Network Conference 2023 – Page 2 – U3A Network Queensland

Mahjong group donates $500 to conference success

01/03/2023

U3A Rockhampton’s successful Expo at the Frenchville Sports Club in February Mahjong players showed their support for the Network State Conference by donating $500 to help defray costs of staging the conference in Rockhampton

Pictured above, Cynthia Drane, coordinator of the Tuesday and Friday Mahjong groups, presents a cheque to Henry Cope, Chairperson of the Conference 2023 organising committee.

Mahjong players pay $2 each time they play towards afternoon tea supplies and venue hire. With increasing numbers attending mahjong, any surplus funds at the end of each year is donated to a good cause.

This year, it was decided that excess funds would go towards the Network Queensland Conference and 50^th Anniversary celebration!

Meet and Greet at Rockhampton Museum of Art

01/03/2023

The Rockhampton Museum of Art (RMOA) is celebrating its first anniversary, which makes it a fitting venue for the first official celebration of 50 years of U3A. RMOA are looking forward to hosting the ‘Meet and Greet’ function where members of U3A from Queensland and interstate will join with international delegates and representatives from government and industry to celebrate U3A’s 50^th Anniversary.

U3A President Cheryl Wickes and Rockhampton Mayor Tony Williams will welcome delegates from 5.30pm on Monday, May 8 for an evening of socialising and networking, with background music by a quartet of young musicians.

Catering will include canapés by the Hummingbird Cafe and drinks will be available at the restaurant bar.

A highlight of the evening will be the People’s Choice judging of the U3A Network Art Competition.

As a special treat for delegates wearing their conference lanyards, Capricorn Carriages will have the option of taking a short tour in a horse drawn carriage of historic Quay Street – the longest stretch of historical listed buildings in Australia – and take in the sights of the city. There will be short, guided walking tours of the surrounding area to learn of some of the less known shady aspects of early Rockhampton along with guided tours of the Art Gallery.

U3A Rockhampton President Chery Wickes said those attending the Meet and Greet will be able to meet up with old friends and make new ones while exploring the art gallery, best seen at night nestled next to the historic Customs House.

For most of 2022, RMOA staged its first major exhibition drawn from RMOA’s diverse and nationally significant collection of artworks. It includes acquisitions from 67 artists, and the collection highlighted 75 artworks.

Placed alongside Tunuba (Fitzroy River), with Nurim (Mount Archer) in the distance, these landmarks shape Darumbal Country upon which the museum stands today. Locals describe RMOA as the home of a nationally significant painting collection acquired in the 1970s in an acquisition coup, driven by then Mayor of Rockhampton, Rex Pilbeam.

Transport options for Rockhampton conference

28/02/2023

Delegates to the U3A Network Conference in Rockhampton in May will have several transport options to make their stay even more enjoyable. The main transport options will be with CQConnections that will provide free transport to conference venues and other choices to experience the delights of the Rockhampton region.

Arriving and Departing Rockhampton

If you are travelling to and from Rockhampton by plane, train or bus, and require a transfer to your accommodation, CQConnections (bus service) is available (at your own expense). Contact Paul Neubecker on 0422 805 922 or www.cqconnections.com.au to make arrangements prior to your arrival.

Transport During the Conference

During the three days of the conference, CQConnections will provide courtesy buses free of charge to transport delegates from designated pickup points in the city to Central Queensland University and to the evening venues. If you will require this service, please check this service on the registration form or contact the planning committee on conference@u3arocky.au. Closer to the conference date you will be contacted with nearest pickup points and timetables.

Public Transport

Sunbus provides a local bus service in Rockhampton. Visit their website, sunbus.com.au/Rockhampton or phone (07) 4396 1002 for details.

Two taxi companies are available, Black and White Cabs blackandwhitecabs.com.au, phone 13 32 22, and Yellow Cabs phone 13 19 24.

Optional Tours before and after the Conference

Optional tours are being arranged, with assistance from CQConnections, to give delegates the opportunity to explore this beautiful region. Details of these tours will be posted on the conference website as they become available.

If you are interested in taking a tour or require further information contact CQConnections Paul Neubecker on 0422 805 922 or www.cqconnections.com.au.

Paul Neubecker, the principal of CQConnections, is looking forward to transporting Conference guests to and from venues and touring the Rockhampton districts. Having grown up in Central Queensland, Paul knows the best places to visit and has a sound knowledge of the tourist sector.

“For most of my life, all I wanted to do was travel the world and work in hospitality”, Paul said .

“My entire focus is on building a company into something that the region has never seen before, with a fleet of buses and vans to accommodate any size group. I have built a relationship with both main tourism bodies in the region, Advance Rockhampton and Capricorn Enterprise.”

Also part of the CQConnections team is Kylie Johnston, a descendant of Australian South Sea Islanders and of first nations people, Bailai (Byelle), whose lands run from the mouth of the Fitzroy at Keppel Bay, south to Gladstone and the mouth of the Boyne River, and inland to Mount Morgan.

Kylie grew up in Emu Park and attended schools on the Capricorn Coast and is a driver with the company.

Pictured above: Paul Neubecker, Kylie Johnston and Phil Arger.

Network Art Competition now open

07/02/2023

Calling all U3A Artists! The U3A Network Queensland Art Exhibition is now open, to showcase the talents of our U3A artists to a national and international audience at the U3A Network Queensland State Conference in Rockhampton 8 -11 May 2023.

Our Arts Committee and judges are ready to start judging the competition that will be major part of the Conference, and the Conference Organising Team are excited to be exhibiting the talents of U3A artists in this the 50th Anniversary of U3A worldwide.

Prizes for the competition are: Winner $200, Runner Up $150 and People’s Choice $50.

Artists may submit entries and upload photos of their work online or send via email.

For more information about the competition and how to enter go to the Art Competition page here.

Register now for Conference 2023

31/01/2023

Registrations are now open to attend this year’s Network Queensland State Conference in Rockhampton 8 – 11 May 2023, featuring celebrations of 50 years of U3A worldwide.

This is an historic event for U3A and judging by the line-up of excellent guest speakers and the wonderful events organised by the U3A Rockhampton conference organising team it is a once in a lifetime event for U3A members and affiliated support organisations.

Register early and you could win the Early Bird Prize: a refund of your registration costs for Days 1 and 2 of the conference.
Value $110. The only condition is that you have registered for these two days of the conference before 31 March 2023.

To find out more about Conference 2023 please go to the main Conference Page:

U3A Network Queensland State Conference & 50 Years of U3A Celebrations

To register for the Conference and the associated Events please go to the Registrations Page.

Conference 2023 Registration Page

IAUTA celebrates 50 years

19/01/2023

A moment in U3A history was celebrated recently when Professor François Vellas, President of the International Association of Universities of the Third Age (IAUTA), chaired the opening of the 50th Anniversary of the Universities of Third Age in Toulouse, France on January 17th, 2023.

IAUTA brings together U3As from all the continents. For five decades IAUTA has defended elderly people’s cause through lifelong education by means of university exchanges and, above all, innovations in the fields of education and scientific research in order for everyone to find their place in society.

In Australia, U3As offer much more than academic pursuits having developed a more holistic lifestyle approach, expanding the courses and activities that people who are no longer working full time can choose including activities in the arts, wellness, fitness and a whole range of other life-fulfilling pursuits.

A major objective of U3A is to mitigate some of the more damaging effects of ageing, enabling older Australians to age mentally strong and leading a healthy, active life.

Present at the 50th Anniversary meeting were Montse Amoros, AIUTA GB Member, President U3A Alto Palanci, SPAIN with Albert Evrard Sj, ICT, BELGIUM and Yves Marre, BANGLADESH participates to this ceremony with Gaetan Veyrent and seniors students from Toulouse U3A.

The 50th anniversary will be celebrated in the six continents Africa, Americas, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia Pacific with AIUTA participating in events in 2023 Turkey, Australia, Chile and in 2024 Nigeria, France, Tunisia and India/China.

Pictured above: Professor François Vellas, President of IAUTA opens the U3A 50th Anniversary meeting in Toulouse, France.

Impressive lineup of speakers for Network Conference

04/01/2023

Delegates attending the U3A Network State Conference 8 -11 May 2023 will be informed and entertained by an impressive lineup of speakers from different backgrounds and specialities but will focus on the effects and challenges as we age. Here a list of speakers to date:

Professor Francois VELLAS – “U3A in the Beginning and our Future”

Professor François Vellas is the President of the International Association of Universities of Third Age (AIUTA) and Director of the University of Third Age (U3A) of Toulouse, France

Claire BLAKE – “Where is Medical Research taking us?”

Claire Blake is a broadcast media specialist with more than 25 years’ experience in both radio and television. Claire will update delegates to the conference on some amazing new clinical trials happening right now in Brisbane at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

Dr Eddy ROCCATI – “Continuous Learning and the positive effects on the Brain”

Dr Eddy Roccati is a Research Fellow at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania. Eddy’s work revolves around modifiable risk factors for dementia.

Dr Anthony LYNHAM – “Our Future in Energy”

The Honourable Dr Anthony Lynham is a maxillofacial surgeon with extensive experience in ministerial and policy oversight of Queensland’s major publicly owned utilities and key infrastructure projects.

Colin MADDOCKS – “Age Friendly Communities”

Colin is a Volunteer and Advocate with EveryAGE Counts. The EveryAGE Counts campaign vision is ‘a society where every person is valued, connected and respected regardless of age and health’.

Robert TICKNER AO – “Age Friendly Communities”

Robert Co-Chair of EveryAGE Counts. He is a former Acting Under Secretary General of the International Red Cross and former Chief Executive of Australian Red Cross.

Josephine REOCH – “Spare Parts for the Human Body”

My heart will go on, and on, and on… The Fourth Age. Josephine has worked in hospitals for more than 33 years, and in the critical care field for most that time.

Ritesh CHUGH – “Social Media Impacts on the Third Age”

Ritesh is an Associate Professor in Information and Communication Technologies at CQUniversity’s School of Engineering and Technology. His research as an information systems socio-technological expert focuses on the social role of emerging information systems and their influence on humans and organisations in real-world settings.

Dr Amanda REBAR – “Can you teach an old dog new Behaviors?”

Amanda is director of the Motivation of Health Behaviours Lab and Associate Professor of Psychology at Central Queensland University, Australia. Her research focuses on the psychology of behavioural change and the impact of changes in behaviour on mental health and wellbeing.

Countdown to Network State Conference

04/01/2023

It’s time to start planning to attend the 2023 U3A Network State Conference in Rockhampton 8 – 11 May 2023. Registrations for the Conference open 1 February 2023.

The highlight of this year’s Conference is a two-day celebration of 50 years of U3A worldwide including a gala 50th Anniversary Dinner on Tuesday evening, 9th May. This is an historic event not to be missed.

The Conference Organising Committee are organising a celebration of what 50 years of U3A has meant to the world, and they have booked an impressive lineup of guest speakers who will provide delegates with informative and interesting presentations on a range of subjects of keen interest to seniors in particular but also to the broader community.

And what a great place to celebrate U3A. Rockhampton is booming; a modern throwback to the heydays of Queensland’s colonial past, offering cosmopolitan conveniences in a contemporary riverside setting. And when the sun sets on the mighty Fitzroy River, premium dining can be found along the heritage-listed streets, with some of the best steak houses, restaurants, pubs, clubs and cocktail bars found anywhere in regional Queensland.

So, save the the date for the Conference and be ready to register for this celebration of all things U3A.

Art Competition features at May State Conference

02/01/2023

Calling all U3A Artists! Now is the time for U3A artists to start planning for their entry in the U3A Network Queensland Art Exhibition, and to showcase their talent to an international audience at the U3A Network Queensland State Conference in Rockhampton 8 -11 May 2023.

Our Arts Committee and judges are planning for the 2023 Arts Competition to be a major part of the Conference, and the Conference Organising Team are excited to be exhibiting the talents of U3A artists in this the 50th Anniversary of U3A worldwide.

Prizes for the competition are: Winner $200, Runner Up $150 and People’s Choice $50.

The competition is set to launch on 1 February 2023 when entries may be submitted so, artists, it’s time to think about your creative art work that you will enter in this year’s competition.

For more information on the competition and how to enter go to the Art Competition page here.

Conference Registrations open 1 February 2023

01/01/2023

Only days to go before registrations open for the historic U3A Network State Conference 2023 in Rockhampton 8 -11 May 2023 featuring two days of celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary of U3A worldwide along with the Network Queensland AGM.

From 1 February 2023 you can register for the Conference here.