U3A Network Victoria is the peak body for 108 Member U3As representing around 38,000 members.
It is often said that ‘from little things big things grow’ and that is true for how the U3A movement in Victoria, Australia began.
Four friends were sitting having coffee at a gerontology conference in Melbourne in 1984. Each independently had experienced the development of the U3A movement in Europe and were enthusiastic about the movement that seemed to offer an opportunity to address the neglect of the educational needs and aspirations of older Australians.
A public meeting was held later that year to assess the interest from retired members of the community. The venue was filled to capacity. The four friends answered numerous questions and it became clear that the notion of a self-managed education program operated for and by older people had struck a cord. An interim committee of volunteers was formed and a plan of action developed. Within a very short time four U3As were established.
From these four U3As established in 1984, the movement has grown to 109 across Metropolitan and Rural Victoria with around 38,000 members in 2018. Each U3A is an independent body operating under an elected Committee of Management. Members pay an annual subscription fee to join which ranges between $25 and $100 and entitles members to join as many classes as they wish. For further information about the history of the U3A movement in Victoria, please click here.
For 2019, U3A Network Victoria Committee and committee conveners are:
Network Committee
Photo credit: Dianne McCormack - U3A Knox 'Knox Acrylics'
President Susan Webster, U3A Box Hill
Vice President Del Stitz, U3A Glen Eira
Vice President Glen Wall, U3A Whittlesea
Secretary Carol Neumann, U3A Hobsons Bay - Williamstown
Treasurer Debra Forbes, U3A Nilumbik
Committee members
Stephen Damm - U3A Knox
Helen Elliott, U3A Box Hill
Lynne Hall-Cavanagh, U3A Ararat
Neil Head - U3A Brimbank
Russell Huntington, U3A Melbourne City
Pauline O'Brien, U3A Moreland
Photo credit: Allan Fowler - U3A Whittlesea 'Thursday Bike RIde'
U3A Committees and Conveners
Convenor U-MAS Support Team and Website Template Project
Kevin Whelan, U3A Whittlesea
Finance Committee
Susan Webster
Planning Convenor
Del Stitz, U3A Glen Eira
Regions Committee
Neil Shaw, U3A Prom Coast
Our Support Team
Administration Manager Tracey Swadling
Development and Support Officer Anne Grigg, U3A Kingston
Project Officer Sue Cullen
Network’s representatives may be contacted through the Network Office on (03) 9670 3659 or via info@u3avictoria.com.au.