U3A Batemans Bay has announced that it is now resuming its program of Saturday Talks. These Talks were suspended last year because of Covid-related problems, but are now open to attendance by anyone in the community who is fully vaccinated.
The next Talk will be held on 19 February in the Malua Bay Community Centre, commencing at 10am. On this occasion, Margaret Turner of Long Beach will be speaking about experiences of Veronica Clancy, her mother, as a nurse and prisoner of war in Indonesia, during the Second World War. Margaret’s mother was one of the 65 nurses captured after the ship on which they were attempting to return to Australia was sunk by the Japanese in February 1942. Margaret will talk about their days in captivity, what made it bearable and what were some of the issues they faced during this time. Only 24 of the nurses survived to return to Australia in September 1945.
Margaret will also speak about a trip she made to the area in 2020 with a small group of the other nurses’ family members to visit the sites where their mothers had been held captive.
Four weeks later, Dr Andrew Elek will discuss the risks and opportunities for Australia’s economy as we emerge from the worst of the pandemic. He will also cover the economic implications of moving towards zero net greenhouse gas emissions, the need for reform of the social safety net and how fairness and equity could be improved by changes to taxation. A timely subject as we approach the election!
Anyone wishing to attend either of these talks should register their interest by emailing the Talks Coordinator, Ross Thomas, at rossthomas083@gmail.com. Because of social distancing requirements and the limited capacity of the Malua Bay Community Centre, only the first 50 people to enrol will be accepted.
Attendees should also be aware that a $2 charge will be made to defray venue hire costs, and that it will be necessary for everyone to record their presence, either by QR code or by filling out an attendance sheet. The sessions end by mid-day.
These Talks have been very popular in previous years and are a good means by which people can become familiar with U3A’s other activities and take part in them.
