Ôªø Calendar of Events
 

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Calendar of Events

Here at the VAAH we hold 4 meetings a year. These are held every 3 months, on the last Friday.

Upcoming Meetings (2008)

  • 29th FEB 2008
    Jay Turner - Previous owner of Minibeast Enterprises
    Stuart Parker - Head of the reptile house at Ballarat Wildlife Park

  • 13th JUNE 2008
    John McGrath - Gecko Wrangler

John McGrath has been keeping reptiles since he was 10 years old. He has always been particularly interested in Australian geckos & is currently working to line breed a number of colour variations. John enjoys travel & fishing & his ultimate goal is the creation of a ’ÄúGecko World’Äù theme park somewhere on the Gold Coast!

 

  • 29th AUG 2008
    Brian Barnett - Owner of the Herp Shop     www.herpshop.com.au

    Brian Barnett has been a keen player in the world of Reptiles for over 50 years and is one of the last true pioneers. Over the years he seems to have met and known many of the people who shaped the hobby, as we know it today. Earlier in his life he was one of the first presidents of the V.H.S. Brian and the club worked closely with the Department governing the new licence system, through their efforts we are able to enjoy the hobby of Reptile keeping. Brian now devotes himself to running The Herp Shop and has supplied Reptile keepers with the tools, and products required to maintain our collections. He has always been a wealth of knowledge and has assisted many people over the years. The V.A.A.H would like to acknowledge Brian’Äôs contribution to Herpetology, come to this meeting and become apart of 50 years of Reptile related experiences.

  • 28th NOV 2008
    Yet to be announced

Highlights From Last Year (2007)

  • AUG 2007 - Dr Franciscus Scheelings BVSc

    Dr Scheelings graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2003.  He worked in small animal practice for 2.5 years in Melbourne with a strong interest in reptile and amphibian medicine and surgery.  In mid 2006 Dr Scheelings commenced a locum position at the Melbourne Zoo until he was appointed as the veterinary resident at Healesville Sanctuary in December 2006. 

    He is currently completing a 2 years Masters Degree in Veterinary Science and his research is focusing on diseases of captive and wild reptiles.  An enthusiastic reptile keeper himself Dr Scheelings has contributed many articles on reptile health issues to amateur magazines as well as lecturing to herpetologists on the latest trends in herpetological medicine.  Earlier this year he presented a paper entitled ’ÄúNeuropathies in 2 Coastal Carpet Pythons (Morelia spilota spilota)’Äù at the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. 

    He is also one of the authors in the new book "Keeping and breeding Australia Pythons" and has articles pending publication in the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery.  His talk will be focusing on "Interesting reptile cases at Healesville Sanctuary over the past 12 months".

  • NOV 2007 - John Cann

     John Cann has spent much of his lifetime in the pursuit of knowledge pertaining to Tortoises  and Turtles. And is recognised as being a world-renowned expert in this field. It’Äôs easy to  understand his passion and love for these beasts when you consider his family tree. John is from a very famous family that has always had a passion for Reptiles. Over the years he has written many books that are considered to be the bible on these animals. His experience has been gained first hand through many field trips, during which he discovered new species. John is much in demand here and over seas providing talks, we consider our selves lucky to obtain him to provide a talk for us. This is one meeting and talk you should not miss there is no one more knowledgeable any where in the world on our unique Tortoise population.