Events

After referring to the origins of Rotary’s Four-Way Test, the presentation poses the question whether it remains a relevant and practical guide to decision-making in the modern world. This question is examined by analysing each part of the Test through the lens of ethical theory. Four ethical theories on how we should answer the question ‘how should I act?’ are described. Each theory is applied to the four parts of the Test to see whether they assist in developing options that satisfy the Test.

Following a period in private legal practice, Andrew Crockett pursued a career in legal aid and academia. He is a former Director of the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria (now Victoria Legal Aid) and a former CEO of the Legal Aid Commission of the ACT. He also taught practical legal skills and ethics in the law faculties of Monash University and the Australian National University, and served on the Family Law Council, the Southern Health Human Research Ethics Committee, and the ACT Law Reform Committee. He was a board member of the Springvale Monash Legal Service, and a member of the editorial committee of the Lawyers Practice Manual Victoria.

Andrew was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for significant service to the law particularly to legal aid services, to education, and to the community.

He joined the Rotary Club of Hawthorn in 2019 and served as President in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Nishtha is a public policy professional with extensive experience working with governments, philanthropies and multilateral organisations across the Asia-Pacific region on complex social impact and economic development programs. Currently, she is working as a public policy consultant with Delivery Associates, where she is coaching local governments on incubating innovative public service programs under the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge and supporting the Philippines Department of Education to undertake nation-wide reforms to improve learning outcomes.

As a Global Grant Scholar, Nishtha will be pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is passionate about bringing together stakeholders from across public, private and not-for-profit sectors, particularly through innovative financing mechanisms, to deliver stronger social protection systems and access to economic opportunity for the most marginalised.

After three strokes and brain surgery, Bill Gasiamis discovered something surprising: trauma doesn’t just break people, it can also build them. In this talk, Bill introduces Post-Traumatic Growth and how adversity can become a launchpad for personal transformation, purpose, and deeper connection.

Bill is a stroke survivor, author, podcast host, and recovery coach who turned his greatest challenge into a lifelong mission to support others navigating recovery and change. His podcast, Recovery After Stroke, has reached thousands of people around the world, sharing real stories and practical insights from survivors and experts alike.

Bill’s book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened, explores how Post-Traumatic Growth can emerge from crisis—not as a replacement for pain, but as a pathway through it. With honesty, humour, and hard-won wisdom, Bill helps people find clarity, courage, and new possibilities after life takes an unexpected turn.

As the need for collaboration across international borders becomes more critical, the world politically and culturally is in some ways becoming smaller. Dickie is on a mission to inspire 1 billion innovators worldwide to think and act with a global mindset to make the world a more equitable place while solving some of its biggest problems.

Dickie is the Founder of Hype Man Media, promoting the best of Australian Tech & Innovation to the world, while simultaneously bringing global ideas and opportunities to Australian Innovators’ educating their global community through storytelling, events and advisory work. He is also the co-founder of Future Connected, a global startup advisory, which connects governments, investors and startups across international borders, with a focus on India, China and Southeast Asia.

Alongside this, Dickie is also Mentor in Residence for ACS Labs, Co-National Lead of Tech Australia Advocates, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Wade Institute, International Growth Adviser at Young Change Agents and an ambassador for a number of adjacent initiatives. Dickie was recently named the Victorian Startup Ecosystem Hero of the Year 2025 at the Governor of Startups Awards.

In 2024, financial scams losses in Australia exceeded $2 billion, with investment scams accounting for roughly half of these losses. Financial institutions have a range of technologies to keep their customers’ information safe. Olivia will speak to us about what each of us can do to keep our money safe.

Olivia is a Branch Manager with Commonwealth Bank of Australia. She is an experienced banking professional dealing with all aspects of retail banking, wealth creation and protecting all that’s important to her customers.

Richard Lawrence has coordinated the Rotary Club of Essendon’s projects in Myanmar for the past 25 years.  Projects include medical equipment to poor hospitals, education needs at schools and vocational training academies and children’s homes. He and others travel to Myanmar every year to follow up on all the projects on behalf of Rotary and welcome anyone to join them.

Richard has been a member at the Rotary Club of Essendon for 29 years, and was President in 2008. He has worked in various roles initially in Real Estate, then moved onto business in 1990 managing his own small business in the petroleum and aviation industries. In 2013 he sold his domestic side of the business and concentrated on the international trade side which he continued until 2024 before retiring late 2024.

In the last few years Richard has joined the Board at the Community Bank Keilor East as well as the Board at the Let Them Flourish Foundation (charity). He is also on the Board of the Rotary Club of Essendon. He enjoys playing golf 2-3 times a week early in the morning at the Royal Park Veterans Golf Club which keeps him active.

Professor Ross Garnaut, AC, is one of Australia’s leading public thinkers. He is one of the few who adds light rather than heat to the net zero carbon emissions debate. Heading the Superpower Institute, he advocates for Australia to exploit its natural advantage to develop renewable energy at scale to again produce steel, aluminium and other energy intensive commodities as the world decarbonises. This can be Australia’s competitive advantage for future generations.

Professor Garnaut is a globally recognised Australian National University economist with 48 books, but an incredibly diverse background, including:

• Australian Ambassador to China (1985-88) as it opened to the world;
• The landmark Garnaut Climate Change Reviews over nearly 20 years for all Australian governments as a key trusted adviser;
• Chairmanship of Ok Tedi Mines, PNG, and other enterprises.

This is a rare opportunity to be stimulated by one of Australia’s leading thinkers on one of our most critical issues.

Murray was the End Polio Now Coordinator for Zone 8 (Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific countries) from 2022 until June 2025. He has been, and still is, a Member of the Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force for Australia since 2022.

Murray was the lead facilitator to train End Polio Coordinators from around the world at the Global Philanthropy Seminar held at Rotary headquarters in Evanston, USA, in April 2025.

He joined the Rotary Club of Williamstown, Victoria in 1981 and has served the club in many capacities, including two terms as club president (1986-1987 and 2008-2009).

He is a Past Governor of District 9800 (2014-2015) in Melbourne and Central Victoria, and he is a past chair of the District 9800 Rotary Foundation Committee (2019-2022). He is also the District’s Council on Legislation Representative (2020-2026) and represented the district at the COLs held in Chicago in 2022 and in April 2025.

He has served as an Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator (2015-2018) and as an RI President’s Representative at district conferences in New Zealand and Western Australia. He was a member of the Host Organising Committee for the RI Convention held in Melbourne in May 2023.

Murray and his wife, Irene, are both retired general medical practitioners. As the Medical Officer of Health for the City of Williamstown, Murray oversaw the municipality’s immunisation programs. His zone role combines his interest in infectious diseases and his passion for Rotary.

Murray is a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation and is a member of the Foundation’s Bequest Society and District 9800’s Paul Harris and PolioPlus Societies. He is a recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service.