our mission


The Australian Esperanto Association Inc. is a non-profit organisation, incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory, aiming to:

> promote the use of the international language, Esperanto
> increase, among its members, a strong sense of solidarity
> to develop in its members understanding and esteem for peoples of other countries
> foster co-operation between Esperanto organisations
> organise nation-wide congresses, as well as other conferences and gatherings

A complete copy of our Constitution can be downloaded from the "Official Documents" section of our website.



our management committee


AEA Management Committee members are volunteers, elected yearly, who generously donate their time and effort for the continuing improvement and strengthening of the AEA, and the Esperanto movement in Australia.

Igor Couto | President
prezidanto@esperanto.org.au

Penny Vos | Vice-President 1
vicprezidanto1@esperanto.org.au

John Abood | Vice-President 2
vicprezidanto2@esperanto.org.au

Stephen Pitney | Treasurer
kasisto@esperanto.org.au

Jennifer Bishop | Vice-Treasurer
vickasisto@esperanto.org.au

Miranda Lutz | Secretary
sekretario@esperanto.org.au

Gordon Coleman | Vice-Secretary
vicsekretario@esperanto.org.au



brief history of the aea


From as early as 1889 Dietrich Rienits and Hermann Ritz from Mount Victoria, NSW had contact with Dr Zamenhof, the founder of Esperanto and were included in the second address list of Esperantists in 1889. By 1909 one hundred and two Australians had joined the Universal Esperanto Association.

The spirit of Esperanto took hold and many groups were established. The Australian Esperanto Association was formed in October 1911, during the first Australian congress, at which there were 53 Esperantists.

Early congresses occurred 1911 to 1913 inclusive, and after the First world War were held in 1920, 1924, 1925 and 1929. A magazine “La Suda Kruco” (published in conjunction with the New Zealand Esperanto Associatio) appeared from 1921 until 1934.

However not until 1950, with the reappearance of a national magazine, congresses and organised courses did the Association grow and stabilise. Congresses in the fifties, sixties and the seventies; the national magazine “La Rondo”(1941-1958) “The Australian Esperantist” (1958-1992), renamed “Esperanto Sub la Suda Kruco” (1989-); regular classes; and annual summer schools in the nineties to the present, have galvanised the Association into a group serving its membership in promoting the idea and ideal of Esperanto throughout the community and beyond.

In 1976 the Australian Esperanto Association hosted the first Pacific Congress of Esperanto, in Melbourne. 190 people attended, 51 from overseas. In 1988 it hosted the 4th Pacific Congress in Brisbane. 204 attended, with 76 from overseas. In 1997 the 82nd Universal Congress of Esperanto was held in Adelaide . Approximately 1000 Esperantists from 54 countries came to the Congress, 820 of them from overseas.

The Association is affiliated with the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA), the International Esperantist Teachers League (ILEI), state organisations and many local Esperanto groups, providing a strong network to keep our Esperanto community alive and well.