Ken Johns
Ken’s professional career was in business management in South Australia, mainly in the electrical industry. For many years he also conducted (part time) various management classes and Professional Development courses for various Management Consultants in Adelaide, on topics including negotiation skills, time management and marketing management. Ken is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute.
Since his retirement, he has pursued a number of other interests in both Philosophy and Psychology. Ken is currently a Tutor in both of these topics. He is also a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance and the International Association for the Study of Dreams.
Philosophy, Life and Big Ideas (with Alexandra Hayes)
Magrit Johnson
French Continuing (3)
Helen Kellaway
Movie Nostalgia (with Kathleen Bambridge & Raelene Wilsdon)
Ana Luthe
Spanish Intermediate (3), Spanish Let’s Speak (4)
Maria Macdonald
Italian Conversation Thursday (4)
Italian Conversation Tuesday (4)
Erica Martens
I arrived in Adelaide in 1970, planned to stay for three years. I did under- and postgraduate study in the humanities followed by a varied career in teaching in schools and universities. Lived overseas and interstate for long periods of time. I am currently focused on writing, gardening, helping raise twin boys and keeping in touch with my native language.
I am a native speaker and have taught German in High Schools and University in the 1970s and 80s. Have recently relocated to Adelaide from Melbourne. I have participated in Melbourne’s City U3A for years.
German Conversation
Peter Martin
Peter’s training was in the ecological sciences. This led to a career with CSIRO and Cooperative Research Centres in Adelaide and Canberra as a science journalist and communications manager. He remains active in various conservation and scientific groups and is currently President of the SA-NT Branch of SPA. He will give several of the six lectures.
A Sustainable SA
(with James Ward, Jane O’Sullivan, Philip Lawn & Andrew Kitto)
Pauline McCreery
Since retiring at the beginning of 2009 I have been busier than ever before. I can devote more time to image based computing, to travel, to playing croquet, to learning French, to.…you name it! I love theatre, travel, reading, good food and wine and being a grandmother. I am a past President and past webmaster for U3A Adelaide and continue to serve on both the Programme Committee and the Board. I have recently relinquished my commitment as U3A-Adelaide delegate to U3A SA, the peak body for U3A in South Australia. Until the end of 2019, I continue as their webmaster. It is wonderful to be able to continue with my love of both learning and teaching.
GIMP It!, Start Your Photobook
Walpurga Page
Hand and Foot Canasta
Susila Palaniappan
Art Exploration
Leonie Pike
Art for Pleasure (with John Griffiths)
Lyn Porter
In semi-retirement, Lyn is enjoying living her two passions: Circle Dancing and Professional Counselling both of which carry a healing component and focus on group process and relationship.
Lyn graduated with a Science Degree and began her professional career as one of the first female geologists in Australia to work for private enterprise. Marrying a geologist and raising a family through many interstate and overseas moves gave her an opportunity for many lifestyles and career experiences as a High School Maths teacher and Mineral Exploration Information specialist. Return to Adelaide and career change for her husband prompted Lyn to transition into Professional Counselling via Lifeline training and Masters degree in Social Science. She gained rich experiences as a Lifeline Telephone Counsellor and Supervisor, Personal Support Program Caseworker working with the long-term unemployed, on women’s issues as a Counsellor at Women’s Community Centre, and through her private Counselling practice continues to offer support to family Carers as a brokered Counsellor to Carers SA and to employed people through sponsored EAP Counselling. Lyn has been enjoying Circle Dancing since 2002 and stepped up to leading and teaching upon the sudden death of previous teacher in 2011. She has Cert IV TAA as well as Circle Dance training from UK master teachers Mandy de Winter, Judy King and Andy Bettis as well as Australian teachers Krista Sands, Judith Keller & others.
Circle Dancing
Alex Pouw-Bray (M.A. PhD Dip. Ed.)
I was born in country Western Australia, in 1945, and completed my secondary education at boarding school in Perth. I have a Masters degree from the University of Washington in Seattle and a PhD from Flinders University both in the History of Education field. I have taught in a wide variety of educational settings in Western Australia, Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, and in South Australia. I was Head of History at Scotch College Adelaide from 1990 until 2009, and have published articles in history of education periodicals, and presented papers on a range of topics at various
conferences in Australia.
I have a lifelong love of playing cards that began with learning cardplay from my grandmother. I have played Bridge for 44 years, am a member of the South Australian Bridge Association and hold the status of Local Master. I enjoy sharing my knowledge of playing bridge with others and experienced success in this with the Adelaide U3A Beginners Bridge group in 2019.
Bob Rabbitt
My interest in music began in the early 1950s, I was about 11 years old, when my father used to work in the garden on Saturday afternoons and he would bring our big radio outside so that he could listen to the football while he worked. Following the football, which I believe was probably on radio station 5KA, there was a music programme which would play the hit songs of that time. Some of the artists I remember hearing were Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell, Doris Day, Johnny Ray, Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford, Marty Robbins and so on. Also, when I went to visit my aunty and uncle, who had a big phonogram and record player, they would play their LP records of the musicals of the 1950s. As I grew into my teenage years, music gained more significance. At home we had a small mantle radio and in the evenings, as we washed and dried the dishes, I was able to listen to the music of the Platters, Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, etc., etc.
I think sometime during 1959, my father bought a small record player, which was hugely exciting for me. Then, when I left school, I could buy my favourite 45rpm singles as they came on the hit parade .….. and so I started my record collection. My girlfriend used to work at John Martins and, every week, she would bring me the 5AD Top 40 charts. She was so good at doing this that, eventually, I asked her to marry me.
Now, over 50 years later, she doesn’t bring me the Top 40 charts but she does have a habit of saying to me, “Would you please turn that music down!”
For the Record (with Adriaan van der Wyst)
Pamela Rajkowski
Australia’s Cameleers, Fascinating Poland
Ann Rees
I have been teaching music for more than 50 years, always with the desire to enable people of all ages and abilities to enjoy and gently extend their knowledge, understanding and pleasure. Recreational music-making is uplifting in many ways and group music is satisfying socially, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. Sometimes it is just plain fun! I played in my first recorder ensemble when I was 13 years old, have been hooked ever since, and have no intention of stopping now.
Recorder Group
Evelyn Robertson
Current Film Club 1
Tom Rohling
Why Australia Prospered?
Meredith Ross
Gallery Insights 1, 2 and 3
Waltraud Schmidt
Before moving from Germany to Adelaide in 1992, I taught German, English and Geography at the German-French High School in Freiburg. While living in the USA for a few years in the early eighties, I had the opportunity to learn how to make pottery.
In 1995 I joined the WEA and taught German from ‘Beginners’ to ‘Advanced Conversation’ until 2010. In 2013 I started to teach ‘German for Beginners’ at U3A.
I also was a tour guide at the South Australian Museum for 24 years.
German Elementary (2), German Language and Culture (4)
Renate Shanahan
I was born in Germany and lived there during my school years, came to Australia in 1957 and got married to an Australian in 1958.
After spending some years building a house and having a family, I entered the Sturt Teachers College, later incorporated into Flinders University, as a mature age student and trained to become a teacher of German and Religious Education, while working part time as an emergency teacher.
Having achieved my B.Ed., I taught in several high schools at all levels for a total of 22 years. After my retirement I spent my time catching up on my hobbies, quilting, singing in a choir, practicing Yoga, walking in a group and also with my dog. One day, one of my walking friends, who was attending courses in the U3A asked, whether I was willing to tutor Advanced German there, since the present tutor was ill. I said yes — that was in 2005, and I am still here.
My aim in teaching German here is to make this subject interesting and fun at the same time.
German Intermediate (3)
John Slaytor
After graduating from Adelaide University (B.A., Dip. Ed.), John taught in high schools for a few years before returning to do a Master’s degree in Climatology. For the next 15 years or so he taught student teachers and, during this time, also did a B.Sc. John spent several extended periods overseas in institutions in Holland (Earth Sciences) and England (Land Management). For the last 10 years before retiring he was Senior Lecturer in park management at the University of S.A. He is a Life Member of both the Aust. Meteorological Association and the Royal Geographical Society of S.A.
So how is it that he’s running a course in Spanish? Well, since student days he has had an interest in foreign languages, but the opportunity to study only Latin formally at University. Yet this, coupled with a certain fascination with grammar (English and Latin) arising from its importance in his education in the mid-twentieth century, was of great help as a renewed interest in languages arose when he retired. Intrigued by the Graeco-Latin origins of the Romance languages, and spurred on by partner Mary, together they did SACE Spanish via the School of Languages. This is his only formal qualification in Spanish. So, rather than being a tutor, he regards himself as a coordinator of a group of like-minded autodidacts, still of modest Spanish conversational skills, but very enthusiastic, who are mostly refugees from the legendary Silvia Lang’s Spanish class and who, after her retirement, wanted to continue in the same way the study of the beautiful Spanish language, its literature, and culture.
Spanish Literature and Grammar (3)
David Smith
Wine Exploring
Dianne Schwarz
Let’s Keep Talking (Convenor)
Julanne Sweeney
Born Julanne Drynan on dairy farm near Beaudesert. All Hallows School Brisbane. B.A. Dip. Ed. 1957. 1st class English Hons 1986 UQ. 1958–2002 High School teaching in FNQ [Yeronga 1983–86] and cattle farming at Mena Creek with former husband Fabian; establishing native tree plantations from 1980s. Political campaigns (1972!) and environmental protests for Barrier Reef and World Heritage Wet Tropics.
At Cairns High 1958–9 encouraged debating for Pat O’Shane, first Aboriginal magistrate; in Townsville taught with Eddie Mabo at controversial Black Community School 1972–3; awarded Qld Multicultural Medal 1995(?) for voluntary community cultural activism in Innisfail area. Shakespeare specialist Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe (director Dr Bryan Nason) is still based in a hut (seen in new Oz film CELESTE) near my Tropic Valley waterfall on the Cassowary Coast.
At the birth of my wonderful Down syndrome granddaughter Isadora in 2002, I moved to Adelaide where 3 of my 5 children work in professional arts world. The other two are practising educators in visual and performing arts interstate. A great privilege [to top off a teaching career] has been to work with inspiring refugees, migrants and their teachers at the Adelaide Secondary School of English.
The exhilarating challenge of tutoring the Shakespeare Reading group at U3A came in 2014 when the youngest of 6 Adelaide granddaughters left Kindy ( pick-ups still almost daily!). My cognitive world changed: new wealth in profound texts is shared fortnightly. Neglected books (for Poetry and other U3A reading groups) jump off my shelves.
Shakespeare Play Reading
John Travers
My career was largely in education, and most of it was as principal of Area and Primary schools. My final role in the Education Department was as Manager of the Technology School of the Future which was the culmination of an interest in gadgets, from reel to reel tape recorder to today’s plethora of devices. In retirement I have been taking classes at Mitcham Library and U3A in the iPad and other liberating applications of technology, especially for elderly people. I manage the U3A website.
How to set up a travel blog (2020 session 2)
Gail Umehara
Japanese Conversation (2–4)
Aura Valli
Italian Continuing (3)
Adriaan van der Wyst
Takes the “For the Record” class with his co-presenter, Bob Rabbitt. He also presents occasional lectures on topics in the science field.
Adriaan taught maths and science in SA secondary schools for eight years before working in the Education Department in Research and Planning and in Personnel for thirty years. His main interests are music, philosophy, history, religion and bushwalking and golf.
For the Record (with Bob Rabbitt), The Boy from Oz
Laure Vincent-Allard
As a free-lance consultant and lecturer, Laure has combined her wide-ranging knowledge of European Art History (24 years as a conference-guide in French Historic sites and for private companies and 15 years as an Art History teacher) with her 18-year domestic and international experience as a trainers’ supervisor and team leader.
She has a Bachelor degree in Art history and Archaeology with honours, and various diplomas and certificates in guiding/lecturing and in management. She has provided lectures, conferences, led workshops and training in both European Art and Team Leadership (from stress management to training improvement, just to name a few). She specialises in expanding creativity, challenging intellectual and emotional perspective and building self-confidence with humour and kindness.
Laura’s website:- www.thewittyscope.weebly.com
French Perspective Française, Watercolour Affairs
Steve Walsh
At the Movies — Steve, Adventures in Film Music
Ann Warner
French Advanced (4)
Raelene Wilsdon
Raelene began her working life at the Electricity Trust, then moved to an Accountant’s office for the next 9 years until her first child arrived. After 11 years at home with her family, doing volunteer work in the school library, she returned to the workforce as a site secretary on several large building sites around Adelaide and the last 20 working years as Office Manager and Human Resource Officer in a large civil engineering company. Raelene enjoys travelling with her husband, reading, painting, theatre, cooking and the many history discussions held at the U3A. Raelene is on the Board of U3A Adelaide.
Movie Nostalgia (with Kathleen Bambridge and Helen Kellaway)
Athena Zaknic
My passion is music and live theatre.I also love the movies and have done so since my teenage years.Ar U3A I am very lucky to have a very enthusiastic group that I take to the movies monthly. This is followed by lunch and a vigorous discussion about the movie.Quite a number of my selections tend to be foreign films if I decide the quality warrants this choice. I welcome new members to join us.
Monday Movie Club