The Internet is a funny thing, you really can't tell the tone of the conversation until something goes south. For the record, there was nothing offensive in any of the beginning posts offering help and knowledge gathered over YEARS of experience. Yes, introducing yourself would help, but this forum is such a wealth of information that there was nothing in your question that a thorough search couldn't have answered. Also, the protectiveness of the recipes is understandable, given the time and effort of researching and experimenting that takes years to attain, and giving it away willy nilly would be a waste of that time and effort. Stating that you've chosen to host a demo at such an early stage of soap making would, undoubtedly, sound the alarms to an experienced soap maker. All it takes is one bar of poorly made soap to ruin ones perception of what real homemade soap should be, and that can damage business owners in the area. Being in Australia does not negate that effect, this is an international forum. I do applaud your desire to want a good recipe and your willingness to explore the knowledge soaping forums can give. With enough experimentation and research, you should be alright by the time you do your demo. Not nearly ready enough to teach it, IMHO, but certainly knowledgable enough to guide through the beginning stages of soap making. Good luck!
(None of this post should be taken as snark, merely information that I have garnered over the past couple of years of creating awesome shtuff!)