C.F. (Charles Findlay) Bentley papers relating to the Workers' Education Association of New South Wales

MLMSS 11652

fonds

1914-1986, predominant 1956-1977

Textual Records, Ephemera, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

9618673

18.72 metres of textual material (117 boxes) includes 3 audiotapes

Charles Findlay Bentley (1921-1986), educationist, was born in West Walsend, NSW. Bentley was first the Regional Secretary of the Workers' Educational Association (W.E.A.) of New South Wales (Hunter Region), and then went on to become General Secretary 1956-1965. The New South Wales branch of the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is one of Australia’s oldest and most prominent provider of continuing education for adults. It began in 1913 as a joint undertaking by the trade union movement and the University of Sydney to build a progressive organisation committed to enabling adult working people to gain a liberal education. Throughout its history it has been non-partisan and non-political, despite significant pressure from both within and without, and student-directed. The WEA's democratic structure has provided it with a strong foundation to meet shifting community and government expectations of adult and continuing education and to remain relevant in the twenty-first century.

Sources:
MLMSS 7763
https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_foundation_of_the_workers_educational_association_sydney

Boxes 1 – 26
Comprises WEA Metropolitan Regional Council and State Executive Committee agendas, minutes, correspondence and reports 1954-1977

Boxes 27-33
WEA Hunter and Illawarra region committees, as well as any ad hoc and standing committee's agendas, minutes, correspondence and reports 1945-1948, 1954-1977

Boxes 34-38
Reports, correspondence, book lists, agendas, minutes and ephemera relating to WEA Library and Library committee 1959-1977

Boxes 39-41
Education Committee minutes, agendas, reports, correspondence 1951, 1958-1977

Boxes 42-63
Course programs, class statistics and lists, discussion reports, social club program and reports, proposals for future classes, resources and ephemera 1957-1977

Boxes 64-73
Secretarial correspondence 1963-1977

Boxes 74-81
Includes correspondence, forms and documents relating to the Educational Kit Scheme 1964-1976

Boxes 82-85
Comprises financial reports including budgets, reports, payment vouchers and accounts summary 1956-1976

Boxes 86-89
Documents, correspondence, and reports relating to the Australian Association of Adult Education 1949, 1956-1975 as well as general material and resources relating to adult education

Boxes 90-113
General clerical documents relating to WEA. Includes papers on various schools, the WEA bookshop, E.M. Higgins essay prize contest, conference material, premises search, applications for secretary, and publicity and advertising etc. 1925-1977

Boxes 114-116
Annual reports relating to WEA Illawarra region committee 1957, 1960-1961, 1965-1969, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1983, the WEA Metropolitan committee 1957-1962, 1964-1973, 1980-1982, 1985, the WEA Hunter region committee 1958-1962, 1964-1973, 1975-1977, 1979, 1981-1985, the WEA joint committee 1937-1950 and the WEA of New South Wales 1914-1929, 1931, 1938-1938, 1954-1964, 1967, 1969 -1983, 1985

Box 117
Comprises three audiotapes relating to WEA Conference on pollution with talks from Dr S. Boyden and Associate-Professor Brown.

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