National Sports Convention 2020

Early Childhood Education has lost a champion advocate for children's right to play.  We are deeply saddened at the passing of our highly respected former Board member and Life Member Jane Tindale. 

Jane spent most of her life strongly advocating for the right for all children to enjoy quality outdoor play and she will be much missed as an advocate for children and play in Victoria. Jane, we salute you for a life of outstanding service.

(photo - Play Australia's 100th Birthday celebration - L to R Mary Jeavons, Robyn Monro Miller, Mary Hughes, Jane Tindale, Cathy Kiss)

A great article in Landscape Australia this month highlights the importance of play in an interview with Play Australia member, Mary Jeavons. 

Advocating for open space and the natural environment has always been important to Jeavons and the studio – an aspect Jeavons acknowledges is particularly pressing now, at a time of rapid urbanization and environmental collapse. 

Inspiring commitment by the Greater Shepparton City Council to provide healthy living initiatives, targeting physical activity and nutrition.  The Get Mooving Greater Shepparton Initiative includes the Activities in the Park program, developed by Greater Shepparton City Council’s Active Living Department. 

The program provides a range of free and low-cost activities for Greater Shepparton residents and visitors, encouraging people to be outdoors, physically active and engaging with their community.

The Activities in the Park team have also been working on a number of initiatives to help support their community through Isolation. 

Liz Cummins is a landscape architect in a small practice, Bricolage Design that combines her expertise in education, love of the outdoor environment and commitment to more play advocacy. She is particularly passionate about risk benefit and children's independent neighborhood mobility. 

Liz is a keen strategic planner, observing and debating the bigger picture influences of our ever-changing culture, as well as city and neighbourhood planning on children's lives and their right to play. 

If you ask Liz about play she says, "The best kind of play happens 'in-between' the ordinariness of our world. The walk home from school or the supermarket aisle. It doesn't need that much, just joyous spontaneity.....the result of alchemy when place, time and imagination all come together."

"I am a member of Play Australia Victoria (and also Secretary of the Victorian State Branch) because I think we have an inspiring, rich network of members in our state with so much knowledge and experience to share with each other." Liz Cummins 

Become part of the movement to protect the rights of every child in Australia to play!  

Play Australia is the national peak body for play in Australia.