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.


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
Patrick Judge
Sarah Warren
Roger Amey
Karen Noble
Sam Mills
Jane McInally
Murray Chisholm
Trina Cleary
Tony Kennedy
Barbara Monsma
Brittany Herrington
Naomi Nicholson
Leica Burt
Dominic Nixon
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
Sean van der Heide
Tahlia Bruce
Ingrid Bean
Matt Peterson
Elizabeth Lomas
Bianca Hennessy
Chad Samson
Eleanor Lewis
Meg Lynch
An Tran
Patrick Judge
Alex Leon
Katie Slater
Angela Burroughs
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.