A busload of seniors travelled from Gatton, Esk and Lowood for a social visit to the Warwick Pensioners and Superannuants last week (25 May).
In all, 58 people tucked into morning tea, a lunch of savoury mince and vegetables followed by peach cobbler and were entertained by members of the Travelling Country Music Club. With a membership of 20 and not every member able to attend on the day, the Warwick members were outnumbered by the visitors, who had joined forces so they had enough people to hire a coach.
President of the Warwick group Michael Holland said the organisation itself had some age on it, having started in 1937.
“It was the first group of its kind in Queensland. It’s interesting looking into the history. There was a funeral fund, with a cost of one shilling to join and sixpence a week, payable fortnight in advance,” he said.
“The original name of the group was Australian Pensioners League for Aged and Invalid Warwick.”
The State branch, in Brisbane, formed seven years later. Michael is on the management board of that branch – the only Warwick person ever to have been on the committee – which is called Australian Pensioners and Superannuants League.
Michael said people could become members of the Warwick club if they were living off their own superannuation or if they were on a pension of any kind.
“It doesn’t have to be an aged pension. It is open to anyone who is on a government benefit,” he said.
He said the club had an active social base and members generally had lunch at a local café about once a month.
“But we have a serious side too. The group’s principal aim is to do what we can to benefit pensioners. We fight to improve situations for members. Last year we got a petition together for a rise in the single pension. When you think about it, there isn’t a really big difference between the pension a person gets on a single pension and what they would get on a married pension, but the single pensioner has to pay all the rates, power bills, insurance, fuel bill and registration out of one pension.
“At the moment we’re working on the issues of vaping and e-scooters. We’d like to see vaping stopping and we think there is a need for more regulations and rules regarding e-scooters.”
