U3A BRISBANE

University of the Third Age Brisbane


Connecting Seniors to Lifelong Learning

University of the Third Age Brisbane


Connecting Seniors to Lifelong Learning


Upcoming Special Events
Wednesday 10th April 2024, 10:00am. Annual General Meeting -

More Info and Bookings


Thursday 21 March, Term 1 (week 9)



Click on class name to obtain more information, or to enrol.

City Campus


9:00am
P22 Exploring Brisbane Through Photography
P22 Exploring Brisbane Through Photography
Tutor: Chris Deeming
We are a fun, social and co-operative group exploring and photographing all that Brisbane has to offer in the way of sights and sounds from art galleries to the Citycats, parks and gardens from the CBD to Moreton Bay-Cleveland area. Odd weeks we are in room 16 where we look at our Photos on our Cluster Photo Sharing Site, Youtube, Videos. Even weeks are outings. I keep it non-technical, non-competitive so bring along whatever camera you have, from smart phone to the latest and greatest. We finish off the day with coffee somewhere.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 16
Thursday 9:00am to 10:45am
Chris Deeming (9:00am to 10:45am)   (2 hours)  (Adelaide St, Room 16)

9:15am
F20 Scrabble - Double Class
F20 Scrabble - Double Class
Tutor: Edna Winkel
Come and have fun with Scrabble. Exercise your brain with our happy Scrabble group. This is a double session to allow ample time for several games. PLEASE RING AFTER 6 PM to enrol.
Venue: Creek St, Room 5
Thursday 9:15am to 12:15pm
Edna Winkel (9:15am to 12:15pm)   (3 hours)  (Creek St, Room 5)

9:30am
H39 The Battle for Australia 1942-43
H39 The Battle for Australia 1942-43
Tutor: Derek Cameron
This unit offers an analysis of the causes, course and consequences of the Kokoda Track campaign, including an evaluation of the controversies about personalities, strategy and tactics surrounding it. Its significance for later history and indeed whether or not we should talk of a "Battle for Australia" will also be explored. The course includes numerous exercises based on the sources and links to further information. By comparison with other campaigns in World War Two (such as the awesome armies involved in the titanic struggles in Russia), the opposing forces on the Kokoda Track were miniscule.
Venue: Creek St, Room 3
Thursday 9:30am to 10:45am
Derek Cameron (9:30am to 10:45am)  (Creek St, Room 3)
J05 Spanish for Beginners
J05 Spanish for Beginners (class full)
Tutor: Maria Rosa Gallego
This course is for beginners or near beginners. Enjoy learning Spanish in a fun and simple way. The emphasis will be on speaking and listening, basic grammar, vocabulary and simple conversation. You will have fun knowing its peculiarities.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 14
Thursday 9:30am to 10:45am
(full) Maria Rosa Gallego (9:30am to 10:45am)  (Adelaide St, Room 14)
J56 Auslan for Seniors - Beginners
J56 Auslan for Seniors - Beginners (class full)
Tutor: Linda Daniel
You will benefit best from this class if you come with a friend so that you can practise together. This class commences with the Deaf Services introduction book and then moves onto The Auslan Company USB 1. If you have a computer, the class sheets will be sent the Monday before class to print and bring to class. If you don't have a computer, I will photocopy them on site for you.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 15
Thursday 9:30am to 10:45am
(full) Linda Daniel (9:30am to 10:45am)  (Adelaide St, Room 15)
E18 Australia's Future: Challenges and Opportunities
E18 Australia's Future: Challenges and Opportunities (class full)
Tutor: David Nelson
Australia faces an uncertain future in a world of increasing geopolitical tensions, global warming, extreme weather events, increasing income and wealth inequality, a housing crisis, falling real wages, low productivity, and declining educational standards. Health, hospitals, schools, social housing, the NDIS, domestic violence, mental health, aged and childcare, the unemployed, and defence, all require more government support. Australia as a wealthy country can address these challenges but governments seem incapable of reforming the taxation system to fund the services required.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 18
Thursday 9:30am to 10:45am
(full) David Nelson (9:30am to 10:45am)  (Adelaide St, Room 18)

10:00am
B35 Stretch and Move
B35 Stretch and Move (class full)
Tutor: Jennifer Cahill
A gentle, chair-based yoga practice for those who are keen to achieve the benefits of yoga such as flexibility, balance, strength and evenness of mind, without having to get up and down from the floor. Instead, we practise seated on a chair or using the chair to aid stability in standing postures. This class is suitable for students who are already familiar with yoga, as well as beginners seeking to maintain well-being of body and mind.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 11
Thursday 10:00am to 11:00am
(full) Jennifer Cahill (10:00am to 11:00am)  (Adelaide St, Room 11)
J47 French - Continuing 2
J47 French - Continuing 2
Tutor: Coral Johnson
A basic level of French is required for this course which aims to improve pronunciation and grammar, extend vocabulary, and develop reading and writing skills. Emphasis is on pronunciation, comprehension, fluency, and having fun. Our text is "Read and Think French" , a McGraw Hill Publication.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 13
Thursday 10:00am to 11:15am
Coral Johnson (10:00am to 11:15am)  (Adelaide St, Room 13)

11:00am
J98 French Advanced Conversation
J98 French Advanced Conversation (class full)
Tutor: Michele Soulard
Advanced conversation based on a variety of issues and subjects presented in French articles, including songs and poetry. The topics, chosen by the students, are emailed in advance to allow preparation. Students need to be able to express themselves in French without much assistance. This is a very lively and friendly class!
Venue: Creek St, Room 4
Thursday 11:00am to 12:30pm
(full) Michele Soulard (11:00am to 12:30pm)  (Creek St, Room 4)
E06 Mind Stirrers
E06 Mind Stirrers
Tutor: Pat Dickson
Each week there is a discussion of a single topic gleaned from a broad range of topics, issues, or events. Members are encouraged to suggest topics of interest. We meet up at a nearby cafe after class for coffee/lunch.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 16
Thursday 11:00am to 12:30pm
Pat Dickson (11:00am to 12:30pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 16)

11:15am
X12 Evolution of Human Thinking
X12 Evolution of Human Thinking (class full)
Tutor: Paul Lockley
The Evolution of Human Thinking as seen through major cultural events, including language acquisition, ancient gods, Greek philosophy, the Renaissance, and modern science.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 14
Thursday 11:15am to 12:30pm
(full) Paul Lockley (11:15am to 12:30pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 14)
P04 Photography from Beginner to Accomplished Photographer
P04 Photography from Beginner to Accomplished Photographer
Tutor: Richard Egglesfield
This comprehensive photography course is designed to take you on a transformative journey, from a photography beginner or enthusiast to a skilled and confident photographer capable of capturing stunning images across different genres. Whether you're a complete beginner with a smartphone, have a new DSLR camera or an intermediate photographer with a smart phone, DSLR/Mirrorless or even someone looking to buy a camera. The course is an excellent way to develop photography skills.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 18
Thursday 11:15am to 12:45pm
Richard Egglesfield (11:15am to 12:45pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 18)

11:30am
H41 The Burma Railway
H41 The Burma Railway
Tutor: Derek Cameron
This course will detail the circumstances in which Australians came to be prisoners of war of the Japanese from 1942-1945; the conditions faced in "official" POW camps such as Changi; the use of POWs as forced labourers for the construction of the Burma-Thailand Railway and the details involved in that activity; the incidence of death and illness brought about as a result; the role of outstanding personalities such as "Weary" Dunlop in sustaining the captives; and the release and rehabilitation of the prisoners at war's end.
Venue: Creek St, Room 3
Thursday 11:30am to 12:45pm
Derek Cameron (11:30am to 12:45pm)  (Creek St, Room 3)
J08 French - Continuing 1
J08 French - Continuing 1 (class full)
Tutor: Coral Johnson
A basic level of French is required for this course which aims to improve pronunciation and grammar, extend vocabulary, and develop reading and writing skills. Emphasis is on pronunciation, comprehension, fluency, and having fun. Our text is "50 French Coffee Breaks".
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 11
Thursday 11:30am to 12:45pm
(full) Coral Johnson (11:30am to 12:45pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 11)
J57 English for Speakers of other Languages
J57 English for Speakers of other Languages
Tutor: Tove Vine
Do you wish to improve your English listening, speaking, reading and writing? Then this class is for you. Learn to construct everyday English sentences which will be useful in your daily life. Enjoy spending time with tutor Tove in a fun, happy and friendly environment and feel a sense of achievement by improving your conversational skills. Please contact Tove for more information.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 12
Thursday 11:30am to 12:45pm
Tove Vine (11:30am to 12:45pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 12)

12:00pm
N02 Film Storytelling Best of the West
N02 Film Storytelling Best of the West
Tutor: Albert Moran
After two terms of woman-centered films in 2023, we take a term looking at 1950s male-centered stories set in the American west . High Noon kicked off the cycle, combining romance and gunplay but the best that followed found new ways to reinvent the genre, to borrow ideas from elsewhere Including even a Western remake of Shakespeare's Othello. Films will include Shane, 3.10 TO Yuma, Warlock, and Seven Men From Now.
Venue: Creek St, Room 8
Thursday 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Albert Moran (12:00pm to 2:00pm)   (2 hours)  (Creek St, Room 8)

12:30pm
J33 German - Intermediate
J33 German - Intermediate
Tutor: Craig Jensen
Improve your speaking, reading and writing of German.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 15
Thursday 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Craig Jensen (12:30pm to 2:00pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 15)

1:00pm
L33 Poetry Appreciation
L33 Poetry Appreciation
Tutor: Coral Johnson
This class encourages those attending to share favourite poems, become acquainted with unfamiliar poets and their work, and develop a greater appreciation for the beauty of the English language and its power to express thoughts and feelings. While attention is given to poetic techniques, the emphasis is on appreciation and enjoyment.
Venue: Creek St, Room 4
Thursday 1:00pm to 2:15pm
Coral Johnson (1:00pm to 2:15pm)  (Creek St, Room 4)
K03 Memoir Writing
K03 Memoir Writing
Tutor: Tove Vine
Do you wish to leave a legacy for your children, grandchildren and/or great-grandchildren by writing a memoir? Leave footprints for the future generation. You can join Tove and other students in a memoir writing class. This is a fun and emotional (happy) class when we write and share our life stories and put pen to paper to make a lasting record of our lives.
Venue: Adelaide St, Room 13
Thursday 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Tove Vine (1:00pm to 2:30pm)  (Adelaide St, Room 13)

Zoom Classes (Online)


9:00am
L04 Literature in Context 2
L04 Literature in Context 2 (class full)
Tutor: Margaret Hill
We will begin 2024 with Simon Winchester's "The Surgeon of Crowthorne", and move on to Pip Williams "The Bookbinder of Jericho". Both these books are the result of extensive and fascinating research. Simon Winchester structures his material in a way that gives the factual story of the making of The Oxford English Dictionary the guise of a gripping narrative of "Murder and Madness". Pip Williams on the other hand creates a fictional narrative within the shell of extraordinary facts. We end the year with "Offshore" by Penelope Fitzgerald.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 9:00am to 10:15am
(full) Margaret Hill (9:00am to 10:15am)
C19 Android Phone/Tablet and Gmail
C19 Android Phone/Tablet and Gmail
Tutor: Harry Gilman
This course will introduce you to the Android OS and Google Experience. You'll need to have a Gmail account which will be your window to Google and Android. We'll briefly go over some of Gmail's features and settings, then move to the Android system - making you aware of the important security needs for your device. You'll learn what Android is, and how it works, the apps in the Google Play Store, downloading and installing apps/widgets, and introducing you to other Google apps, such as: Google Keep, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Docs, Google Maps, etc.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 9:00am to 10:30am
Harry Gilman (9:00am to 10:30am)

9:30am
X16 Beekeeping - Hobby Organic Beekeeping
X16 Beekeeping - Hobby Organic Beekeeping
Tutor: Joe Smith
This is a repeating course each term and each class is recorded, so you don't have to worry about missing any. In this course I introduce the basics of European honey beekeeping at home and include two classes on native bees. Preventing disease and managing pests of a honey bee hive would take an hour per month in spring and summer and you may get 20kg of honey per month.Class starts 8th Feb 2024, not any other time.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 9:30am to 10:30am
Joe Smith (9:30am to 10:30am)

10:30am
J224 French - Read a Novel (Group 2)
J224 French - Read a Novel (Group 2)
Tutor: Robert Ward
Members meet to read novels in their original French then translate/interpret in class, individually and in turn. Points of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar may be discussed in English as we go along. The class has just commenced reading L'elegance du herrison. This novel is also available in English.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 10:30am to 11:45am
Robert Ward (10:30am to 11:45am)

1:00pm
A06 Pencil Drawing
A06 Pencil Drawing
Tutor: Geraint Morgan
It's a pleasure to be able to offer classes again, and to have the opportunity to help encourage and guide those keen to develop their pencil drawing. The title is broad, as I want to open it up for as many as possible and not feel constrained to a certain subject matter. It allows participants to bring some of their own ideas to the table and have an input into what we cover in the term. That said, there are certain fundamentals of drawing that we will aim to cover, including pencil techniques, values and shading, perspective and proportions, to create a solid foundation and build confidence in using pencil for different drawings.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Geraint Morgan (1:00pm to 2:00pm)

1:30pm
Y02 A Journey into Classical Greek Philosophical Minds
Y02 A Journey into Classical Greek Philosophical Minds
Tutor: Meredith Murray
Explore the captivating world of Classical Greek Philosophy with our online format, complete with text, images, and fun cartoons. We'll journey from the pre-Socratics to Plato, Aristotle, the Cynics, Epicureans, Sceptics, and Stoics. Time will fly with this quick-moving format which builds communication and reasoning skills and enhances critical thinking. You get to decide how much homework you want to do. You can choose to just listen, read, or join in the lively discussions.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Meredith Murray (1:30pm to 3:30pm)   (2 hours)

7:00pm
J50 Thai - Spoken Thai for Beginners
J50 Thai - Spoken Thai for Beginners
Tutor: Joe Smith
This course is offered for the whole year and each class is recorded, so you don't have to worry about missing any. Thai grammar is very easy: there are no plural nouns and no different tenses of verbs. Numbers indicate plurals, and other words, such as "yesterday", show time/tense. Thai language is tonal, like Chinese, but it has an alphabet, unlike Chinese, because of the influence of India. We will focus on common spoken Thai. The text book will be on screen in the class, so you don't need to buy it.Class starts 8th Feb 2024, not any other time.
Venue: Online via Zoom
Thursday 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Joe Smith (7:00pm to 8:00pm)

City Precinct


12:00pm
S19 Geology
S19 Geology
Tutor: Cecil Murray
In Term 1, the topics are history of geology from earliest times, plate tectonics - how theworld works, minerals, and igneous rocks.
Venue: Brisbane Square Library
Thursday 12:00pm to 1:30pm
1st, 3rd and 5th Thursdays.
Cecil Murray (12:00pm to 1:30pm)  (Brisbane Square Library)
1st, 3rd and 5th Thursdays.
M06 Learning the Recorder
M06 Learning the Recorder
Tutor: Marion MacLaughlin
This class is an intermediate class and not suitable for beginners. The class is being held in the Over Fifties centre in the City Hall basement on Thursdays from 12:00 to 1:30pm each week.
Venue: Brisbane City Hall
Thursday 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Marion MacLaughlin (12:00pm to 1:30pm)  (Brisbane City Hall)

Logan District


9:00am
B108 Chi Kung Gentle - Advanced
B108 Chi Kung Gentle - Advanced (class full)
Tutor: Marcel Miltenburg
This is a class of gentle exercise. "The 8 Brocades" or "8 Treasures", are said to have multiple benefits and to have been practiced in China for more than three millennia. It is easy to learn and is designed to improve mood, balance, flexibility, health and general wellbeing when practiced daily in a safe manner. Exercises practiced are from the Shibashi (18 movements) Sets 1, 2 and 3 and created from Yang style Tai Chi.8.30-10 am.
Venue: Riverdale Park
Thursday 9:00am to 11:00am
(full) Marcel Miltenburg (9:00am to 11:00am)   (2 hours)  (Riverdale Park)

9:30am
M08 Ukulele Singalong
M08 Ukulele Singalong
Tutor: Carolyn Roney
This class is for those who have some experience playing the ukulele. Everyone has an enjoyable time with friendly people and great music!! Beginners are very welcome.
Venue: Elements Living
Thursday 9:30am to 11:30am
Carolyn Roney (9:30am to 11:30am)   (2 hours)  (Elements Living)

10:00am
K05 Riverdale Writers
K05 Riverdale Writers
Tutor: Gwenda Vayro
A weekly sociable group who read, share and support each other's writing. We include family history, short stories (500 - 1500 words), poetry, plays, chapters of novels and other writing submitted by group members. Suitable for all levels of writing skill.
Venue: Riverdale Park
Thursday 10:00am to 11:30am
Gwenda Vayro (10:00am to 11:30am)  (Riverdale Park)

10:30am
B12 Tai Chi for Beginners
B12 Tai Chi for Beginners
Tutor: Marcel Miltenburg
Learn the Thirteen Yang style Tai Chi warm-up exercises. These and other health-giving exercises may gradually help to harmonize and co-ordinate the upper and lower parts of the body. With consistent and safe practice, this may also greatly benefit your mood, balance and flexibility. This is an excellent foundation to perform the beneficial postures of the Yang style 8, 28 and 108 forms in a graceful and flowing manner with the philosophy, principles and detailed instructions on the correct proprioception and directions of the Taiji postures.
Venue: Riverdale Park
Thursday 10:30am to 11:45am
Marcel Miltenburg (10:30am to 11:45am)  (Riverdale Park)

Southside


1:00pm
J88 French - Intermediate
J88 French - Intermediate
Tutor: Bert Choolun
This class has been designed for students who already have a good knowledge of the French language but now wish to progress to a more rigorous level of grammar, reading, writing, conversation and comprehension. Activities will include revision of grammar, reading short stories from French books and discussing them during class, and conversing in French with fellow class members, with a strong emphasis on correct pronunciation.
Venue: Carindale Library
Thursday 1:00pm to 2:15pm
Bert Choolun (1:00pm to 2:15pm)  (Carindale Library)

Northside


7:00am
B09 Northside Walking Group
B09 Northside Walking Group (class full)
Tutor: Marlene Fennell
Phone Marlene or Roy for roster details - we use various walking tracks around North Brisbane including coastal locations. You must be able to drive to rostered walking locations. There is a coffee stop at the end of the two hour walk, with a 10-15 minute break halfway. Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring hat, water, umbrella, etc. Walk locations as per current Walk Roster issued each term.
Venue: Leader will advise location
Thursday 7:00am to 9:00am
(full) Marlene Fennell (7:00am to 9:00am)   (2 hours)  (Leader will advise location)