July 2002

Calendar stars role models for seniors

The varied and vital roles played by older Victorians in business are highlighted in a new financial year calendar.

Funded by the State Government and produced through the Office of Senior Victorians, the calendar was launched by Minister for Senior Victorians Christine Campbell.

The Senior pin-up stars include an antique dealer, opera singer, dentist, anaesthetist, retailer, school crossing supervisor, gardener, bootmaker, cabbie, church minister and manufacturing company owners.

To top it off, the calendar was shot by professional photographer Joan Carson, 72, who went to hospital for open heart surgery just days after completing the assignment and has now fully recovered.

‘The theme of the calendar is that older people do everything that younger people do and that business and society wouldn’t be able to function properly without significant numbers of older people remaining active in the workforce,’ Ms Campbell said.

‘This is in line with the Government’s commitment to senior Victorians.

‘Seniors should be acknowledged and respected as valuable contributing members of the community.

‘In 2000, around 1.34 million Victorians were aged over 50—and that’s about 28 per cent of our population.

‘Seniors make a significant contribution to families, communities and the economy.

‘They are vital to the life of our society and the social and economic development of Victoria,’ Ms Campbell said.

• Copies of the calendar are available free from Information Victoria at 356 Collins Street, Melbourne (1300 366 356) or Seniors Information Victoria at the CAE Centre, 256 Flinders Street (1300 135 090).