History

Foundation

The impetus for the founding of an Australia and New Zealand association for leisure studies came out of meetings among academics at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 1990. The UTS group (Paul Jonson, Tony Veal, Bruce Hayllar and Rob Lynch) wrote to academic institutions which had an interest in leisure studies, calling for expressions of interest in forming an association. There was unanimous support and a preliminary planning meeting was called in April 1991, hosted in Melbourne by the Phillip Institute of Technology (later RMIT) and chaired by Greg Heath. The 12 persons present represented the Phillip Institute of Technology, Victoria University, UTS, Lincoln University, Charles Sturt University and Griffith University, and written support was received from a number of other institutions.

This meeting resolved to support the establishment of an association and a formation meeting was called for July 1991, to be held in conjunction with the World Leisure Congress of the World Leisure and Recreation Association being hosted at UTS in Sydney. Paul Jonson was asked to prepared a draft constitution. The meeting at the World Leisure Congress was attended by 46 people who unanimously resolved to form the Australia and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies (ANZALS) and to adopt the constitution. An inaugural Board of Directors was also elected. The July 1991 meeting was deemed to be the first Annual General Meeting of the association, and the second was held at UTS in July, 1992.

The Board determined that conferences would be held biennially, and the first was hosted by Griffith University, in Brisbane, in April, 1993.

In conference years, it was planned that the main publication of the association would be the conference proceedings, while in non-conference years, it was determined that the refereed ANZALS Research Series would be published. The first was published in 1993 under the editorship of Tony Veal and Betty Weiller. The series was replaced by the refereed journal, Annals of Leisure Research, in 1998, under the co-editorship of Rob Lynch, Clare Simpson and Bob Gidlow and with an international Editorial Advisory Board. The first five volumes were single-issue volumes; from 2003, the journal was published quarterly and from 2019 five times per year.

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of ANZALS as contained in Clause 4 of the Constitution is: To promote the further development of research and scholarship in leisure studies. In furtherance of this purpose, the objectives of the Association are as follows:

1. To facilitate scholarly debate and exchange of ideas and dissemination of knowledge in the study of leisure through the conduct of scholarly meetings, conferences and other activities.
2. To promote the publication of scholarly work.
3. To foster and facilitate liaison, communication and co-operation between Members and other interested parties.
4. To facilitate liaison with leisure studies organisations and other related entities.
5. To provide relevant comment, and advocate more effective leisure policies and programs to government, community and commercial agencies.
6. To promote high standards of leisure studies in the tertiary education sector.
7. To raise funds and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription donation and otherwise, to advance the purpose or objects of the Association.
8. To borrow money or enter into other contracts on behalf of the Association and subject to such consents as may be required by the law charge all or any of the property of the Association.
9. To do all such other lawful things as shall further the purpose and objects of the Association.

Inaugural Board of Directors

Chair: Rob Lynch, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW
Vice-chair: Clare Simpson, Lincoln University, NZ
Director of Administration: Paul Jonson, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW
Director of Finance: Gregory Heath, Phillip Institute of Technology, Vic.
Director of Scholarship and Research: Francis Lobo, Edith Cowan University, WA
Director of Publications: Linda Trenberth, Victoria University, NZ

Presidents

(The title was changed from Chair to President in 2002)

1991-1997 Rob Lynch, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW
1997-2001 Peter Brown, University of Newcastle, NSW
2001-2003 Clare Simpson, Lincoln University, NZ
2003-2005 Tony Veal, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW
2005-2010 Grant Cushman, Lincoln University, NZ
2010-2013 Simone Fullagar, Griffith University, Qld
2013-2017 John Tower, Victoria University, Vic
2018-2020 Ruth Jeanes, Monash University, Vic
2020-2022 Trudie Walters, University of Otago, NZ
2022- Oscar Vorobjovas-Pinta, University of Tasmania, Tas

Members of the Board

Alistair Boag, Griffith University, Qld, 1992-1999
Holly Bowen-Salter, University of South Australia, SA, 2020-
Peter Brown, University of Newcastle, NSW, 1994-2001
Robyn Cockburn, Lumin, NZ, 2010-
Denis Coleman, Griffith University, Qld/Victoria University, Vic. 1996-2003
Sue Colyer, Edith Cowan University, WA, 1996-2003
Lee Davidson, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ, 2008-2013
Carmel Foley, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 2010-2015
Simone Fullagar, Griffith University, Qld, 2005-2013
Bob Gidlow, Lincoln University, NZ, 2003-2010
Bernadette Harrison, RMIT, Vic., 1993-1996
Clayton J Hawkins, University of Tasmania, Tas, 2013-2019
Lisa Hayes, University of Waikato, NZ, 2001-2010
Gregory Heath, Phillip Institute of Technology, Vic., 1991-1992
Russell Hoye, Griffith University, Qld/La Trobe University, Vic, 2002-2004
Kandy James, Edith Cowan University, WA, 2001-2003
Roslyn Kerr, Lincoln University, NZ, 2015-2017, 2020-
Ruth Jeanes, Monash University, Vic., 2011-2020
John Jenkins, University of Newcastle, NSW, 2001-2011
Paul Jonson, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 1991-1997
Donna Little, University of Waikato, NZ, 2005-2007
Kathy Lloyd, Griffith University, Qld, 2010-2013
Francis Lobo, Edith Cowan University, WA, 1991-1994
Rob Lynch, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 1991-1997
Richard McGrath, University of South Australia, SA, 2013-
Norm McIntyre, University of Waikato, NZ, 1999-2001
Pirko Markula, University of Waikato, NZ, 1998-1999
Hazel Maxwell, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2014-2017
Katie McDonald, Victoria University, Vic, 2018-2019
Sally Methven, University of South Australia, SA, 1996-2008
Ian Patterson, University of Queensland, 2003-2010
Arianne Reis, Southern Cross University, NSW, 2012-2015
Megan Revitt, Edith Cowan University, WA, 2003-2004
Ruth Sibson, Edith Cowan University, WA, 2010-
Clare Simpson, Lincoln University, 1991-1997, 1999-2003
Damion Sturm, Massey University, NZ, 2020-
Shona Thompson, University of Auckland, NZ, 1996-1999
John Tower, Victoria University, Vic., 2010-2017
Linda Trenberth, Victoria University, NZ, 1991-1996
Tony Veal, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 1996-2005
Trudie Walters, University of Otago, NZ, 2015-2022
Richard Wright, Auckland University of Technology, 2017-
Oscar Vorobjovas-Pinta, University of Tasmania, Tas, 2020-
Louise Grimmer, University of Tasmania, Tas, 2020-2022
Michael Butson, Monash University, Vic, 2021-2022
Henry Bowen, Military and Emergency Services Health Australia, SA – 2020-
Najmeh Hassanli, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2022-

Updated September 2022
Comments should be sent to online@anzals.org.au