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Albury-Wodonga U3A is located atThe Albury-Wodonga Community College

63 High Street Wodonga VIC 3690PO Box 129 Wodonga VIC 3689

College Reception (02) 6043 8200U3A Mobile 0499 895 117

alburywodongau3a.com > Contact Us

February Newsletter 2018Editor : Edward Voogt & Tony Keys | Publication Date : January 2018

Albury-Wodonga U3A 2017-18 Committee MembersEdward Voogt (Acting President & Member Services Director) • Dianne Fontana (Secretary)

Keith Martin (Treasurer) • Pat Madin (Programme Director) • Peter Massey (Systems Director)Meryl Allworth (Programme) • Gudrun Reid (VicNet & Regional Liaison) • Tony Keys (Newsletter)

2018 Semester I

Begins: Monday 5th February§

Next Committee Meeting

Friday 2nd February, 9.30 a.m.§

Next Coffee Morning

Friday 9th February

Our ABC - How do you rate its integrity and performance?

Guest Speaker: Ivor Donohue

From the Committee of Management of U3A Albury

Wodonga

Welcome Back to U3A 2018We look forward to another year

in which you can enjoy the companionship of new and old

faces, engaging in class discussion and activities,

enjoying a cuppa at the break and be stimulated by the many

volunteer coordinators who provide the leadership and energy that sustain the essence of what

U3A stands for. We are always looking for more volunteers to conduct courses.

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become a trained Secondary Teacher in Domestic Arts. The youngest of 4, Pat loved her early life in Melbourne – the street, neighbourhood, family and community but when posted to Corryong in 1969 she fell in love with country life and a young man by the name of John!Pat’s life changed from being a ‘city girl’ to one involving shooting, fishing, camping and motorbike riding. Pastimes, especially camping, she shared with John and later with their children. Pat and John married in 1971 and later formed their family with Ross and Kate, who in turn have given Pat 4 beautiful grandchildren, Tessa, Jasmine, Fionn and Clare. Sadly John passed in 2004.In 1976 they moved to Lavington when Pat took up a position at Wodonga West Secondary College, from where she later retired in 2008. Home Economics has always been Pat’s favourite teaching subject but amazingly she had never got to teach it until much later when Food & Technology was offered in the VCE curriculum. At both Corryong and WWSC, Pat ended up teaching humanity subjects so decided she might as well do further study in History and English through Bendigo College of Advanced Education. She has also completed a Bachelor of Education (Univ of Melb) in Wodonga in 1993/94.

Ivor Donohue

I am married to Diana and we have three children and five grandchildren. I am now retired having worked for a major oil company for more than 30 years. I had a number of roles during my time there including Refinery Accountant, State Accountant, General Accounting Manager and Audit Manager Oil stream Australia and PNG. I am a Fellow of the Certified Practicing Accountants.  I joined ABC  Friends in 2003 and recently retired from the State Committee. I am Chairperson of ABC Friends Southern Bayside Group.I want to put before you an outline on how the ABC's  Charter defines its  operation, the role and selection  of the Board of Directors and how the  editorial  guidelines covering  the provision of news,  current affairs, educational and entertainment are designed  to provide accurate and impartial news and information.I will also discuss the allegations of bias and complaints made to the ABC and to the Australian Communication and Media Authority and give the details of my research into such complaints.I encourage all to come along and tell me what you like and don't like about the ABC and any evidence you have relating to inaccuracies and bias in the ABC's coverage of events.Sincerely, Ivor

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Pat MadinU3A Committee and Course Co-ordinator

Who among you on coffee mornings has not lined up to sample Pat’s delicious friands, scones and biscuits?2018 marks a 10 year milestone for Pat’s association with the Albury Wodonga U3A. For a great deal of that time Pat has been a most product ive, indust r ious and va luab le Committee Member and Course Co-ordinator.Born and raised in East Kew, Pat attended St. Anne’s PS and Catholic Ladies College then moved on to Larnook Teachers College to

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Final Coffee Morning of 2017

It was a good turn out for the Coffee Morning held on 8th December 2017 in the Auditorium at AWCC. No shortage of food – sandwiches, cakes, etc.Lively entertainment was provided by The Murray Conservatorium The Shamrockers, an

ensemble playing Irish music including jigs, reels, and ballads. Instruments included flutes, tin whistles, violins, Bodhráns, and a harp. The age of the musicians ranged from young to senior and most took turns at introducing the pieces. Some of the pieces had people singing along and prompted some to recall memories of their past. Donations collected went towards their funds, eg. for purchase of music.

In her teaching career Pat has also held several positions of responsibility, namely Subject Co-ordination, VCAL Co-ordination and Year Level co-ordination, all involving skills which clearly have contributed to the wealth of experience Pat has brought to her current position here at our U3A branch. Pat’s life is still a very busy one, apart from her family and U3A. She has travelled overseas to England, Ireland and China; was involved with the establishing of a local ‘Care Van’ in Lavington; has been teaching at Mirambeena Neighbourhood Centre over the past 6 years and works weekly with Wodonga West PS students in the kitchen on the Stephanie Alexander Program. Reading, gardening, cooking, sewing, patchwork and quilting along with once a week knitting group are all activities that keep this lovely lady busy.The U3A classes that Pat has enrolled in for 2018 are Arts Appreciation, International Studies, Travel and Chat and Conversations in Wodonga.“After not being able to find it (U3A) after references from others and being in retirement and on my own since John, I eventually discovered a lovely group of people to meet with so much to offer. The benefits are that there are now so many people in retirement, coming from other areas with lots of diversity and skills to offer”Pat is such a wonderful, warm, friendly person who is always ready to lend a hand and we are all very grateful for the work, guidance and experience that Pat has brought to our organisation.

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Here is Helga’s story:

Growing up in her beloved Austria, Helga experienced terror and sadness in her beautifulcountry during World War 2. She was 11 years old when the war started. A vivid childhood memory is narrowly avoiding a bomb exploding nearby!! Later in life, plane travel made her very nervous due to memories of overhead war planes. Thunder too will trigger anxiety responses.At school Helga learnt English, French and Latin, gaining University qualifications to teach.(She did teach for 3 years in an independent school). While at university she had a winter job at a ski resort as companion for an elderly lady. She skied in her free time. As a youngwoman after the war she had fun: she loved the theatre and opera, only being able to affordstanding room tickets in “the gods”. However, due to the war, prospects were limited, so, in 1957, at 29 years of age and single, assisted by Australian government funds, Helga followed friends and moved to Australia, “for a

During a break in the concert, certificates of appreciation were given out to Course-Coordinators who were present. Pre and post procedings was a good time for conversations and catching up with each other.

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Helga Ribstein

The inspirational story of U3A’s most senior member

by Helen Milbourne

Helga Ribstein was born an only child in Austria in 1928. She turns 90 in May.Two close U3A friends, Alison Higgins and Val Symonds met Helga at Philosopical Discussionmany years ago. Their deep admiration of Helga is expressed: “lively minded, cultural, never daunted, stalwart, courageous, sincere, a beautiful person, a family woman. “Helga and husband John joined the first classes at our College’s “School for Seniors”,which became “Creative Learners For Over 50’s” (”Now Creative Learners”). They joined “to do something”.Helga enjoyed Handicrafts, Line Dancing, Cryptic Crosswords. John did Painting and Tai Chi.They heard about the U3A idea under founder Alan Cracknell and together went on to joinSustainable Development, then Philosophy. At 71 years, Helga persuaded John that they have dancing classes in Wodonga and loved dancing at the Wodonga German AustrianClub. “John was hopeless!! he had 2 left feet!!. We had fun!!”The Ribstein’s daughter Karen studied Early Childhood Education, has 2 daughters and lives in Murtoa, Victoria. Their son Michael, also has 2 daughters and lives in Lavington, NSW. As a young man he did a 4 year Bakers’ apprenticeship with John, and later studied at University to become a Medical Scientist. Sadly, John passed away suddenly late last year.

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better life”. Because she spoke English and was single, she had the necessary attributes to find her own work, and therefore was not eligible to go to Bonegilla.For 8 days she lived in a room in Sydney then moved to Melbourne, working briefly as a masseur at the St. Kilda Baths. Her next move was to Warburton, Victoria to work in a Seventh Day Adventist sanitarium. Work was cleaning rooms and washing large kitchen pots. She was soon promoted to being a masseur in the treatment rooms.Helga met John, a Melbourne baker, who was visiting friends in Warburton. He was 28 andshe was 32. He was from Stuttgart Germany, handsome and he “had a car “ !!!!! They did find communication difficult at first, because although they both spoke German, John’s broad accent was very difficult to understand!! Speaking English was easier.Helga and John married in 1960 and moved into a basic house in Lavington, NSW.Their first child Karen was born in 1961.They established a bakery in the dairy share-farming district of Walwa (70 kms from Wodonga). Life/work was extremely hard. Five days a week John baked bread and Helga helped. She had never done that sort of work before!! Five days a week they went to bed at3am and woke at 5am. At 8am John left to deliver his bread to the farms etc.Helga says: “You can do anything if you put your mind to it”.To ease the load, they took on a young local lad as an apprentice, but he did not like the work. In 1965, at 7 months pregnant with son Michael, Helga went back to work in the bakeryand later coped with her new baby at work while she wrapped bread.By 1966 dairy share-farming in the district had changed to beef farming, which meant fewerpeople in the area, and hence their bakery customer numbers fell. They sold the bakery.Helga took the children, then 5 and 14 months, to visit family in Vienna, while John stayed over the Christmas period in Mallacoota, Victoria working in his friend’s bakery. In March, John then followed the family, with them also visiting his widowed mother and 2 sisters in Stuttgart. Helga remembers the joy of seeing her

beloved Austrian countryside - the mountains, rivers and lakes! - how different to the Australian scenery where she lived. Her love of music was renewed and she is well known today for her love of theatre and visits to Wagga’s opera.In 1967, the Ribstein family returned to Australia to own an established bakery for 3 years in Toora, Gippsland. This was a bigger bakery with a house attached!! They supplied bread to nearby Welshpool and its Italian train workers. Karen, at 8 years old, served customers in the bakery. Then the Sunicrust Company moved to town putting their bread into the local supermarket and milk bar. The Ribsteins’ bakery could not compete!Good memories of monthly shopping in Albury with mountains and the Hume Weir nearby, when they lived in Walwa, motivated them to sell up in Toora and buy a house in Albury withfuture plans to build a separate bakery.Helga thought “The house was a palace as it had 3 bedrooms and a bath!!”John worked with Sunicrust and Henri’s Bakery in Wodonga. Helga worked 2 days a week for a chiropractor cleaning, ironing and washing dishes. Her wage was $10/day. She said: “That was $20/week we did not have to take from our bank savings!!” Helga moved on to work 2 years at Macquarie Textiles in Sth Albury. The hard work there has left her with permanent muscular hand damage!!In 1973, Helga and John finished building their separate bakery, located in an arcade behindwhat is today’s “Grind on Olive” restaurant in Olive Street, Albury. Initially, they were in partnership with 2 other owners, but bought them out 2 years later and established the verypopular “John and Helga’s Bakehouse”. Specializing in traditional European sourdough, it was the only sourdough bakehouse between Sydney and Melbourne. They opened, but didn’t advertise their new business. “We just baked and people smelled us from the indoor passageway”, says Helga.Their bakehouse flourished for 17 years!! Students from neighbouring St.Joseph’s School worked on Saturdays. Today, Helga always delights when former staff/customers say hello.

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The Ribsteins retired when John was 58 and Helga 62. They sold their bakehouse to Kay and Ross Valentine who renamed and grew the business to today’s “Valentine’s Bakery”.Helga says: “We were worn out and went on to enjoy our retirement.”In the past they had travelled individually, however retirement meant they were able to travel together. She has wonderful memories of a car trip through Austria and visiting her old school. Travel in Australia has included a coach trip to the Red Centre, train to Perth, coach to Margaret River and back across the Nullabor, coach to Darwin and Kakadu, exploring the East coast, and a road trip round Tasmania when there were bush fires.He lga now su f fe rs f rom Per iphe ra l Neuropathy, so relies heavily on a walking frame and walking stick for mobility. She has moved to a retirement home.After losing John, who was the car driver, Helga’s U3A friends have pitched in to drive her to and from her U3A weekly visits.My visit and chat with Helga Ribstein was an absolute delight!! Many U3A members feel blessed to have known Helga, however many members do not know her.Thank you, thank you Helga Ribstein for your story. What wonderful memories!!

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Laughter: the Best Medicine (by Julie Muller)

Earlier this year Winston lost his ear. Luck would have it that it was replaced with a pig’s ear by doctors.They cut it to size and made it look more humanlike before sewing it invisibly in place.Several weeks passed by before Winston felt it necessary to return to his surgeons. When he did ,Winston complained bitterly, ”Doctor, I keep hearing this noise and it’s doing my head in.” Upon which the doctor, totally unconcerned, replied “Don’t worry ,it’s just a bit of crackling”.

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As part of the admission procedure in the hospital where consultant Tim Westwood worked , new patients were asked if they suffered from any allergies, and if they did, Tim got it printed on a special red allergy band, which was to be placed on the patient’s wrist as a reference for all other hospital employees.On one particular occasion Tim asked an elderly woman if she had any allergies and she responded saying she was allergic to bananas. Tim received a considerable surprise later in the day when a very irate son came out of the ward demanding,” Who’s responsible for labelling my mother “bananas”!?

Music Group Christmas Lunch

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Research Survey Request

We received this request from a PhD student, Kyle Miller, late last year.

He has extended the time for us to be able to participate. However this research must close early March. If you are able to complete the survey for Kyle he would be very grateful. Please feel free to contact Kyle if you have any questions.