2012 Fleeman Lecture at Cocktail Hour
The Foundation President of the JSA, Emeritus Professor Clive Probyn, will be guest speaker for this year's David Fleeman Memorial Lecture. The Lecture, entitled Terra Incognita: Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson…
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Exciting program for JSA Seminar 2012
The Johnson Society of Australia’s 2012 Annual Seminar offers an exciting program of lectures, “stub papers” and other presentations, following the pattern which has won universal support from members. The…
Seminar Timetable
17th Annual Seminar Program10:30-11am: Registration and Morning Tea11:00-11:45am Hester Piozzi’s Grand and Ironic Tour - Dr Chloe Chard11:45am-12:00pm Eighteenth Century words (“stub” paper) - Prof Kate Burridge12:00-12.15pm: The Patron Saint…
2011 Annual Seminar
The 17th Annual Seminar of The Johnson Society of Australia will he held on Saturday July 9 at the usual venue, the English Speaking Union, beginning with registration at 11am and the first paper to be delivered at 11.30.
The program, which continues to follow the format introduced two years ago, comprises three full-length papers and four “stub” papers – the feature which has proved so popular with our audiences.
We are honoured this year to welcome the distinguished scholar, Dr Chloe Chard, a literary historian who lives in London, and who has published widely on travel writing and art criticism. Dr Chard’s paper is concerned with the book written by Mrs Hester Piozzi (Thrale) about her European tour, Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey through France, Italy, and Germany (1789).
Other speakers will be Daniel Vuillemin, who puts the case for a special joint biography of Samuel Johnson and Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Barbara Niven , who will talk about the development of the forte-piano in the 18th Century and its subsequent influence on music generally.
John Wiltshire surrounded by literary ladies
How Johnson encouraged literary ladies of his time
Our sixteenth annual Fleeman Memorial Lecture was given at the 2010 AGM by Past-President, now Vice President, Professor John Wiltshire. John, a founding member of the JSA, is an internationally renowned scholar of 18th century studies, specialising in among other things, Johnson and Jane Austen.
His lecture was entitled Samuel Johnson and Literary Ladies. John set the detail of Johnson’s involvement with female writers of his circle in the context of a time of transition: a time between the end of patronage and the eventual establishing of a readership that could provide a writer with a living.
The Portland Vase
A visit to the Gallery not to be missed!
JSA president Barrie Sheppard, in his other role as a recently-appointed official guide for the National Gallery of Victoria, will give a brief lecture at the Gallery on April 3 on the notorious history of the original Portland Vase, and how Josiah Wedgewood reproduced it to create his great masterpiece and in so doing established his famous jasperware.
Wedgewood’s connection with Johnson’s Lichfield will also be revealed.
Vale Zaiga
With great sadness, we record the death in September of John Wiltshire’s wife Zaiga, after a long illness. John dedicated his 2010 Fleeman Lecture to her memory. Zaiga had been a…
Alliance of literary societies mooted
President Barrie Sheppard and Secretary Barbara Niven represented the JSA at an interesting gathering in Sydney on October 8 to discuss the establishment of an alliance of Australian literary societies.
The meeting took the form of a reception at the British Consulate in Sydney, attended by about 80 people representing 11 literary groups.
Minutes of the 2010 Annual General Meeting
Johnson Society of Australia Inc.
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 2 October 2010
MINUTES
Chairman: Barrie Sheppard, President
In attendance: 19 members
Seminar formula an outstanding success
The new formula for the annual seminar program is here to stay, following an enthusiastic reception from a large attendance at the 2010 seminar held at the English Speaking Union on July 24.
The program started later in the morning, but offered a more varied menu, with only three full-length presentations (40-50 minutes), punctuated by five “stub” papers or readings of 10 to 15 minutes each.