SA Rostrum · Club 18 · Adelaide

Find your voice over dinner.

We're a Rostrum public-speaking club that meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at the pub — prepared speeches, lively debates and a word of the day, followed by dinner together. 1,293 meetings in, we're still saving you a chair.

1,293meetings & counting
13active members
59speeches given in 2025
16different themes in 2025

What we practise

The craft of saying it well

Prepared speeches

A set topic and a set time, from four minutes for newcomers to eight for old hands. A warning bell tells you when to land the ending — that's half the craft.

Format nights

Balloon debates, show-and-tell, impromptu rounds and theme nights keep the program fresh — and keep speakers on their toes.

A coach in the room

Every meeting closes with considered feedback from our club coach, and an outstanding-speaker award for the night.

Word of the day

One member brings a word — its origin, meaning and use — and the whole club takes it home. A small ritual we're fond of.

The illuminated Riverbank footbridge over the River Torrens at night, with Adelaide Oval glowing red behind
Our home town after dark — the River Torrens and Adelaide Oval. Photo: Hieu Doan · CC BY-SA 2.0

A night at Club 18

How an evening runs

  1. 1

    6:00pm — the chair opens

    Roll call, visitors welcomed by name, the business of the club dispatched briskly.

  2. 2

    Speeches & exercises

    Three or four prepared speeches — or a format night: a balloon debate, show-and-tell, or a round of impromptus.

  3. 3

    Dinner break

    Order at the bar beforehand; the club eats together when the meals arrive.

  4. 4

    Coach's word & closure

    Feedback on the night, the outstanding-member award, the word of the day — and home by a sensible hour.

More about how the club works

Your first step is a chair at the table.

Visitors are always welcome — watch a meeting, stay for dinner, and speak only if you feel like it.

Plan a visit