Sunday 7 July 2019 marked the 100th birthday of the Third Doctor himself, the late Jon Pertwee – the man who saw Doctor Who into the age of colour television and proved that the programme could succeed even when the Doctor was stuck on Earth! As part of the birthday celebrations, the DWCA will this month be holding a special day event devoted to Pertwee and his impact on Doctor Who history, running on 25 August at Club Burwood. We’re also sharing the love for the Third Doctor via the opinion piece below, written by actor and comedian Rob Lloyd.… Continue reading
Reading
Doctor Who is set to have one of its most successful Saturn Awards campaigns ever, with three nominations for this year’s titles. Doctor Who Series 11 has been nominated for best science fiction television show, while Jodie Whittaker received a nod for best actress and Tosin Cole for best younger actor. Run by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, the Saturn Awards are now in their 45th year. The awards honour the hard work and achievements of the people who create and participate in science fiction entertainment. In recent years, they have added television and home entertainment… Continue reading
I want to move the fence, make our yard bigger for our fat dog. Re does not want me to start without a landscaping consultation of some kind. Despite this I have mostly formed plans involving retaining walls and wire mesh fencing. The first step …
Classic Fifth Doctor adventure Resurrection of the Daleks has finally been novelised by original scriptwriter Eric Saward, a whopping 35 years after broadcast – and to celebrate, the DWCA Book Club will be discussing the novelisation at our October event. The TARDIS is ensnared in a time corridor, catapulting it into derelict docklands on 20th century Earth. The Doctor and his companions, Tegan and Turlough, stumble on a warehouse harbouring fugitives from the future at the far end of the corridor – and are soon under attack from a Dalek assault force. The Doctor’s oldest enemies have set in motion… Continue reading
The DWCA would like to thank those members who have nominated themselves for a position in the club committee, to be officially elected at our upcoming AGM on Sunday 25 August. The Returning Officer has received the following nominations for Office Bearer positions: President – Jon Andersen Vice President – Darran Jordan Secretary – Roger Reynolds Treasurer – Brad Harrison Each position received only one nomination, so the people listed above will be declared elected unopposed. For more information on the AGM, please visit our event page here. The DWCA is also still seeking applications for the position of Merchandise… Continue reading
I forgot I had my old Opinel penknife in my bag. The airport security were delighted. What had started as a normal boring morning suddenly had a frisson of excitement. My counter-culture terroristic leanings were only confirmed when I foolishly told them I’d forgotten about …
I am such an eejat. I locked my keys in my ute yesterday. Re picked me up on her way home from work. She rolled her eyes at my incompetence. Early this morning Davis and I hitched a ride back with the spare key. Before driving home we watched the …
‘In 1989 I was invited to go to Los Angeles in response to a request from the Dalai Lama, who wished to learn some basic facts about the brain.’ Besides being my own selection for ‘name drop of the year’, … Continue reading
Mika and I recently spent two weeks biking home to Seattle from our year in Palo Alto. The route was ~1400 kilometers and took us past 10 volcanoes and 4 hot springs. To my delight, the route also took us past at least 8 hairdressers with supposedly funny pun names! Plus two in Oakland on …
Continue reading "Hairdressers with Supposedly Funny Pun Names I’ve Visited Recently"
How many limbs does a Racnoss have? Who was the Guardian of the Solar System who betrayed it to the Daleks in the 41st century? Why does the Fifth Doctor wear celery in his frock-coat lapel? How much do YOU know about Doctor Who? Yes, it’s time again for the DWCA’s annual Trivia Night and Cosplay Competition – The Game of Rassilon. And we’re very excited to announce that the host of this year’s event is actor, comedian, Whovians High Brain and friend of the DWCA, Patrick Magee. The night will see teams test their knowledge of classic and revived… Continue reading
An eagle-eyed Whovian on Twitter has discovered that Belgian actress Aurora Marion will guest star in Series 12 of Doctor Who – in a role of historical significance. Twitter user @Ruther2 discovered that Marion’s online CV listed her as playing a “guest role” in an episode of Doctor Who directed by Lee Haven Jones, who has confirmed in interviews that he is indeed working on the upcoming series. In a post from Marion’s Instagram account, which has since been deleted, she is shown in period hair and costume. The post was made from Cardiff Bay, which was dressed as Nazi-occupied… Continue reading
FANS will be treated to a 20-hour weekend livestream marathon of Doctor Who audio dramas on YouTube from July 20-21. The event, presented by BBC Studios and Big Finish Productions, will celebrate 20 years of Who on audio. The Big Finish work of David Tennant, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and David Bradley will be featured on the official YouTube channel of Doctor Who. As well as more than 20 episodes of Doctor Who episodes, there will be video appearances from plenty of the Doctor’s friends, past and present. The stories will be livestreamed on… Continue reading
On Saturday 13 July, the DWCA will be holding its annual Trivia Night and Cosplay Competition at Club Burwood in Sydney – this year to be hosted by actor and comedian Patrick Magee. In August 2017 the DWCA had the opportunity to interview Pat about his work as head researcher on ABC Comedy’s Whovians – the result was published in the club’s 2018 yearbook, Zerinza, but has been abridged below for your reading pleasure. How did you come to be involved in Whovians? Well, four years ago for the 50th anniversary, I did a show called Every Episode of Doctor… Continue reading
Working on a new book!!!
Issue #243 of Data Extract, the official magazine of the Doctor Who Club of Australia, is now in the mail for all DWCA members. This issue, we go back to the ’70s (or is it the ’80s?) to discuss all things UNIT, including an interview with Sergeant Benton himself, John Levene and an examination of THAT dating controversy. We’re also celebrating everyone’s favourite robot dog in an interview with K9 co-creator Bob Baker, while writer Jon Blum presents his argument for why the 2009-2010 K9 spin-off series deserves a second chance. Plus, it’s the beginning of the end for the… Continue reading
ONE of the missing Patrick Troughton Doctor Who stories is set for release as an animation, according to BBC Studios. The release of The Faceless Ones, the final story to feature Michael Craze as Ben and Anneke Wills as Polly, follows the success of animated versions of The Power of The Daleks, Shada and The Macra Terror. It will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray and as an exclusive Steelbook next year, and expected to be available from the DWCA Shop. The Faceless Ones, first broadcast in six weekly parts from April to May 1967, is the mostly missing eighth serial… Continue reading
DATE: Sunday 25 August 2019 TIME: 4pm VENUE: 2nd Floor Club Burwood, 97 Burwood Road, Burwood NSW AGENDA: President’s Report; Treasurer’s Report; and Election of Office Bearers. Any candidate standing for election as an Office Bearer (President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer) must be a current DWCA member who has held membership for a minimum period of five years, including at least one year immediately prior to the election. Additionally, they should be able to attend regular committee meetings held in Sydney and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the club. To nominate for an Office Bearer position, download the form… Continue reading
Actor and writer Paul Darrow has sadly passed away at the age of 78 following a short illness. He first appeared in Doctor Who with Third Doctor Jon Pertwee in the 1970 story The Silurians as UNIT soldier Captain Hawkins. He returned as villain Tekker opposite Sixth Doctor Colin Baker in the 1985 story Timelash. Further to this he went on to play the part of Guidance with Eighth Doctor Paul McGann in the audio story The Next Life, as well as Kaston Iago in the Doctor Who spin-off audio series Kaldor City. He was best known however for the… Continue reading
The DWCA is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at Supanova Comic Con & Gaming, being held at Sydney Showground from 21-23 June. The DWCA booth will feature a range of merchandise from across the Whoniverse, with DVDs and original audio dramas starring all your favourite characters – including limited edition Blu-ray boxsets featuring select full seasons of the classic era. This is in addition to a huge range of graphic novels, sonic screwdrivers, action figures, Pop! Vinyls, mugs and other collectables. If you’re more interested in the activities of the club itself, you can sign up or… Continue reading
2019 marks 30 years since the end of the classic series of Doctor Who, and the DWCA Book Club is recognising this significant anniversary by reading the first Seventh Doctor graphic novel from Titan Comics – Operation Volcano. Written by Seventh Doctor veterans Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, the story sees the Doctor and his companion Ace reunited with Rachel, Allison and Group Captain Gilmore of the Counter-Measures team, last seen on screen in 1988’s Remembrance of the Daleks. The Doctor, Ace and the Counter-Measures team are holed up on the remote plains of the Australian desert. But what is… Continue reading
Last night I woke up and finally understood the existential answers to the questions posed by my life. The nature of restlessness and desire to travel. How to avoid hurting those I loved if I selfishly left. I finally figured out what I needed to …
The man who played Omega in the 1972 story The Three Doctors has died. Stephen Thorne, a RADA-trained actor, died on 26 May at the age of 84. He was best-known to the Whovian world for bringing to life three great Doctor adversaries during the early ’70s. His towering presence and deep melodious voice were first came to the world of Who in the 1971 story The Dæmons, where he portrayed Azal, the last living Dæmon on Earth, in a story often cited as one of the most appreciated of the Third Doctor’s era and story emblematic of the close-knit… Continue reading
Are you passionate about Doctor Who merchandise? Do you enjoy interacting with fellow Doctor Who fans? Do you enjoy working in a team? The Doctor Who Club of Australia is currently seeking applications for the non-office-bearing position of Merchandise Manager on the DWCA committee, which will be vacated in the coming months. As with all roles on the committee, this is a non-remunerated position with a not-for-profit fan club, though membership of the club is free for the duration the position is held. Responsibilities include the following: Correspondence with suppliers and customers Housing and transport of merchandise and related equipment… Continue reading
No! Sho! Blo! The Judoon are set to charge back into Doctor Who when Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor returns next year. The BBC announced this week that more than twelve years after they first stampeded onto screens to terrorise the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones on the moon in 2007’s Smith and Jones, the rhino-headed intergalactic police are returning. Showrunner Chris Chibnall said they would return for the series, currently being filmed in Gloucester. “No! Sho! Blo! The Judoon are storming back into Doctor Who in full force, and the streets of Gloucester aren’t safe,” Chibnall explained. “If anyone has anything… Continue reading
This post is co-authored with my colleague, Karen M. Sandler, and is crossposted from Software Freedom Conservancy's website.
Various companies and trade associations have now launched their own tweak on answers to the question of “FOSS sustainability”. We commented in March on Linux Foundation's Community Bridge, and Bradley's talk at SCALE 2019 focused on this issue (video). Assuring that developers are funded to continue to maintain and improve FOSS is the focus of many organizations in our community, including charities like ourselves, the Free Software Foundation, the GNOME Foundation, Software in the Public Interest, and others.