A/Prof Kevin Alford is a retired senior Consultant Cardiologist/Physician who more recently has specialised in education and history. He graduated in Medicine with Honours from the University of NSW, (Sydney) and then Post Graduate qualifications as a Specialist Physician/Cardiologist from the Royal Australian College of Physicians, of which he became a Senior National Examiner. He then gained additional experience as a Cardiologist in South Africa and the United Kingdom. He has lectured at State and National levels and published in the Medical Journal of Australia and Circulation.

He has been awarded an OAM, (Medal of the Order of Australia), for services to Medicine/Cardiology and the College Medal for Outstanding Clinical Servies in regional areas of Australia and NZ by the Australasian College of Physicians.

He has also worked in regional Australia for many years, including a special interest in disadvantaged and indigenous populations
When not involved in Medicine his interests have included Triathlons, up to Iron Man level, windsurfing, flying and Surf Life Saving.

Kevin has been acclaimed as providing informative educational talks at conferences frequently to non medical audiences in an amusing and entertaining fashion. Having watched the progress in Cardiology for over five decades, including having worked in South Africa and the United Kingdom (Hammersmith and New Charing Cross Hospitals). He is particularly adept at providing insights into the development of heart disease and its treatments.
Over more recent times he has developed an additional interest in Famous Navigators, particularly involving the Pacific Regions, such as James Cook, (mapping eastern Australia and Pacific), Matthew Flinders (circumnavigating and naming Australia) and William Bligh (Mutiny on the Bounty) and Australasian history, presenting at the University of Third Age and local clubs, to large audiences.

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HEART AND HEALTH

1.THE HUMAN HEART, AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY – Hear about arguably the most efficient machine in our body, pumping over 100,000 times per day, 7500 litres of blood per day through 10,000 kms of blood vessels in every adult human being. In this entertaining discussion topics revolve around what we can do and what we can avoid to keep our heart as healthy as possible.

2. HEART ATTACKS, exactly what are they and how are they treated – in simple layman’s language he will discuss the mechanisms of heart attacks and the amazing methods that have been developed with drugs and devices to minimise their effects.

3. HEART DRUGS AND DEVICES – the incredible stories of the drugs and devices that medical science has produced to keep our hearts healthy and to treat its diseases should they occur.

4. DIET, DRUGS AND DEVICES FOR WEIGHT LOSS – in this entertaining discussion we will examine the various popular diets promoted for weight loss. Drugs that have recently become popular as well as intriguing devices and surgery, being put forward as “possible cure”

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HISTORY AND HEALTH

5. WORLD FAMOUS PEOPLE AND THEIR ILLNESSES and how this may have affected the world in which we now live – discussions here will reflect on such famous people as Napoleon, Abraham Linclon, Winston Churchill, King George third, and JFK to name a few.

6. FAMOUS PHYSICIANS AND NURSES, how their discoveries affected and saved the lives of millions – in this fascinating discussion we will look at such people as Hippocrates (Father of Medicine), Florence Nightingale (Lady with the Lamp), Marie Curie (Radioactivity) through to Barnard (heart transplantations), Gruentzig (balloons) Favaloro (coronary bypass surgery)

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SOUTH PACIFIC MARITIME HISTORY

7. CAPTAIN JAMES COOK and his “discovery” of New Zealand and Eastern Australia – a fascinating insight into James Cook “the man” as you have not heard before. How he was inspired and developed his initial role in navigation and mapping.

8. JAMES COOK'S PROGRESSION – this discussion will revolve around his “flirting” with Antarctica and detailed mapping of the South Pacific, followed by his excursion to find the North West Passage.

9. MATTHEW FLINDERS – the amazing story about the man who provided detailed maps circumnavigating Australia, to which he gave it’s name, after confirming Tasmania as an island. His intriguing interaction with the French explorer Boudin and his “race” back to the UK to publish the maps.

10. WILLIAM BLIGH – this “Mutiny on the Bounty” famous person had many interactions with the Pacific, apart from the famous Mutiny, which included mapping of the Torres Strait and a period as Governor of NSW. These will be discussed in an informative and entertaining fashion.

12. LEARN THE AMAZING STORY OF THE ENIGMA THAT IS EASTER ISLAND – one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands and a territory of Chile. It occupies the most southern point of Polynesia, famous for its giant statues called Moai, but about whose initial inhabitants little is known, and that vigorously debated.

13. THE STORY OF PITCAIRN ISLAND – Mutiny on the Bounty is a well known story, however, what is less known, is the fascinating and “darker” story of Pitcairn Island, the final destination of many of the surviving mutineers, who burned their own ship to avoid detection by the English navy.

14. JAMES COOK – THE FIRST VOYAGE – the story of the real James Cook, arguably the greatest navigator of his time. Learn of his trip to O,Tahiti, ostensibly to observe the transit of Venus. The reasons why, and his subsequent “secret orders” that led to the mapping of New Zealand and the east coast of New Holland (subsequently New South Wales)

15. JAMES COOK – VOYAGES TWO AND THREE – learn the amazing stories of James Cook’s second voyage to map the South Pacific and his third and final voyage when he was killed whilst undertaking mapping of the North Pacific and trying to find the western edge of the fabled ” North West Passage”

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DESTINATION HISTORY

16. SIR JOSEPH BANKS – His incredible story, who after joining James Cook in his first voyage became President of The Royal Society in London and was the major influencer “in the development of Australia as a British Colony.

17. SYDNEY TOWN – ROGUES, ROYALISTS, RUM AND MUTINY – The amazing little known story of the development of early Sydney Town and NSW.

18. THE GOLD RUSH AND THE GROWTH OF QUEENSLAND – Learn about the “River of Gold” and subsequent development of Cooktown, Port Douglas and Cairns.

19. THE HISTORY OF THE SURF LIFE SAVING MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA - Discover the amazing facts about this worldwide recognised, altruistic and competitive service. How and why it was developed and why it has become an iconic Australian feature.

20. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST COLONIAL SETTLEMENTS IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY - First, the ill fated Victoria Settlement, followed by Darwin

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TALKS IN EVOLUTION

21. AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS CULTURE, HEALTH AND POLITICAL ISSUES - Learn about the extremely difficult and divisive issues affecting Australian Indigenous culture, many of which are common to other First Nations People and some of which are unique to Australia.

I have spoken extensively on medical & cardiology topics, and have had great success in entertaining audiences in an amusing fashion with factual information on these subjects and also characters associated with the Pacific, eg Cook, Bligh & Flinders, all of which have been well received on multiple platforms.

13th to 20th December 2023 - Grand Princess, 7 day cruise, 3 presentations
11th to 20th December 2024 - Diamond Princess, 9 day cruise, 5 presentations
5th to 19th February 2025 - Bolette, Fred Olsen cruise line, 14 day cruise, 6 presentations

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.