Welcome to the place where we store memories!
Photo Gallery is designed to showcase photo albums of members enjoying themselves in classes and activities. If you have photos to share, please either hand them to Reception addressed to the Publicity Officer (we will return them once scanned), or email them to: publicity@u3abentleigh.org.au.
Photo Archives is where we store the bulk of our precious photos for safe-keeping, including those showcased in Photo Gallery albums. Feel free to visit the Archives and download any that are of interest to you, either by clicking the link below or scanning the QR code on your mobile device.
Click here to visit Photo Archives
or scan the QR code with your mobile device >>
Come on, dust off the old Brownie Box, and start snapping! Check out the albums below.
Celebrating a very special birthday – Marie Del Din
The ‘Raccontarlo’ Italian conversation group, had a small birthday party today (Wed 17 Apr) for one of our members, Marie Del Din, who turned 90 years old this day.
Marie is not only a reliably regular participant in this class on Wednesday mornings, but has also been the Tutor for the ‘Parliamo Italiano’ course on Monday afternoons for many years. She is a stalwart of these Italian classes, and is often the organiser for her groups to attend the occasional movie or a luncheon at an authentic Italian venue.
And she bakes the most delicious Italian treats for us on occasions!
Marie, we all wish you a very Happy Birthday – or as the Italians would say … Buon compleanno cara!
North-East Victoria Art & History Tour – 4 Mar 2024
Thirty-four members plus some family and friends, departed on 4 March on a 5-day tour organized by the U3A Bentleigh Travel Club and put together by Designer Tours. Our first stop was Albury via Mansfield, along the very scenic Whitfield Road, through the Victorian High Country and the King Valley. Wine tasting, of course, was en route at Pizzini Winery.
Following a good night’s rest at the unique Albury Manor House Motel (featuring some rooms with four poster beds), we set off on a beautiful morning to tour the Bonegilla Migrant Centre, which played host to some 300,000 migrants after WWII, arriving between 1947 and 1971 to begin a new life in Australia. Some of our tour group had actually arrived at Bonegilla with their families, and were able to give us firsthand details about those experiences.
We continued our tour along the Murray Valley to Echuca for the next 3 nights. The highlight of the first night was a trivia challenge, with the groups being very competitive; this caused a lot of hilarity!
Day 3 in Echuca started with a tour of the historic port, followed – naturally – by a cruise on the paddle steamer. The afternoon was spent in the beer museum, which proved to be quite interesting. Many of us just came along because it was too hot to do anything else; but we never regretted it! Not only was the introduction to the collection of all sorts of rare memorabilia quite enjoyable, the spinning wheel – where each spin won a prize – was also very popular. We raised $95 for charity, and many of us left sporting new baseball caps. Dinner that night was quite an experience: carvery night at the Moama RSL Club. No complaints about the size of the serves slopped on your plate! – but no further comment.
Day 4 was the start of the Silo Art Trail, visiting Tungamah, Devenish, Goorambat and St. James, where we viewed the Sophia mural in the Uniting Church. The afternoon was dedicated to the historical elements at the Tatura Museum, which covers the history of the WWII internment camps located within the district.
These camps housed not only prisoners of war from Germany, Italy and Japan, but also “aliens” such as members of the German Templer community who had been living in Palestine for almost 100 years. They were regarded as aliens by the British, who needed the land for the establishment of the State of Israel, so most of them were deported to Australia. We were fortunate to have a member of this community with us who could explain the long and intricate history of this part of the word, and talk about life in the Tatura camp.
It was amazing how the communities in the camp built a life for themselves, running schools, workshops, cultural events, and growing food in their little plots. We saw beautifully-crafted toys, made with the aid of self-engineered and hand-built lathes and all sorts of tools.The Tatura Museum also has a section on the history of irrigation in the region, but we ran out of time to visit this.
Our last day took us again to visit some silo art, first in Rochester and then to Colbinabbin – the largest of the silos. After lunch by Lake Nagambie we arrived back to a sad farewell from some old and some new-found friends.
We are all looking forward to the next exciting offering of the U3A Bentleigh Travel Club.
We hope you enjoy the photos – Eva Schulz
Erika Fleming’s Farewell Party
Outgoing President Erika Fleming held a small party to celebrate her final term as President of U3A Bentleigh, and to thank members of the Committee of Management and others who helped her steer the organisation through some very difficult times.
Erika expects to remain an active member of the Committee, taking on the role of Publicity and Public Relations.
Christmas in July – Indian Style – Sat 22 Jul 2023
Christmas in July with a twist was held on Saturday 22 July 2023 in Media Room 41. This year’s twist was Indian Style, with the room transformed into a veritable Taj Mahal of colour and festivities, thanks to the great work of Sunila Chalwa and her exquisitely dressed team from the Indian Cooking class, and ably assisted by Corry Verroen and her team of experts.
The event was attended by 42 guests, who dined on a variety of mouth-watering Indian cuisine – and lots of them!
Here are some photos for those that missed out. Next year’s theme is already in the planning stages.
Here are just some of the people in Sunila’s Indian Cooking team who worked so hard to organise this wonderful day in the U3A Bentleigh calendar.
Glen Eira City Council 2023 Community Awards – Wed 17 May 2023
Each year Glen Eira City Council invites community groups and organisations to nominate volunteers who have made a significant contribution to community life in Glen Eira. In recognition of those contributions, Council held an event day on Wednesday 17 May to present a certificate of appreciation to those nominated. Congratulations to all!
Murder Most Foul – The Mystery @ U3A – Fri 5 May 2023
The amateur sleuths were out once again in force to try and solve another Murder Mystery in the hallowed halls of U3A Bentleigh. Here are some forensic photos of the group in preparation. A word of warning – these may not be suitable for the faint of heart!
Open Day – Sat 22 Apr 2023
Again, another very successful Open Day was held on a beautiful day full of sunshine and crowds of visitors. Our members provided entertainment galore, exhibitions of exquisite art and handcrafts, audiovisual presentations, refreshments and assisted membership. Thank you to all the members who participated in organising the event and manning the displays.
John Suhr’s 91st Birthday Celebrations
John Suhr celebrated his 91st birthday in style on Wed 5 Apr, with his wife Val, and members of the choir throwing a party. Congratulations, John, on reaching this milestone and thank you for your contribution to U3A Bentleigh, and for assisting and supporting Val and the choir all these years.
Table Tennis Christmas lunch
A great way for the Table Tennis group to finish off the year.
Annual General Meeting 2022
The Annual General Meeting for 2022 was held on Friday 25 November 2022, with a great turnout of members and a large number of Proxies lodged with the Secretary.
Here are some highlights from the day. Also, check out the names of the new Committee of Management here.
This year’s Guest Speaker at the AGM was Julie Walker from Moongala Community House, which recently relocated to the Moorleigh Community Village. Check them out at http://www.moongala.org.au/.
A milestone retirement – Rosemary Browning
After being the “backbone” of U3A Bentleigh for the past 27 years, most of that time as our indefatigable Courses Coordinator, Rosemary Browning has decided to retire from the Committee of Management and enjoy a more leisurely lifestyle. She’s not leaving … just passing the baton onto a “younger” generation.
A farewell tea party was held for her on Fri 18 Nov where some of her colleagues and friends were able to express their appreciation and share some anecdotes at her expense.
A complete report collated by Janet Lee can be read here.
Learn how to draw
U3A Bentleigh welcomes new drawing tutor Con Pothoulakis, who will return in 2023 to offer short introductory courses on drawing techniques, with demonstrations and examples of his work.
Classes will be held on Wednesday mornings, and have so far proven to be very popular.
Warragul getaway – what a HOOT!
The U3A Bentleigh Victoria Travel Group organised a wonderful 3-day Spring Break in Warragul on 25-28 October 2022. Here is a report from Erika Fleming, President U3A Bentleigh, with some photos highlighting the great time everyone had. Make sure you are part of the next event!
“Despite the weather, 10 of us managed to have a great time in and around Warragul. The rain gods were, on the whole, good, and confined themselves to overnight and while we were travelling between one venue and another. The cabins at the park were clean and the BBQ facility excellent.
Some of the highlights:
Broughton Gardens Jindivick – stunning perfumed Blue Rugosa bushes, Yellow garden, wonderful views.
Loch – a quaint village with boutique shops which we thoroughly explored.
Lady Lavener’s Tea Garden with an excellent souvenir shop attached – very reasonably priced.
The HOOT – a couple of singalongs ably led by Larry on electric guitar. We managed to mangle our way very loudly through many favourites of the 60’s, and Boo-Wopped with the best of them. Am thinking of starting a new career as a back-up singer with a band – just need to find the right band!”
Participants in the Spring Break in Warragul were: Priya & Sheryl, Kathy & Larry, Rachel & Shai, Corrie & Olive, Pat & Erika
Our own “Antiques Roadshow”
As part of the special activities during Seniors Week, U3A Bentleigh hosted its own version of Antiques Roadshow – we called ours “Antiques Appraisal” – and it was a great success.
Here are some highlights with our expert appraiser, Arthur Simpson, a retired valuer and auctioneer of
antiques who kindly offered his expertise, and some very excited members. Have they just discovered a priceless family heirloom? Who knows!
Summerset U3A Painting Competition
Wednesday 21 September 2022 saw the presentation of prizes to some lucky entrants in the Summerset U3A Painting Competition. Representing Summerset in awarding the prizes were Simon Hicks, Senior Development Manager, Bridget Huolohan, Communications Consultant, together with our own President, Erika Fleming.
Summerset provide and operate Retirement Villages and Premium Aged Care facilities across New Zealand, and now have expanded into Australia with one of its first villages being planned for Oakleigh South. We appreciate very much their support for this painting competition, and wish them all the best with their expansion across the ditch. For more information visit their website www.summerset.com.au.
Sausage Sizzle for everyone
After a small Sausage Sizzle in August for Tutors and volunteer staff, we had a BIG Sausage Sizzle for all members on Monday 12 September. Here a a few photos to enjoy.
Christmas in July … in August
A small but enthusiastic group of members and friends came along to celebrate Christmas in July – which unfortunately was postponed till August due to COVID.
Our volunteers organised, shopped, prepared, cooked and served a huge meal, the highlights of which were Danice’s pumpkin soup (wonderful); my crispy roast potatoes (my first foray in using an electric oven); Jan’s berry crumble (delicious); and Ann’s trifles (a work of art).
Marg calmly acted as drink waitress extraordinaire; there was the look of delight on the face of the man who won the air fryer (generously donated by Angela); and the enthusiasm with which people entered into the spirit of the Christmas Trivia (developed by Ann).
Background music collated and provided by Nick (thank you); and decoration by Janet and Ann (well done, ladies).
The low point … my feet killing me at the end of the day. All-in-all, a wonderful event and thank you to everyone involved.
ERIKA FLEMING, President, U3A Bentleigh
Happy 99th Birthday, Pamela!
Our most senior member, Pamela Nicholls, celebrated her 99th birthday at U3A Bentleigh on 10 August, with a group of friends throwing a surprise party. Pamela is still an active member, currently participating in Creative Writing and The History of Spain. We wish her more happy years as a Bentleigh member!
Basic Life Support Class – Fri 22 Jul 2022
Sarah Park teaches students at the Chisholm Institute campus at La Trobe University, and very kindly volunteered to give us a class on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Our thanks go out to the Chisholm Institute for loaning us their equipment.
Assisted by her husband Paul, Sarah provided the group with very clear instructions on how to save the life of a loved one or a stranger. It was a very lively and informative class (with no tests to undertake), and focused on providing CPR to adults, including airway management.
The group, who initially were concerned about their own strength and ability to perform CPR, were very pleased to discover that if your arms and back got tired while waiting for the ambulance (which these days could take a very long time), then a person could alternate between using their arms and their feet!
Here is a CPR Fact Sheet you might like to print and keep handy
Open Day – Sat 25 Jun 2022
