About us

The Australian Education Union (AEU) is a community of nearly 200,000 Australian educators.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) is a national union of nearly 200,000 educators in public schools and TAFEs. The ACT Branch represents teachers, school assistants, school psychologists and other support staff across the territory.

The AEU is united by our passion for making a difference in the lives of young Australians and our belief that fair pay and conditions for Australian educators is an investment in our country’s future.

As educational experts and the people who make public education happen every day, we have a say in how our schools and TAFE campuses work. Through our union, we campaign for resources to create the best possible learning environments and we join in debates about the shape of our public schools and TAFEs.

We speak up to ensure the community appreciates the value of public education.

Working together, we win better salaries and working conditions.

We’re here for each other with support and advice. We make sure we have the conditions, resources and recognition we need to give each and every child in our care the best possible start in life.

AEU ACT
foundation years

In examining the history of the ACT’s public educations system as an independent education system, there is one event that stands out as probably the most significant event in the system’s genesis.


This was the coalition of parents and teachers and academics that formed around Campbell Primary parents and their dissatisfaction with the NSW department of Education in 1966.

A man and woman with their arms around each others shoulders smiling

Our people

Our union is run by members, for members through democratically elected representatives on Branch Council and Branch Executive.

If you need assistance or advice, the AEU office team has decades of experience as teachers, lawyers, researchers and administrators. We’re committed to using that experience to get the best outcomes for members.

Branch council

Branch Council is the highest decision-making body of our union. It is made up of representatives from each sub-branch in addition to members of Executive. Councillors represent the views of their workplace colleagues in the deliberations of the ACT branch as a whole.

Branch executive

Our Branch Executive is directly elected by the whole membership of our union. Its function is to conduct the affairs of the union in between meetings of Branch Council.

Angela Burroughs
Branch President
Patrick Judge
Branch secretary
Sarah Warren
Vice President
Roger Amey
Vice President
Karen Noble
TAFE Vice President
Sam Mills
TAFE Representative
Jane McInally
School Assistant Representative
Murray Chisholm
General Membership Representative
Trina Cleary
General Membership Representative
Tony Kennedy
General Membership Representative
Barbara Monsma
General Membership Representative
Brittany Herrington
General Membership representative
Naomi Nicholson
General Membership representative
Leica Burt
General Membership representative
Dominic Nixon
General Membership representative

Office team

Our team of full-time paid office staff is here to support you and implement the decisions of Council and Executive.

Vince McDevitt
Lead Organiser
Sean van der Heide
Organiser
Tahlia Bruce
Organiser - North
Ingrid Bean
Organiser - South
Matt Peterson
Director of Workplace Advocacy and Member Support
Elizabeth Lomas
Case manager
Bianca Hennessy
Research and policy officer
Chad Samson
Administration manager
Eleanor Lewis
Member support officer
Meg Lynch
Member support officer
An Tran
Member Support Officer
Patrick Judge
Branch secretary
Alex Leon
Yes Campaign Coordinator
Katie Slater
Organiser
Angela Burroughs
Branch President

AEU ACT History Project

Former AEU ACT Secretary Branch Clive Haggar is compiling a history of our branch in the lead-up to its 50th anniversary. 

The Fight for Safe and Healthy Working Conditions
Out of Many, One
Leading Change: Women in Teaching Unionism
When Unity Matters: What We Learned About Ourselves in 1982
AEU ACT Foundation Years
The AEU ACT History Project

Member login

Being an AEU member comes with great benefits, like access to our exclusive, member-only information and advice.