Notes from our past: 1964 to 1973
- AWEA was very involved with the many social issues which came to the fore in the 1960s and 1970s—Vietnam, the Progressive Youth movement, Māori land issues. It acted as the education arm of many social movements by offering courses on issues.
- Differences of opinion about alcohol being consumed at summer schools (and the confiscation of alcohol by opponents) resulted in no summer schools being held from 1966 to 1975.
- In 1972 Ed Gillies, a former primary school inspector who knew the Education Department well, was employed part-time as Tutor-organiser and began the revitalization of AWEA by setting up much of the infrastructure for night school and community education classes.
- AWEA sponsored the groundbreaking United Women’s Convention held in 1973. The interest it generated led to AWEA offering the first women’s studies courses in Auckland in 1974.
