U3A Ballarat in Ballarat, Victoria | Education

U3A Ballarat

Locality: Ballarat, Victoria

Phone: +61 431 859 315

Address: 702 Walker Street, Ballarat North 3350 Ballarat, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.u3aballarat.org.au

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25.01.2022 "Single central Victorians who live alone will soon be able to visit with one other person in the home. After Sunday, September 13, single people can nominate one other person to form part of their social bubble, a way the Victorian government says will support people who may be feeling isolated while balancing the risk of COVID-19 transmission."

25.01.2022 Might be of interest to our #U3ABallaratHistorians: "Our speaker is Mark Beasley, Manager of the Geelong Heritage Centre, Collection and Services. Mark has assisted in research and appeared as an expert on television programs nationally and internationally, including Who Do You Think You Are? Australian Series in 2016 (Series 8) and Can We Help? ABC Television (2008). He will also tell us about some recent projects that he has led, including Geelong Honours Them, a project that set out to digitally photograph all the WW1 Honour Boards in Geelong and district, including the Golden Plains Shire. You can check this out at: https://geelonghonoursthem.grlc.vic.gov.au/ For those who would like to join us, click on the link above."

24.01.2022 #NationalWomensHealthWeek WOMEN of all ages in Ballarat are prepared to find new ways to make a little more time for themselves, a booming community health festival focused on females showed this last year. Ballarat Community Healths Catherine Kennedy said the pandemic might have changed lifestyles and what was possible, but the key messages were the same: physical health, mental health and healthy eating should still be a priority for all women. Make Your Move festival is b...Continue reading

24.01.2022 Move over #TheJetsons ;) "Weve all seen old science fiction films where, in the future, people are zipping around on their flying cars. Well, the future is now! In Japan, the Toyota-backed startup SkyDrive conducted the first public run of their flying vehicle. Whizzing around the Toyota test field, the single passenger flying car made quite an impression."

24.01.2022 "Be wary of scams when looking to purchase a bargain or Christmas gifts online, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is warning. The warning comes as the ACCC revealed that online shopping scams have increased by 42 per cent this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, with more people relying on the internet to make purchases."

24.01.2022 Bush tucker and other things

24.01.2022 #Artlovers "Italian artist Peter Demetz brings ordinary wood to life with his incredible, hand-carved figures. The sculptures, which vary in size from about 20 inches to nearly 50 inches tall, feature men, women, and children standing still against a plain, sometimes-colored background. Demetzs attention to detail is awe-inspiring. Hes able to shape tiny folds in clothing, reproduce loose strands of hair, and define the human anatomy so well that youd think these figures really exist."

23.01.2022 A PHOTOGRAPH taken by a Trentham photographer will feature in an exhibition documenting life amid coronavirus across the globe. Sandy Scheltema has travelled all around the world through her career as a photojournalist. She has captured the very best and worst of humanity - from politicians kissing babies to the aftermath of genocide, child labour, soldiers, social inequity and injustices - and has always hoped her images have motivated people to act, or at least be aware of ...Continue reading

23.01.2022 Forget the #FathersDay card? Its been challenging to get out and about, so if youve run out of time to grab him a Fathers Day card, dont worry weve got you covered! Just download this fun #BeKind card you can print at home and that the kids or grandkids can customise to make it extra special. (Please follow link) .https://bekindballarat.com.au//Be%20Kind_FathersDayCard.pdf

22.01.2022 The Jubilee Mine area at Italian Gully contains old gold mining remnants (old cyanide vats, mullock heaps, brick walls, water races and machinery foundations). ...Between 1887 and 1913, the mine employed around 300 men and produced some $80 million worth of gold. Now is a great time to visit with the wildflowers coming in to bloom and the grass not too long See more

22.01.2022 Check the author, check the source, check the tone and style. An invitation to scrutinize perspectives: https://ec.europa.eu//f/identifying-conspiracy-theories_en

21.01.2022 Restrictions ease!

21.01.2022 This week is NAIDOC Week! This years theme is Always Was, Always Will Be. - An acknowledgement that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this c...ontinent for over 65,000 years. This year we haven't been able to produce any in-person event, however we have uploaded Uncle Barry's Welcome to Country (with his permission) from the Ballarat's Best for Bushfire Relief concert that we held. Although we aren't able to present anything specifically to celebrate this week, the BMI will always acknowledge that our building was built on the unceded land of the Wadawurrung people. We pay our respects to Wadawurrung elders - past, present, and those that are emerging - and we recognise the spiritual and cultural connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to country and waterways. #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe

21.01.2022 "When last we checked on the platypus, it was confounding our expectations of mammals with its webbed feet, duck-like bill and laying of eggs. More than that, it was producing venom. Now it turns out that even its drab-seeming coat has been hiding a secret when you turn on the blacklights, it starts to glow. As noted last month in the journal Mammalia, shining an ultraviolet light on a platypus makes the animal’s fur fluoresce with a greenish-blue tint. They’re one of the few mammals known to exhibit this trait. And we’re still in the dark about why they do it if there is a reason at all."

21.01.2022 #uplifting "See the Earth from 20 miles (32 km) above in this breathtaking 360 footage captured from a weather balloon."

21.01.2022 "Melbourne-born Dr Toby Ord, Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy at Oxford University, will present our Parliamentary Librarys first ever public webinar being conducted in association with Victorian Parliamentarians for STEM. The topic: Could future pandemics pose a threat to humanitys entire future? Tune in live on our Facebook page and put your questions to Dr Ord in the comments."

21.01.2022 "Join one of Spain's finest tour directors Manuel as he shares his love for Spain and Art and Architecture in this virtual tour presentation. We will discover this beautiful Mediterranean capital and the architectural genius of Antoni Gaudí through his most emblematic projects: Park Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló and the impressive yet unfinished Sagrada Familia church. Attendance is free but tips are appreciated"

20.01.2022 Read #U3ABallaratTutor Chris Dickinson's latest post in his "Understanding the 21st Century" series: Post 81 - Why is Climate Change not being tackled more aggressively? "On one level it seems incomprehensible that educated and intelligent people would not support a proactive approach to climate change. Although Climate Change is endorsed by 98% of climate scientists and more than 62% of the world’s population relatively little is being done to address an issue that has the p...Continue reading

18.01.2022 " geologyin.com 7 Billion-Year-Old Stardust Is Oldest Material Found on Earth Scientists recently identified the oldest material on Earth: stardust that's 7 billion"

18.01.2022 A bit of fun for our Italian language students #lalinguaitaliana

18.01.2022 Advance Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_jnFHzhtmQRS9XiCeSFZBsQ Join one of Italys finest Tour Directors, Elena Salerno, on a road trip from Pompei to Amalfi with stops: Pompei Oplontis Vesuvius... Capri Sorrento Enjoy some of Italys favorites including limoncello, pizza, and buffalo mozzarella. Escape to southern Italy and let your mind go where your heart wants to be. Ciao! Attendance is free but tips are appreciated.

16.01.2022 #U3ABallaratHikers strode happily along U3A Hike No 128 - the Happy Valley - Linton Parks 15.9 Km - on November 26, 2020. their story begins: "Seven of us walked on what began as a cool day, we started walking on the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail passing wide open fields with lush grasses. We came upon the old platform of what was the Linton Railway Station, not much left except some broken toilet bowls." Check out more pics and details here https://u3aballarthikers.blogspot.com//happy-valley-linton

16.01.2022 Please read all details below - many thanks to U3A Network Victoria for this information.

16.01.2022 "With the fires occurring in relatively remote locations, Inspector Heaney asked residents who noticed any suspicious activity - whether a suspicious motorbike, car or pedestrian - to report it to police as even the smallest piece of information could be valuable to investigators. "We want the community to be our eyes and ears out there," he said. "The locals know what cars, people and traffic belongs in their area so if they see something that doesn't fit, we ask them to rep...ort it to us." He also urged individuals to report any suspicions about a certain person to police - this can be done anonymously through Crime Stoppers. Last week, police launched Operation Safeguard - an annual police operation which sees police focus their efforts on preventing, investigating and catching those responsible for intentionally or recklessly lit fires. While most fires are caused by natural causes or are 'recklessly lit', such as by a campfire left unattended, sometimes fires are also deliberately lit."

15.01.2022 "There are many artworks that will make you do a double-take, but few create the type of astounding illusion that sinking sculptures do. Artists and designers make homes, cars, and even people look as though they are quickly slipping in quicksand or going underwater. This visual element produces both a striking sight and is conceptually alluring. We cant help but wonder: what draws them under the surface? Will they ever escape?"https://mymodernmet.com/sinking-sculpture-illusion/

15.01.2022 Prize-winning COVID project

15.01.2022 The Jessie McIntosh Memorial Hike (Buninyong) was the 15.9 Km jaunt taken on November 19, 2020 by #u3aballarathikers - Hike No. 127 revealed "wildflowers in abundance with quite large patches of delicately fringed flax lilies and bright blue pin cushions and coral lichen in different spots. It was very much the month to be wandering along these roads." Read more here https://u3aballarthikers.blogspot.com//jessie-mcintosh-mem

15.01.2022 Educative resource

14.01.2022 16 Days of Activism against GenderBased Violence - 25 November to 10 December. Regional leaders and CEOs have delivered a strong message against gender-based violence. Check out the video here https://youtu.be/FNgzB_5LiJM For more details see https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au//video-messaging-heralds-1

13.01.2022 The New York Times writes: "At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with travel restrictions in place worldwide, we launched a new series The World Through a Lens in which photojournalists help transport you, virtually, to some of our planets most beautiful and intriguing places. This week, Marcus Westberg shares a collection of images from Malawi." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html

12.01.2022 #treelovers "Ballarat’s Exceptional Tree Registry has blossomed. Individuals, community organisations, property managers, City of Ballarat staff and tree owners are among those who nominated hundreds of trees for consideration. A total of 4298 trees across the municipality have made it onto the Exceptional Tree Registry, including 101 individual trees and groups of multiple trees such as the 3000+ trees in in Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour, listed by the National Trust. The final list of Ballarat’s Exceptional Trees is now available on the Exceptional Tree Registry and interactive map" Follow this link https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au//ballarats-exceptional-tre

12.01.2022 #ballaratheritagefestival #AugmentedRealityTrail

12.01.2022 U3A Ballarat tutor, Chris Dickinson, has generously given permission to share some course material which is also available on his blog (see link below). Here is Post 58: "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Google, Algorithms, and the Digital World of the Future," which, in the spirit of compare and contrast, I have accompanied with a TED talk discussing similar issues. https://youtu.be/AoYC4ogezE4 Chris Dickinson writes: "This post was written with the help of 3 Goog...Continue reading

12.01.2022 Jimmy Little mural unveiled in Walgett Walgett’s water tower mural is now complete, artists Jenny McCracken and Frank Wright working over the past few week...s to finish the commission by council. It features indigenous details and Jimmy’s wife reflected in his eye. Hear more about the mural and what Zest Events International are doing next in Brewarrina, on the breakfast program with Nic Healey on Monday. Andi Mether

11.01.2022 Join us for a special encore episode of Big Night In with John Foreman featuring Casey Donovan, Human Nature and John Foremans Aussie Pops Orchestra.

11.01.2022 In the 20th century, over 400,000 Australian children were placed in institutions or other out-of-home care. These are the Forgotten Australians or Care Leavers.... For many, as they grow older, the thought of returning to institutionalised care is unbearable. Join us for our webinar where we’ll be discussing a soon to be published report from Flinders University, and we’ll look at their top 10 recommended, immediate actions for aged care organisations to ensure safe and inclusive care is delivered for Forgotten Australians/Care Leavers. Register now!

10.01.2022 #VanGogh of the Day: L'Allee des Alyscamps, November 1888. Oil on canvas, 91.7 x 73.5 cm. Private collection.

09.01.2022 Iron Mine - Mt Doran Circuit - 13.5 Km was undertaken on June 17: "Seventeen #u3aballarathikers met at the Buninyong tennis courts, carpooled to Lal Lal, then on to the start of a circular hike in the Lal Lal State Forest. After a short talk by Andrew outlining the wonders ahead of us, we set off along a muddy track into the forest. It was a perfect day for hiking; cool, dry and still with a good cloud cover and occasional bursts of sunshine. " More story and pics here https://u3aballarthikers.blogspot.com//iron-mine-mt-doran- Thanks for sharing U3A Ballarat Hikers!

09.01.2022 Fascinating historical and design information #TheStoryOfPlastic

08.01.2022 Conversation from the UK, applicable here in Oz: "The seeds of enthusiasm for home-grown food may have been sown, but sustaining this is essential. Urban farming has much to offer in the wake of the pandemic. It could help communities boost the resilience of their fresh fruit and vegetable supplies, improve the health of residents and help them lead more sustainable lifestyles. Here are four reasons why food growing should become a perennial feature in our gardens, towns and cities after COVID-19."

08.01.2022 Karlie Noon is a Gamilaroi astrophysicist and communicator dedicated to making science accessible. But Karlie didnt always feel so passionately about science and maths - in fact, there was a point when she was close to disengaging from school altogether.

08.01.2022 "FREE ONLINE EVENT: Harmony with nature, simplicity, spontaneity and everyday life have informed a distinct Korean aesthetic throughout history. Encapsulating these traditions of art and minimalism is the unadorned white surface of a moon jar. To establish the first overview of Korean art in Australia, the NGV has recently made several important acquisitions including a rare eighteenth century moon jar. Hear more about its significance and other recent Korean acquisitions fro...m NGV Curators Wayne Crothers and Annika Aitken. This talk will be delivered online. To receive a reminder please register your attendance. Ten minutes before the start time you can access the event here: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au///new-to-the-ngv-korean-moon-jar " See more

08.01.2022 "Virtual Tour Tuesdays Join us every Tuesday from 12.30-1pm from wherever you are for a FREE 30 minute themed online tour of the portrait collection and catch up with some of your favourites while theyre taking a break from the limelight! The theme this week is: Visible/Invisible. Layne Beachley, Jim Conway and Gurrumul Yunupingus portraits evoke both the visible and the invisible. Through the portraits and life experience of both subjects and artists in the collection, t...his tour will consider what is invisible disability. When: Tuesday 15 September. The tour is partnered with Arts Access Australia and will be Auslan sign interpreted, captioned and audio described. Make a booking via our website at the above link and we will email you with a link and instructions on how to connect with us using Zoom closer to the time. [Layne Beachley, 2008 by Petrina Hicks, inkjet print, 124.5 cm x 113.5 cm. Collection: National Portrait Gallery. Commissioned 2008. Commonwealth of Australia] #PortraitureComesHome #MuseumFromHome #PortraitAu " See more

08.01.2022 "Victorias Silo Art Trail has a brand new addition. A new giant silo artwork titled Hope has been unveiled in the old gold mining town of St Arnaud, in the Northern Grampians. The new mural is so large it spans two silos, and was created by local St Arnaud artist Kyle Torney. Hope illustrates St Arnauds gold mining history, and the design was chosen in collaboration with residents of the town. It took Torney around 800 hours to complete the work, the process for which included cleaning, priming and placing a huge grid on the silos to ensure correct proportions (meaning Torney was up and down the silo 30 to 40 times a day)."

07.01.2022 "On R U OK? Day, join Australia at Home for an online R U OK? Conversation about reminding Australians that every day is the day to ask, Are you OK? if someone in your world is struggling with lifes ups and downs. Listen to the panel talk about their R U OK? experiences, why R U OK? works, what to say when someone says theyre not OK and how you can continue a conversation that could change a life. Date: Thursday 10 September Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm AEST On the panel:... Katherine Newton, CEO of R U OK? Alan Woodward, Expert Adviser to R U OK? Steven Satour, R U OK? Stronger Together Campaign Manager Lisa Nichols, R U OK? Community Ambassador" See more

07.01.2022 Particularly apt today - R U O K Day - hope you are all ok! <3

06.01.2022 "The Hunter Collector: Prints at the University of Melbourne Join us for this free virtual event on 16 September at 6pm AEST. Covering the entire history of European printing from the mid-1450s and including examples from masters such as Drer, Rembrandt, Piranesi and Hogarth, the Baillieu Library Print Collection also brings together important groups of Australian prints such as those by Lionel Lindsay and Absalom Wests early (1812-1814) views of New South Wales. Many of th...ese works originate from important gifts, such as those of Dr John Orde Poynton in 1959, of print specialist Harold Wright in 1961, and of Sir Russell and Lady Mab Grimwade. This series comprising four online free events (hosted via Zoom), selects some remarkable treasures from the University of Melbourne to learn a little about the men and women who brought them here. Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/hunter-collector-a-meander- " See more

05.01.2022 Check out the latest U3A Network Victoria news bulletin for member U3As

05.01.2022 #dinosaurenthusiasts

05.01.2022 Dorothea Mackellar might have loved a sunburnt country, but did you know she was also a dab hand at carpentry? The NLA has her splendid carved cedar bookcase in their collection. On this day in 1908, "I Love a Sunburnt Country" first appeared in print - in The Spectator magazine.

04.01.2022 "Join us to hear stories of loss and resilience, conservation and collection. Curator Libby Stewart and Conservator Natalie Ison will discuss the Museums bushfire collecting project and explain how fire-related objects are conserved for the future."

03.01.2022 New challenges met with positive strategies

02.01.2022 Good Morning! Check out this silo at Kaniva, VIC The silo measures approximately 35m x 50m and took over 200 hours to paint with 400L of paint! Artist David... Lee Pereira, accompanied by Jason Parker painted the Australian Hobby bird and Thelymitra megcalyptra Scented Sun orchid and Thelymitra rubra and the Salmon Sun orchid as a tribute to the native flora and fauna of the Little Desert. What do you think? : David Lee Pereira art : Shannyn Higgins via ABC Ballarat

02.01.2022 #StarLovers "Spring is here and the flowers are starting to bloom. And while in Australia the season officially started on September 1, astronomically speaking it wont start until September 22 thanks to a little astronomical event called an equinox. This is when the Sun will be directly above the Earths equator at noon, and the dividing line between day and night will pass through the north and south poles. Amazingly, this means that no matter where you are on the planet..., daytime and night-time will be approximately of equal length. At the equinox the Earths axis is tilted neither towards nor away from the Sun. This happens twice a year in March and September. In places like Australia the September equinox is called the vernal or spring equinox because from this time on the axis begins to tilt in a way that brings the southern hemisphere closer to the Sun. Well, at least until the summer solstice when the axis movement reverses and nights start getting longer again. Beyond the gorgeous scent of flowers buzzing with bees, spring is a great time to get out and see the stars at night." https://thenewdaily.com.au//september-astronomy-australia/

02.01.2022 Harmony Fest 2021 We acknowledge that Harmony Fest 2021 may not look the same as other years. However, we are starting to plan ahead keeping in mind the ever-c...hanging circumstances we are in. We are calling out for creative ideas to celebrate Ballarats cultural diversity in March 2021. If your organisation, business, school or group would like to plan an activity or be involved in Harmony Fest 2021, please send us a message and well get in touch! Email: [email protected]

01.01.2022 #gratitude #altruism Hopefully practicing gratitude leads you/me/everyone to be more charitable in the sense of being less judgemental and more compassionate, as well as more giving: "In recent years, researchers have been making connections between the internal experience of gratitude and the external practice of altruism. How does being thankful about things in your own life relate to any selfless concern you may have about the well-being of others?"