Despite weaknesses, community-based adult education is an example of local democracy at work. It can challenge forces that focus on material outcomes, strengthen the concept of community in a global age, and offer opportunities that meet the needs, values, and attitudes of those outside the mainstream. (SK)

This article reports on my doctoral research around community organizations in the inner city of Sydney, Australia. The neighbourhood centres (NCs) provide a case study of sites where discourses of feminism, multiculturalism and urban environmentalism have been activated within a social justice framework. The research participants were activists…

Discusses various aspects of community work in Australia: national context, consensus politics, early community work, literature and training, current trends in Australian community work, localist programs, and community work politics. (CT)

The Torrens Valley Youth Programme in rural Australia is an example of a partnership between a community center and a nongovernmental organization to provide youth services. The program overcame such barriers as differing organizational values and culture, different approaches (top-down, hands-on), insufficient funding, and opposition from the…

Case studies of rural teleworking in an Australian government department and a community organization found that a key constraint is lack of telecommunications and services infrastructure. Teleworkers had differing views of working in isolation, depending on the nature of work roles, attitudes toward technology, and personal life experiences.…

A study of 162 community-based organizations that assist older adults or people with intellectual disabilities in Brisbane, Australia, investigated the types of programs offered to older adults with intellectual disabilities. Results indicate that there were no programs offered that provided special services for older adults with intellectual…

Kinchela Boys' Home on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, was established by the state's Aborigines Protection Board for Aboriginal boys and youths in 1924 and closed in 1970. By the 1930s the place had become known as a notorious carceral, poorly managed and psychologically isolated. An overdue government enquiry in 1940 concluded that it…

To prepare Islamic background bilingual community workers to provide culture and gender appropriate support to women with depression, an education program was developed in consultation with Islamic community leaders. Participants indicated that they were able to apply the new knowledge and skills to provide appropriate support to women with…

One of three reports from Australia's Community Information Sharing Service (CISS), this evaluation discusses several aspects of a CISS study which was conducted to obtain a factual overview of community information services currently being provided by public libraries in New South Wales, and to develop guidelines for public library participation…

Managers and decision-makers are under increasing pressure to engage community members along with experts in considering and resolving environmental degradation. This is especially the case with respect to decisions concerning water quality and quantity in Australia. The commitment of citizens and government to sustainable catchment management and…

The image of the YMCA as a physical education club for boys is changing. Sydney's YMCA offers adult education programs for both daytime and evening groups with a wide range of course offerings. (MW)

A total of 830 patrons of the adult section in Waverly Municipal Library in Sydney, Australia responded to a questionnaire to determine sociological characteristics and user behavior. The study revealed that: (1) nearly two thirds of all users are under 35 years of age; (2) level of education and involvement in formal education are underlying…

A result of Australia's Community Information Sharing Service (CISS) study of community information services currently being provided by public libraries in New South Wales, this report (one of three) presents five general principles which can assist public libraries with decisions about their response to the issue of the provision of community…

Describes four Australian initiatives in community health education: (1) Newtown Community Psychology Centre; (2) Association of Drug Referral Centres; (3) Society for Health Promotion; and (4) Health and Human Relations Exchange. (SK)

Reports on a project that investigated, by means of interviews, the information needs, information-gathering strategies, and information use of 10 urban and 9 rural community groups in Australia. Highlights include accuracy and reliability as criteria by all groups, rural groups' perceptions of being disadvantaged, and the importance of public…