An engaged audience enjoyed the third and final instalment of this year’s Batchelor Seminar Series on 24 November 2022. Presented by economic and enterprise development practitioner Adam Troyn, the seminar was titled Secrets of Karlstejn Castle.
The presentation followed on from On the shoulders of Gurindji Giants with Batchelor Institute’s Dr Sue Stanton in August and Allegory: A Structure that Supports Two Worlds with the University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu’s Prof Brenda Machosky in October.
Mr Troyn was born in Brno, the capital of Moravia in the Czech Republic. He completed his studies in Adelaide, SA, before moving to Darwin, NT. Having worked throughout the Territory, he has been adopted by the Kungarakan people of Coomalie/Litchfield and the Yolngu people of East Arnhem Land.
The seminar centred on a miniature replica of the Czech Republic’s famous Karlstejn Castle that was built in Batchelor township by the late Bernie Havlik. Mr Havlik was a Czech immigrant who was an employee of the former Rum Jungle Uranium Mine and was also known for his community spirit.
Mr Troyn shared with the audience about his own life and encountering the replica castle, which represented a convergence of his Czech origins and his Territory story. Among other things, he outlined the history of the castle, which once protected the coronation jewels of the Holy Roman Empire and was said to have housed the secrets of the Holy Grail.
Like the 2021 Batchelor Seminar Series, the series of scholarly presentations in 2022 highlighted Batchelor Institute’s invaluable relationships not only with the academe but also with the local community and other important stakeholders.
The series—which is led by the office of Dr Stanton, Elder Academic at Batchelor Institute—continues to strengthen understanding among audiences through knowledge sharing.
The full 2021 Seminar Series is available to watch here, and recordings of the 2022 Seminar Series are located here.
Read more:
- Batchelor Institute Seminar Series 2022: On the shoulders of Gurindji Giants
- Batchelor Institute Seminar Series 2022: Allegory: A Structure that Supports Two Worlds
Image Attribution: A miniature replica of Karlstejn Castle is pictured in Havlik Park, Batchelor, NT. Photo courtesy Geoff Whalan/Flickr.