Lunch Hour Talks

Thursday 19 February 2026

The Dinosaur’s Roar – A Collective Memoir documents the lived experiences of women who worked in women’s refuges across New South Wales from the early 1970s through to 2014

In 2014 women’s refuges in NSW as we knew them ceased to be and hundreds of women who had dedicated their lives to women and children fleeing violence were made redundant.  Without so much as a farewell, women who were weary from a decade or so of struggle against these changes locked the doors on their refuges and were forced to hand over the keys to large faith-based organisations who had been awarded the contracts to take over.

Refuges that were established by feminists in the late 70’s were seen as outdated and some of the longer-serving workers were being referred to as dinosaurs.

A small group of these dinosaurs gather each year to reminisce and retain the connection that has endured for almost 40 years. They decided that their experiences deserved to be recorded so that their stories didn’t die with them.  These stories chronicle the highs & lows of working alongside women escaping violence and the gradual demise of the movement. Are women & children better off following the government’s radical reforms?

Where –  The meeting room at the Customs House Library, at Circular Quay. 31 Alfred St – at Circular Quay, opposite the station. Take the lift (back LH corner of the foyer) to the second floor.
When –  The talk will begin at 12.15, The room is open from 11.30 for tea/coffee/sandwiches.
Entry – $20 JSNWL members $25 non-members
PLEASE BOOK BY NOON Monday 13 October 2025
Phone the library on (02) 9571 5359 or email 

When Natalie Conyer wanted to explore some deep ideas about her birth country, South Africa, she chose to do this by writing crime fiction. Why? What can crime fiction, often regarded as inferior to ‘literary fiction’, offer the reader? In this talk, Natalie considers the ability of crime fiction to examine ourselves and the world around us and relates her own journey to writing the form.