In the late 1990s a small group of women, keen to ‘think about things’, started to study philosophy together in a Nambucca Heads living room.
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Hyland Park’s Barbara Box was one of them.
Over in another pocket of the shire, the late Joy Erikson and some others were getting together to make music.
It didn’t take long for the two groups to join and with a founding head count of 17, in July 1998 U3A Nambucca Valley was formed.
“We only had six or seven courses then – History of Art, of Music, Watercolours, a 12 week Grief and Loss course and Share Trading with meetings held mostly in people’s homes,” Barbara recalls.
Twenty years on and approaching her 89th birthday Barbara is now a U3A life member and still holds meetings in her home.
“That first philosophy group has morphed into a Buddhist discussion group … we discuss different books, decided by whatever ideas come up at the time.”
Today U3A Nambucca Valley has a membership of almost 400 seniors and is without a doubt the largest volunteer non-profit organisation in the Valley … with the largest membership per head of population of any U3A in NSW.
An advantage of getting older is you have the time to indulge your interests
- Barbara Box
This semester the organisation offered 50 courses – well and truly something for everyone, or as Barbara puts it, “we are nothing if not versatile”.
“I have met so many different people and had the opportunity to pursue so many different interests … in fact, there are too many choices and things fall on days when I am already busy!”
On Tuesday, July 17, at 2pm, U3A Nambucca Valley will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the auditorium of the Nambucca Heads RSL, awarding life membership to two members who were present at the first meeting and who are still members.
* The Open Day for the next semester is on July 25 with an equally wide choice of courses for the remainder of 2018. Annual membership is $20.