Rob Durbridge
Rob Durbridge was an Australian activist.Former SEARCH Foundation President, a founder of the Institute of Employment Rights and a former official of the Australian Education Union.
SEARCH Foundation
In 2013, Durbridge was President of the SEARCH Foundation.
Background
Rob Durbridge wass a part-time teacher, and formerly worked for the Australian Education Union as Federal Industrial Officer and Federal Secretary. He is a public school and TAFE teacher and an advocate for reform to end school privatisation in favour of quality public education and improved conditions for educators.
Durbridge was elected President of the SEARCH Foundation in 2008 and is particularly committed to the renewal of Left politics. He has been engaged in Left politics since the anti-Vietnam War movement of the 1960s and joined the Communist Party of Australia in 1973, becoming the State Secretary in South Australia, a joint National Secretary and member of the CPA National Committee and a founding member of the SEARCH Committee on the CPA’s closure in 1991.[1]
Also a member of the New Left Party.
Australian Left Renewal Conference, 2013
The SEARCH Foundation's Australian Left Renewal Conference, 2013, was held, the weekend of April 6-7, 2013,University of Technology Sydney.
Participatory Forum III
Strategic Priorities for the Left
- Panel: Rob Durbridge (SEARCH Foundation)
- Holly Creenaune (United Voice)
- Keelia Fitzpatrick (Victorian Trades Hall)
- Maurie Mulheron (NSW Teachers Fed)
- Senator Lee Rhiannon (NSW Greens)
- Senator Doug Cameron (ALP Socialist Left)[2][3]
Australian Left Renewal Conference, 2010
Australian Left Renewal Conference, 2010 was organized by the SEARCH Foundation.
Session IV
The Left and its strategic direction
Panel:
- Lee Rhiannon (NSW Greens)*
- Rob Durbridge (SEARCH Foundation)
- Senator Claire Moore (ALP)
- COSATU representative tbc
- Ben Eltham (NewMatilda.com
- David Barrow (NUS President 2009)[4]
NOW WE THE PEOPLE
In July 2001, endorsers of the SEARCH Foundation's NOW WE THE PEOPLE conference in Sydney included Rob Durbridge.
Fretilin conference
Employment Rights Network
Employment Rights Network was established in 2008 by SEARCH Foundation connected activists.
...so join in the Employment Rights Network.
- The campaign against WorkChoices was one of the main reasons for the defeat of the Howard Government. Yet employers and Coalition MPs are still pressing for continuing WorkChoices provisions in the negotiations for Labor’s industrial relations reforms, despite the Minister’s mandate to introduce change.
- The new Government says that it will fully implement all its election commitments. It is clear that the commitment on Rights At Work will not be delivered without a strong campaign. The employers, the media commentators, and the conservative think tanks are trying to undermine the commitments now. Labor’s weakness in the Senate will be used to justify the need for compromise. Even with full implementation of the new Government’s commitments the labour movement has plenty of work to do in coming years to fully establish our rights at work.
Add your name and stay in touch by posting your comments below.
Authorised by: Sally McManus (Secretary, ASU Services NSW), Julius Roe (National President AMWU), Louise Connor (Victorian Secretary MEAA), Angelo Gavrielatos (Federal President AEU), Susan Hopgood (Federal Secretary AEU), Rob Durbridge (Industrial Officer AEU), Maree O'Halloran (President NSW Teachers Fed), John Irving (General Secretary NSW Teachers Fed), Richard Shearman (Secretary NSW/ACT Independent Education Union), Dave Oliver (National Secretary AMWU), Paul Bastian (NSW Secretary AMWU), Brian Manning (retired MUA), Sonia Laverty (Sociologist), Peter Murphy (SEARCH Foundation), Adrian Shackley (solicitor), Cathy-May Gill (AMWU), Donna Sargent (AMWU), Anthony Forsyth (researcher), Fran Hayes (trainer), Scott Batchelor (AMWU), Darren Hanisch (AMWU), Noel Willis, Asian Women at Work Action Group (Sydney).[5]
CPA 90th birthday
According to Peter Love, members of the SEARCH Foundation, organised the 90th birthday party of the Communist Party of Australia at the AMWU's Melbourne offices on Sunday 7 November, 2010.
Organizers were Cavell Zangalis, Carmel Shute, Louise Connor, Rob Durbridge and Roger Wilson.[6]
75th anniversary of the CPA
75th anniversary of the Communist Party of Australia celebration in Melbourne, 21 October 1995.
Speaker John Halfpenny.
The Organizing Committee Rob Durbridge, Janna Thompson, David Ettershank, Richard Walsham, Peter Gibbons, Carmel Shute, Peter Weimar, Michael Evans, Sol Marks, Olga Silver, Louise Connor, Llewellyn Johns, Kate Kennedy, David Ettershank, Julius Roe, Rob Dunne.
SEARCH Committee
SEARCH Foundation committee members as of February 1994:
Rob Durbridge, Adrian Shackley, Judy Gillett, Brian Aarons, Adam Farrar, Joyce Stevens, Eric Aarons, Bev Symons, Josie Moynihan.
SEARCH Foundation, 1991, AGM
Apologies to SEARCH Foundation November 2, 1991 AGM.
Vic Slater, Rob Durbridge, Gordon Boag, Joe Palmada, Chris Warren, Graham Drew.
South African Women's Liberation appeal fund
In 1994 sponsors of the SEARCH Foundation's South African Women's Liberation appeal fund to sponsor a female organizer for the South African Communist Party were Sydney Martha Ansara, Margaret Kirkby, Peter Murphy, Gerry Phelan, Vic Slater, Bev Symons, Jacqueline Widin Newcastle Greg Giles, Cathie Murray Wollongong Sally Bowen, Lia Ricci, Barbara Quantrell Canberra Brian Aarons, Romaine Rutnam, Melbourne Rob Durbridge, Linda Gale, Richard Walsham Adelaide Irene Gale, Judy Gillett, Dave Ferguson, Adrian Shackley.
"Livable Cities"
Rob Durbridge New Left Party, Joe Camilleri Rainbow Alliance, Jo Vallentine WA Greens.
NLP ACTU function
Roberta Moore, Rob Durbridge, Tom McDonald.
"It's time to act"
"It's time to act" was a 1991 statement calling for the formation of the New Left Party.
Melbourne sponsors were : Marian Aveling, Susan Barclay, Lynda Blundell, Laurie Carmichael, Frank Cherry, Ruth Crow, Mick Doleman, Rob Durbridge, Kiri Evans, Ralph Gibson, Angela Sdrinas, Carmel Shute, Theo Sidiropolous, Mike Sutherland, Jil Toovey, Rob Watts. .
Australian Marxist Forum
Soviet trip
Brian Aarons, Rob Durbridge, Pat Ranald.
CPA
In 1989 the Communist Party of Australia National Executive was Brian Aarons, Louise Connor, Rob Durbridge, Michael Evans, Warwick Neilley and Adrian Shackley.[7]
Old radical
"STATEMENT REGARDING ABORIGINAL LAND RIGHTS"
In April 1986 several hundred attendees of The Broad Left Conference in Melbourne signed an add in the National Times "STATEMENT REGARDING ABORIGINAL LAND RIGHTS".
Signatories included Rob Durbridge.
Bulletin Number 2/86
The Broad Left Conference Bulletin Number 2/86
- Jane Martin
- Roslyn Smidt
- Romaine Rutnam
- Barbara Curthoys
- Neil Hawthorne
- Michael Carr
- J. Ivanoff
- Linda Mearing
- Mike Donaldson
- Jim Moss
- Rick Mohr
- Ann Sherry
- Audrey McDonald
- Eugene Sibelle
- Rob Durbridge
- Hugh Hamilton
- Max Bound
- Tony Douglas
Bringing Roxby Down
Rob Durbridge with Catriona Steel
References
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Australian options, Australian Left Renewal Conference – secure jobs in a green future, Posted by Howard Guille on March 26, 2013
- ↑ Australian options, Australian Left Renewal Conference – secure jobs in a green future, Posted by Howard Guille on March 26, 2013
- ↑ http://www.search.org.au/news-events-publications/conference-program-from-global-crisis-to-green-future-may-29-30-2010, SEARCH Foundation, Conference Program – From Global Crisis to Green Future- May 29-30, 2010 Australian Left Renewal Conference]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ [Love, Peter, Recorder, Melbourne Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, "90th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF AUSTRALIA", Recorder Number 268, December, 2010, pages 2.3, Link:https://labourhistorymelbourne.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/recorder-2681.pdf]
- ↑ [Tribune August 2 1989 page 11]