Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Join Australian icon Ita Buttrose AC OBE and Professor Henry Brodaty for a rare and intimate online conversation celebrating the release of Ita’s new book, .
Hosted by ¼’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), this national webinar will take place on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, from 2pm - 3pm AEDT.
In this one-hour discussion, Professor Brodaty - Ita’s long-time friend and fellow advocate for healthy ageing - will explore the stories and insights behind Unapologetically Ita, including her reflections on her father’s dementia diagnosis, her candid views on ageing, ageism and resilience, and the importance of brain health and dementia research.
Published nationally by Simon & Schuster Australia on 28 October 2025, Unapologetically Ita captures the wit, compassion and sharp intellect that have defined Ita’s remarkable six-decade career.
When
Time
2.00pm – 3.00pm AEDT
Cost
Free
Event open to
All welcome
Ita Buttrose AC OBE
Chair of the CHeBA Advisory Committee
Ita Buttrose started her media career as a copygirl on The Australian Women’s Weekly. Eighteen years later she was appointed the magazine’s editor, its youngest ever, a distinction she still holds. She has enjoyed an extensive career in print, radio and television and, as well as The Weekly, has edited leading magazines and newspapers including Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. Ita was the founding editor of Cleo and ITA magazines. In 2019 she was appointed Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), completing her five-year term in March 2024. She is Patron of Dementia Australia, Patron of Macular Disease Foundation, Patron of Bobby Goldsmith Foundation and Qtopia, the queer museum. Ita was the 2013 Australian of the Year. She currently chairs the Advisory Committee of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at ¼.
Professor Henry Brodaty AO
Co-Director Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA)
Professor Henry Brodaty is a researcher, clinician, policy advisor and strong advocate for people with dementia and their carers. At ¼ Sydney he is Scientia Professor of Ageing and Mental Health and Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing whose vision is to achieve, through research, healthier brain ageing and better clinical care of age-related brain diseases – specifically Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. He is a founding member and former chairman of Alzheimer’s Disease International, an advisor to the World Health Organisation and is also the past president of Alzheimer’s Australia (now Dementia Australia) and Alzheimer’s Australia NSW. Henry’s lifetime achievements have been recognised by becoming an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2000. In June 2016 he was the recipient of the international Ryman Prize for the world’s best advance or achievement that enhances quality of life for older people. He is a Paul Harris International Fellow and was awarded a Rotary Sydney Vocational Services Award. In 2015 he was honoured as a Fellow of the Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and in 2022 as Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences. In 2024 he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Australian Dementia Research Forum and presented at the National Press Club of Australia in July 2025.
“Ita has been a defining force in shaping Australia’s cultural and social landscape. This conversation will be both personal and profoundly relevant.”
