Calendar

In March 1946, the war was over. The Italian prisoners of war who had been captured several years earlier in northern Africa were interned in camps around Australia and were waiting to be returned home. One Saturday evening, the commandant of the Rowville internment camp, Captain Waterston, shot and killed a prisoner, Rodolfo Bartoli, who he claimed was attempting to escape. What initially appeared to be a straightforward case of an Australian army officer carrying out his duty, soon appeared to be something else. Allegations of assaults, reckless firing of weapons, drunkenness and stolen goods began to emerge.

Darren will be sharing his discoveries after delving into military and court archives, historical police reports, newspaper articles and personal accounts from former locals who still had memories of the Italians and the camp. He learnt of the brutal treatment of some of the internees and of a romance between the young shooting victim and the daughter of a local farmer.

Darren Arnott is a former Rowville resident and the author of No regard for the truth, shortlisted for the Victorian Community History Awards 2020.

Is your Nillumbik U3A member number 2060 or greater? (Don’t know your ID number? Look on your name tag.)

If so, this means that you have joined our U3A sometime since September 2024 and that you are invited to our upcoming new members’ morning tea:

• Meet some of our Committee members.
• Meet other new members.
• Find out more about:
• Our venues.
• Our book swap.
• Classes that have spaces.
• Volunteering opportunities.

Please register your attendance for catering purposes.

The AGM is the most important meeting of the year for Nillumbik U3A members. By attending, you can contribute to the running of our organisation and find out the latest on the issues facing us.

For catering and quorum reasons, we are asking you to register if you are planning to attend.

After the meeting, there will be time to catch up and socialise over free food and drink.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for One Act Play Season are Sundays, 4th and 11th May and Thursday, 15th May.

Peace of Angels by John Jennings: The deepest wounds of war are not always visible … and its greatest horrors can be the most personal.​

Red by Paula Armstrong: A woman has amnesia resulting from an accident. Her children have different feelings about her memory returning.

Napoleon in Exile by Daniel Reitz: Evelyn is a single mother sick with cancer. Corey, her low-functioning son with Aspergers, has always been under her care. Evelyn must prepare him for life after she has gone.

Women of the World by Emma Wood: Ready to take on the world, three young women in their first share house celebrate their independence before an uninvited guest upsets the party.

You can book either individual tickets or a table of 6. Tables can take their own food and drink.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a full table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for One Act Play Season are Sundays, 4th and 11th May and Thursday, 15th May.

Peace of Angels by John Jennings: The deepest wounds of war are not always visible … and its greatest horrors can be the most personal.​

Red by Paula Armstrong: A woman has amnesia resulting from an accident. Her children have different feelings about her memory returning.

Napoleon in Exile by Daniel Reitz: Evelyn is a single mother sick with cancer. Corey, her low-functioning son with Aspergers, has always been under her care. Evelyn must prepare him for life after she has gone.

Women of the World by Emma Wood: Ready to take on the world, three young women in their first share house celebrate their independence before an uninvited guest upsets the party.

You can book either individual tickets or a table of 6. Tables can take their own food and drink.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a full table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

We will be holding our annual Cancer Council Fundraiser this year on a Monday – starting early enough to call it a Biggest Morning Tea but then rolling on into our regular Cafe timeslot so that you can join us for all or any part of the session for a cuppa and to make a donation to such a worthy cause. Those of you who enjoy cooking might like to bring a plate of finger food to share so that the burden of catering is reduced.

When registering to attend, please let us know in the comments box if you are planning to bring something.

You do not need to be a U3A member to attend this event. Please feel free to invite a friend.

This year’s speaker is yet to be confirmed but will be scheduled for the morning slot.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to make a donation, you can do so online.

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Enjoy morning tea, mix with fellow U3A members and win great prizes.

The guest speakers will be Alan and Fiona White, who will share their experiences as a couple dealing with prostate cancer and discuss how important early intervention is in dealing with this type of cancer. Alan is the author of We’ve lost my prostate … mate.

Last year, we raised around $1,500 and we would like to do that again if not better it.

More information about the raffle to follow.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for One Act Play Season are Sundays, 4th and 11th May and Thursday, 15th May.

Peace of Angels by John Jennings: The deepest wounds of war are not always visible … and its greatest horrors can be the most personal.​

Red by Paula Armstrong: A woman has amnesia resulting from an accident. Her children have different feelings about her memory returning.

Napoleon in Exile by Daniel Reitz: Evelyn is a single mother sick with cancer. Corey, her low-functioning son with Aspergers, has always been under her care. Evelyn must prepare him for life after she has gone.

Women of the World by Emma Wood: Ready to take on the world, three young women in their first share house celebrate their independence before an uninvited guest upsets the party.

You can book either individual tickets or a table of 6. Tables can take their own food and drink.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a full table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

Enjoy a relaxed musical evening with your friends at a table with BYO supper, drinks and glassware (they will provide coffee and tea). Listen to the Nillumbik U3A Diamond Valley Big Band, including vocalists Angeline Thompson, Belinda Coco, Richard Desmond and Stuart Cardell. There will be plenty of dance floor for those who like to dance.

Take some small denomination cash to participate in the raffle, the prize for which will be a substantial restuaant voucher.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for Fairy Tale Courtroom are Sundays, 6th, 13th and 20th July.

This comedy shows the other side of several familiar fairy tales, when two of their biggest villains, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch, are brought to trial. Both the Wolf and the Witch have been frolicking from fairy tale to fairy tale, wreaking havoc as they try to prevent the general public from living happily ever after. Hear the personal accounts of what happened, told in testimonies and flashback sequences, from characters such as Snow White, Dorothy, Sleeping Beauty, the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, plus the Witch and the Wolf themselves, as each trial unfolds. The audience is the jury, so each trial has two endings, depending on the verdict.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for Fairy Tale Courtroom are Sundays, 6th, 13th and 20th July.

This comedy shows the other side of several familiar fairy tales, when two of their biggest villains, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch, are brought to trial. Both the Wolf and the Witch have been frolicking from fairy tale to fairy tale, wreaking havoc as they try to prevent the general public from living happily ever after. Hear the personal accounts of what happened, told in testimonies and flashback sequences, from characters such as Snow White, Dorothy, Sleeping Beauty, the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, plus the Witch and the Wolf themselves, as each trial unfolds. The audience is the jury, so each trial has two endings, depending on the verdict.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for Fairy Tale Courtroom are Sundays, 6th, 13th and 20th July.

This comedy shows the other side of several familiar fairy tales, when two of their biggest villains, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch, are brought to trial. Both the Wolf and the Witch have been frolicking from fairy tale to fairy tale, wreaking havoc as they try to prevent the general public from living happily ever after. Hear the personal accounts of what happened, told in testimonies and flashback sequences, from characters such as Snow White, Dorothy, Sleeping Beauty, the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, plus the Witch and the Wolf themselves, as each trial unfolds. The audience is the jury, so each trial has two endings, depending on the verdict.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for The Addams Family are Sundays, 7th and 14th September and Thursday, 18th September.

In the kooky, upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family the Addams kids are growing up. Gomez and Morticia’s dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday is now an eighteen year-old young woman who is ready for a life of her own. She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-Addams sounding person one could be! And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner. In one fateful, hilarious night, secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and the Addams family must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change.

You can book either individual tickets or a table of 6. Tables can take their own food and drink.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a full table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for The Addams Family are Sundays, 7th and 14th September and Thursday, 18th September.

In the kooky, upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family the Addams kids are growing up. Gomez and Morticia’s dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday is now an eighteen year-old young woman who is ready for a life of her own. She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-Addams sounding person one could be! And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner. In one fateful, hilarious night, secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and the Addams family must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change.

You can book either individual tickets or a table of 6. Tables can take their own food and drink.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a full table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for The Addams Family are Sundays, 7th and 14th September and Thursday, 18th September.

In the kooky, upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family the Addams kids are growing up. Gomez and Morticia’s dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday is now an eighteen year-old young woman who is ready for a life of her own. She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-Addams sounding person one could be! And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner. In one fateful, hilarious night, secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and the Addams family must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change.

You can book either individual tickets or a table of 6. Tables can take their own food and drink.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a full table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for Whodunnit are Sundays, 23rd and 30th November and Thursday, 4th December.

Six strangers and a butler have gathered for a black tie dinner in a wealthy lawyer’s mansion during a thunderstorm. The guests include an aged rear admiral, a bitchy aristocrat, a doddering old archeologist, a dashing young cad and other Agatha Christie types. One of the guests is an oily Levantine who tells the others (each in private) that he has the goods to blackmail them. He is ripe for murder and so it happens. Whodunnit?

Written by the author of Sleuth.

This is a table seated event. Take your own food and beverages.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for Whodunnit are Sundays, 23rd and 30th November and Thursday, 4th December.

Six strangers and a butler have gathered for a black tie dinner in a wealthy lawyer’s mansion during a thunderstorm. The guests include an aged rear admiral, a bitchy aristocrat, a doddering old archeologist, a dashing young cad and other Agatha Christie types. One of the guests is an oily Levantine who tells the others (each in private) that he has the goods to blackmail them. He is ripe for murder and so it happens. Whodunnit?

Written by the author of Sleuth.

This is a table seated event. Take your own food and beverages.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.

During 2025, Eltham Little Theatre are generously offering U3A members half price tickets for their Thursday evening and Sunday matinee shows. The dates for which this is applicable for Whodunnit are Sundays, 23rd and 30th November and Thursday, 4th December.

Six strangers and a butler have gathered for a black tie dinner in a wealthy lawyer’s mansion during a thunderstorm. The guests include an aged rear admiral, a bitchy aristocrat, a doddering old archeologist, a dashing young cad and other Agatha Christie types. One of the guests is an oily Levantine who tells the others (each in private) that he has the goods to blackmail them. He is ripe for murder and so it happens. Whodunnit?

Written by the author of Sleuth.

This is a table seated event. Take your own food and beverages.

Here are the mechanics: you book your tickets online. Choose the date, then either individual tickets or a table of 6, then the number of ‘U3A member’ tickets, then enter the ‘2550’ discount code in the ‘gift certificate / promotion code’ box, then pay.