Centre to live life to the full

By Kath Gannaway
MORE than 100 volunteers, past and present students, tutors and employees and community members celebrated the 30th birthday of the Healesville Living and Learning Centre on Saturday 10 October.
The event was commemorated with the unveiling of a community arts project, a commemorative quilt and the traditional birthday cake.
Centre president Janet Goodwin dedicated the day to the centre’s life members and founders, the late Edith Noonan and the late Innes Henderson.
“They were two very special women – Edith, who was articulate with women’s rights, and Innes, an artist who wanted to share her knowledge of art with the students,” she said.
Recalling the early days of the centre, Mrs Noonan in 1999 wrote of the halcyon days. “We had a lovely, friendly atmosphere of mutual helping and sharing,” she wrote.
The centre opened in 1979 with six craft classes run by volunteer tutors and very soon was offering HSC classes in English expression, English literature and classical civilization.
The centre has expanded over the years to offer a wide range of academic and leisure courses as well as backing projects such as the current men’s shed and establishing the popular opportunity shop in Healesville’s East End to provide financial support.
Councillor Jeanette McRae, a former student, spoke on behalf of the Shire of Yarra Ranges, saying the psychology course she did as a new-comer to Healesville led to further education.
“It opened up a lot of areas for me.
“It’s about accessing knowledge but it’s also about sharing people’s skills,” she said.
Arts project co-ordinator Merryn Auldist said the concept for the community arts project, a stained-glass panel framed with reclaimed timber, was to represent the colours and textures of Healesville.
She said the work became a tremendous community engagement project involving many people of different ages and interests.