Rob Durbridge was a former federal secretary of the Australian Education Union who passed away in 2014. He spent a life committed to working to improve the rights and living standards of working people and arguing tirelessly about the importance of access to quality public education for all. He was an internationalist and he participated in overseas trips to visit APHEDA’s projects.
In recognition of his life of activism, a memorial fund has been established under the auspices of Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA in conjunction with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Education Union and Rob’s family.
The Rob Durbridge scholarship was set up to help fund travel on one of APHEDA’s international study tours. The fund was set up for workers who would not otherwise be able to afford travel for the study tour, for example, workers from a low-paid industry, a casual worker or precariously employed worker.
APHEDA will be taking a group of unionists to Timor Leste in August 2023. To apply for a travel scholarship, applicants are asked to fill in a short application outlining why they are interested and their views about global justice and international solidarity.