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Section’s 50th Anniversary: Our Anniversary Dinner – 9th Dec 2024

This month we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the formation of the AES Melbourne Section with a dinner at Club Ringwood.

Sixteen members and guests attended, with two last-minute dropouts, and several apologies from long-time members. It was a convivial evening with lots of friendly chat and reminiscences, along with some very fine food indeed.

A photo of Chair Graeme Huon standing at the microphone welcoming the members and guests
Chair Graeme Huon welcomes the members and guests

Section Chair, Graeme Huon welcomed everybody, thanking the Committee, our sponsor Amphenol Australia, and Paolo Menolotto for facilitating the sponsorship. He also thanked Secretary Peter Smerdon for all his work in organising the event. In remarking on the formation of the Section in December 1974 he remarked how the original Committee included luminaries of the audio industry at the time such as Wulf Gray (Simon Gray Pty Ltd) Graham Thirkell (Optronics), Brian Horman (Klarion), Roger Savage (Armstrong Studios & Soundfirm), and John Ryan (ABC).

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Meeting Report: 1st October 2024 – Maton Guitars Tour and The Art of the Luthier

Members and guests of the Melbourne Section gathered at the Maton Guitars factory where Patrick Evans, Manager, Product Design, Development and Speciality Projects conducted a tour of their manufacturing facility and spoke to us on:

The Art of the Luthier.

Following an introduction by Section Chair Graeme Huon, Patrick gave us a brief rundown of the history of Maton. He related how founder Bill May and his brother Reg started making guitars in a single car garage in Thornbury in 1946.  In the late ‘40s they moved to a purpose-built factory in Surrey Hills, where they stayed for the remainder of Bill’s career. On Bill’s retirement in the mid ‘80s his daughter Linda and her husband Neville bought the business. Patrick related how Bill still kept coming into the factory after retirement, going downstairs to work on a double bass.

That double bass is still on display in the foyer of the current factory.

Patrick Evans, in the reception area of Maton Guitars, stands in front of a selection of Maton Guitars displayed behind glass
Patrick Evans introducing us to the Maton story
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Meeting Report: 12 August 2024 – Alec Graham on AVIXA Audio Standards

On Monday 12th August, the Section held its AGM via Zoom (full details at https://aesmelbourne.org.au/2024-agm/) after which Audio Visual Consultant Alec Graham presented on the topic of:

AVIXA Audio Standards.

profile picture of Alec Graham

After a brief introduction by Section Chairman Graeme Huon of Alec and the trade association AVIXA Huon, Alec started with a brief rundown of his career, up to his current situation where he is an AV Consultant with Aurecon.

He then outlined his involvement with AVIXA right from his early days in the AV industry, involving certification exam preparation work, standards group work and serving as a conference speaker.

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Meeting Report: 17 June 2024 – Anton Hasell on Bell Design

On Monday 17th June, members and friends of the Melbourne Section of the AES gathered at the Wellington St campus of Collarts to hear bell designer Dr Anton Hasell present on the topic of:

     The specialist bell design process


The event was also live-streamed on our YouTube channel for those unable to attend.

Photo of Chair Graeme Huon introducing Dr Anton Hasell
Chair Graeme Huon introduces Dr Anton Hasell (Photo – Rod Staples)

Section Chairman Graeme Huon introduced Anton, outlining his history and background in sculpting bells for a range of public installations.

Anton started with a description of his development of the single-pitch “harmonic” bell, a feat that had never been achieved before.

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