners.

And if you’re uncertain of the location, this might help:

Thanks to John Mac for organising another great catch up. We had a good roll up, with Al McMurran attending his first lunch since relocating to the Sunshine Coast, Don and Diedre and Kevin and Jan from just south of the border, plus the Gold Coast and Brisbane regulars.

From John Mac

Last week Trace and I visited Michael and Annie Barrett in Richmond, Tasmania. It was our 7th or 8th trip to see them and it has now turned into an annual event. Michael is doing pretty well and is 84 and still full of cheek as you would expect. He remembers our Class with much affection and amazes us with his recall of events from our years together.

I just wanted to share this with you all and say that Michael passes on his best wishes to you all.
Regards,
John Mc

The Canberra Classmates (plus a couple of blow-ins) met for a very pleasant and social lunch at the Statesman Hotel in Curtin on Monday 17 Mar. Some may remember the Statesman from our glory days of 69-72 as a bit of a dive, frequented mainly by bikies and tradies. But it’s been done up recently and was a perfect spot for a few genteel RMC graduates and their ladies! Paddy Ryan and John Mc joined us – John gave a brief update on the plans for the gathering at Coffs later this year (see our website for details).

Our next lunch will be in early July for the hardy folks who haven’t fled to Queensland to avoid the Canberra winter – details will be advised later, and of course any interstate classmates who might be passing through will be more than welcome.

L-R    Marina Houston, Deborah Jones, Paddy Ryan, Steve Jones (hiding behind Paddy), Bill Houston, Pat Cullinan, Mike Swan, Darryl Poole, Warwick Elliott, Kym MacMillan, John McNamara, Brenda Elliott, Rhonda Swan.

Please note the prices in the post yesterday were not correct.

The correct rates, using the ‘RMC’ code, reduces :

– The Executive One Bedroom Apartment to $245 / night , and 

– The Executive Hotel Room to $215 / night .

Cheers

John Mac

From John Mac

Happy New Year to you all.

I would like to give you a reminder and update on what is planned for 19 / 20 Aug this year in Coffs Harbour for our Class.

As you know a couple of us thought we should try and get together more often outside the scheduled 5 and 10 year reunions. Many gather in ‘tribal groupings‘, but generally don’t see most other classmates until the larger reunions. Coffs Harbour in August is designed to offer a low key, self paced gathering; ideally located mid-way between Sydney and Brisbane and accessible by road or air.  Hopefully it may also offer you a break from the chills of this winter.

Our venue is The Pacific Bay Resort (https://pacificbayresort.com.au/).

This week John Price negotiated a price reduction for us for those who book directly with the resort using the resort’s online booking and or calling them direct. When Booking use the code ‘RMC’ to gain the discount.

The discount is:

• Room Rate for Executive 1 Bedroom Apartment, normal $ 245, with code $215
• Buffet Breakfast, normal $29.50, with code $20.00.

Remember that your credit card is not charged until 48 hours prior to arrival so flexibility is provided for last minute changes.

The Reservations Manager, Kristen Woolgar, is aware of our group and wants those who book online using their website to email her after you book to ensure you get the RMC discount and she will email you back. Her email is :

Reservations@pacificbayresort.com.au

In your email mention the RMC code and mention her name, Kristen Woolgar , in the body of the email – if you don’t get a conformation from her please follow her up.

I am having a coffee with Kristen at Pacific Bay in Coffs at 10am on Thursday 27 Mar25 to discuss how we can best look after you but to do this I need to know the numbers – is it 20 or 40 or more that we need to seat and organise for a beer and wine.

I am looking at a lunch venue offsite for Wednesday 20 Aug and again is it for 20 or 40 ?

To assist me, can you please email me (john.m.mcnamara@bigpond.com) once you have booked so I have an idea of numbers.  If you are only 80% sure why not book anyway, as you can cancel out up to 48 hours prior if needs be with no financial penalty.

See you in Coffs in August 2025.

John Mac

The mixed media format sent out yesterday was no good – back to a conventional approach. Elph

From John McNamara

The Queensland and Northern Rivers crew had a great lunch organised by John Black at Southport this week. We had a good roll up; 20 all told. Don and Deidre were the newcomers to the group, having ventured north from their new home at Byron Bay. Don was a bit out of his comfort zone as he was supposed to wear a silly shirt – he’ll be off to Lowes now that he has seen what is expected of him.

Well done Blackie – it was a great day, thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Our next lunch is planned for Brisbane on 26 February 25 and our special guest will be Denis Brennan from Thailand. His last lunch with us was very eventful so if you are game we would like to extend an invitation to one and all.

A big prize is on offer for this month’s competition . . . . what do you call a collection of 3 prime, red roosters as per the last photo below?

Cheers John Mc