On Monday 5th February, 17 members of Ararat University of the Third Age (U3A) visited Government House Melbourne, which is the official residence of the Governor of Victoria, currently Linda Dessau .
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Pat McAloon, President of Ararat U3A, said that The Hon Linda Dessau AC Governor is the current patron for U3As and U3As, offered a private visit to Government House.
Ararat U3A programmes are run almost entirely by volunteers who share their skills and knowledge with other members, catering for people aged over 50.
The Hon Linda Dessau AC, who has been the governor since 1 July 2015, is the 29th governor for Victoria.
She is the first female and the first Jewish holder of the office.
She was a judge of the Family Court of Australia from 1995 to 2013.
“We very fortunate to have a guided tour of the house by the governor’s husband Mr Tony Howard QC, Mr McAloon said.
“As well as having a guided tour of the building and the gardens , we also learnt of the history of government house and the day to day role of the governor.”
Government House was opened in 1876.
A highlight to members of the tour was to view the number of valuable of art works on loan from the National Gallery.
One of the paintings was of the Land of the Golden Fleece painted by Arthur Streeton.
Mr Streeton painted this famous painting from a property at Willaura.
Mr Howard told the group that later in the year the governor was planning visit Western Victoria and Ararat would be part of the itinerary.
Ararat U3A will be holding its AGM on on Monday 5th March at Melbourne Polytechnic.
The keynote speaker will be Dale Hurley, the general Manager of the Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre, a new section of the Hopkins Correctional Central at Ararat.
The Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre will accommodate up to 20 male residents when operational in late 2018, is being established as part of the Victorian government's commitment to strengthening the management of serious offenders in Victoria.
The centre will be non-punitive in nature and have a strong focus on therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation while providing secure accommodation and community protection.