Two hundred determined protesters descended on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral earlier this month to condemn the government's treatment of refugee children.
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The activists were disgusted with the government's "appalling" policies and were not afraid to fight for their beliefs.
They were loud, bold, united - and mostly mature-aged.
Grandmothers against Detention of Refugee Children is a newly-formed group that has attracted a significant amount of media attention.
So successful was the initial St Paul's protest that Bendigo great-grandmother Jan Govett is starting a local branch, which will hold its inaugural meeting this Tuesday.
The public will certainly hear more from the grannies, and their associate members, known as FROGS (Friends of Grandmothers).
Yet, while the media was quick to capitalise on the apparent humour of older women being activists, the group's formation perhaps should not have come as a surprise.
Indeed, despite popular perceptions that most protesters are young men with shaggy hair, research reveals it is in fact older people who are most politically active.
Most of us are just horrified by the way the present government is going.
- Jan Govett
GetUp! senior communications advisor Matt Levinson says the core demographic involved in his advocacy group are women in their fifties and sixties - a fact that often takes people by surprise.
"The people calling MPs, going to rallies and signing petitions are predominantly older women," he says.
"I get some shocked faces (when he tells people that)."
Change.org national director Karen Skinner says the largest cohort of people using her campaign site was women between 45 and 65, which she attributes to a personal involvement in particular issues and the fact retired people may have more time.
Mr Levinson says many of the older campaigners he encounters are motivated by concerns for future generations.
"Having kids and grandchildren really changes the way you think about the world," he says.
"A lot of young parents are so caught up raising kids, getting groceries in the house ... they don't have time for much else.
"There's a lot of demographic studies that show people with young families are much more insular but when they get past that stage in life their outlook expands again."
Mr Levinson's words certainly ring true for Bendigo activists Pat Horan, Jan Govett, Ellen O'Gallagher and Jill and David Hooke, all in their seventies.
All say they were always politically engaged but it wasn't until they retired that they were able to find time to attend rallies and organise meetings.
The five campaigners are each involved in numerous local political groups, including Amnesty International, Rural Australians for Refugees and the Bendigo Sustainability Group.
They write letters to foreign dictators and tirelessly campaign for the better treatment of refugees.
Pat Horan says she was motivated to be politically active due to what she sees as a growing conservatism in the Australian psyche.
"Looking backwards and forwards, which is what you do as you get older ... you want to think about what's coming for the next generations.
"Most of us are just horrified by the way the present government is going - a lot of our civil rights are under threat and there's contempt for people suffering.
"We've got this wonderful country and we're not going to share it with anyone else."
Ellen O'Gallagher shares Ms Horan's concerns.
"Turkey has taken more refugees in one week than Australia has in years," she says.
"It's shocking we can be so narrow."
Jan Govett, says she has seen social attitudes in Australia "expand and then contract again".
Indeed, the 60s and 70s involved high levels of immigration - with Australia's population doubling between 1945 and 1975 - important social changes such as improved women's rights and economic prosperity.
All five activists consider themselves to be part of the "lucky generation", saying it was easier to make a living when they were young compared to today.
Jill Hooke makes a mental list of how her generation was lucky.
"University education - yes," she says.
"Job afterwards - we had several to choose from.
"I was wanted by two Commonwealth departments and that wasn't unusual.
"People would come to the university from firms and government agencies looking for graduates - and we got big salaries.
"For a lot of us, there's this sense of, 'I had a lot of advantages and I want to be part of a supporting community'."
The activists say young people today have to contend with expensive property prices, a competitive job market and high university fees.
"It was easier for us, quite frankly," David Hooke says.
"We look at our middle-aged offspring and they haven't got a moment to spare."
Age Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan says it doesn't surprise her that many older people are taking a political stance.
"The negative stereotype is that once you're over 65 you're just coasting along," she says.
"My real experience is people in this age group are very active, they're certainly in good health ... Many people over 65 are the same as they were when they were 45."
She says people in their sixties and seventies are well versed at protesting because many did it when they were young - hitting the streets to oppose the Vietnam War, for instance.
Ms Ryan says many people in the community have narrow beliefs about ageing and older people, such as myths that retirement is limited to knitting and playing golf.
But she says with an ageing population, Australia can ill-afford to ignore the views of its senior citizens.
"We're going to see a lot more of it (older people protesting)," she says.
As for the Bendigo activists, it seems they don't plan to slow down any time soon. Ellen O'Gallagher sums it up nicely: "The line is, 'retire and get a diary'," she says.