VIEW Club members from the ACT and NSW came together to celebrate their 60th anniversary at a reception at Government House on 13 October, hosted by The Governor-General David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) and Mrs Linda Hurley.
VIEW – which stands for the Voice, Interests and Education of Women – is one of Australia’s leading women’s volunteer organisations and this year has been celebrating its Diamond Jubilee.
VIEW’s 15,000 members support the education of young Australians living in disadvantage, through children’s education charity, The Smith Family.
Over the years, these women have volunteered more than three million hours of their time, raised over $40 million, and currently sponsor more than 1,400 students on The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.
In celebration of the milestone of VIEW’s 60th birthday, the Governor-General praised past and present VIEW women on their significant contribution to changing the lives of children and young people over many years.
“It gives Linda and I great pleasure to celebrate this occasion with the dedicated women of VIEW. From its small beginnings in Sydney’s northern suburbs, VIEW has made an immense contribution to Australian society for six decades,” the Governor-General said.
“Founded at a time of great social change in Australia, particularly for women, VIEW has constantly evolved to meet the changing needs of society, while never losing sight of its important objectives – to support women, The Smith Family and disadvantaged young people.”
The Governor-General’s reception marked the resumption of VIEW’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations across the country, and VIEW Club members from ACT/NSW as well as representatives from The Smith Family attended the event.
VIEW’s national president, Anne-Louise O’Connor, said she is proud to be leading the organisation in this milestone year.
“This year we are celebrating ‘60 years of strength and support’ for VIEW. We had an exciting year planned and unfortunately, due to COVID, many of the celebrations throughout Australia have been postponed until next year. However, it hasn’t stopped members from staying connected with each other. We’ve embraced Zoom and have opened three new clubs!
“VIEW is extremely proud of its rich history of support for The Smith Family. We look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting the education of Australian children and young people in need for many decades to come,” she said.
June Weise, a member of Gungahlin VIEW Club, said “I remember Margaret Whitlam speaking at a VIEW Club luncheon in the 1970s – in those days they even provided a creche to mind the children”.
“In 2009, while I was working part-time, I joined VIEW to network with other women and enjoyed it so much that I continued my membership after I retired. ”
Ms Weise said the connection with The Smith Family and making a life-changing difference to Australian children and young people in need is what makes being part of VIEW so special.
To find out more about VIEW or become a member, visit www.view.org.au or call 1800 805 366.
