HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY: A LABOUR OF LOVE OR A SIGN OF MADNESS?

MARY HOBAN

18 JULY 2020

Fifty five people participated in the July Saturday Seminar, Historical biography a labour of love or a sign of madness

Mary Hoban, award winning author of An Unconventional Wife, The Life of Julia Sorell Arnold took the audience through the joys and frustrations of researching and writing an historical biography of a woman who appeared on the surface to be an ordinary 19th century woman.

Vivacious and fiery, Julia Sorell’s marriage to Tom Arnold in 1850 propelled her into one of the most renowned families in England and into a circle that included Lewis Carroll, George Eliot and Cardinal Newman.

Mary’s research commenced when she read about a young woman who had thrown stones at a Catholic church, and from there it took her from Tasmania to the Balliol College, Oxford.

Mary has deservedly won numerous awards for her book, reflected in the many comments made by U3A members following her seminar, best summed up by one: “Mary’s talk was totally absorbing. Writing a book is certainly not for the faint hearted – mad, dedicated, enthused or whatever”.

Pam Caven, Committee of Management, Covid-19 Working Group

How to Enrol

On-line: after bookings have opened

On-line enrolments are preferred as this significantly reduces the amount of back-office work for our volunteers.

  • Login to the U3APP.org.au website.
  • Go to the Courses & Enrolling page.
  • Scroll down to find the course that you are interested in.
  • Does the course have spaces available?
    • Click on the course name to go to the booking page.
    • Click on “Book for this course or event”.
    • You will receive a confirmation email.  Please check your Junk/Spam folders as these automatically-generated emails often finish up there.
  • OR is the course shown as FULL?
    • Click on WAITLIST.

Paper Enrolment Form: before bookings open for First Semester

  • Obtain a paper Enrolment Form either from the Office or by printing an online copy available here.
  • Complete the paper Enrolment Form and submit it to the Office.

The start date for acceptance of paper Enrolment Forms for first semester is published on the U3APP website and in the e-Bulletin. Enrolment Forms received before this date are treated as though they had been received on the start date (ie there is no advantage to be gained by submitting early). On the start date and thereafter, paper Enrolment Forms are numbered in order of receipt.  Paper Enrolment forms are processed by U3APP volunteers on the same day as on-line bookings.

If your enrolment is successful, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please check your Junk/Spam folders as these automatically-generated emails often finish up there.

If your enrolment is unsuccessful,  you will receive an email telling you that you have been waitlisted.

Via the Office: after bookings have opened

  • Contact the office in person, or by email or phone.