Babette Smith, writer/historian, is the Forum Chair. Her new book titled Australia's Birthstain, the startling legacy of the convict era will be published in 2008 by Allen & Unwin. It traces the history of the country's shame about its convict foundations and the effect of this on modern Australia. Australia's Birthstain follows the success of her earlier work, A Cargo of Women: Susannah Watson & the Convicts of the Princess Royal. Now living in Blackheath, Babette combines writing with her practice as a mediator of disputes in family law, workplace, health, and private business matters.

Lloyd Reinhardt migrated from the United States to take up an academic position at the University of Sydney, where he was a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy from 1979 to 2001. He has also taught philosophy at the University of California and the University of London. He still gives courses at the University of Sydney from time-to-time.

John Stephenson is a writer and teacher who studied philosophy at post-graduate level. He has lived in Leura for the past 18 years. His novel, The Optimist (Text), is a tragi-comedy based on the early life of the poet Christopher Brennan.l He is currently completing a novel dealing with Australian-American relations.

Sandra Darroch is a biographer and journalist, author of Ottoline: the Life of Lady Ottoline Morrell, and a number of other books. She and her husband, Rob, spend as many weekends as possible in their house overlooking Pope's Glen at Blackheath. They run an Internet company. Sandra is the Forum's webmistress.

Chris Arnott has had a business career in a range of industries in a range of locations in Australia and overseas. Most recently he managed an international events company. He now operates a consulting and mentoring practice from a base in Blackheath.

The 2008 Forum Committee
(l to r) John Stephenson, Sandra Darroch. Babette Smith, Chris Arnott. Lloyd Reinhardt



Below: The 2007 committee (l to r) Lloyd Reinhardt, Babette Smith, Sandra Darroch, John Stephenson



The 2006 committee holding a planning session in Trish and Carl' Harrison-Ford's Blackheath garden

Photo: Rob Darroch