Outdoor Education Australia
Who we are
Outdoor Education Australia (OEA) was established in 2006 as a national network of outdoor education associations. OEA follows on the good work conducted by on the antecedent organisation of the Australian Outdoor Education Council. Its member associations represent thousands of practising outdoor educators, teachers and organisations across Australia. The primary purpose of Outdoor Education Australia is to facilitate communication between state and territory outdoor education associations about the practice and delivery of outdoor education throughout Australia.
Outdoor Education is understood by member associations to be defined as ‘educating for healthy relationships through sustainable outdoor experiences’.
Outdoor Education Australia is a member of the Outdoor Council of Australia. The following Associations are the inaugural members of OEA:
- ACT Outdoor Education Association (ACTOEA): <www.actoea.org.au>
- Outdoor Educators’ Association of South Australia (OEASA): <www.oeasa.on.net>
- Outdoor Educators’ Association of Queensland (OEAQ): <www.oeaq.org.au>
- Outdoor Recreation Industry Council (NSW): <www.oric.org.au>
- Outdoors WA:<www.outdoorswa.org>
- Tasmanian Outdoor Education Teachers’ Association (TOETA)
- Victorian Outdoor Education Association (VOEA): <www.voea.vic.edu.au>
Each state organisation elects two persons to be representatives to OEA.
The representatives in each state for 2012 are:
- ACTOEA: David Russell and Kathy Mann

- OEAQ: James McIntosh (Chair)
and Mark Munnings - OEASA: Scott Polley
and Mike Meredith - ORIC: Liz Horne and Lorraine Smith
- TOETA: Todd Blackall and Kaylah Rataj
- Outdoors WA: Jamie Bennett
and Greg Harvey - VOEA: Brendon Munge
and Stephen McMurtrie 
(Northern Territory does not have an Outdoor Education Association as yet. Presently interested members are directed to other state OE associations)
6th International Outdoor Education Research Conference: 26–29 November 2013
Planning is well under way for the 6th International Outdoor Education Research Conference in Dunedin, New Zealand, 26–29 November 2013. This conference carries on the tradition of the previous five conferences with its explicit focus on critical research in outdoor education and building an international community of outdoor education researchers.
National Outdoor Education Conference 2014
April 14–17: mark your calendar.
Twelfth Biennial Coalition for Education in the Outdoors Research Symposium
January 10–12, 2014 at Indiana University’s Bradford Woods
For information, see the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors site.






