See also First Club in Solomon Islands
See also First Club in Papua New Guinea
CLUBS OF THE DISTRICT

The following accounts therefore record details from the last 25 years.

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From the book "Spinning Wheels" in 2005, and provided by Rotary Global History member PDG Judy Magub

Rotary Club of Albany Creek
By PP Chris Goninon

The Rotary Club of Albany Creek was chartered on 9 August 1983 following a short period as a provisional club. It was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Aspley, who not only provided guidance to the new club, but also lost some of its members who lived in the Albany Creek area to the new club.

The Club formed to service the developing suburb of Albany Creek and other suburbs on the south-eastern border of Pine Rivers, and also the north-western suburbs of Brisbane. In 1983 with no other suitable locations available, meetings in the inaugural years were held at the Everton Park Tavern.

During the years the Club has met in a number of different locations, including Hornets at Aspley, the Bowls Club, the Albany Creek Tavern and currently at the Gardener’s Café, at home in Albany Creek.

Membership
The Club started off with some twenty-two members. Membership for the first five years remained relatively static at twenty to twenty-five with the average age of members in the forties.

During the late 1980s, through the 1990s and into the early 2000s membership slowly increased to around thirty, the average age increasing to the fifties.

During the past three years another influx of members has brought the numbers to forty-one, the largest membership in the Club’s history. This is a result of further housing growth in the local area. With new young members joining in recent years the average membership age has been maintained. Also in 2004 the Club welcomed its first female member. Notably in its twenty-second year, the Club still has more than ten of its Charter members.

Service Activities
The Club has, since its inception, based most of its Community Service activity in the local Albany Creek community. These activities have included the establishment of Jacaranda Park, sponsoring academic, community and sporting awards at local primary and high schools, and supporting other community groups in the area such as Scouts; Guides; Lions; Apex; Albany Creek Business Association; churches; police; ambulance and fire services with manpower, management skills and, of course, financially.

Other notable service activities have included fodder drives to Chinchilla, supporting Life Education, and sponsoring a program for the reduction in bullying.
The Club in its early years often sponsored and hosted Youth Exchange students and on a couple of occasions, Ambassadorial Scholars. In recent years the Club has hosted and sponsored members of incoming and outgoing GSE teams.

The Club has supported District Service activities such as DIK through the collection and delivery of donations and through loading containers.

Fellowship
The Club has always maintained a solid social calendar. Activities across the years have included Christmas in July, fishing trips, Australia Day barbecues, dances, family days, hiking, and trips to local and not so local locations.

Through regular member speaker spots the Club has also ensured that members are aware of the life and times of fellow members.

Vocational
The Club regularly presents Vocational Service Awards to members of the local business community. These are recognized in the area as a notable achievement by those who receive them. The Club also undertakes regular vocational visits, and in recent times has visited the police, Patrick’s wharves, a funeral parlour, breweries and a caravan manufacturing business to name a few.

Guest speakers from a wide range of vocations come to meetings and in this way new members in different vocations have been recruited.

Youth
While the Club has supported the local community youth groups, individual members regularly take work experience students into their businesses. The Club has regularly sent students to activities such as RYLA, RYPEN, Siemens Science Experience and the National Youth Science Forum.

Polio
Rotary’s goal to eradicate polio has, from the beginning, been supported by the Club, which contributed towards the final push in 2002-03 with $75 per member in that year.

Support of District Activities
Since its inception the Club has been represented at the annual District Conference and has had a number of members also attend International Conventions held both in Australia and abroad.

In 1996-97 Club member Boyd Fay was District 9600 Governor. Members have also held a number of roles on District Committees, both as members and chairs of District Awareness Advisory Team(DAAT), Group Study Exchange(GSE), Youth Exchange, Rotary Overseas Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC), Preserve Planet Earth, Membership, Publicity, Trophies and Awards, District Training and Foundation Committees. A number of members have also served as Assistant Governors, Cluster Coordinators and legal advisers

Awards
The Club has recognized in excess of twenty-five members and members of the public as Paul Harris Fellows.

The Club won a number of district attendance awards in its earlier years, and in 2002-03 was recognized as the Outstanding Club of District 9600 and also had the best display at the District Conference.

ROTARY CLUB OF ALBION

The first suggestion of a Rotary Club in the Albion, Clayfield and Ascot area was in 1969 when the District Governor was Brian Knowles and Frank Spork was President of the Rotary Club of Hamilton - our sponsoring club.

The District Governor's Special Representative who had to do all the spadework, such as finding suitable leaders and prospective members, was Past President Les Saunders of the Rotary Club of Hamilton.

He approached John Montefiore (South Brisbane) and Erwin Spork (Hamilton) to be Provisional President and Secretary and they accepted the challenge. The inaugural meeting was held on 2 July 1970 at the Marita Reception Lounge. The presentation of the Charter took place on 24 October 1970. Our District was known as District 260 then and four District Governors (Past and Present) attended the exciting night as well as a future International President.

Of the twenty-one Charter members Andrew Chan and Fred Lodder are still with us and Geoff Orr is now an Honorary member.

Songs from the Albion Charter Night Song Book were There is a tavern in the town; Clementine; Pack up your troubles in your old kitbag; Always; Look for the silver lining; Gundagai; Lily of Laguna

During the 1976-77 Rotary year when Tony Ure was club president an Interact subcommittee chaired by Vern Palm was formed leading to the charter of an Interact Club at Clayfield College on 16 June 1977. In one year the Interact Club raised $30 000. The Club continues in great strength. We are very proud of the Clayfield College Interact Club and our association with them.

The former Principal of Clayfield College, Miss Ida Kennedy, joined our Club following her retirement. The present Principal, Mrs Carolyn Hauff, is also a member of our Club.

Two of our longstanding members, Jim Wyllie and Fred Lodder, have an award in their honour given at the Clayfield College Awards Ceremony.

The Club has promoted many outstanding projects and programs. Here are some of them.
Alma Park Zoo Special Day.
We have had this as an annual event since 1992-93. It started off with twenty children from the Royal Children’s Hospital together with a few of their parents. Each year the numbers have grown and have been up to 200. With the generous support of the proprietors of the Alma Park Zoo, Rotarians and Clayfield College Interactors have provided memorable outings for children and their families.
House Construction
In 1981-82 we embarked upon the ambitious and exciting project of building a house to give the Club a working capital base to assist charitable organisations in the community. Fortunately we had architects, engineers, solicitors, a builder and a lot of willing workers in the Club to enable the successful completion of the project.
Yowoggera Park
A Club member came up with the idea in the 1985-86 year and the construction of the shelter and barbecue facility was completed in the 1988-89 year. It has been well used by the community over the years. It won the R.I. Significant Achievement Award and District Governor's Special Commendation Award.
When the shelter needed to be moved due to the Inner City Bypass our Club relocated it to the other end of Yowoggera Park.
T-shirts
When the Gateway Bridge opened in the Rotary year 1985-86 we sold T-shirts in a matter of hours for a net gain of $15 700. In the 1990-91 Rotary year we sold Story Bridge T-Shirts for a net gain of $10 000.
Bingo
We started this project in the 1991-92 year. We raised and donated $64 000 over five years. Some of the items donated were three defibrillators to Queensland Ambulance; one transport incubator to the Mater Hospital; a bus to the Q Rapid organisation; donations to The Wesley Rotary Lodge and the Kids Help Line.
Raffles
Currently we are running ongoing raffles at Racecourse Road each Friday and Saturday. We have the aim of distributing profits to local charities and this has been a very successful project.
Inbound Exchange Students
The Club has been an enthusiastic supporter of this program. We have been privileged to host students from USA, Japan, Norway, Canada, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, France and Switzerland.
The students have been educated at Clayfield College; Hendra High School; Brisbane Grammar School; Brisbane Boys College; St. Margaret's; Kedron High School and the Conservatorium of Music. We owe a debt of gratitude to all those schools and to the Conservatorium.
Outbound Exchange Students
We have sent students to USA, Canada, Brazil, Korea, Norway, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Finland, and France.
Paul Harris Fellows
The first recognitions were presented by the R.I. President on 8 April 1984 to Charter members Fred Lodder; Geoff Orr; Mick Patti; and Jim Wyllie, and to Don Ridolfi, OAM, who joined the Club in 1981. Current member Andrew Chan obtained his Paul Harris Fellow when living in Hong Kong.
Others who have been recognised are David Hodgetts, John Hoens, Owen Johnston, John Rix, Michael Solomon, Wendy White, Ida Kennedy, Tom Cawley, Bill Turner, Verne Powell, Terry Clinckett, Gracelyn Schluter, Phillip McLaren, Ross Dickson, Peter Mannion, Ross Barber, Carolyn Hauff, Sue Brownjohn, John Montefiore, Henry Huppert, Frank Stone and Jenny Stone.
Maurie Maunsell, a Charter member of the Rotary Club of Toombul, was so honoured by that club. Wendy Skitch also from the Toombul club was honoured by District 9600 for her work on the District.
In 1990 our Outbound Exchange Student was Hedy Callianiotis and she spent the year in Dallas, Texas. Hedy was quite outstanding and the host Rotary club recognised her as a Paul Harris Fellow before she returned home.


ALEXANDRA HEADLAND - SERVING THE SUNSHINE COAST

Alexandra Headland squeezes into the space between Mooloolaba and Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The clear, sparkling sea and the sub-tropical climate make year-round swimming and surfing a pleasure for several members of the Rotary Club of Alexandra Headland.

The Club was chartered on 4 November 2000 with support from all the Sunshine Coast Rotary Clubs especially Maroochydore and Mooloolaba. Garry Dillon from Mooloolaba was a driving force in our pre-charter development. Our designated area is all of Kawana, Buderim, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Alexandra Headland, allowing this Club to be the Breakfast Club for the whole region.

The first president was Chris Baker, a young lawyer who had been in Rotary a few years. Chris was ably supported by Trevor Smith (who took over as president when Chris had to move); by David Woodrow who transferred from Maroochydore, the parent club; and by two enthusiastic and able young ladies, Marie Benvenuti (secretary) and Kerryn Parry (treasurer).

After early meetings at the local golf club and then at the Surf Lifesaving Club we now roost at the Headland Golf Club, high on a ridge overlooking the Sunshine Coast and that sparkling sea.

In our first year friendly Bernard Tully gathered several fellow New Zealanders as members. Our sister club is the Rotary Club of Papakura in New Zealand. Our cosmopolitan feel is enhanced by three members whose native language is not English. They are Takeo Sakiyama (Japanese); Rolf Weigand (German); and Fernand Michot (Swiss).

Sadly Bernard was killed in a motoring accident. We named the trailer donated to the Street Angels, through much work by Bernard, ‘The Bernard Tully Trailer’. Street Angels provide help at night to youngsters who could be in danger near our beaches and other meeting points. Takeo is the prime mover of The Sunshine Coast Golfing Rotarians promoting golfing exchanges between Japan and Australia and supporting student exchanges between the two countries.

Many of our projects focus on youth. Our first Rotary Youth Exchange student, Majella Daniels, went to Germany, and we have hosted a German exchange student, Mark Hohnhaus. Our current exchange students are Enni-kukka Tuomala from Finland; Andrew Baker, who is in Germany; and Cassandra Dickens who will be going to Canada in 2005. We have developed strong commitments to RYLA and Pride of Workmanship largely through the efforts of member Carmel Hulett. Honorary member, Fiona Simpson MP, gave an inspiring address at a packed meeting to present Pride of Workmanship Awards to fifteen youngsters in 2004.

Our major developing project is to establish a Universal Learning Centre for the Disabled. When the disabled students leave special schools, there MUST be further learning facilities for them. Through the support of the Rotary University of the Sunshine Coast Community Fund a few postgraduate students are supported with ‘no-strings’ scholarships.

John Fear and David Woodrow have led us in many community projects. We aim to publicise our leadership in the community by having all eligible members donating blood, and having all members supporting the Energex Coast Rescue Helicopter Service by continuing automatic $2 donations on our electricity bills.

The friendly atmosphere of this Club has been encouraged by a series of Sergeants-at-Arms, from Charlie Summers at the start to John Fear at present. Our Fifth Friday meetings have also enhanced the social life of the Club. When the month has a fifth Friday we move that day’s meeting from 6.45 am to the evening for a mainly social meeting at a restaurant or home of a member. Another experiment, introduced by Peter Andrews, is starting the meeting with grace towards the end of breakfast! This allows us to get breakfast AND enjoy a good dose of fellowship before the official start.

Population and urban development in our paradise are advancing faster than our infrastructure. Planning for the future, and action now, are vital if Queensland is going to maintain its great reputation. Member David Coleman is deeply involved with ideas and planning for 2025 and beyond. He keeps us up-to-date with progress about planned development.

Club Service Director Prue Byrnes, (Bless her colourful dresses!) arranges a vocational visit every two months. With these visits and guest speakers from local organisations and facilities, we maintain an active and close connection with our community. Our fundraising is sporadic, either hectic or quiet. Scott Brimelow engineers our involvement in Touch Footy events with good results, and John Fear somehow finds boats to raffle. President Russell Thompson organised a very successful fundraising sweepstake for the Melbourne Cup. Russell is also leading us into International Service with involvement in Matching Grants for water and school equipment in Papua New Guinea.

Editor Greg Schnell raised the profile of our Bulletin this year with a great colour cover, a sign to all that in just four years the Rotary Club of Alexandra Headland is a permanent and progressive feature of our beautiful Sunshine Coast.

Owen Scott


THE ROTARY CLUB OF ASHGROVE / THE GAP

HISTORY OF THE LAST 25 YEARS – 1979-80 TO 2004-05

The Rotary Club of Ashgrove/The Gap services the suburbs of Ashgrove and The Gap in the north-west of Brisbane. It is bordered by Brisbane Forest Park and the Taylor Range with Waterworks Road, the path to Brisbane’s first reservoir, threading through the suburbs that the Club services.

The Club was originally chartered with twenty members on 15 April 1972 as the Rotary Club of Ashgrove but the name was changed to Ashgrove / The Gap on 14 March 1990 as the Club’s activities extended to incorporate the developing suburb of The Gap.

The Club has a fine tradition of service to the local community and has grown to become one of the most active service clubs in the area. Within Rotary District 9600 it is recognised as one of the leading Clubs, regularly taking out Service Awards including the award for Outstanding Club in the District on three occasions.

Over the last twenty-five years, the Club has been heavily involved in all avenues of Rotary service.

For a period of ten years from 1979, the main event on the Club’s calendar was the Westside Cultural Festival run in conjunction with the local Red Cross. It was an excellent fundraising activity for the Club incorporating an art show with a preview wine and cheese night on the Friday. Continuing on Saturday and Sunday, ethnic and cultural groups and the Club provided stalls with plenty of food, goods for sale, entertainment and competitions for all ages.

The annual focus in recent years has been the G.R.I.P.P.S Music Camp (Gap Regional Instrumental Primary Performers School) which provides professional tuition for school-aged children who are chosen on their musical talent to have a week of concentrated coaching. This program has been exceedingly well-supported not only by the schools in our area but also by the local community and business people. Our 2004 event attracted over 170 participants whilst our initial effort thirteen years ago catered for only forty children.
The Club has been honoured by providing two District Governors - Jack Stephenson (decd.) and lately, Russ O’Malley. The Club is very proud of their respective achievements in their year of office.
Additionally, the Club currently has ten of its members serving at District level which indicates the desire to serve is strong and augurs well for the future of the Club. The experience gained is very readily passed on to members, which is most helpful, particularly for newer members, in learning more about Rotary.

In 1993-94, in conjunction with the Brisbane City Council, the Club developed Wilcannia Park on Waterworks Road, erected a pergola and fencing, installed an electric barbecue as well as tables with bench seating, and planted trees and gardens. The Park is often used by members of the community and by other service organisations.

Wilcannia Park is the venue for our Club’s annual Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony which has now been running for the last ten years. The Rotary Club of Ashgrove/The Gap was the first club to arrange and conduct a Citizenship Ceremony outside the usual large and somewhat impersonal ceremonies at City Hall.
This activity presents a unique opportunity for ‘new Australians’ to experience a real Aussie breakfast, be entertained by a Bush Band and actually take Australian Citizenship at a personal and memorable ceremony in a relaxed and peaceful environment with their families and friends in their own community.
The entire Club supports this yearly event and over 200 people are catered for at no cost.
Having spread the word about the success of this project, it was pleasing for our Club to see other Rotary clubs subsequently run with the concept.

Fundraising is an important part of our Rotary activities and our Club has two major events in which we have been involved for many years.
Firstly, we are distributors of Christmas cakes and puddings, which we on-sell to the public and other clubs and Rotary districts. It is interesting to note that the cakes and puddings currently retail at $10.95, while back in 1984 when the Club initiated this fund-raiser, the sale price was $3.75.
Secondly, the highlight each December is our Santa Sleigh which operates for nine nights running through all the streets in The Gap. Each night one of our members dons Santa’s costume and, together with fifteen Santa’s helpers, distributes sweets to the children, extends greetings to the residents from whom we seek donations as we progress with carols being played from the sleigh. Local families look forward to this as part of their Christmas celebrations and the generosity of the public is overwhelming.
The expressions of delight and wonder on the faces of the children are really something to behold.

In conclusion we must not forget fellowship and it is alive and well in Ashgrove/The Gap. We know how to enjoy Rotary and have fun and the members are proud to belong to such a vibrant and active Club.

Os Smith (Charter Member) and Russ O’Malley

HISTORY OF THE R0TARY CLUB OF BARDON

The Rotary Club of Bardon, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Brisbane Planetarium and Ashgrove/The Gap, was chartered on 17 May 1993 with a gala dinner at Gambaro’s Restaurant, Caxton Street, Paddington. Classifications of Charter members were diverse and included electricity supplies, accounting, hotel management, and international trade along with communications, real estate, petrol retailing, aerial photography, nursing, catering and dietary science. Only Malcolm Gerrard, a geologist, had previous Rotary experience. However, the enthusiasm of the group achieved a Presidential Citation for fulfilling all avenues of service that year and the Club went on to achieve the highest attendance rate in the District for several years. Our banner features Government House, the Queensland Governor’s residence in Fernberg Road, Paddington, and the bulletin is the Bardon Bugle.

The Club’s first major fund-raiser, in 1993, was entitled ‘An Evening with Jim Haynes, bush poet, singer and songwriter’, held at the Club’s meeting place, the Bardon Bowls Club. An art show in 1994, featuring ‘The Last Great Cattle Drive’ by Arthur Hamblin was highly successful. The Melbourne Cup Calcutta began in 1994 and our first Sportsman's Luncheon featured cricketer Ian Healy in 1995. AFL captain Michael Voss was our choice in 2003. The Golf Day was initiated in 1996, and we blew up 10 000 balloons for Channel 7 at Brisbane Day in the City Botanical Gardens. The last three years have seen us cooking burgers at the Toowoomba Stampede, and a Trivia Night began in 2004.

Major beneficiaries have included The Wesley Rotary Lodge, which provides accommodation for country patients attending The Wesley Hospital, and the Hear and Say Centre, which provides speech therapy to hearing-impaired children after they have received a cochlear implant. Most recently the Motor Neurone Society was donated two Light Writer computers, which enable severely disabled persons to communicate with their loved ones and carers.

In 1998 the Club initiated the Q-Rapid Camp at Camp Bornhoffen in the Gold Coast hinterland, providing a weekend of fun for disabled teenagers, and a weekend of respite for their parents. This event was held over several years.

Many other community groups and individuals have been supported. Dwayne was able to have a wish come true with a donation to the Starlight Foundation, and Drug Arm received monies for their ambulance/coffee van which nightly provides assistance to those who request it on the streets of inner city Brisbane.

Hands-on community service has included painting two houses for elderly people, one in Ashgrove and one in Paddington, with the assistance and camaraderie of Rotarians from Paddington/Red Hill Club. Door-knocking locally for both the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal and Blue Nurses has been undertaken most years. Clean Up Australia Day has seen us cleaning up the Ithaca Creek area. Since inception Club members have donated many hours to the Donations in Kind program, packaging educational and medical supplies into containers bound for Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other developing countries.

One of the most popular Club activities has been the revegetation of the banks of Ithaca Creek at Bowman Park. Beginning in 1996 after public outcry over Council’s concreting of the banks near Bowman Park, the Club joined with SOWN (Save Our Waterways Now), Greening Australia, and on occasion Weedbusters, to plant, weed and water native plants and trees. Fishlings of Pacific Blue Eye were released into the Creek in 1997 aimed at reducing mosquito populations, which spread Ross River virus in the area. The Club is now undertaking a third 100-metre section of the Creek at Fletcher Parade, Bardon, as our Centenary of Rotary project.

To encourage excellence in local youth the Club has sponsored students to the Siemens Science Experience in both Canberra and Brisbane, and sponsored young adults to attend leadership training.

International youth exchanges have welcomed Ambassadorial Scholars from Nebraska (Inger), Arkansas (Wayne), New York (Royce) and Kansas (Randi), and Rotary Exchange students from France (Gregory and Lysiane), Sweden (Viveca) and Brazil (Carolina). Local students sent overseas on Rotary Exchange have gone to New York State (Shae and Rhianne), Brazil (Luke) and Finland (Penny).

Club members have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows for outstanding service. These include Jeremy Wilkinson as Charter President; Claire Rush as President of the Shine On Awards, which recognises the voluntary contributions of disabled persons; and Noel Morgan as counsellor to overseas students. Leith Harding was recognised for her contribution to education for young Ethiopian women, and more recently Elaine Morgan for her distinguished service to ROMAC (Rotary Overseas Medical Aid for Children). In 2005 two surgeons who have donated their expertise to ROMAC will be recognised. Beneficiary K Chin, aged 15 years, from Vietnam, regularly attends our Club as he continues to be hosted by Club members Elaine and Noel Morgan.

An especially deserving Paul Harris Fellow is Jennifer Hale, recognised by a Rotary club in New York State, for her organisation and compassion during a Rotary Friendship Exchange in 2003 when twelve of their members visited our District.

The achievements of the Rotary Club of Bardon have been the results of individual passions and team support, enhanced by fun and friends hip. In this necessarily brief history, the Club thanks all past and present members for their generosity of spirit, and looks forward to extending goodwill to our local and wider community.

The Off Shore Rotarians …………..The Rotary Club of Bribie Island

Bribie Island is known as the unique cradle site of Queensland, since Matthew Flinders made the first landfall here aboard the sloop Norfolk on his voyage of discovery in 1799. For its first 100 years Bribie Island remained virtually uninhabited until mass tourism began in the 1920s, when thousands of fishermen and campers came for weekends aboard the SS Koopa to discover the delights of this natural paradise. Almost all residents were evacuated during World War Two when American and Australian troops moved in to defence and training sites at Fort Bribie.
Rotary made its appearance on Bribie on 18 March 1988 when a few members of the Rotary Club of Caboolture were ceded to charter a new club here for twenty-three Island residents. We are proud to still have one of those original Charter members in the Club today. He is known as ‘young Roy’ Pierce, a Rotarian since 1967. Roy has set a great example to all with his 100% attendance record and has been a guiding light over the years to the many newcomers to Rotary International.
In its first year the Club assisted the Red Cross with its door-knock appeal, and worked with the Chamber of Commerce to replace an ugly billboard at the entrance to the Island. Visitors are now greeted by a large and magnificent painting by famous artist Dale Marsh, which captures a typical scene of children on the beach at Bribie.
In our first sixteen years our members were involved with twelve students under the Youth Exchange Program, hosted a New Guinean student under PACE and an American student through the Rotary International Exchange Program.
Our Club has organized and run the annual Bribie Island Festival in conjunction with other service clubs, conducted the local Strawberry Fest and rejuvenated many homes with the Paint Your Heart Out Australia project.
A unique and ongoing project of our Club involved the restoration, maintenance and preservation of the historic Naval Command Post at Woorim. This initiative was our major input for the national ‘Australia Remembers’ project in1995. The control post was a vital link in Queensland’s coastal defences during World War Two, protecting the vast convoys of Allied shipping assembled in Moreton Bay against enemy submarines or surface craft. More than 900 Rotary man-hours and our funding, combined with funds from the ‘Australia Remembers’ committee have been expended on the project so far. It is estimated that ongoing work plus supplies and services from other sources should bring the total to approx $5000, and over 1500 man-hours, to preserve and restore this historic site of national significance.
Membership declined in the early nineties and by changeover in 1995-96 membership was down to six and the future was not looking bright. However, as we all know, when you hit the bottom the only way is up, and that’s the way it went. Changeover 1996-97 saw the Club with eleven members including the first lady member. At present we have twenty-six members, all extremely active, and a constant flow of potential new members moving to Bribie Island with the extensive housing development now going on.
The 1998-99 year saw the Club launch a community service project to help keep our seniors safe from the danger of house fires. Smoke alarms subsidised by RACQ/GIO Insurance were to be installed to the homes of over 600 Seniors Card holders and were powered by a guaranteed ten-year battery.
The year 2000 saw the start of a monthly Sunday market near the famous Bongaree jetty. Initially a car-boot sale it has now turned into a fully-fledged art and craft market that is well supported by stallholders and the public.
A secondhand food preparation van was purchased in 2003 which allows us to bolster fundraising with sausage sizzles and drinks at Rotary and other functions including the many triathlons held on Bribie Island throughout the year.
In 2003 the Bribie club in conjunction with Caboolture and Aspley clubs organized a Charity Race Day at Corbould Park Caloundra. The inaugural event was a great success and raised $12 000 for Polio Plus. It is now an annual event and this year made a profit of $15 000, which was split four ways with one portion going to District, and our share going to ROMAC.
We also organize several fundraising Wine & Cheese Movie Evenings at the local cinema each year, which are always well attended.
We sponsor annual trophies for two local schools for Best and Fairest students as well as Music Excellence and Best All Rounder for both boys and girls.
We also have an ongoing and very popular Young Achiever’s Award offered to young employees of all local businesses. This project has been very successful with more than forty young people being nominated by their employers for the quarterly awards. This project has shown that there are a lot of young people out there who are keen and dedicated in their chosen careers.
Looking back over the past sixteen years we ‘Off Shore Rotarians’ have much to be proud of in our local community, as well as in our continued support to the national and international world of Rotary.

David Waterfield


ROTARY CLUB OF BRISBANE 1980 2005
In 1980 we were a 57-year-old Club with 165 members, long established in the Canberra Hotel for meetings, renting space for a Club office (with an employee), and offering a District Information Service, Boardroom facilities and a general meeting place for ourselves and other Clubs. We had a conventional Rotary Club structure with Directors for the standard Rotary Avenues of Service. As one would expect of a Club of our age, we had a substantial record of achievement.
Membership was in decline from a peak of 248 in 1969 to 82 in 2001, due partly to the establishment of new clubs in our territory and also to changes in the workplace and lifestyles, which made it difficult for members to meet their attendance and other Rotary obligations. In 2001, a vigorous recruitment campaign was launched which resulted in increasing our numbers to more than 100. Since then our numbers have fallen back to the high 80s. (Numbers may not be comparable here because some include and some exclude honorary members). The reasons for reduced membership led also to poor attendance at meetings, which in turn may be a contributor to lowered retention.
The admission of women from 1989 did little to help numbers. While there has been a steady but small intake, retention has been disappointing. Some have made strong contributions to our activities. Two have become presidents.
The Board structure was changed to provide Directors for Marketing, Operations and Administration, Human Resources, Treasury and Finance, and Community Projects. Our meeting place has changed twice. Despite increased District financial support for the Information Centre, increasing rent and salary costs resulted in the office being closed, and the employee and service discontinued.
While such matters are of particular concern to Club management, the main preoccupation for membership at large is on projects and their associated funding. The varied nature of these projects and some trends are of interest. There have been projects to establish something new, but to which we have no further commitment. These include, for example, the building of a walking trail in Mt Coot-tha Park, with finance from a government program, but at no cost to us; and a Mobile First Aid Unit on Moreton Island, (which we did fund); or a project that we continued with non-financial support, such as Bridging the Gap. We also managed to give a lift to existing programs which were struggling, such as the major effort the Club made in the Queensland Surf Lifesaving Foundation, which was accompanied by substantial funding, to give the Association a better basis for its financial management. This project was funded by some very successful special events.
Pony Riding for the Disabled was put on its feet effectively through the provision of equipment and a building. The funding here depended on the shrewd use of Government subsidies, as was the first building for Shaftesbury Citizenship Centre, which has served as a ‘foundation stone’ for subsequent development.
On occasion we have returned to support something that we did in the past. In association with other Clubs, we recently replaced the Salvation Army’s Mobile Kitchen that we had provided some 30 years earlier. We gave a heated therapeutic pool to Montrose Home, whose establishment long ago was one of our great achievements.
Support for disadvantaged children was revisited in more recent times, with gifts in the one year of vehicles to Red Hill Special School and Teen Challenge. We have been major supporters of Donations in Kind, our only significant long-running involvement in something that depends on hands-on work as well as direct funding of the shipping containers.
Annual fund-raisers, earlier the Spring Hill Fair and more recently the Christmas Art Union, have been discontinued because of difficulties in getting sufficient support from the organizations themselves as well as the commitment of time from our own members. For this reason, one-off events are not now being attempted, except for one notable project where we were given a drum of macadamia oil that we bottled with the proceeds going to PolioPlus.
We seek involvement in outside events where our abilities are more appropriate, and time contribution is less; this has been successful. In the late 1990s a decision was taken to establish a Benevolent Foundation that formally commenced in 1999-2000. It is hoped to build this fund up to such an amount that the annual income from investments will provide for much of our usual expenditure on Community projects. The Benevolent Fund was initiated through a generous bequest from the estate of a former Club member. To this initial sum has been added other significant sums including our surplus from the 2003 Convention.
Annual community projects have not been uniformly successful. In the short time of one year, a Board might make hasty decisions; funding may not be adequate and completion on time not achieved. Another source of disappointment has been dependence on outsiders whose commitment has fallen short of our expectations. We look to improvements here by the creation of a Directorate for Community Projects that will direct its attention to the careful selection of projects based on longer term planning, development and operation. At present, a decision has been taken to focus on City Youth. Apart from the real need, it allows our Club to identify with a community, the lack of which has been a disadvantage.
A highlight of the period dealt with here was our successful bid to become Host Club for the 2003 Rotary International Convention. The event was a great success in terms of programs and performance, with some disappointment in attendance resulting from the Asian SARS epidemic and the World Trade Centre disaster. Despite these setbacks the Convention was deemed a great success not only for Rotary in Australia but also for Brisbane City.

Ian Wilson

Rotary Club of Brisbane 4069

The Rotary Club of Brisbane 4069 is the second youngest in District 9600 having received its charter in July 2003. The Club was planned and launched by Ian Hutcheson, Bill McMillan and Ron Ward, three members from the Rotary Club of Kenmore, assisted by Bill Waterfield. As a breakfast club it currently has a membership approaching thirty keen and dedicated Rotarians with a focus on community projects.

During the short time the Club has been chartered it has provided financial assistance to several local charities along with physical support at a nursing home in the district, several schools and the Brookfield Show.

On a wider front the Club participates in Rotary's international projects of Donations in Kind, Polio Plus and it has a sister club relationship with the Rotary Club of Suva in Fiji. The Club also has both an inbound and outbound student in the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program.

Club members also enjoy a wide range of networking and fellowship events resulting in the establishment of business and social relationships across the 4069 post code area and beyond.


Brisbane High-Rise Reaching Higher to Help

Brisbane High-Rise was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Brisbane Mid-City and chartered on 27 May 1993. A number of its charter members had strong Rotary backgrounds being past participants of the Youth Exchange Program, and the Group Study Exchange program; and one was a Foundation Scholar and a number were ‘second generation’ Rotarians.

The Club, with fifty active members, offers a convenient and friendly make-up opportunity at The Brisbane Polo Club for Rotarians visiting Brisbane. Club membership is almost equally split between male and female members. Since Charter the Club has actively involved itself by extending the hand of Rotary throughout the local community and internationally. Achievements include projects involving Reaching Out for Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC), youth activities, support for The Rotary Foundation and assistance to the local community and the numerous organisations that seek to make a difference.

Family of Rotary
Within our own district, Brisbane High-Rise has for a number of years sent schoolbooks to PNG. The Club has sister relations with Wellington Mid-City (New Zealand) and Kimbe (PNG). Being host club for one of the inaugural International Peace Scholars, Amy Kay (USA) and for Ambassadorial Scholar, Eiichio Kojima (Japan) have been recent highlights for Brisbane High-Rise.

Club
Brisbane High-Rise is known for its quality meeting programs, which contribute to membership development and retention. The Club has had only one meeting venue in its twelve-year history. Fellowship activities such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, progressive dinners, ‘Girls Night Off’, croquet, trips on steam trains and the steam tug SS Forceful, winery tours and camping at Binna Burra complement the breakfast meeting. All members are paired off with mates to encourage fellowship and a caring and supportive environment.

Community
The Club supports Noah’s Ark, Juvenile Diabetes Special Olympics, the Smith Family, the Salvation Army to name but a few. The Club actively seeks to provide opportunities for youth in the community. The majority of the Club’s projects have involved childrens charities including the building of shelters for childrens areas in parks. A number of Qantas-sponsored joy flights have been undertaken for disadvantaged groups including Juvenile Diabetes.

Other projects include the Brisbane City Mission, furnishing a room for the Salvation Army’s homeless womens program and a number of painting projects.

Youth
Strong support of youth activities is shown through the annual sponsorship of a candidate for the New Zealand Outward Bound course. The Club’s support of RYLA at both district and international level has resulted in a candidate receiving endorsement as the District nominee for the Centennial Chicago RYLA in 2005. The Club is actively involved with Rotaract and Interact, and the Youth Exchange Program. Other endeavours include Siemens Science Experience, and the National Youth Science Forum. The Club has a long-term commitment to the Albert Park Flexi-School for the off-campus education of young people.
International
The Club has had close association with a number of ROMAC projects, and has been particularly involved with two young girls from developing nations brought to Australia for surgery unavailable in their home country.

Initially, in 1997, the Club raised funds for Dr Iqbal Shaheed, a trainee surgeon from Bangladesh, to visit Australia for a series of conferences and clinical tuition in a number of States.

The first patient involvement was in 2000 when a fifteen-year-old girl from Bangladesh came to Brisbane for a series of operations to release a fused jaw joint and reconstruct her particularly misshapen lower jaw. The Club gave friendship and moral support for Ashma and her mother, and assisted with funding for an accompanying surgeon who subsequently managed her long-term recovery in Bangladesh.

In 2003 the Club assisted Vascolynna, a three -year-old girl from PNG, brought to Brisbane by ROMAC for treatment of complete fusion of both jaw joints. Like Ashma she had never been able to open her mouth and she suffered from the previous placement of an artificial breathing tube in her neck which not only prevented her from speaking but was also caused scarring and blockage of her windpipe. Again, the Club funded a trainee doctor to accompany her, and billeted Vascolynna and her father with Club members.

In 2005 the Club plans to provide similar assistance to a Cambodian teenager and her doctor who will be brought to Brisbane by ROMAC for surgery to remove a tumour destroying the roof of her mouth.

Vocational
Pride of Workmanship Awards, vocational visits, and support for the Queensland University of Technology mentoring scheme have been recent highlights. Members highlight their individual vocations as a regular feature of the meeting program. Three-minute talks by members on any subject are also regularly scheduled.

The Rotary Foundation
Sixteen members and past members and two non-members have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows. Paul Harris Fellows within the Club choose those to be awarded from a list submitted by members.

District
The Club continues to have a strong involvement at District level with two Assistant Governors; a Cluster Coordinator; and others involved with District Finance and Group Study Exchange.


Brisbane Mid-City The Centre Point Club

At the beginning of the year 1980-81, following its early months under Charter President Rod Wylie, the Club changed its meeting place from the now-demolished Canberra Hotel to the New York Hotel, Queen Street. This remained the venue until the 1985-86 year, when a brief and happy time was spent at the Minerals and Energy Club, MacArthur Chambers. In February 1988 the Club moved to the Edinburgh Room at The Brisbane Club, where it meets today.


In 1981-82 the Club successfully hosted the District Conference at the Crest Hotel – an event taking much preparation and the involvement of every single member. The year 1982-83 saw the establishing of the Probus Club of Brisbane. The celebration of a new city hotel, the Sheraton Brisbane, with a French-inspired ‘Grand Bal’ raised a large sum for Club projects in the Rotary year 1983-84.
The Club hosted a female Group Study Exchange team from Pennsylvania USA in 1985-86, and took part in the opening of the Gateway Bridge, while 1986-87 was focussed on youth, with a number of Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Youth Exchanges. One was a District first – a Matched Twin exchange with New Zealand for two handicapped lads.


In 1987-88 a further District first was the Club's Pride of Workmanship Awards to a number of people in widely varying careers, and 1988-89 found the Club making its mark around Australia by entering an aircraft and team in the Bicentennial Around Australia Air Race, visiting Rotary clubs en route, and also assisting and enjoying Expo. The Club that year won the McCray Trophy for the Most Outstanding Club in the District.
Hard work in 1989-90 resulted in the Club's setting up an endowment fund for an award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium. The following Rotary year was a busy one and the Club finished as runner-up in the District Outstanding Club Award.
The Club decided in the 1991-92 year to help especially the disadvantaged with NADOW (National Association to assist Disabled train in Office Work), Blue Nurses, the Australian Kidney Foundation, Pony Riding for the Disabled, and the Mater Hospital Speech Therapy Unit being among the recipients.
The major project in 1992-93 was the sponsoring of a new Rotary club, given the name of the Rotary Club of Brisbane High-Rise. Brisbane Mid-City Rotarians had ‘grown up’ and produced a ‘daughter’ club!
Among ‘business’ the following year, the women partners knitted for the premature babies born in The Wesley Hospital, and 1994-95 was the year the Club reached its highest total of members to date – there were 73 men and women members.

In another year of work (and play - Ballymore rugby picnics were a feature) in 1995-96 the Club took out two awards, one for Service to Youth and one for the Best Bulletin.
A visit from a New Zealand Rotary club, that of Fairfield, Hamilton, was a special event in 1996-97, while 1997-98 was the year the Club celebrated 20 years of successful work.
Both 1998-99 and 1999-2000 were characterised by work for the Albert Park Flexi School, which educates disadvantaged young people, and this project continued into the new century. During 2000-01 the Club recognised David Akers, the Director of the Flexi School, as a Paul Harris Fellow for his dedicated work.
In 2001-02 the Club’s bulletin, ‘The Monitor’, was emailed to all members with an email address – a step forward in communication. Educational supplies for Papua New Guinea were collected and forwarded; and the Drug Arm Charitable Trust, to provide funds for resources, was set on a stable footing. Just before Changeover the Club was saddened to hear of the death of PDG Jack Stephensen, Governor at the time of its Charter.

2002-03 was special for the staging of the annual Rotary Convention in Brisbane, with all clubs – especially those in the CBD – working hard to provide the ‘best ever’ event. Our Club hosted more than 100 guests at the dinner home-hosted by Brisbane Rotarians.
Prior to this, however, we celebrated our 25th anniversary with a dinner in the city, and also launched a Club history, Mid-City Memoirs, written by Col and Helen Morwood.
One of the first intake of Peace Scholars, Carolyn Fanelli, was attached to our Club, with member Susan Yates appointed as her Counsellor.
In 2003-04 the Club website, established the previous year, won an international award for ‘Best of the Rotary Web’ from more than 100 websites in the final judging. The Club was delighted to congratulate webmaster Paul Sergeant.
In this year, too we were pleased that member Charles Guesdon, nominated for District Governor in 2005-06, was duly appointed as DGN. During the year the Club continued working on many projects, from Pride of Workmanship to sponsoring the Basil Grumble Theatre performance for patients in the Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital!

This is merely a taste of our proud history, and there were plenty of fun and fellowship events, plus a heap of great projects over the years. And we all enjoy our Friday lunches as we keep on keeping on, enjoying being part of our Rotary and local community.

Helen and Col Morwood


Brisbane North - The Key ….
The former territory of the Rotary Club of Brisbane North was from Creek Street to the Brisbane River and all the Brisbane C.B.D area. From the outsider viewpoint the business area of the City was a productive membership opportunity. When this quarter century under review commenced the Club was second only to the Rotary Club of Brisbane and its membership was close to 100. Meetings were held at Lennons in George Street and members wore double breasted suits and hats to the regular luncheon meetings on Tuesdays.
Times have changed of course. Nowadays the membership is below half what it was and casual dress at meetings is encouraged.
However, the spirit of Paul Harris is alive and well. ‘Service above Self’ is played out each day in the lives of members as a succession of presidents has moulded each group available to them. Ted Hook’s two-year stint as President departed from the tradition of a one-year term.
Sometimes we have had large projects in salubrious settings raising large amounts of money for particular causes and at other times we erected play equipment at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Sunshine Welfare and Remedial Association, (SWARA) in Spring Hill has been the beneficiary. This magnificent organization run by the pink twins, the O’Brien ladies, assists people with handicaps and is situated near the Normandy, above the Roma Street Parklands.
The Pony Riding for the Disabled at Pinjarra Hills, founded by one our former members, Peter McIntyre and his wife June, was a favourite charity for many years. It is now appropriately named the McIntyre Centre.
Amongst many Community Service projects the Club has also held hands–on time at the Shaftesbury Campus. Those attending one such session will remember picking rosellas and then having to pod them.
Brisbane North sponsored the Rotary Club of Brisbane Metropolitan, which unfortunately no longer exists. The Club also was the father of the Rotary Club of Brisbane Planetarium, the first breakfast club in Queensland which in turn started three other clubs and promoted the Donations in Kind to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Planetarium is a story on its own and is the forerunner of breakfast clubs that are now common in Rotary in Queensland.
A favourite make-up club because it is held on Tuesday lunchtime in the inner city area, Brisbane North has had Rotarians visit from the U.K., U.S.A., Greenland and all points between. During the World Convention in 2003 the Club was vitally involved in service to the great number of guests attending and friendships were renewed.
The Club has had only one District Governor –the Rev. Allan Male in the year 1985-86 under the leadership of R.I. President, Ed. Cadman, with the theme ‘You are the key’. The District Conference was held at Caloundra. During that weekend, delegates had the added attraction of the visit of Halley’s Comet that is only visible every seventy-five years. One Rotarian, Fred Lodder of Albion who is now nearly 102, was able to see the faint trail for the second time.
It is amazing how such experiences are etched on one’s mind, yet they are precious memories of events shared within the Rotary family. We look forward to another century of service!

Allan Male


BUDERIM _ The Club With Spirit

When the township of Buderim, the dress circle of the Sunshine Coast, gained a new Rotary Club on 7 March 1994 little did they suspect there would be such an energetic, proud and dedicated group born into the life of the community.

The Club’s earliest Community Service endeavour was the organization of the Buderim War Memorial Community Association Australia Day Parade. Marshalling this event, a responsibility the Club still undertakes every year, has been cause for both mirth and mayhem. The We Love Buderim campaign in 2002 – colourful red wheelbarrows still seen in a few shop windows – even won us a prize as parade participants. No, we don’t provide the judges!

The community is close to our hearts. We have provided mobile phones for Red Cross, purchased and installed smoke detectors for senior citizens, provided outings and afternoon tea for shut-in seniors and we have had working bees at Bloomhill Cancer Centre, clearing the grounds, repairing fences and constructing a car park entrance.

We constructed the disabled shelter at Buderim Forest Park and later the barbecue facility with accompanying tables and seats. We shared a leading role in the refurbishment of the Old Buderim Post Office that now holds pride of place in our community as the Buderim Information Centre.

Nambour Hospital Oncology Unit received a Gambro Therapy Chair valued at $5000, the proceeds of our Rotary Business Bash Golf day in 2002. We helped purchase a new blood plasma chair for the Hospital’s Blood Unit in 2003 with other Sunshine Coast clubs.

We have been active participants in the Buderim Street Party, issued numerous Community Service Awards and Pride of Workmanship Awards to recognize excellence in the workplace. We have distributed hundreds of Queensland Ambulance Emergency booklets, and responded to a Crime Stoppers request for assistance in the search for missing local youngster Daniel Morcombe by distributing posters to local businesses.

What have we done with our spare time? You may well ask. Seven members spent three weeks on Fergusson Island, Milne Bay, PNG, erecting a two-storey classroom, building it from scratch to second-floor stage. Mildura Rotary followed and two of our original team went back a second time to complete the project. This project was for the Wesley High School at Salamo in 1998.

To date we count that project as a hands-on highlight. A close second would be working with the Rotary Club of Nambour to finance the Helping Children Smile cleft palate operations at the Urdaneta District Hospital in the Philippines in January 1997. This program has taken on a life of its own and lives on with great voluntary help from the surgeons and nurses and with wide public support.

Matching with Makati Salcedo in the Philippines in 2002 gave rise to a TRF Matching Grant for a five-school de-worming program. Our recent twinning with the Rotary Club of Wanaka, New Zealand, enabled all three Clubs to receive second and third grants repeating the program. More than 10 000 children will have received this treatment by June 2004.

Low-cost shelters; more than thirty refurbished pushbikes for Solomon Islands; hundreds of books from the Buderim library for Donations in Kind; and, with the cooperation of Matthew Flinders Anglican College, many good quality second-hand students desks to DIK for PNG and Solomon Islands all seem to have resulted from other idle moments of spare time. Oh yes, and $3 000 to DIK for container costs.

Over our ten-year life, Buderim Rotary has contributed more than $25 000 to The Rotary Foundation by direct donation, Matching Grants or support of Polio Plus. This has enabled the Club to recognise eight Paul Harris Fellows.

We have been strong financial supporters of The Australian Rotary Health Research Fund working with other Sunshine Coast clubs to conduct both a Rotary Bowel Scan Program and Mental Health Forums in 2004.

Recognising the need to foster the spirit of Rotary amongst our youth, the Interact Club at Matthew Flinders Anglican College, despite occasional membership struggles, plays an important role in the life of both the College and our Club.
In 2003-04 and in 2004-05 we have Jessica Howe participating in the RYE program in the USA and Hiroko Tokuno as our guest from Japan. This is our third RYE experience after successful participation in 1994-95 and 1998-99.

On four occasions we’ve had students selected for the National Youth Science Forum, and we regularly have participants at the Siemens Science Experience, RYLA and RYPEN. Sponsored students have also participated in the Matched Student Exchange program between New Zealand and Australia.

The inaugural winner of the Rotary District Four Way Test Speech Contest in 2002 was Katie Reed from Maroochydore State High School. The local heats were organised and conducted by the Rotary Club of Buderim.

In between these spare-time activities, we have hosted incoming GSE Teams and have had two nominees selected on outgoing teams - Michael Dwyer in the 1998 team to New York and Graham Farlow in the 2000 team to India. Working closely with the Sunshine Coast Golfing Rotarians to stage their annual golf day and joint club dinner in support of the University of the Sunshine Coast is ongoing. Buderim members have supported the District Administration by providing a District Coordinator in 1998-99, an Assistant Governor in 2001-02 and a participant on the Membership Committee in 2004-05.

Of the twenty-seven Charter members, nine women and eighteen men, four remain today. As we enter our eleventh year we again have twenty-seven members, all great spirits, having fun in Rotary.

Lunch on Friday at Buderim – come join us - what a Club !
Brent Torrence


CABOOLTURE - THE SNAKE’S EYE VIEW

The Rotary Club of Caboolture, located 43 km north of Brisbane, was chartered on 8 August 1954. The last twenty-five years have seen some very rewarding times due to the dedication of its members. Although the numbers fluctuated over the years and some incredible Rotarians have left for various reasons the overall efforts are commendable. The focus was very much on youth and donations of some $13 000 to Red Cross, QATB, Scouts and Meals on Wheels to name a few were made in 1980-81.
As BMX Clubs were big in the eighties the Club got behind the local community to ensure the young people had somewhere safe to ride. The Netball Association also benefited with a canteen and amenities block being constructed by our members. Our Rotaryannes were very involved in fashion parades and kept the Rotary name in front of the public. This year saw our first Paul Harris Fellow recognition awarded to Jim Henzell.
Derek Stringfellow’s vision and ability was very much the motivation behind the Centenary Lakes amenities, sporting fields and landscaping, which are still enjoyed by the community.
Meals on Wheels became part of our focus in 1983-84. The Club joined other service organisations to get this facility, officially opened 10 November 1984, built and running. In 1986 a Rotary Walk was sponsored, and gained $101 000 Federal funding. The result was a 3.2 km walk/run exercise circuit on the banks of the Caboolture River.
District Conference was well attended in 1985 and all who went along had a great time of fellowship and learning (and they even won an award for best-dressed group!!!). We hosted District Assembly that was attended by 230 delegates. Caboolture Probus Club was chartered in 1986.
In 1986-87 we supported two major community service projects – QATB and the fledgling Community Radio Association. Our Club members took up Board and Committee positions and donations of over $4000 were made.
Each year a raffle of a Handyman Trailer raises good money for Polio Plus and $4000 was committed in 1988.
Again Youth Service was high on our agenda, with simulated interviews conducted for Year 12 students. Our Club was involved in creating interest in possible Rotary clubs at Kilcoy and Bribie Island. With our support the Rotary Club of Bribie Island was chartered in May 1988 with twenty-three members.
In 1989 we hosted two District functions – PETS and Information Day. In this year, too, we started the very successful program of toasting overseas clubs.
Working bees boosted morale and a big effort was put in at the new Scout Den. Club members donated machinery, installed sewerage and water systems over a couple of weekends. Hard work at the Shaftesbury Campus added to our sense of achievement and to the ideal of ‘Service above Self’. The Blue Nurses and Life Education were again generously supported.
Each year Phil Nisbet and Ian Duthie organise a Golf Day, our main fund-raiser, and also a Melbourne Cup Calcutta, which is always a good fundraiser and a fun time.
A second Probus Club was formed in 1992 with thirty members, and also a club at Murrumba Downs.
It was back in 1992 that our involvement, which still continues, with the Riding for the Disabled, began. Just recently our members were pleased to present a liberty swing.
One of our proudest moments was the completion of the Chapel at the hospital, which took three years to finalise. Martin Jonkers Snr and Phil Nisbet and many others had a big hand in this project. A massive $35 000 was raised. While many sacrifices had to be made it was the immense joy of giving, and of doing, and the friendships made along the way that made it all worthwhile.
In our fortieth year we inducted our first lady member. During 1996-97, President Bob Hills’ year, there were bus trips to football heroes’ games, wine tasting and Back of House functions.
The community’s generosity assisted us with many of the ongoing works. We thank John Roscoe for his efforts in obtaining materials and services at reduced prices.
When the going gets tough the Rotarians get going. Our President Chris had a hard year in 1997-98, but all ended up well and he was able to hand over a depleted, but enthusiastic Club to President Ron Newman. He was very much involved in ‘Putting Rotary back into Rotarians’.
In President Ian’s year $18 319 was donated. President Kevin Rogers had two years to ‘Sow the seeds of love’ and ‘Lend a hand’. He certainly did that in his colourful way with the assistance of Martin Jonkers Jnr and Stan Bishop to name a few.
We have been involved over the years with Exchange Students from USA, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, Argentina, Japan, Norway, and Zimbabwe. We have made our contributions to GSE teams, National Science School, RYLA and ARHRF, the Smith Family and to the Pride of Workmanship Award Program.
It is always wonderful how new members bring a new enthusiasm into the Club. Under the care of President Terry who was the instigator and organiser of the Race Day Fundraiser, raising funds for Polio Plus and The Rotary Foundation, we will continue to achieve and we thank everyone who has helped to make our Club great.

Rosemary Worthington and Stan Bishop

CALOUNDRA – CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ROTARY
The Rotary Club of Nambour sponsored the Rotary Club of Caloundra in 1954 with twenty-one Charter members. Our Charter president was Ben Bennett who served as president on two occasions and went on to serve as District Governor on two occasions. Ben was also a Paul Harris Fellow and was awarded a Certificate of Meritorious Service.
The Club changed from a Thursday dinner meeting to a Monday dinner meeting in 1957-58.
Early objectives of the Club were to obtain new members and to retain existing members through the promotion of Rotary awareness. Whilst recognising that funds were necessary for service projects, emphasis was also given to fellowship. During the early years, hands-on projects were preferred . For example, the Club would paint a building rather than give funds for a tradesman. The name ‘Rotaryannes’ was very much encouraged for referring to members’ partners.
Fundraising was achieved by street stalls (eg cakes, plants, jams,), publication and sale of a cookbook, dances, wastepaper collection, junk sales which developed into a white elephant auction at Easter, progressive dinners, chook raffles, lucky envelopes, social outings, fashion evenings, film premieres, basket lunches, and businessmen’s lunches.
The Club was involved with visits of Papuan school children, visits of Western Queensland children to the coast, attendance at Club meetings by Year 8 students from Caloundra High, and sponsored career nights in both Caloundra and Brisbane including tours to businesses.
On the social side, the Club held or attended dances all over the coast, had fireside meetings and social bus trips to Brisbane and other destinations.
By the 1990s, the Club was having a difficult time. In particular membership had dropped to as low as twelve by 1998. In that year Henry Bodman urged strong action to which Club responded magnificently and made a number of crucial decisions.

First, in June 1999 it was decided, after forty-four years as a dinner club, to convert f to a Breakfast Club. Second, the Club moved to its new meeting place at the Caloundra Golf Club. Third, the Club opened its doors to women members and, finally, a membership drive resulted in the Club winning the District's Membership Award by boosting numbers to thirty-eight . Three years later, Lyn Gahan, the Deputy Principal of Caloundra High School became the Club's first female president.

In recent years the Club has had many successful projects and a very important one has been our Annual Charity Golf Day which has raised over $50 000 in recent years.

Now a vibrant Club once again, we greatly look forward to the next fifty years of serving the Caloundra Community.

The Rotary Club of Caloundra has funded many major projects and supported numerous organisations. The following summary gives some idea of our activities.
Scholarship bursaries running for over 40 years, Surf safety beach notices,
Renovations to Lady Wilson Park, Large draughts board at Stillwater Beach, Tree planting in CBD, Town swimming pool, Caloundra cricket team sponsorship, Piano for Girl Guides, Maleny Rotary Park, Bell’s Creek picnic area, University QLD International House support, School of Arts repainting CCSA hall, National Fitness Club. QATB stretcher trolleys. Blue Nurses, Keep Caloundra Clean, Aust Paraplegic Games, Lighthouse Reserve park, Centaur Park headland picnic area, Community youth support scheme, CADET Skillshare, Steam railway engine restoration at Happy Valley, North Caloundra (Dicky Beach) Surf Club. Caloundra hospital, Meals on Wheels, Active supporters of Donations in Kind, Picnic shelter and commemorative sign at Ben Bennett Park to celebrate Club’s 50th anniversary and to honour our charter president after whom the park was named

The Rotary Club of Caloundra has sponsored the following:
Rotary Club of Maleny in early 1959.
A joint changeover with Maleny occurred in 1962-63.
Rotary Club of Caloundra Pacific in November 1977.
Two Probus Clubs, one at Caloundra and the other at Currimundi.

Mark Ward – Nov 2004

Caloundra Pacific -…Title to be found…..

Membership in 1980 was thirty-two which had dropped to twenty-five by June 1982. However, members rallied behind President Cedric Gowlett in a membership bonanza for the year and numbers grew to thirty-nine at June 1983. An all-time high of forty-five was reached by June 1985. Membership currently stands at thirty-four.

Past President, and Charter member, Mike Elfis became District Governor for 1984-85. To date he is the only member from Caloundra Pacific achieving this status. Mike’s theme was ‘Think Young Think Youth’. At his district conference held at the Caloundra Civic Centre the organising committee, at Mike’s request, arranged to hold a street march down Caloundra’s main street on Saturday morning. All conference delegates were encouraged to participate. The event attracted good media coverage for Rotary because at around that time street marches were common in capital cities for all sorts of causes.

Youth projects, including Youth Exchange, have always been a feature of the Club’s activities. Students who come to Caloundra Pacific from overseas bring with them a wealth of information and knowledge about their countries. Our outbound students act as ambassadors for our country to their host clubs. We have hosted and sponsored students almost every year for the past twenty-five years.

One of the lighter traditions brought from Finland by Lisa Marie is that, at their white Christmas, families shed their clothes, take a sauna, then dash outdoors into the snow, roll around in it, then hurry back indoors to the warmth before their body extremities suffer frostbite.

Tara Hopewell, a direct descendant from the Hopewell Indians of North Carolina, accompanied a Rotarian couple on a visit to Cunnamulla and was treated to a huge T-bone steak at the local hotel to celebrate the American Fourth of July Thanksgiving.

The first fly-in of the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians for the new millennium was to Caloundra. Rotarian Trevor Steel, an IFFR member, arranged the event. Around thirty-five aircraft and ninety people attended. A great weekend was arranged culminating in a Fly-in Dinner at a restaurant just outside of town, and a barbecue lunch on Sunday before departure. One of the aircraft crashed on the way home in northern Victoria. Fortunately all occupants survived though they spent some time in hospital recovering from injuries.

Caloundra Pacific is a strong supporter of The Rotary Foundation nominating more than one Paul Harris Fellow recognition per year for the past twenty-five years.

Jack Robertson, a past president from the Rotary Club of Ipswich, retired to Caloundra and joined our Club. He passed away from a massive heart attack on 31 August 1989 at one of our breakfast meetings. The Jack Robertson Memorial Fund has been set up to honour Jack, The cash earnings from the capital of the fund are each year donated to the State High School to assist, with book and other costs of a financially challenged pupil selected by the Principal.

Manfred Klink uses his skills as a motor mechanical engineer to arrange and conduct a car maintenance course aimed at the youth. It is designed to give them a basic understanding of the workings of a modern car and includes the mechanics of driving a motor car. A presentation night is arranged at a Rotary meeting at the completion of each course for successful participants.

Club President for 1984-85, Aldo Bevacqua, a builder of renown, negotiated with the local Council for members to build a tourist information centre at the entrance to the town. Following its completion Club members manned the centre on a voluntary basis until the Council’s budget enabled them to employ full-time staff. Large notice boards were erected adjacent to the building, which enables the Club to sell advertising space to local businesses. This has earned a steady income for the Club during the past twenty years.

Under Aldo’s leadership the Club decorated a thirty-metre high Norfolk Island pine tree growing on the foreshore at Bulcock Beach and arranged a huge Christmas function for children and young people. The coloured lights were clearly visible from the shipping lanes ten kilometres offshore. That same year an alcohol-free rock concert and fireworks display was conducted on the abandoned drive-in theatre site.

1983-84 President Winston Johnston, one of our rural members, suggested the Club repaint the exterior of the Landsborough Historical Museum. This building had previously served as the Landsborough Shire Council Chambers. The project was commenced with enthusiasm and, although it took many hours of hard work sanding off all of the coats of old paint that had been applied over the years, members persevered and the job was completed the next year.

Rotaryanne Linda Pignata used her musical talent to lead a singing group ‘The Glee Club’, which was established by Michael Shaw. This group of talented Rotarians entertained older folk at aged care facilities as well as members of our Club at many Christmas functions by coercing us to all join in singing carols.

Members proclaim that Caloundra Pacific is a friendly club. By involving members in a wide variety of projects that benefit local and international communities, and by generating fellowship and goodwill, it will remain that way.

Cedric Gowlett

CHERMSIDE - HANGING UP THE BOOTS

I have been asked to provide some information about this period, so let’s get started in the early 1980’s. The Club’s “History Book” shows quite clearly that Les Winkle’s year as President in 1979-80 had a membership of 47 at the end of the year, and from there onward there is a steady fall in club members.
The usual sequence of activities is recorded each year, but after the 1980 Sunshine Tour by coach up to Cairns resulted in a loss of nearly $500, the decision was taken to cancel future tours. A total of 15 tours were run since 1965.
In 1980 Chermside Club started its Aluminum Can Collection Depot for recycling the cans. It was quite successfully manned by 2 Rotarians each Saturday morning. The next year shows a profit of $4250, and follows for a few years with a figure of over $3000 per year.

Again in 1980, the final Building approval was received for the Chermside Senior Citizens Centre, but there was a delay in excess of 12 months waiting for advice of the Government Subsidy of $333,000 from the Commonwealth Department of Social Security, before tenders could be called. The building was completed at a cost of about $525,000, and was officially opened by His Excellency The Governor of Queensland,
Sir James Ramsay on 22nd March 1984.

A twelve seater Bus was presented to the Club by Super K Mart Shopping Centre at Chermside in November 1984, for the Club’s use in Community Services.
We participated in the Gala Opening Day of the Gateway Bridge when 200,000 people crowded over the Bridge. The Club’s operation of souvenir stalls raised over $2000 for Club funds.

As in previous years we were involved in Students from Overseas, and sponsored students from our area to go overseas in exchange. The usual fund-raising efforts were conducted, but in addition a special Art Union was run to raise funds for Polio Plus ( $7000). Assistance was given for the purchase of a Computer for Gauben Hospital on Kar Kar Island in P.N.G., and one of our members, Jim Exton, took part in a F.A.I.M. project at Honiara in the Solomon Islands. By the end of 1987 the Club Membership number had dropped to 35, and while we are talking about F.A.I.M. Projects, it should be noted that three Club Members, Jim Exton, Alex Anderson, and Ray Anderson took part in a F.A.I.M. project at the Gaubin Hospital on
Kar Kar Island in P.N.G.

At this time the Club’s Charter President passed away, and shortly after, our current President Ray Anderson also passed on. It was then decided that the Club would build a Workshop at the Shaftesbury Citizenship Project at Burpengary, in memory of the Late Jim Wayper and the Late Ray Anderson. The completion of the Skills Training Centre at a cost of $34000 was achieved in 1991, and the Official Opening was carried out by Mr.Harry Hauenschild A.O. on 16th June 1991.

Two Probus Clubs were sponsored in the Chermside and Wavell Heights area with a total membership of 130. Both Clubs have mixed male and female membership. The Chermside Club was formed on 28th April 1992 and the Wavell Club followed on 7th July 1992.
A Membership Classification Survey was conducted in the Club area in 1996, and a listing of all businesses was compiled. The club membership at the end of 1997 was 21.

Support was given to the Rotary Against Malaria project in Papua New Guinea to the extent of over $700, raised by the collection and sale of used postage stamps. The RAM committee in PNG asked that this money be devoted to the printing of “Bumper Stickers” to encourage the use of Treated bed nets in PNG.

In 2004 the club membership had dwindled down to 6 members, but even so, the “Exhibition Show Parking” effort in August was still carried out after a spread of 28years regular operation. Records indicate that over the years, a total of $18000 was raised for community funds by this annual programme.

The Used Stamp Project is a major effort that has been conducted by The Rotary Club of Chermside. It was started by Rotarian Jim Exton in about 1980, and was specifically aimed at “Rotary Australia World Community Service”, originally towards “Rotary Against Malaria”, and later towards “Donations-in-Kind”.

The Chermside Club formally handed its Charter to the District Governor at its final meeting on 25th October 2004, after an operational life of over 46 years, and in this time there is record of 219 members who have served the Rotary Club and the community of Chermside.

Prior to the handing in of the Charter, the Board of Directors decided that the Used Stamp Project would be handed over in its entirety through Rotary World Community Service to Donations-in-Kind, as DIK has received all the proceeds that have been earned in recent years from this source by the Rotary Club.

Doug Morton

COOLUM – RAKING THE BEACH

The Club was officially chartered by Rotary International on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1997, after holding provisional status from late 1996.

The establishment of the Club was initiated by the Rotary Club of Noosa Heads, and completed to Charter by the Rotary Club of Maroochydore. Since being chartered, the Rotary Club of Coolum has enthusiastically carried out a wide range of activities and projects and has been commended by District Governors for its achievements, despite its limited numerical size.

As is common with many Rotary clubs, most of Coolum’s activities and projects have been localised. They have ranged from hands-on efforts by members to providing financial assistance to various locally based organizations and causes, e.g. primary and secondary schools projects, nursing and aged care services, and youth groups.

Two of the more notable major projects successfully completed have been the installation of several hundred smoke alarms in the homes of senior citizens in the Club’s district and the purchase of a quite expensive sand-sieving, rubbish-collecting beach rake for use on the several beaches in the district.
The beach rake project was particularly well received and applauded as a valuable contribution to the community, given that these beaches are undoubtedly major natural community assets, enjoyed by thousands of locals and visitors. The beach rake was donated to the local Shire Council for ongoing use on the beaches.
Since 1998 the Club has held various well-publicised, dinner functions, open to the public, where recently elected Commonwealth, State and Local Government representatives have been guest speakers. These functions, such as ‘Meet the Minister’ and ‘Meet the Mayor’, are conducted in an apolitical manner and have been very well attended. The Club has also held a popular and noteworthy Coolum and District Gala Charity Ball annually since 2002.
Coolum Rotary has also strongly supported and participated in the District Donations in Kind project, which involves the collection, preparation and shipping of a wide variety of goods and equipment to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. A complementary local youth project has also been established at Coolum, with high school students repairing and equipping bikes supplied by the Club for the Donations in Kind project.
On the exchange student front the Rotary Club of Coolum has for several years hosted (and mentored) Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars based in Brisbane. The visiting scholars have proved quite popular as guest speakers at major Club functions and this involvement has demonstrated to the public yet another aspect of Rotary’s efforts in advancing international understanding and goodwill.

The Club has also been short-term hosts of members of visiting Group Study Exchange Teams.

Coolum Rotary looks forward to continuing its activities and projects and advancing the Objects of Rotary.

Colin Beaton


COOROY- CREATIVE IN ROTARY

It was on 15 February 1993 that an interest meeting was held to discuss forming a Rotary Club in Cooroy. Interest from community-minded residents in this thriving town was enthusiastic and, within a very short time, the formation of a new Rotary club became reality.

The sponsor club was the Rotary Club of Noosa and on 15 May 1993, the District Governor, Dr John Feros, presented the Charter to the newest Rotary club in the world, which boasted twenty-five members, including four ladies.

Not long after the Charter, due to a job transfer, the president, Evonne Doherty, left and the new president, Don Milligan, took office.

In a show of strength, the first executive of the Club were all ladies with the President-Elect being Betty Roach. Since then, ladies have maintained a strong membership in the Club.

The Club was founded on strong fellowship and commitment to ‘Service above Self’, and since its inception has been active, enthusiastic, sociable and friendly.

The Club has found pleasure in being associated with a wide range of local community groups including, in the early years, the Cooroy Kindy Charity Challenge, the Drought Relief Fund, the Bradley Wolf Foundation, the Westpac Cleanup Australia, Salvation Army collection, Blue Nurses collection, Honour Board for Cooroy Primary School, Kabara Hostel for the Aged and Branchout Community.

As the 90s decade progressed, the Club grew in membership and strength of commitment and fun! Successive presidents - Eddy Rykenberg, Rick Phillips, Spud Garbacz, Tex Pipke, Fran Wing, Warren Bampton, Lyn Renshaw, Ken Hodges, Michael Andersen, Bob Ward - have all ensured strong leadership and focus on the ideals of Rotary. President-Elect for 2005-06, Lyn Hodges, looks forward to building on this tremendous tradition and reputation.

Participation in every avenue of Rotary Service throughout the years has provided many highlights including:
the privilege of hosting a number of international students from a variety of countries through the Youth Exchange Program. Many local young people have also benefited greatly from their participation in this Exchange overseas. Many life-long friendships have been made and contact maintained.

PHF recognition of local community contributors. It is the Club’s future goal to increase its contribution to The Rotary Foundation so that all members of the Club will be PHF recipients.

hosting, in 1996, a dinner for Rotarians from across Australia for the 1997-98 President of Rotary International, Glen Kinross, who resided in District 9600.

recognition of worthy local residents with Pride of Workmanship Awards. These are well known in the community and eagerly sought each year.

Much anticipated annual events – Climb the Mountain; Fly-in; Billy Tea and Damper; Fishing Classic; Christmas Raffle. Contributions to a number of Matching Grants for projects in PNG and the Solomon Islands. A monthly Sausage Sizzle outside the IGA Store in Cooroy ensuring the Club’s profile is maintained in the local community.

The Rotary Club of Cooroy has also maintained a very strong focus on youth and has provided opportunities for many young people. Besides the Exchange Program, the Club has sponsored students to RYPEN, National Youth Science Forum, and RYLA. The Club has also provided counsellors for Ambassadorial Scholars.

During 2004, the Club was very proud to have Lyn Hodges selected as Team Leader, and sponsored Sarah Hopps, a Team Member, for the Group Study Exchange visit to District 5010, incorporating Alaska, Canadian Yukon and Eastern Russia.

The Club is also proud to have produced a District Governor – John Gabb – and there continues to be a number of members contributing on District Committees.

With the energy, commitment, and fun-loving attitude of the members of the Rotary Club of Cooroy, the Club’s contribution not only to the local community, but also to the wider international community, is assured into the future.

Lyn Hodges


GEEBUNG – NOT THE POLO CLUB

The Rotary Club of Geebung was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sandgate and was chartered in 1962.

The Club has a proud history in Community Service and probably its major project in the past twenty-five years has been organising, (and largely funding) the building of a Meals On Wheels kitchen in Geebung. This facility services six suburbs supplying around 170 meals per day. To fund this project the Club restored and then raffled a 1929 Model Ford vintage car, which netted over $30 000. Other fundraising methods used were Charity Golf Days, barbecues, chopping up and selling firewood, Charity Bowls Days, Melbourne Cup sweeps, and many others.

In recent years we have been a major contributor to ARHRF raising over $20 000 by means of Charity Golf Days, winning two District Awards in the process. Paint Your Heart Out was a popular project in the nineties and the Club painted three houses, a Scout den, and St. Luke's Nursing Service at Zillmere during this period. We maintain contact with two nursing homes in our area, Wesley Gardens and Ashworth House, raising funds for projects such as wheelchair scales, a wheelchair bus, and a well-padded bed-chair.

The Salvation Army is one of our pet charities and we were happy to supply and outfit one of their emergency trailers at a cost of $2500. As well as raising funds, and collecting for the Red Shield Appeal each year, we supply food towards their Christmas Hampers through our ‘Kick in a Can’ bin at Taigum, a local shopping centre.

St. Vincent de Paul Nursing Service has been the beneficiary of several replacement vehicles over the years at a cost of $7500 to our Club. The Club organizes the yearly collection in the area for the Queensland Cancer Fund, and we top up the collection to ensure a good result.
Other substantial donations include the Rotary Western Families Assistance Fund in 1993 ($4000); Bald Hills Bus Project 1994 ($2000); Rotary Drought Relief 1995 ($1000); A.N.U. in 1998 ($2200); The Wesley Hospital Appeal in 1998 ($2169); the Jacana Centre in 2000 for an alarm system ($1217); the Shaftesbury Centre in 1988 ($6000); the Spastic Centre Physiotherapy Department in 1989 ($4000); and quite a number of smaller local projects for individual cases which have been referred to us.

International Service is alive and well in our Club, which has been a huge supporter of The Rotary Foundation and our list of forty Paul Harris Fellows, recognised over the past twenty-five years, is living proof of this statement.

DIK has our support and we have been a regular contributor of schoolbooks, stationery, medical supplies, furniture, computers, etc. With a Matching Grant from R.I. in 1996 we purchased and despatched a motorcycle to Goroka in PNG for a local doctor
who had no transport.

The Student Exchange Program was well supported towards the end of 2003 when we hosted seven students from various overseas countries and sponsored six outbound students from our area. We acted as host for one Ambassadorial Scholar from Scotland in 1999 and sponsored another one outbound to Rochester N.Y.

Other projects included Polio Plus in 1987 ($4200), International House at St Lucia in 1986 ($2650) and the Aitape Tidal Wave Appeal ($1000).

Our Youth Program includes sponsoring and nurturing an Interact Club at Banyo High (now Earnshaw College) and regular sponsorship of RYLA awardees each year. We are also involved with the Siemens Science Experience in Canberra and two of our nominees have gone on to represent Australia at the International Science Forums.
This year we are paying for the education of three students at a high school at Tapini, PNG, They are orphaned and would have no chance but for Rotary’s help.
Vocational Service is an area we need to improve on, but for many years the Club worked in with the local TAFE college and businesses to sponsor an Apprentice of the Year Award. We have also been involved with Pride of Workmanship Awards and we have regular guest speakers on vocational topics as well as intermittent factory visits by our members.

John McDonald

Brisbane Planetarium – Reaching for the Stars.

In early 1985 the Rotary Club of Brisbane Planetarium was just a gleam in the eye of Rev. Allan Male. After training as a District Governor in 1985 he visited the Rotary Club of Anchorage South for breakfast and mused, “If they can meet for breakfast up in the snow and the ice, how come we don’t have breakfast clubs in sunny Queensland?”

The vision of a breakfast club, meeting in the picturesque setting of the restaurant in the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, became a reality on the 4 July 1985 with the help of Brisbane North Rotarians Sonny Davis and Claude Hamilton. Brisbane Planetarium became the first breakfast club in Queensland. A number of breakfast Rotary clubs have since been formed.

Membership, which grew over the years, now stands at seventy-seven with twenty female members, three of whom became club president. Judy Magub later became District Governor and the first female District Governor in Queensland. Our first female member was Peita Beach and she was probably the first female Rotarian in Queensland.

Youth Service is a very important part of our Club’s activity. Since the Club’s inception we have hosted at least one Rotary Youth Exchange student each year. We actively support RYLA, RYPEN, Brisbane West Rotaract Club, School Achievers Program, Rotary Award for Performance to a tertiary student facing hardships and Youth Courtesy Awards. We also formed an Interact Club. The Club has twice received the Service to Youth Award.

Donations in Kind was a vision of Ian Wilson (1988-89) who saw an opportunity to involve clubs in overseas aid projects. Brisbane Planetarium Rotarians Ken Bird and Errol Richardson established a holding store at Milton. John Russell was able to arrange freight forwarding. The holding site has grown greatly and has had several moves, which include the Army Banyo Stores, the old Tennyson Powerhouse and finally the premises at Wolston Park. Many Rotary clubs are now involved in sorting and packing containers. On Saturday 23 October 2004, Rotary loaded its 400th container for shipment to areas of need in PNG and the South Pacific.

Our Club makes substantial donations to The Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus each year and provides aid to hospitals in the Cooke Islands, Little Wewak and to the Madang Children’s Hospital. We have also assisted the Rotary Eye Operation program in Bangladesh and provided funds to build a shelter at Gizo in Solomon Islands.

The Club, through ROMAC, sponsored Anna de Costa, a 15-year-old girl from East Timor. Anna arrived with her aunt to begin treatment for bone cancer of the leg at The Wesley Hospital. While the treatment was initially successful, sadly, some time after returning home, Anna passed away. Club member Stan Carr carried the mammoth effort of caring for Anna in conjunction with the Canossan Sisters.

Recently Club members under the RAWCS Program travelled to Arusha in Tanzania to help construct a school, and to Mae Suai in Thailand to assist in the construction of a refuge shelter for abused children rescued from the Golden Triangle.

The Club strongly supports the Preserve Planet Earth Program. It is involved in ‘koala-friendly’ tree planting at schools, the Shaftesbury Citizen Centre, the Ithaca Creek restoration project, Cleanup Australia, the Red Shield Appeal, Prevention of Blindness Foundation, Computers for Kids, outings for the aged and disabled, SWARA, Drug Arm, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Abused Child Trust.

Annually we conduct an Australia Day Citizenship ceremony at the Lakeside Restaurant, Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens.

In 1992 we formed the Rotary Club of Paddington/Red Hill and in 1993 the Rotary Club of Bardon.

Each year the Club sponsors candidates to the Siemens Science Experience, Shell Live Wire Program and presents Pride of Workmanship Awards to members of the community. A Jack Kennedy Bursary is awarded annually to a school-age student west of the Great Divide in memory of PP Jack Kennedy.

In 1999, together with the Rotary Clubs of Kenmore and Mt Coot-tha, we hosted a very successful and different district conference at Chandler. It was that year that we were awarded The Lionel McCray Memorial Trophy for the Outstanding Club in D9600.

One of our major annual fundraising events of the year is the business lunch, at which prominent sporting and media personalities entertain invitees from the business and professional community. Another major event is the Fun Run which is a run or walk marathon around the beautiful Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens. The Fun Run is for the serious runner as well as for the whole family. The funds raised from these events provide the bulk of our giving. It also provides us with an opportunity to present Rotary to the community.

We are very active and dedicated Rotarians but there is a lighter side. ‘Fun’ events include the annual fishing trip to Fraser Island, car rallies, theatre evenings, and restaurant and home dinners.

This club has its own unique style and easily recognised camaraderie. It is a vibrant club, characterised by humour, friendliness and remarkable energy.

Henry Thompson

GYMPIE – GOLDEN CITY

The Rotary Club of Gympie has always been very involved in community affairs, often with a hands-on approach to providing assistance. Here are some of the highlights of our Club’s activities, down through the years.

1980 opened with the Club in its thirty-second year and a president who had been transferred in his job and resigned. Being President-Elect, the late Bill Sweeney took over, and served for eighteen months in this position.

The Club was very active in providing the Driver Training Centre at Six Mile Creek, and many members were on the Committee for the Centre. The vision was to create a facility which would be used by organisations from South East Queensland. However, the establishment of a similar facility at Mount Cotton, sponsored by the State Government, eventually reduced its scope.

Another program was the Ambulance Concert in which schools provided an item. Trophies were awarded in two categories – Judges’ Choice, and Popular Choice. The winner of the Popular Choice was decided by the amount of money collected in buckets for each item. As a result of this concert, the Gympie Ambulance treated children at school for no charge. The Pioneers Afternoon Tea held on, or close to, Gympie’s birthday in October was another big community event.

In 1982 the secretary of the Gympie Show approached the two Rotary Clubs with an offer of $1200 for the members to work on the entry gates at the three-day show in May. Previously, casual labour had been engaged and paid. It rained a lot but, to everyone’s surprise, the Show had a record gate. After a few years the Club continued on its own, and the money raised eventually rose to about $3000. However, the project was seen more as a donation of time to the Show Society. Recently we have been under-tendered for this job!

In the same year, 1982, the Club was approached to run a food stall at the first Apex Country Music Muster. Apex said they expected an attendance of 5000. The Club’s gross profit was $649 with twenty per cent of this going back to Apex! Over the years the Club has worked many different kinds of food stalls at this function but now, relatively unseen, members cater for the workers backstage. It is always a very busy four days, with three two-course meals a day with up to 300 at a sitting.

In 1983, the Club ran its first Pride of Workmanship (schools) for students in non-Board subjects. The Club still does this for practical subjects (Graphics, Manual Arts, Art, Home Economics and Agriculture) in the five local high schools, with the presentation night, a normal meeting night, being a big affair.

In 1984 Club members acted as waiters for the theatre restaurant production of Dimboola. Subsequently, the relatively young Gympie Youth Music Society approached the Club to finance a timpani and this was eventually provided.

In this period the Club was sponsoring two Interact Clubs, one Rotaract Club, and had sponsored its first Probus Club. Interact and Rotaract have died, but Probus still continues strongly.

In the 1986-87 year the Club fulfilled its commitment to Polio Plus. Previously, donations to The Rotary Foundation had been modest, but in this year the first two Paul Harris Fellows for many years were recognised. The year also saw the inception of the progressive dinner at which participants cater for one course for four to six guests, the identity of whom is unknown until they come through the door. The Club continued to have industry dinners at which the regular meeting was held at a workplace, be it farm, factory or shop.

In 1994-95 a shelter with electric barbecues on River Terrace, above the newly-landscaped river, was the Club’s community project. It was a year of drought and the Club ran a Charity Golf day with proceeds sent to the Charleville club for them to distribute as they saw fit. The Golf Day has become an annual event and has raised lots of funds for the local palliative care group.

In 1999 the Club acted as sponsor of the restoration of the derelict Queensland National Bank building. As a consequence heritage funding was received from the Federal Government. This building now serves as a local council meeting room.

In recent years we have continued to be involved in a variety of community activities. Two very successful Work for the Dole programs have been organised, and fifty people have been placed in the work force.

The Club has built a steel shed to accommodate its equipment and this has provided a venue for the Annual Shed Dinner held in the summer. Catering for the No Bull Ball, which raises funds for a Miss Showgirl competition in aid of the local show, continues. Patchwork Quilt Shows, which have generated great interest and support, are also organised biennially.

In its fifty-sixth year the Club has a membership of fifty-three, down from the sixties of 1980, but service still remains the Club’s primary function.

John Rees

Gympie-Cooloola – Community Centred Enjoyment

Back in 1978 the crowd at the Rotary Club of Gympie was making fellowship a bit of a crush. Solution? We’ll charter another club. With John Parker as president and twenty-five keen members we’re away. Twenty-six years on, Graham Neilson remains as the only continuous Charter member, although the reemergence of Harold Kidd provides new members of our vibrant club with some real insights into one of the Club’s long-term characters.

‘Based on a real need’ may have been the slogan when Gympie and Gympie-Cooloola Rotary clubs joined forces back in 1979 to develop the Driver Training Centre. Time has proven that this complex has successfully provided driver training to drivers from all walks of life, especially those most vulnerable – young school leavers. This complex today known as ‘Roadcraft’ continues to provide this excellent service to the community.

The Rotary Club of Gympie-Cooloola hasn’t shied away from involvement in community support projects and is certainly not backward if leadership is required. We’re in there pitching – from forming a Probus Club in 1983 for retired business people, to hosting the District Conference in 2000, to being involved with the Gympie Music Muster from 1983 to the present. Presidents old and new have successfully rallied members to support worthwhile projects, all of which have some common threads. They support and promote Rotary International; they are very aligned with the communities in which we operate; and members grow as individuals through participation, and have fun as a result.
John Madill and George Fewtrell serving breakfast to thankful
Banjo’s patrons at the Gympie Muster

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The admittance of our first female members in 2002 was the start of something special. Not saying that Allison Patroni and Gay Lohse didn’t promote a new level of etiquette within the Club –they possibly did. The change was more about balance. The Club continues to attract female members, and without exception they continue to contribute to the Club’s success.

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Tatiana Valentim 2004 Exchange student from Brazil, (the smile is permanent)

Over the years Youth Programs have been a stable part of the Club’s activities. We have hosted ten Exchange Students, and sponsored a further ten. Broadening the life skills of these young adults has been beneficial for all involved. Programs such as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment, National Youth Science Forum and Year 12 Best All Rounder Awards for students of local high schools continue to support and showcase the youth of our community. For this reason all of these programs are proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Gympie-Cooloola.

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District Governor Rob Jeffery, Paul Medway, Cindy Medway,
Gympie Cooloola RC President Wally Emerson,

Outstanding service to the community and Rotary has seen thirteen Paul Harris Fellows recognised by the Club. Gympie-Cooloola’s latest recipient Paul Medway exemplifies the attributes that make this recognition meaningful. Community promotions see Club members involved in all manner of activities, so you name it, we’re there, and this willingness to lend a hand is proudly part of what the members of the Rotary Club of Gympie- Cooloola are all about.

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If this account of Gympie-Cooloola RC history has left you with an inkling that its members are genuine community-minded people who enjoy each other’s company, while making a real difference, you’d be right on the money.

Wally Emmerson

Glass House Mountains – The Growth Club

The Rotary Club of the Glass House Mountains received its Charter on the 13 October 1999 after approximately six months of hard work by a small core of people, including Brian Doyle, Trevor Taylor, and Bill Dethlefs.

One of the unique challenges faced was that the area included five small towns. The people are very proud of their own towns and identity, so it was difficult to get them together. Wherever the meeting was held it was seen to favour that town. However, the Club meets in Beerwah and is working hard to get everyone to see the big picture. The fact that Beerwah is emerging as the major centre with the only high school and a new large community hall and library is probably helping. There is strong growth in the area with many new people moving in, and they, hopefully, will think of the larger area of the Glass House Mountains.

We are a young club and the members are fairly young. Most are still very active in their own businesses and this restricts their Rotary time, but hopefully this will give them a longer Rotary life, and more experience when they have more time to give. It took a little while for the Club to find its feet with Charter President Trevor Taylor as the only experienced Rotarian in the Club for the first few years.

The Club had to find its place in the community and to look for worthwhile projects, not only to raise money, but who were the people who most needed help?

Two of the new members had personal experience with the devastation cystic fibrosis can cause in a family, and it was decided to help this group of people in particular, and other groups as the need came up. The Club took on a very optimistic project of helping as many CF sufferers as possible in the Sunshine Coast Area, with the idea of assistance coming from other clubs on an ad hoc basis to help people in their areas we were already assisting. This has happened to a small degree, and hopefully will increase in the future.

Many other projects were taken on, and successfully carried out. Some of the most notable were the burying of a time capsule in the year 2000, to be opened in 2050 (there is a bottle of red in there, and we want to be here to help drink it!!); the Mental Health Forum held in 2003 to increase awareness of mental illness in the community; and an annual Golf Day held to raise money for CF. Last year we started an annual auction to raise money for our other commitments such as The Rotary Foundation. We also catered for the Joint Meeting of Clubs at the Sunshine Coast University, and donated money to them as well for scholarships to worthy students. This was also the first year we organized a motorbike ride, what is called a ‘Poker Run’ and that money will go to BADYAC, an organisation which helps needy youth in the area.

We have an interesting relationship with the Australia Zoo. Terri Irwin is one of our honorary members, and they have been very helpful with our fundraising efforts. We work for them on three or four occasions during the year, parking cars, and doing breakfasts, and they are major sponsors of our golf day. Probably about $6000 will come from that source this year.

The Club has lost members in the last couple of years, and new members have been hard to come by. We are now becoming more proactive in seeking new members, and it looks like the idea of having a meeting in each town, with a special guest speaker, and inviting all the business people in the town to come to see what we are doing, is going to be a successful way of finding new people who may be interested in putting something back into their community, and having fun and fellowship at the same time. We have done this in Beerwah and Glasshouse Township, and about six new people may join our ranks.

This year we are planning a RAWCS trip to the Solomons, to work on the Gizo Hospital. There is a lot of interest from members not only in our Club, but also in a couple of other clubs, so hopefully we will be able to do something meaningful there, and help to upgrade their out-patients area. The Glass House Mountains Township Park is another long-term project we are working on. This will raise our profile in the area, and give the local people, and tourists, a great facility for the future.

The main thing is, we love what we do, and we are having fun doing it.
Trevor Hills

HONIARA –CAPITAL OF THE SOLOMONS

This is the first Rotary Club in the Solomon Islands and its history can found at the above link.

KARANA DOWNS –

The Rotary Club of Karana Downs was admitted to Rotary on 4 September 1989 and chartered with thirty members at a memorable function at the Axon Room, University of Queensland, on 3 November 1989.

Membership numbers dropped to thirteen in 1999-2000. However, the dedication and commitment of those thirteen members formed the basis of a membership drive, resulting in today’s membership standing at twenty-two with a number of potential members currently being considered.

Ours is a dinner club, meeting on Monday nights at the Mt Crosby Bowls club.

Our first female member was inducted in 2000 and we currently have three female members. Our first female president was Mary Kearney, 2003-04.

To date, our support of The Rotary Foundation has allowed us to recognise twelve Paul Harris Fellows.

As our Club is situated in what could be called ‘dormitory’ suburbs, we do not have access to large commercial or industrial establishments for financial support. Despite this disadvantage, we have always managed to raise funds through social and local community events to allow us to support a wide range of local and international projects.

Even before the Club was officially recognized, provisional club members had identified a very worthwhile community service project at the local Autistic School with the construction of a new amenities block. Under the guidance of Charter President Don Neale, funds were raised, materials scrounged, and the work completed, to the delight of the staff and students of the school.

Early fundraising efforts also allowed us to provide replacement cars for the Blue Nursing organisation to allow them to continue their much-needed home visit service.

The Club is particularly proud of the artist-in-residence program supported in three of the local primary schools. Funds supplied by the Club have assisted the schools to employ local artists to work with the students and broaden their cultural base. The local schools have also benefited from the provision of Drug Awareness Kits.

Together with Brisbane City Council, and other community groups, our Club has been instrumental in the renovation of the Mt Crosby Hall, turning it into a well-used multi-purpose facility available to all community groups.

Other community projects include bus shelters, signage recognizing historical sites in our area, and the installation of play equipment in the local park.

The local community continues to show its appreciation for our free film nights and the annual Karana Carols Evening, both held in Kookaburra Park. Our continued use of this park for community activities has been supported by Brisbane City Council through recent upgrading of the park by the provision of lighting and power.

There are many other community-spirited people in our local area and we have recognized these people for their efforts through our Vocational Service Pride of Workmanship and Pride of Citizenship Awards.

Recently, we have extended our Pride of Citizenship Award Program with nominated Year 7 students at our local schools being recognized for their efforts in their school and wider communities.


For International Service we have had the great pleasure of hosting Group Study Exchange Teams from Malaysia and Iceland and we have sponsored six outbound and hosted eight inbound Youth Exchange students.

During our relatively short existence, our Club has raised funds to provide general support for less fortunate people in Rwanda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and also to provide kit-type shelters for disadvantaged people in India.

We continue to support our district Donations in Kind Program through fundraising to provide shipping containers for the transport of educational and medical equipment being sent to PNG and Solomon Islands, which are both members of our truly international Rotary district. Our Club appreciates the fact that all funds and goods raised for international projects get to the people who need them, thanks to this great voluntary program.

Our Club is proud to have supported former Club member Bill Waterfield in his role as District Governor 1994-95, by organising the District Assembly at The Wesley Hospital.

Karana Downs has also had good representation at district level with members holding positions of Assistant Governor, District Chairman and committee members of the Youth Exchange Program, leader of a Group Study Exchange Team to USA and Co-ordinator of the Ambassadorial Scholars Program.

And what of the future?

Ours is a relatively young club, and we actively encourage younger members to join to ensure that the enthusiasm and commitment to Rotary ideals shown by our Club to date continues long into the future.

The Rotary Club of Karana Downs is proud to serve the local communities of Karana Downs, Mt Crosby and Bellbowrie/Moggill, thus upholding the name of Rotary in the south-west corner of District 9600.

David Kearney

INDOOROOPILLY -

On 17 November 1978 the Rotary Club of Indooroopilly, which had been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kenmore, held its inaugural meeting under the presidency of Mike Hinder.

Since that time the Club membership has varied, like most other clubs, dictated by the economic times, and pressures of business, while maintaining a core number of twenty to twenty-five. Our meeting place has changed a number of times over the years for various reasons, usually due to refurbishment of the premises, (not I hasten to add because of the behaviour of our members or to our dissatisfaction with the venue).

While not a large club compared to many others we have over the years attained some memorable achievements locally and overseas. In 1980, after two years of fundraising, the Club donated medical equipment to help set up a centre at the Royal Brisbane Hospital to provide regular and emergency treatment of haemophilia. Over the years we have developed associations with and given support, both financial and hands-on, to Riding for the Disabled; a local counselling service; Paint Your Heart Out; Donations in Kind; Blue Nurses; Salvation Army; the Smith Family; and to groups providing emergency housing and assistance for abused women and children, and those providing respite care for seriously intellectually disabled persons. We also provided a page-turning machine for a tetraplegic (paralysed from the neck down)
youth.

The Club’s most gratifying and lasting success has been in supporting the initiative of then member, ophthalmic surgeon Dr Bill Watts, in his ‘Eyes for Fiji’ campaign. In 1995 while on a visit to Lautoka Hospital Bill discovered a dire need for trained staff and equipment to undertake cataract surgery in Fiji and the surrounding islands. His tireless efforts on returning to Brisbane resulted in fundraising by the Club, Rotary Matching Grants and donations of specialist operating microscopes, equipment, lens implants and other medical supplies. Bill has returned to Fiji on a number of occasions, operating free of charge, and training local surgeons and medical staff in the use of the equipment. People who were blind and would have been destined to live in darkness see again. Many were parents who would see their children for the first time, or friends each suffering with cataracts would see each other for the first time in many years. Bill maintains his close ties with Fiji and regularly travels to some of the more remote areas of the Pacific region donating his services.

In a new venture initiated by Graham Wilson, the Club arranged for a Japanese student to attend St Peters College, Indooroopilly, as a boarder for secondary schooling. The parents are responsible for all the required school fees and other costs and make a donation to the Club. To date the arrangement appears to be working successfully and negotiations are underway to continue with further students.

The Indooroopilly club is a strong supporter of Rotary International and as a result of information given to the Club by Roger Woodgate’s daughter who attended the Vai’ola Hospital, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, for work experience, a joint venture with the local Rotary club was established for the supply and donation of specialised equipment for the care of at-risk premature babies. Our request for a Matching Grant was successful and after the Club ran a very enjoyable Charity Film night some very necessary equipment was on its way to the hospital. The project has received wide publicity in Tonga thanks to the assistance and coordination of the Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa.

The Rotary Club of Indooroopilly has in the past contributed to, and enhanced the lives of many people in the local and international community. We look forward with assurance that we will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Merv Braithwaite

KAWANA WATERS – WILDFLOWERS BY THE WATER


‘Kawana’ is an Aboriginal word, of unidentified dialect, meaning ‘wildflowers’ according to A W Reed in Aboriginal Place Names, and it is extended to mean ‘wildflowers by the water’.

The original developer, Alfred Grant, named this area Kawana Waters in the 1960s, in recognition of the many wildflower blooms for which this part of the coastline was then renowned.

The Rotary Club of Kawana Waters was chartered on 21 March 1980. District Governor Ben Bennett presented the Charter to Graham Leach on 24 May 1980. His special representative, Bob Martin, accepted honorary membership and was named a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his many years of dedicated Rotary service.

Bob Martin originated from Shoreham, in Sussex, and on Charter Night the Club was presented with a gift from the Rotary Club of Shoreham - the ‘Shoreham Bell’ used by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

During the 1990-91 year, in conjunction with Kawana Waters High School, the Club initiated the Bob and Freda Martin bursary and perpetual shield, which is presented annually to the Principal’s nominated Year 11 student who will be continuing on to Year 12 at that school and who has displayed initiative and service to both the school and the community.

The Rotary Club of Kawana Waters is a small but active club in numerous respects. The Club investigated the development of a local park, La Balsa Park, almost as soon as it was chartered, and has established a tradition of effecting improvements, restoring damaged equipment and undertaking general repairs and maintenance of equipment. Club projects relevant to La Balsa Park and its surrounds have included installation of picnic tables, bench seats and barbecues, installation of a wedding dais, construction of a childrens playground including installation of a tyre climber and a slippery dip, erection of a rotunda/gazebo/shelter area and general maintenance and repair of the same. The Club also arranged the planting of 100 Norfolk pines and over 2000 native trees from Point Cartwright along the beach to Kawana Surf Club.

La Balsa Park stretches about 900 metres along the Mooloolah riverfront, from the Kawana Waters marine basin to the ocean at Point Cartwright. The park was named in recognition of the achievement of the La Balsa expedition from Ecuador in 1973, when three rafts constructed of balsa wood - each about 14m long and 5.5m wide and housing a four-man crew - set sail from Guayaquil to Mooloolaba, drifting across the Pacific Ocean to prove ancient civilisations from South America could have traversed the Pacific in large numbers.

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Rotary International on 23 February 2005, and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Rotary Club of Kawana Waters Inc on 21 March 2005 Caloundra City Council has given approval for the Club to upgrade the rotunda/gazebo area at La Balsa Park by, inter alia, replacing three existing flagpoles, sealing part of the surrounding area to enable easier disabled/pram access to the sheltered area and erecting two blockwork (texture coat rendered finish) feature walls which will display Rotary wheel plaques celebrating these anniversaries.

The upgrade should be completed in readiness for the annual La Balsa Park Australia Day 2005 celebrations (including naturalisation ceremony) which the Club has been hosting, with support of other service organisations, for many years.

Over the past twenty-five years the Rotary Club of Kawana Waters has established its own identity and sense of purpose, developing traditions and gaining acceptance within Rotary and the wider community. To ensure that present and future members of the Club are kept informed of its achievements and traditions a brief Club history has been compiled and will be updated and published to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Club in 2005.

Lynda Swanston


KIMBE – OIL PALM CAPITAL OF PNG

The Club gained its Charter on 25 May 1999, in the appropriately casually exotic setting of Walindi Plantation Resort. District Governor Henry Bodman presided over the presentation of the Charter, the Rotary Clubs of Rabaul and Kokopo being the sponsors. Twenty-five Charter members were inducted, and were then joined by members of the sponsoring clubs. The Kimbe Rotarians spent the evening in the spirit of fellowship that has since characterised the Club by having a very good time that went well into the night.

Providing an air conditioner for the operating theatre at Valoka Health Centre was the Club’s first project. This valuable service was quickly followed up by raising funds to send a Kimbe student on the Pacific Australian Cultural Exchange Program. So impressed were the members with the development in the confidence of the young person sent to Australia that a student from Kimbe has gone on the program every year since. In addition, we have hosted young Australians every year since 2000. The Rotary Raft Race, a fun-filled and raucous event held at Dami beach and our Christmas Raffle have been the events that have raised the necessary funds for PACE.

In 2001 the Club joined the Red Cross in their appeal to provide toys for the Children’s ward on Christmas Day. The parents expressed gratitude before wistfully stating that ‘it would be lovely to have something to eat’. Our focus changed and the following year we all got together to provide Christmas lunch for the children and their carers. So great was enthusiasm by the Rotarians, their families and friends that we found we had enough to feed all the patients!

As in all the PNG Rotary clubs the Donations In Kind program has been a major part of the Club’s activities. The disbursement of the donations is being funded by Kimbe’s Cricket Competition, which has grown from playing at Kimbe International School playground with the children’s kit to developing a turf wicket at Nahavio Oval with full pads, gloves, and recently donated helmets. Through DIK we have been able to provide educational materials, medical supplies and library books to a wide range of schools, hospitals, health centres and libraries.
In a community heavily dominated by oil palm, and by one company in particular, it is not surprising that many of the members have a close association with New Britain Palm Oil Ltd. Mobility of the members has characterised the membership illustrated by the fact that only four of the original Charter members are still in the Club. Whilst providing a challenge in keeping up the membership it provides a vibrancy and enthusiasm that is refreshing.

Our involvement in RAM started very modestly in 2002 with the purchase of only a few nets. This has grown as we have established ourselves, and sales look to exceed 350 this year, with definite orders to increase this in 2005. This is of course held in conjunction with our awareness campaigns and the distribution of colouring books and pens.

The Mt. Pago eruption on 5 August 2002 has had a profound effect on the population in the vicinity of the Witori (Pago) Caldera. Although ash levels were low, concern over the silica content in the ash persuaded the Provincial Government to evacuate nearly 12 000 people from the area. The evacuees were relocated to seven care centres situated at Kapore, Nahavio, Kimbe, Sarakolok, Buluma, Dami and Dagi. The Club became involved in local fundraising and has been able to assist the people in the Kapore Care centre with the provision of a couple of water tanks, firewood, tarpaulins and the installation of latrines. A great deal of assistance came from the Japanese and the Australian Governments as well UNHCR. Luckily the eruption settled within a few months and villagers were able to return to their land in good time.

Ron Senior was an enthusiastic Charter member of the Rotary Club of Kimbe who went to higher service in March 2001. In his memory the Club decided to set up a scholarship to send an outstanding young person from the Kimbe area through their first year of university. In January 2002 the Club selected a young lady, Ore Toporua. She had been offered a place by the University of Papua New Guinea to study medicine. The scholarship paid for her fees and she did so well that the Club has been able to continue to support her through her second year and will be sponsoring her again this coming year.

Saturday, 3 August 2002 saw the first Careers Fair to be held by the Rotary Club of Kimbe. This was staged at the Kimbe International School and fifty students in Grades 10 and 12 from Kimbe Secondary School were invited. Rotarians and other interested people set up a large number of stalls. Teaching, plantation management, civil engineering, law and airline management were some of the careers on display. Such was the interest in this that the program has been extended and this year saw over eighty students participating in this exciting program.

Jamie Graham

KENMORE –THE YEARS SINCE 1980

The late revered Dr Jim Trotter, Charter member of the Rotary Club of Nambour and of Brisbane West, steered twenty-nine men towards charter of the Rotary Club of Kenmore on 30 April 1969 and became its first president. Two of those are still members. In the first ten years Kenmore introduced its Kenmore Rotary Object, won Bulletin of the Year, sponsored a Rotaract Club, and sponsored the Rotary Club of Indooroopilly.

Kenmore’s weekly meetings have a reputation for efficient punctuality with friendliness, humour and good speakers, thus attracting frequent make ups from Rotarians of other clubs living in this dormitory suburb. An emphasis on membership extension and fellowship has kept membership between fifty and sixty-five for most of the period.
The spread of classification is wide, from eminent big business people to local professionals and businessmen. Kenmore Rotarians have always been sought after for various District committee memberships. Over the years, four Past District Governors have transferred to Kenmore and the home club of 2004-05 District Governor Rob Jeffery is Kenmore.
Kenmore hosted the District Conference in 1995 and has played a significant part in several other conferences.

The most extensive local project was Glenleighden Special School in its formative years with frequent involvement of members in voluntary working bees, provision of professional skills, and both direct and levered finance. A lower level of assistance continues. Other regular beneficiaries include primary and secondary schools, youth organisations, senior citizens and people disabled in various ways.
For most of the Club’s life an annual Christmas Art Union, our major fund-raiser, taps into, and is enthusiastically supported by, the Kenmore community. An annual humorous newspaper produced for free distribution in the 1980s served as excellent exposure for the Club and was also a useful money-raiser.
Recognition is given annually to local employees with an Awards Night to present five Pride of Achievement Awards; an always popular annual concert is organised for residents of the many local retirement villages, and regular Career Guidance is offered to Kenmore High School Year 12 students.
Since 1980 Kenmore has sponsored the Rotary Clubs of Mount Coot-tha, Karana Downs and Brisbane 4069, the Brigidine Interact Club and five Probus clubs.

Support in cash, kind or labour has benefited a wide variety of causes and programs citywide, Statewide and national. Cars for Blue Nurses; a street van for Drug Arm; an ambulance; a large donation to the mammography ward at The Wesley Hospital, and to The Wesley Rotary Lodge for country outpatients; support for the Flying Doctor Service, National Heart Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy, Royal Children’s Hospital, and Riding for the Disabled – the list goes on and on.
Kenmore enjoys a high standing in the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund as a major regular donor since the Fund’s formation.

Kenmore is an enthusiastic and experienced host and sponsor of students in the Youth Exchange Program, both sending and accepting students for most of the last 25 years. Group Study Exchanges have been both sponsored and hosted several times. Kenmore has been host for an annual District Ambassadorial Scholars dinner for many years now, and is currently the host of a Peace Scholar.
Kenmore has always been very conscious of the rich rewards to be had from the internationality of Rotary. As well as the Youth Exchange and Group Study Exchange programs, the overseas component has seen member exchanges and student exchanges through Kenmore High School with the Japanese Kagamigahara Rotary Club; and direct club-to-club assistance to Fijian, Papua New Guinean, Indian and Sri Lankan clubs.
The biggest, widest, longest association and involvement has been through Donations in Kind. Kenmore members have been active from the beginning of the program, particularly during its early organisation and in its ongoing management, and many members are regular workers at the DIK premises.
The Polio Plus program caught the imagination of the Club from its initiation and has been generously supported since.

In recognition of particularly meritorious service, over thirty club members and five community members have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows. Two members have been awarded R.I.’s Service above Self Award.

Major R.I. awards to the Club include the R.I. President’s Significant Achievement Award for Glenleighden School in 1987; the R.I. President’s Citation for a well-balanced program six times; and the ARHRF Gold Companion Award for outstanding level of contributions. Nothing better exemplifies the high standard to which Kenmore Rotarians aspire than to win three times the Sir Lionel McCray Trophy for the most outstanding club in the District.

Bob Cleland

Kingaroy –South Burnett Capital

Ben Chifley was the Prime Minister; the first Holden had been made at the General Motors Fisherman’s Bend plant in Melbourne, and the Berlin airlift was underway when the Rotary Club of Kingaroy began in 1948.

Kingaroy is in the South Burnett region about a two and a half hour drive north-west of Brisbane and has grown to become a town of 12 500 people. It is known for its fabulous rich red soils that produce vast quantities of peanuts and navy beans. Beef, pork and duboisia tree production are also important industries.

Queensland’s longest serving Premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, is perhaps the best-known local resident. Reasons to visit the area include the mighty Bunya Mountains, freshwater fishing and a growing number of boutique wineries offering wine-tasting and bed and breakfast style accommodation. The next Hunter Valley of Australia could be right here.

In such a setting it is hardly surprising that during its fifty-five years the Rotary Club of Kingaroy has developed a fine tradition of social activities that often include Rotarians’ partners and sometimes their offspring too. Our champion barbecue cooks are Ray Black and Lex Petersen ably assisted by other members offering advice and occasional practical assistance. Seems to fit in rather well with this year’s theme ‘Celebrate Rotary’.

Members have always been keen supporters of youth activities. In most years since the commencement of the Youth Exchange Program the Club has hosted an inbound student and sponsored a local young person for a year overseas. This year Dane O’Malley is having some incredible experiences in Copenhagen – he has even met Prince Frederik and Princess Mary. He was surprised to receive a visit from Club member Lloyd Hooper who was touring in Europe at the time.

Ron Roberts and Geoff Hosking, with other members assisting from time to time, manage the canteen at Blue Light discos and other functions at the town hall. Proceeds go towards an education fund used to assist needy local students to ensure that lack of funds is not causing them to miss out on educational opportunities.

Both the National Youth Science Forum and RYLA have received their share of participants from Kingaroy. Merewyn Wright, a state school deputy principal is making sure the Club has young people participating in these programs. Each year members enjoy hearing three-minute speeches from the three best speakers of the Grade 7 public speaking competition sponsored by the Club.

In addition to the strong focus on youth activities a ten-year partnership with the local TAFE college was instrumental in establishing an adult functional literacy course. It was so successful that a permanent teaching position was added to the staff.

Fundraising activities often involve using our foldaway steak-burger stall, and each year we are involved in Wine and Food in the Park and the annual Peanut Festival. The Christmas Carnival each December has members spruiking on the streets selling tickets and spinning the ham wheel.

Major fund-raisers in the past have included an annual Expo and a Rotary Ball with a major raffle. Although both events have now been discontinued, perhaps reflecting the changes in rural communities and society in general, funds raised were put to good use. The first car used by the Blue Nurses in Kingaroy was provided by the Club, and the Club has contributed towards several since then.

President John Armstrong (2004-05) has been determined to assist with setting up the new palliative care facility at the South Burnett Community Private Hospital. We are pleased that the Admed airlift chair and the Gasby 16A Syringe Driver have arrived with more necessities to come in the near future.

Cooperative efforts with other local service clubs in major projects have been a feature of the history of the Club. Just one example occurred in 1990 when Kingaroy hosted the District Conference during Ray Black’s year as District Governor.

In addition to meeting local needs the Club has contributed substantially to Rotary International programs. Nineteen Paul Harris Fellows have been recognised ensuring continued contributions to The Rotary Foundation.Group Study Exchange is well supported and the presentation nights are always popular.

The Rotary Club of Kingaroy has sponsored two Rotary clubs, Murgon and Kingaroy-Taabinga.

Looking back can be very satisfying. Memories of long-standing friendships, the fun times and sad remain with us all. Yet despite its long history the Club remains vibrant and forward looking.

We have already planned that in 2008-09 Lex Petersen will be president of Kingaroy for the second time. The first time was twenty-five years ago when a time capsule was buried at Rotary Park. We’re all keen to see the contents once again. We might find some pleasant surprises but we are not sure what Mark McKechnie’s bottle of wine will be like.

Lloyd Hooper

Kingaroy-Taabinga -Celebrating 25 Years of Rotary

On 29 August 1980 District Governor Bill Upton presented to the fledgling Rotary Club of Kingaroy-Taabinga its Charter, dated 30 June 1980. The Club was set up, guided by Julian Mullins as the District Governor’s Special Representative and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kingaroy. For his efforts Julian was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow at changeover during 1981. Since then, a further thirteen Paul Harris Fellows have been recognised.

Membership began at twenty-three and five remain active Club members with honorary membership bestowed on two others. Until the late nineties membership reached as high as thirty but dropped below twenty occasionally. Currently, membership rests in the high teens. Until the early nineties District Conference attendance saw up to 35% of members but this has tapered off. In 1986-87 and 1989-90, the two Kingaroy clubs hosted District Conference. Several members have served District 9600 on District committees. During the first ten years meetings were held at the Kingaroy Hotel, and then the Club Hotel, depending on which hotelier held membership. Since 1989, the Carrollee Hotel has been the meeting venue.

From the beginning activities reflected significant District and RI programs. The first GSE team was hosted in 1981-82 and that continues with teams hosted in rotation by the clubs of the South Burnett. The Club has provided three GSE team members and one first reserve. RYLA involvement began that year with two candidates sponsored and students have been supported for the National Youth Science Forum and its predecessors. Since the first YEP students in 1983-84 there have been ten to a dozen students each way. The Club chartered a Rotaract Club in 1991 and supported it until the late nineties. Shine On and Pride of Workmanship Awards have been presented. The Club Painted Its Heart Out on a couple of occasions, supported Matched Student Exchanges and helped raise funds for the construction of The Wesley Rotary Lodge. Terry Meagher took part in a FAIM trip to construct a school. On occasions numbers of Club members travelled to the DIK depot at Tennyson to assist with the loading of materials, using this as the opportunity to attend other social events such as theatre restaurants and dinners at Silks Restaurant at Albion Park. The efforts of the Club in supporting RI’s campaign to eliminate Poliomyelitis from the world saw the donation over both campaigns of $7450.

The key work of this Club has been in support of other community organizations and many have benefited over a long period. Of particular importance has been support of young people especially through the schools. While this has been notable through Rotary programs, pride is taken in the efforts of our local high school students for their program, Operation Northern Neighbours. This program mobilised the community to provide large quantities of materials for an area in Papua New Guinea. The students coordinated transport through local organisations and DIK, and the distribution of materials through the Rotary Club of Port Moresby. That the school and the students involved were recognised as winners of the RACQ Future Leaders Awards reflects great credit on them. Some of the students involved were linked to the Club through a new Active Citizens Program, attended Club meetings and gave presentations, and assisted with fundraising. The Club has supported the school through the annual presentation to a Year 12 student of a bursary given in memory of Past President Keith Middleton whose untimely death took from Club and the community a valued and active member.

Fundraising activities now revolve around the operation of a hamburger stall at the Christmas Street Carnival, which has taken place since 1980 –amongst other events. Trail bike rides, state title gun shoots, international horse events, and heritage festivals have provided the opportunity to support Rotary visibly. In the early days, the Club conducted Oktoberfests, ran garden competitions for some years and marshalled the community Peanut Festival parade. While financial support for local causes has never been large individually, many have benefited each year.

Fellowship has always been very important in the Club. The first fishing trip occurred in 1985-86. It happens annually but few fish are caught. Increasingly, family weekend activities are organised involving some travel, e.g. the Possum Park and Gympie Rattler trips. Over the years themed and mystery dinners have been held and members and families always gather for a Christmas party. Apart from Club fellowship, links are maintained with the Kingaroy and Murgon clubs and some combined meetings occur annually. Meetings have been held with clubs outside the District, notably with the Rotary Club of Jandowae.

Though the Club has never been big, it has actively lived successive themes of Rotary and has served the community, the District and Rotary International actively and effectively over its twenty-five-year life. There is much to celebrate.

Graham Jenkins and Rob Carroll

Kippa Ring- An Icon of the Peninsula

If Lindsay Meyers were still around, he would probably think that the twelve members of the Rotary Club of Kippa Ring carry on a pretty fine tradition, started when the Club was formed in late 1977. A local timber processor, Lindsay was a member of the Rotary Club of Redcliffe City, and saw the potential of the developing area of Kippa Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. With twenty-two others, and with the support of his Club and the Rotary Club of Redcliffe South, Lindsay started a Club, which has a long history of fun and fellowship. Oh, and of service too!

Sadly none of the Charter members are members now. Much of the history languishes perhaps in dusty boxes at the backs of garages in resort villages for the over fifties. But talking with those who remember, and reading what papers remain, proves that we have as much fun now as they did then. From the start, the Club had a very strong sense of friendship and camaraderie. Many played golf together, or were boating mates when they weren’t raising funds for projects, or out doing the projects.

Meetings have been held in hotels, clubs, restaurants, and now at the Golf Club. Members moved on from one venue when the ‘cook’ served a plate of watery rice with white chunky things, believed to be bits of fish, floating in a bright orange liquid.

At one time, debate raged over smoking. A compromise saw smokers and non-smokers segregated and, for a time, it seemed that two clubs were meeting. Today it would not be an issue. Debate raged too about Women and Rotary. Change was inevitable, but it wasn’t until 1998 that the first women were inducted, three at once, and in 2001 Lorraine Jeffery became our first female president.

Early members were proud of their fundraising efforts at the Big Valley Bingo, selling food and drinks at community events, and holding garage sales. At one stage, a ship’s container was opened once a month to disgorge goods for sale! Annual art shows, a sports memorabilia auction, and a motor sport memorabilia night have all been worthwhile. To celebrate the Club’s fifteenth anniversary, a gala dinner dance benefited the Polio-Plus campaign, and this was repeated at the Club’s twenty-fifth anniversary.

Since 1991, our Christmas hamper raffle has become an institution. The prize is a trailer full of household and garden goods, sporting gear and toys - but not just any trailer! Traditionally it is a heavy-duty off-roader, with big fat wheels and a cage to keep the stuff in! On display, it attracts a lot of attention and a lot of ticket sales – and provides a good opportunity to display Rotary information.

Strangely, members seem to love painting! We have painted lines on bitumen at the PCYC for children to learn about road safety, painted a kindergarten, and painted picnic tables at the YMCA camp. Our most recent multi-coloured paint-a-thon brightened up the toilets at a Special School.

One member became distressed at the continual vandalising of a long fence alongside the soccer fields. She convinced the Club to ‘adopt’ the fence. Over some weeks, members straightened the rails and posts and replaced the damaged chain-wire. Even the Mayor and Exchange students joined us.

We have recently had the joy of meeting a young medical student, a passionate, caring and gentle man, who has impressed us with his humility, his commitment to his studies and his love for his people. We are proud inaugural supporters of the ARHRF Indigenous Scholarship Program which will see a doctor trained specifically to work in an indigenous community.

The Club has a wonderful relationship with Grace Lutheran College at Rothwell. All of our fourteen inbound Youth Exchange students and many of our Outbounders have been to school there. Many others have participated in National Youth Science Forum, Adventure in Citizenship and the Siemens Science Experience. Each year we hold meetings at the College, allowing the hospitality students to practise on us!

Another special relationship is with the Woody Point Special School - a very special Special School - catering for children with profound disabilities, both intellectual and physical. Some of them are just babies, and some are up to seventeen years old. We have contributed specialised equipment for classrooms, and other equipment, which helps children with particular challenges. The children ride modified multi-wheeled bikes for mobility therapy, or to develop skills in independence, or understanding of signs and symbols, or just to enhance their leisure skills.

In 2000, we built Mobility Way, a bikeway winding around the school grounds. It has a roundabout, dual and single carriageways, intersections, traffic signs, gardens, sweeping bends and an off-road area with sand, gravel and sandstone, a cattlegrid, a log bridge and a causeway. The children just love it.

In 2004, the Club is smaller. There are no great names in our history book and we go about our business without great fanfare. However, the fun and fellowship is something of which we are immensely proud. And our mark is on Kippa Ring and the Redcliffe Peninsula!

Ron Goward

MALENY –IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS

The Rotary Club of Maleny was born at the end of the fifties in an era of idyllic country living, dominated by dairy farming and all of the stress-free images this conjures. At the end of the 70s this dreamtime was changing as this Garden of Eden was discovered and the invasion from down south got underway.

The early eighties saw the membership of the Club increase significantly and the first Paul Harris Fellow was recognised. The ‘Country Day’ concept was introduced and became the major activity. Its prime thrust was to bring under-privileged city kids to Maleny to ‘enjoy all things country’. The early 80s also saw the resurrection of the Exchange Student Program and the introduction of career guidance for school children. The Club even ran Rotary movie nights on a regular basis

By the mid eighties, the changing nature of the population and the increasing diversity of members’ backgrounds were taking root, widening the perspective and potential contribution of the Club. This led, in 1986, to the Club becoming instrumental in forming the Probus Club of Maleny.

In the late eighties the Club was preoccupied with projects associated with the High School, Mary Cairncross Park and the Maleny Folk Festival (the progenitor of the Woodford Festival).

In 1991, the Club ‘adopted’ the Cedar Lodge at Erowal retirement village.

1992-93 was a big year with the realisation of the pedestrian bridge over the Obi Obi Creek. The year also featured the commencement of the Bike Education courses. At around this time, the gazebo and footpaths at Erowal were constructed and the planting of the riverside forest was completed.

As it progressed into the nineties, the Club focussed on the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, Fellowship, fundraising and community service.

A fatal accident at Witta in 1994 triggered a successful drive by the Club to raise funds for the ‘Jaws of Life’ and ancillary equipment for the Urban Fire Service in Maleny and the Accident Emergency Rescue Trailer for the Maleny SES.
As the millennium approached, a breakthrough occurred with the induction of the Club’s first woman president, Sherryl Gregory. It was a very active year, which included the parenting and nurturing of the new Rotary Club of the Glasshouse Mountains.

The year’s focus was on enhancing the profile of the Club in the community. In this context the Club was successful with Pride of Workmanship awards, business and professional nights, involvement with the Maleny Chamber of Commerce and the administration of the Maleny and District Disaster Fund, which had been set up in 1994 after a violent storm had earlier destroyed several houses.
In 1999-2000, the R.I. President’s message was to ‘act with consistency, credibility and continuity and have the courage to change’. The Maleny annual report in 2000 was studded with examples of how the Club took these to heart in a drive for teamwork and greater involvement of members in projects. It paid off. At the Gympie District Conference, Maleny won the Outstanding Club in District 9600 Award, the Service to Youth Award and the Vocational Service Award, the first time one Club had scooped the pool in one year.

The underlying strength of the Rotary Club of Maleny has been the support and involvement of partners (in 1980s speak ‘Rotaryannes’). One such involvement in the 80s was entertaining the elderly, lonely, shut-in women in the community. Several partners have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows.

The twenty-first century projects are too recent to qualify as history, as some of the initiatives are still evolving. However there are some notable achievements.
The Club’s ongoing concern about life-threatening situations was again displayed with the recent donation of a defibrillator to the local Ambulance Service.
Internationally, PolioPlus has been a special passion.
The involvement and dedication of Club members in the labour-intensive Bike Education school program has probably saved kids’ lives and reduced injury.
The members’ generosity in pledging $10 000 for “family rooms” for relatives of hospital patients was an exercise in compassion.
The novelty of the highly successful Pick Your Own Prize raffle is a fundraising boon and a valuable contribution to the local business community.
The 2004 team effort of all Club members in contributing to the success of arguably the best District Conference ever held in District 9600 was memorable.
Fortunately, the Club is blessed with a depth of talent and experience, which includes seventeen Paul Harris Fellows, three Past District Governors (Peter Wilkinson, Brian Doyle and Tony Holmes) and one District Governor Nominee, Michael Gregory. Their skills are about to be tested.

As 2005 dawns, Maleny stands at the cusp of incredible challenges, as the road through the ‘ice box’ – the gateway to this Shangri La – is opened up to make way for the inexorable expansion of housing, retail activity, sporting developments and tourism.

Future historians reviewing Rotary’s Centenary year, will judge how effectively the Rotary Club of Maleny picked up this gauntlet.

Jack Wilcox

Mitchelton – Community Builders

1979 saw the end of the project to build the Senior Citizens Centre in Gaythorne. It was a huge undertaking, consuming the energy of the Club for the best part of three years. The value to the community is there for all to see today. Even in their wildest dreams the originators could not have imagined how the facility would contribute to the whole life of the Mitchelton area, and not just to the senior citizens.

For several years an annual art show was held in the Brookside shopping centre. This was started to support the building of the Senior Citizens Centre, and went on to be the mainstay of Club fundraising for many years. However, as with most things, it proved to have a natural life and was in gradual decline when the Club decided that other avenues of fundraising would be more productive.

Today raffles are most productive of funds. Petrol raffles were popular for a few years and Christmas and Easter hampers retain their popularity.

Other projects of the last twenty-five years have been on a smaller scale. This reflects the maturity of facilities in the area, as well as the diminished membership of the Club. Whilst new members keep arriving at the front door, others slip out the back, usually to vocational pursuits in other places, sometimes into retirement. Women were first admitted to membership in 1999. There are three female members, and the first female president of the Rotary Club of Mitchelton will be installed in June 2005.

Donations in Kind is an ongoing passion of several of the members. The weekly packing and sorting sessions are regular items in the diaries of some of our retired members and the Club participates through the rostered Saturday packing sessions. The advent of computers into the household has changed the face of DIK and it has assumed importance right here in Brisbane. DIK had its origins in concern for the Island nations to our north. Today its focus has widened to include our own backyard.

Clean Up Australia day has attracted our attention from time to time, as has the enhancement of the environment of our district. Small projects have included the cleanup of a small cemetery of historical interest in Upper Kedron, and tree planting along the railway reservation in Keperra. It is pleasing to record that these formerly neglected areas are now attractive places. Redeveloping picnic facilities in Fenwick Park will further enhance the amenity of Mitchelton. The park is in a prominent position and is heavily used by the local population. The Rotary Club of Mitchelton is undertaking this as a centenary project. It will be a good showcase for the presence of the Club.

Direct assistance to individuals has played a part in Club life all along. A house was painted during the ‘Paint your Heart Out’ campaign. And the Club responded to the very public plight of a little old lady and her dog Dasher. Dasher had run foul of the Brisbane City Council dog catcher and the media had great fun flaying the Council for its heartless response. Rotary got some positive publicity and a lot of fun was had by all. A small but very significant project is the ‘small change’ program. Each month two members, on a rostered basis, have the small change collection for the previous month (usually around $100) to spend on whatever worthy cause they may find. This is always for an individual and deals with the kind of small things that usually are too small for anyone to worry about. It is much appreciated by the recipients.

Involvement with young people is the present mainstay of Club activity. The local high schools are provided with awards for speech night in the area of citizenship education. Students are encouraged to participate in RYLA, RYPEN and NYSF camps, and we have hosted several inbound and outbound overseas student exchanges.

Meeting venues have changed a few times. The Brook Hotel was the meeting place in 1979, but changes in management and renovations to the hotel caused a move to the Keperra Golf Club. Change again made that unsuitable for our needs and we moved to the Ferny Grove Bowls club. The next move was back to our roots in Mitchelton and the Gaythorne RSL. This has proved to be a very suitable venue with sufficient space for the largest of our club social activities.

Mitchelton Rotary salutes the centenary of Rotary and looks forward to further opportunities to serve the Mitchelton community.

Keith Colbert

MAROOCHYDORE – HOSTS TO ‘THE CROYDEN KIDS’

We are told a picture paints a thousand words. If so, then the photo of the ‘Croydon Kids’ should be enough for this report. But to be fair to all members, past and present, we will start at the beginning with a brief history of the Rotary Club of Maroochydore.

The Club was founded in May 1962, being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nambour. We started with a membership of twenty-five.

1962 saw the area being transformed from a very sleepy holiday village into the very prosperous Sunshine Coast as it is now known.

Since the Club’s inception the area has grown so much that our original base of membership now includes the Rotary Clubs of Mooloolaba, Kawana Waters, Alexandra Headlands, Buderim and Coolum, three of which we were involved in forming.

We have a fine tradition of Community Service but of course as with all clubs we have to have various forms of fundraising to help with these projects.

Our fundraising activities have been many and varied from starting off with Friday fish raffles outside the Maroochydore Hotel to Hawaiian nights, building and running the Cattleman’s Bar at the Nambour Showgrounds, and the original Mooloolaba Prawn Festival. There have been fundraising golf days at Twin Waters and Horton Park, dinners at Ainlee House and at one stage we even chartered a Fokker Friendship with the old East West Airlines and charged people to fly over the area. Currently we are running the barbecue for Christmas Carols at Maroochydore beach.

Our many varied Community, Youth and International Service activities include the following:

In 1976 we were issued a challenge by our then District Governor Vic Honour to do something to help children in remote areas. Our then Community Services Director Jim Comino, the ‘Mayor of Cotton Tree’, took up the challenge on our behalf and we decided to make contact with the Principal of the Croydon School, up in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Arrangements were made for the Years 6 and 7 children to come down to the coast on an experimental basis for one week and hopefully we would carry on the tradition if successful.
Proving successful is an understatement as the children of Croydon now look forward to their last two years at school because the highlight of their year is the trip to the Sunshine Coast.
Arrangements were made and we were fortunate to get some subsidies from the Government. The children in the first instance came across from Croydon to Cairns by bus then from Cairns by train. However, now they still come from Croydon to Cairns by road but we are able to fly them down.
While here on the coast they have been housed in quarters due to the generosity of some Club members. However, this year we were fortunate to have the accommodation provided at the Cotton Tree Caravan Park by the local Council.
While on the coast the kids see the various tourist attractions although in the early years we only had the Big Pineapple. Going to Movie World on the Gold Coast is a big attraction, and on that day, on the way back, a trip to see the lights of Brisbane from Mt. Coot-tha is a highlight.
As seen in the photo this is the happy group of children we were pleased to look after this year. Rotarian Neil Dickenson was made a Paul Harris Fellow for his efforts during the last three visits.

For the last fifteen years or more we have been doing mock interviews in conjunction with the Maroochydore High School. We listen to students and discuss their future job prospects and brush up their skills on interviewing for their first job.

Since 1994 we have been entertaining visitors from Canada known as the ‘Snow Birds’. They are mainly a group of retired people who fly out to see various parts of Australia and while they on the Sunshine Coast we join them for a meal and answer their questions about Australia and we find out about life in Canada.

ROMAC is also at the forefront of our minds, and we are well represented in this area by Eric Harinck.

Our Club has helped with many overseas projects, the latest being school desks for PNG organised by Denis Campbell who also works tirelessly on many projects including collecting goods for DIK, and promoting Rotary Bowel Scan in our area to name a few.

We are also proud of the fact that we have been responsible for grooming two of the last four Governors in District 9600 – Bill Dethlefs and Tony Holmes.

(Scribe to be identified)

MOUNT HAGEN-- “THE MILE HIGH CLUB”

The Rotary Club of Mount Hagen was founded in 1967 with twenty-five members from a range of professions and businesses. Mount Hagen is the seat of provincial government for the Western Highlands Province (WHP). It has been a busy commercial centre since the 1960s when the coffee and business developments grew significantly, supported by the Australian Government.

The Rotary Club of Mount Hagen reflected this healthy growth and extended District 9600 into very remote areas of the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Whilst the Rotary Cub of Mount Hagen was initially started by a majority of Australians, it has in later years become truly multicultural. This multicultural mix reflects those changes in the demography and governance. A predominance of Australians, New Zealanders with some Europeans in senior management, business and political positions has changed with PNG’s Independence in 1975. The Rotary Club of Mt Hagen reflects this mix with Olga Makindi, District Administrator for Mul Beiyer, President, and members including Papua New Guineans (9), Australians (5), Filipino (1), and Italian (1).

From the time that the Rotary Club of Mount Hagen was established it has been active in a range of community activities. The priorities have been predominantly health, education and safe water supply as well as providing a strong social support network for members and the community at large.Initially the Club focused on water projects, mainly wells and water pumps. In the 1970s a major water project was undertaken in the remote region of Lumusa, on the border of the Western Highlands Province and Enga. This project involved piping permanent spring water from the mountains to the villages. This provided water for up to 6000 people and saved the local women from walking and carrying water up to five kilometres. Over the years many wells and water tanks have been installed as well as maybe six reticulated systems. Water supply continues to be a priority for the Club today and has been well supported by international clubs. Currently the focus is on water tanks and reticulated water systems similar to the Lumusa project.

The Rotary Club of Mt Hagen has also supported a range of community projects over the years. These include Support for Rotary Youth; a 25th Anniversary Project that supported the Public Library; assistance to the Disabled Association by way of wheelchairs and office equipment; and assistance to the local preschool. An interesting project was the erection of an eagle enclosure at a local bird sanctuary.

The Club has sponsored the establishment of another Rotary club in Kundiawa, Simbu Province

Many thousands of books have been provided to schools; building and beautification projects have been undertaken; and drugs and medical equipment have been provided for local hospitals and health centres. Containers of essential medical equipment and books are received from Donations in Kind, Queensland. Members distribute the equipment throughout the Province.

Perhaps one of the club’s greatest triumphs, in Rotary terms, was its hosting of “The Mile High PNG and SI Rotary Forum” in the late 90s. Despite many challenges, all Pacific clubs were represented - with the Rotary Club of Bulolo-Wau (complete) travelling (with families) for days to attend the forum. Also present at the Forum was Bill Boyd who will be Rotary International President 2006-07.

Today the Rotary Club of Mount Hagen is a small but strong club. Resources have shrunk since the early days of the Club when many of the members were either well-off businessmen or senior managers with expense accounts. These days are gone and raising funds is increasingly difficult. Life for Mount Hagen’s business community is tough and expense accounts are a thing of the past! In order to use the available resources effectively the Club continues to focus on priority areas of health, education and water supplies.

Paul Field (to be checked as scribe)

Mt Coot-tha – Rock Solid in Rotary

The Governor of the day, Mike Elfis breathed life into the Rotary Club of Mt Coot-tha at the Greek Club on 17 May 1985. DG’s Special Representative, Len Whear, (twenty years later, aged ninety, he is known affectionately as the Father of the Club) presented to Mike twenty-five Charter members with an average age of forty-six. Five remain currently closely associated with the club

Charter President Laurie Moorhouse and Secretary Tony Atkin used their Rotary experience, as previous members of the Rotary Club of Kenmore, to good effect with a focus on ‘Getting to Know You’. Personal profiles revealed a considerable diversity of talent and character. Thanks to Dick Hargreaves of the Rotary Club of Indooroopilly, the fledgling club cut its community teeth on the now renowned Glenleighden Special School building renovations which were jointly undertaken by the Rotary Clubs of Indooroopilly, Kenmore and Mt Coot-tha.

Presidents Barry Upfold, Tony Atkin, John Sharman and John Presland established the Club as very much hands-on with projects ranging from tree planting in Brisbane Forest Park to a commitment of $10 000 to be part of the Rotary International Polio Campaign. The Christmas trailer raffle at Kenmore shopping centre was a major fund-raiser. ‘Make a Wish’, a program for the elderly, saw members ferrying residents of the local homes for the aged to social and musical functions in the city.

During the early nineties membership grew to the mid-forties and members saw their Club as being among the movers and shakers of District 9600..

Martin Daubney, very much the Club ‘junior’, focussed our image on the motto ‘The Friendly Club.Rock Solid in Rotary” , and established the Club’s well-known stylised koala logo.

Peter Hughes and his wife Judy were both very active in the District Youth Exchange Program, with the result that Mt Coot-tha meetings were rarely without a number of YEP students present. Throughout its twenty years Mt Coot-tha has had at least one student ‘in’ and one student ‘out’ annually, and Youth Service remains a lynchpin in the Club’s program. Many members have stayed with our overseas YEP families, and these families have regularly been in Brisbane for a number of Christmas holiday periods. As this item goes to print our Canadian exchange student, Rebecca Jaud-Wood, will return with her husband and new son.

Peter’s year was active across all avenues of service and we narrowly missed out on the Mc Cray Shield for the District’s most effective club.

At opposite ends of the age spectrum, the Rotary Club of Mt Coot-tha has chartered one Probus Club and provided significant support for the Interact Clubs operating out of Brisbane Boys’ College and the Stuartholme College for girls.


Among the Club’s more spectacular projects have been Murray Bladwell’s car raffles (the cars having been built by Murray’s brother) which raised over $40 000 on two occasions. The Care Flight helicopter was the recipient of a large slice of these funds while $25 000 was also gifted to the Mater Childrens Hospital for equipment essential in the best care of newborn babies at risk.

International Service has been well served by the Rotary Club of Mt Coot-tha thanks largely to its involvement with the Airports Coin Collection Fund situated at Brisbane International Airport. We have supported numerous schools and medical facilities in the Pacific and have placed two ambulance vehicles in Fiji.

Innovative and energetic membership saw the Club raise money through a successful tender for the distribution of Telstra phone books, and another for the distribution of 99 000 Sun Smart Kits to all primary schools in Queensland.

A major Community Service focus has been the coordination of the Smith Family Christmas Food and Toy Hampers distribution. Only this year, Smith Family Operations Manager, Mr Roley Cook, presented a plaque to the Club recognising its continuous support since the Smith Family arrived in Brisbane over a decade ago.

In 1997 Janelle Bodman and Sonya Phythian became the Club’s first female members. In this, our twentieth, year Janelle is our first female president.

The Club has been successful in earning recognition for its efforts at the district level, with trophies for Best Bulletin (three times), Youth Service, House of Friendship, and International Service. In the early years the Club also took off the Jack Nicholson Trophy for attendance at the district conference. Howard Pickering won the inaugural Bob Herrington Memorial Award for his club bulletins of 2000-01.

Mount Coot-tha has always been an active social club, very much stimulated by a highly successful ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ program. Presidents At Home, joint club picnics, a car rally, wine trips and numerous barbecues fill out the social calendar. Theme nights have included Youth, German, and Brazilian and on one occasion a spectacular fancy dress night celebrated Alan Prince’s sixtieth birthday. Australia Day river cruises over the years have catered for 250 attendees to watch the fireworks – a very classy champers and spit roast night supported by many urban Rotary clubs.

The Club earned the Home of the Governor banner when Henry Bodman led the District as Governor in 1998-99. Others to serve on District committees include Peter and Judy Hughes, Bill Dominguez, John Presland, Roger Harding and Jack Rynn.

Despite some serious ageing and reduced member numbers, the Club is again up and running on its return to the glory days and is looking forward to further development under the leadership of President Janelle and President-Elect Roger Hogg. New faces continue to line up for club presidency and on one occasion, only, has the club had a President serve more than one year - when Jack Rance completed his full year and half of another year when the incumbent was called overseas in his employment.

Mount Coot-tha ‘Rock Solid in Rotary’

Jean Prince

NAMBOUR – HOME CLUB OF Past RI President, CLEM RENOUF

The Rotary Club of Nambour, the first Rotary club established on the Sunshine Coast, has a long history of service to the community and involvement with many of the international service programs of Rotary International. Through the active membership of dedicated Rotarians the Club has continued to respond to opportunities locally as well as internationally.

Major projects, undertaken in Community Service and International Service during the past twenty-five years, are described below.

During the 1979-80 year Clem Renouf put forward the idea of a welfare project for the Nambour area. After consideration the Rotary Club of Nambour and the Rotary Club of Nambour 76 decided that it should be an aged persons village similar to Sundale Garden Village previously established by the Apex Club of Nambour.
This was designated as a Rotary 75th Anniversary project, and the two clubs, with a gift from Clem, raised $80 000 to get the project underway. Subsequently, the activities of Rotary Garden Village and Sundale Garden Village were merged, and four Rotarians now serve on the Board. This organisation is one of the largest not-for-profit community groups on the Sunshine Coast, and there are over 800 residents in the various facilities, 150 of whom are in Rotary Garden Village.

The first Rotary food stall was conducted at the Nambour Show in the 1977-78 Rotary year when the Club, operating out of a tin shed, raised $1450. Over the years operating facilities have been improved, and by 1996 a modern food stall was in operation. Revenue from this activity, averaging in excess of $25 000 per year over the past few years, is a major contributor to the Club’s fundraising.

During 1985 the Club undertook the construction of new Red Cross Rest Rooms in the grounds of the Nambour Hospital. For those people with next-of-kin dangerously ill in hospital these comfortable amenities provide urgently needed accommodation.


In 1992 the Club, together with the Maroochy Shire Council and Meals on Wheels, undertook the task of extending the Meals on Wheels building, contributing $30 000, plus volunteer labour towards the project. The Club had contributed towards the funding of the original building and provided a minibus to assist with the delivery of meals.


Following the establishment of the University of the Sunshine Coast, the Club initiated talks with the Vice-Chancellor about the most appropriate way Rotary could assist with the development of this facility, and enhance its links with the community. From these discussions the Community Fund was established embracing all Rotary clubs on the Sunshine Coast. After initially providing substantial funds to assist in research projects, the Fund now concentrates on providing annual scholarships to encourage postgraduate studies in the various faculties.


In 2001 one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the Club was initiated. Hear and Say, a Queensland-based community organization operating centres throughout the State for children who are deaf or hearing impaired, saw the need for a centre on the Sunshine Coast. The Club accepted the task of underwriting the project through the purchase of land and final construction of suitable premises.
Thanks to the tremendous work of Club members and the support of local businesses, workers, charitable trusts, the general public and other Rotary clubs on the Sunshine Coast, the project was completed in 2004. Hear and Say now has a magnificent purpose-built centre providing a full service for children on the Sunshine Coast.
Hear and Say has a facility with a valuation in excess of $0.75m and members of the Club are still directly involved in the ongoing support of the organisation.


During the past twenty-five years Rotary has moved to embrace the international aspects of service and it is fitting that the Rotary Club of Nambour should have been so heavily involved in international activities. While our own Clem Renouf was R.I. President, the 3H program and The 75th Anniversary Fund for the 3H Program were established. In Nambour this new direction from Rotary International was supported enthusiastically. Following are some highlights of the Club’s activities.
Nambour was the first club worldwide to contribute to the 3H Program, and after initially contributing more than $80 000 to the original PolioPlus, fundraising has continued to support this through the PolioPlus Partner program.
In the past twenty-five years contributions to The Rotary Foundation have allowed the Club to recognise in excess of forty Paul Harris Fellows.
Members have participated in at least six FAIM projects to Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.
Matching Grants have been provided for projects in various developing areas.
Youth Exchange, Group Study Exchange, and Ambassadorial Scholarship Programs have been fully supported.

In addition to the Club’s achievements in Community and International Service, mention must be made of the inclusion in its ranks of female members, the hosting of two District Conferences, and the continued fellowship enjoyed by members over so many years. These, too, are among the highlights of the Rotary Club of Nambour.

Alan Hocking


NAMBOUR 76 –

This history begins around 1980, as previous matters have been dealt with in an earlier publication by the District.

The Rotary Club of Nambour 76 was chartered on 15 June 1976, and derives its name from the year it was chartered. We were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nambour. In 1992, we continued the pattern of growth by sponsoring the Rotary Club of Woombye Sunrise.

We were a young and energetic club, and tackled a huge project in 1979 to commence a second retirement village for the Nambour area. This project spanned several years, was undertaken in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Nambour, and eventually saw us donate $13 000 to the project. Eventually the village amalgamated with the existing retirement village, and became known as The Sundale Rotary Garden Village. It was opened by Bill Skelton, Rotary International President,on 7 April 1984.

Community support from Nambour 76 has always been strong, and in 1984, the Club constructed a helipad for emergency rescue services at the Nambour General Hospital. We have donated several thousand dollars to the rescue service over the years.

As an indication of the work being done in that era, the Club won the Sir Lionel McCray Trophy for the Best Overall Club in the District in 1988.

A FAIM trip to Bema in Papua New Guinea in 1996 by two members of our Club, together with two Rotarians from Woombye Sunrise Club, saw the start of construction of a girls dormitory block at the mission school. Subsequently, the Club was able to fill many items on the school’s wish list of requirements.

Following the sudden death of one our stalwart members in December 1998, the Peter Bennett Memorial Shield was initiated, for awarding to Club members as recognition for ‘going that extra mile’. It is presented each year at Changeover.

Sadness invades all avenues of our lives from time to time. A group of people on the Sunshine Coast had commenced the Cittamani Hospice to provide palliative care for terminally ill patients. Cittamani has been of assistance to quite a few of our members and their loved ones, and Nambour 76 has had the privilege of being able to assist the Hospice with several re-locations, and ultimately with the purchase of their own premises at Palmwoods.

Although women had been joining Rotary for some years, we inducted our first female member at changeover in 2000.

The following year, 2001, saw a combined changeover dinner and 25th Anniversary Dinner for our Club. What a fantastic night of memories that was, with many of the Charter members invited, along with many of the people and organisations that we had assisted over the years.

In September 2001, the Club was humbled to be invited to a thank-you dinner hosted by the Salvation Army. The Salvos have been a long-term significant beneficiary of our Club, and this was their way of acknowledging our assistance over the years.

Nambour Adventure Playground Committee approached the local Rotary clubs in 2000, for assistance with their large-scale community Adventure Playground in the centre of town. Nambour 76, together with Nambour and Woombye Sunrise clubs, and many other community organisations and individuals, contributed expertise, manpower, and money to complete the Playground. Our contribution involved construction of a Music Pavilion, which was handed over to the Playground Committee in December 2002.

World Conventions are always important in the Rotary Calendar. Brisbane was host in June 2003. Our Club attendance was strong, and we were very pleased to receive an award for the Club with the highest number of members attending the Convention.

People make a club, and among our excellent membership we have one with twenty-six years of 100% attendance, and another with over forty-one years of continuous service spanning several clubs. We are fortunate to still have two of our Charter members.

Nambour 76 has some long-running community projects such as :-
Annual Special Schools Swimming Carnival for 26 years;
Management of Show Gates for the Sunshine Coast Show Society for the last 27 years;
Publication of The Nonicle (ceased in 1997 due to the influence of political correctness) which raised many thousands of dollars;
Management of the Gates for Qld Home & Garden Expo for nineteen years.
Other projects include:
Annual manning the bar for the Scottish New Year;
Annual Uniting Church/Crossroads barbecue for the disadvantaged;
Annual Sugar Festival (now in doubt following demise of the sugar cane industry in the area) with a strawberries and cream stall.

We have had countless Youth Exchange students, both inbound and outbound, over the years, missing only the odd year here and there. We have participated in many of the well-known Rotary projects such as Pride of Workmanship Awards; Shine on Awards; Group Study Exchange; National Youth Science Forum; RYLA; RYPEN; FAIM; Kits for Kids, and we have made regular contributions to DIK.

Many Paul Harris Fellows have been recognised with total donations now in excess of US$54 000

In recent years, we have sponsored an Interact Club at Nambour High School, chartered on 27 November 2002. It continues to grow in strength.

Bruce Lawton

Rotary of Nauru, chartered in 2010

Noosa -

The story of the Rotary Club of Noosa parallels the massive changes and development in the Tewantin-Noosa area. As this district grew from a sawmilling and fishing village into an international tourist destination attracting visitors from all corners of the world, the Club grew and prospered.

The Rotary Club of Noosa was sponsored and established by the Rotary Club of Gympie on 24 February 1969. Its formation was the beginning of the Rotary movement in the Noosa area. The Club’s first meeting was held at the Lakes Motel in Tewantin where it continued to meet until late 1996. Redevelopment of that site forced a move to the Tewantin-Noosa Golf Club, which served as the meeting place until 1999, when the Club was obliged to relocate once again. This time it was to the Tewantin-Noosa RSL Club - a very hospitable and relaxing meeting venue.

Of the twenty-eight Charter members, two are still members of the Club thirty-five years later. They are Past Presidents Brian Barrow and George Pearce. Almost equally as long-serving is Rotarian Bob Page who missed out on being one of the founding members by only a few months. Over this period of very rapid social change and local development, these three members contributed to the foundation and structure which has led to the continued and outstanding success of this service club.

In response to the rapidly growing population, as people realized that the Noosa- Tewantin area and its hinterland were very desirable locations in which to live, the Club sponsored the chartering of additional Rotary clubs. On 5 June 1982 it founded the Rotary Club of Noosa Heads. Then over a decade later on 15 May 1993 it established the Rotary Club of Cooroy. Each time valuable and experienced members transferred to the new clubs to provide a pool of expertise to ensure the formation of viable clubs. Nevertheless the original Rotary Club of Noosa has continued to grow in strength and service.

As the local environment became more attractive to the ageing population as a retirement location, the Club responded to this challenge by chartering Probus Clubs. Of the seven Probus Clubs in the district, the Club has established five. The most recent was on 22 April 2002. As an indication of the need in this section of the population, the Club is investigating the sponsorship of an additional club in 2005.

Over the years the Club has embarked on a wide variety of fundraising activities including Christmas raffles, Melbourne Cup sweeps, international evenings, Oktoberfests, garage sales, golf competitions, art exhibitions and country music festivals just to mention a few.

The formation of additional Rotary clubs and societal change have made the activity of charitable fundraising much more difficult. Like all organisations the Club has had to adopt a more sophisticated and commercial approach to this ever more demanding task. Its major source of funds for the last few years has been the widely acclaimed Children’s Film Festival with its two-fold purpose of providing a recreational outing for the families of the disadvantaged and the disabled, whilst at the same time providing an important source of funds for the Club’s community and charity programmes.

Many Community Service projects have been completed over the years, benefiting local residents and organizations. One example from this period exemplifying the work of this Club is the Disaster Relief Trailer Project completed in 1995. The trailer was presented to the Salvation Army for use in times of cyclones, floods and fires. This project was an outstanding example of Rotarians’ skills, not only in the expert design and construction of the trailer, but also in generating support and involvement from the local community.

Another joint venture with the business community was the Rotary Camp Quality Annual Jet-Ski Picnic Day. It had its beginnings when a local jet-ski enthusiast, now a Rotarian, volunteered his and other jet-ski owners’ services to entertain Camp Quality children (cancer sufferers), their families and carers. The project was supported by the local Surf Lifesaving Club and Olympic Gold Medallist Clint Robinson, together with donations from local businesses for the barbecue. Sadly this project lapsed last year because of public liability implications.

Activities and support for youth have always been an important focus of this Club, involving commitment to Rotary Youth Programs and assistance to local schools and youth groups. Over the last few years it has become one of strongest areas of action.

In this Centennial Year the Club is nostalgically revisiting one of its very first projects. About thirty-five years ago the Club initiated a project to clean up an area of land by removing old car bodies and discarded fridges from the waterway and clearing rotting vegetation. In cooperation with the Noosa Council, Club members prepared the way for paths, a playground, picnic tables and an open play area with an old train for children to play on – something our founding members still remember fondly. This led to the formation of Pinaroo Park. The park has experienced the ravages of time. This year the Rotary Club of Noosa, in conjunction with Bushcare, Noosa Parks Association, Noosa Council and local residents, is embarking on a project to restore the park – a wonderful way to celebrate Rotary’s hundred years of community service!

Max Steven

NOOSA HEADS -

The Rotary Club of Noosa Heads was chartered on 17 May 1982. The Rotary Club of Noosa had done its job well attracting thirty-five Charter members to the gala opening night.

We hit the road running with a wide variety of commitments to Community Service which have continued to today. These include the building of ‘The Big Pelican’; the Festival of the Waters; much work on the Doonan Equestrian Centre for the disabled; and the Noosa Picnic Races, the Noosa Hill Climb, and the Noosa Car Classic.

The Big Pelican was built for our Rotaract Club and for some years graced the river from its lofty perch on a floating barge. It has now found its land legs at Gympie Terrace.

The Festival of the Waters has seen the Club among the winners of Best Float awards on a number of occasions.

The Noosa Picnic Races were first staged at the Cooroy Mountain Track in 1984 and for three years was an enormous success attracting such luminaries as Prince Leonard of Hutt River Province, Maggie Tabberer, Tony Barber, Jeannie Little, Geoff Harvey, Brian Bury, Tony Grieg, Tracey Wickham, Sir William McMahon and Derek Nimmo to name but a few. Catering statistics run to 11 000 cans of beer, 400 litres of champagne, and over 2000 chicken portions.

The black tie Gala Ball followed the races and it was at this event that the Noosa Picnics Princess was crowned. Pro Hart’s version of the race was auctioned to enthusiastic bidders.

Unique events such as our tug of war – people versus tractor, and donkey and camel races attracted such interest that we were obliged to establish ‘Poser’s Row’ for the upper crust.

The Doonan Equestrian Centre was the site of two race meetings staged by the Club. In 1990, the State Government granted a 30-year lease on 56 hectares of Crown land fronting onto the Eumundi-Noosa Road which has since been transferred to the current organisers who are committed to the well-being of the disabled.

Youth Service has also been strongly supported from charter, through participation in the Youth Exchange Program and Rotary Youth Leadership Award.

Members have worked in FAIM teams in neighbouring Papua New Guinea as part of our commitment to International Service.

Not content with simply being a very active Rotary club, the Rotary Club of Noosa has chartered a number of other clubs. These include the Probus Clubs of Coolum and Peregian Beach; and the Rotary Club of Cooroy; the Rotary Club of Coolum; and the Rotary Club of Noosa Heads Daybreak.

Barry Hunt

NOOSA HEADS DAYBREAK – THE KISSING CLUB

The Rotary Club of Noosa Heads Daybreak was chartered at a glittering dinner on 19 May 1999 with the induction of fifty-two members. This was, at the time, the highest number of charter members in the South Pacific area, confirming the degree of interest in serving in a Rotary club without the constraints of a night meeting. We also broke gender barriers with 32% of our charter members being female. This was unheard of at the time.

In a letter to the Club, Henry Bodman, as Governor of the day, assured us that he looked upon us as the model for the future of club extensions in Rotary – high praise indeed and a standard for us to strive for each day.

Neil Fraser was our charter president and led the Club in its first major community project, a Skate Park adjacent to the Noosa Aquatic Centre. While Noosa has always been a wonderful tourist area, there was a need for some entertainment for local youth other than surfing. The Skate Park was seen as a much-needed form of entertainment. We entered into an agreement with our local council and were given a number of years to pay if off. With no historical information on fundraising we were unsure if we could meet the criteria and so, when we actually paid it off in a much shorter period than mooted, we went ahead with great bravado.

Jim Kefford followed as president and during his year we introduced a ‘drip feeding system’ whereby our members were encouraged to contribute, on a weekly basis, toward The Rotary Foundation.

Then Anne Oxley’s year saw us raise money for a much-needed patio shade sail for the Oncology Unit at the Noosa Hospital and during Anne’s year we held our inaugural, and what was to become, our highly successful Bookfest.

Mal Taylor was our fourth president and through our two major fundraisers, our Bookfest and our Melbourne Cup Luncheon and Charity Auction we were able to contribute substantially to the Sunshine Coast Cancer Foundation situated at the Nambour Hospital. We raised the funds to purchase a much-needed treatment bed. In that year, we also supplied a defibrillator for our local Noosa Ambulance.

Our next president was Beverley Donoghoe and we continued with our fundraising by supporting the Energex Rescue Helicopter, the Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club and the FAIM team of the Rotary Club of Noosa Heads

Carolyn Krueger is our current president and to date we have maintained an average membership of forty-six, still with a very high ratio of women. Our membership also includes four couples. We are proud that, while we are still in our infancy, eleven of our members have received PHF recognition, with two being sapphire, and we have also recognised two local community leaders as Paul Harris Fellows. We have ‘adopted’ three villages in PNG through the RAM Adopt A Village program and this year we are also committing to the supply of school desks to PNG.
Our meetings are fun and informative and our Club is vibrant, with a willingness to try new ideas. Many know us as the ‘kissing club’ as we have all become great mates and yes, we do like to greet our fellow members with a kiss, each Rotary morning. This year we introduced a Charity Golf Day and raised approximately $12 500. The greater part of that money has already been distributed, with money going to the Oncology Unit of the Noosa Hospital to purchase much-needed equipment and some going to Noosa Coastguard to replace a repeater station that took a direct hit during a recent electrical storm.

Our venue is superb! We meet at Noosa Springs Country Club and with our sub-tropical weather there is no greater place to be on a Thursday morning. We showcase a varied and exciting range of speakers and, as we are fortunate enough to live in the world-renowned tourist destination, we get to welcome many visiting Rotarians. In fact, we probably have the best average of returning Rotarians who, time and time again, enjoy the special fellowship of Rotary while at the same time having the opportunity to watch the sun rise over one of the most beautiful golf courses and grounds available on this earth.

While we are still ‘wet behind the ears’ so to speak, we are a relatively young group of Rotarians who are fired with enthusiasm, who are enjoying learning and being part of the Rotary family and who are keen to make their mark, not only within the Noosa community but also within the Rotary world. Most things we do, we think we do well. That is, until it comes to the close of a meeting and believe me, we don’t have too many who can sing the National Anthem in tune. But I guess you can’t have everything!


Carolyn Krueger

THE NUNDAH STORY

The charter year of the Rotary Club of Nundah was 1953 and at that time Nundah was a thriving community of small businesses, retail, and professional establishments. It was therefore no surprise that community-minded Nundah businessmen under the guidance of the Rotary Club of Fortitude Valley decided to form a Rotary club. Nundah Rotary was then very much a Nundah enterprise and its activities were largely confined to the Nundah community.

Twenty-five years ago Club membership was starting to decline from a high point of fifty-five a few years before to thirty-seven in 1980. To some extent Nundah Rotary was resting on the laurels of a recent past achievement, the creation of the Nundah and District Senior Citizens Centre and Meals on Wheels kitchen, later known as the Golden Years Centre to which location in 1979 the Club moved its weekly Wednesday meeting.

Many significant projects were undertaken during the eighties; the development of an outdoor recreational area for the Endeavour Sheltered Workshop at Northgate; the placement of a bridge over a gully at the Nundah Historical Cemetery; a fitness course of twelve stations in Kalinga Park adjacent to Kedron Brook (still in use); tree planting along Kedron Brook (1700 trees planted), house painting in the Paint Your Heart Out program (Nundah painted three houses and a kindergarten) to mention but a few.

Throughout the 1980s Club membership continued to decline, plateauing in the low thirties. After meeting at the Golden Years Centre for fifteen years Nundah Rotary was becoming known as the Golden Years Rotary Club (not a useful epithet for attracting new and younger members) and in 1993 the Club moved to the Virginia Golf Club. In 1999 it was back to Nundah where it belonged, and into the Prince of Wales Hotel.

At times the Rotary Club of Nundah was quite adventurous in its undertakings. In 1988 (the year of Expo) the Club put its hand up to sponsor and manage a visit and performance of the US Air Force aerobatic team, the Thunderbirds. The event took place before a crowd of 6000, well below the anticipated 60 000. Publicity promised by the print and electronic media in the week before had not materialised and for a while it looked as though the Club would be down the financial gurgler. Thankfully the Club pulled through, although somewhat chastened.

Despite many excellent projects throughout the 1980s and 1990s Club membership declined to twenty-one, including five members exempt from attendance because of age. The first woman nominated and accepted by the Club made her entry in 1993 and resigned in 1994. Was it a coincidence that nine male members resigned in that same year, many of them members of long standing? It was a cathartic process. However, without the women, it is doubtful whether the Club would even exist today.

Perhaps it has taken the Rotary Club of Nundah until now, 2004, to find the project that meets all its needs. The Club has always been a strong supporter of Donations in Kind and in this computer age an increasing number of computers were being offered to the program. Bill Waterfield decided that it was pointless sending computers to remote PNG villages and that a local need could be identified. From this the Computers for Kids program developed and Nundah Rotarian Harry Peek became a tireless worker refurbishing and testing computers for allocation to needy families with school-age children. To sustain the project legally, appropriate licences had to be obtained, and it became obvious that District were reluctant to proceed down this path. Nundah Rotary undertook to take over the project and Harry and his team wrote the procedures, developed the paperwork and endured the audits by the international auditing firm KPMG on behalf of Microsoft to become a Microsoft Accredited Refurbisher (MAR). After an extensive search for premises Hendra Secondary College offered an unused classroom and the project is now under way.

This story of the Rotary Club of Nundah would be incomplete without passing mention of the range of activities that now occupy the Club’s members. They include support of two Interact Clubs, continuing involvement in the Youth Exchange Program with both inbound and outbound students, indigenous reconciliation and support for the Noonga Reconciliation Group, management of RYPEN, food and clothing collection for needy persons, support of The Rotary Foundation (there are presently twelve Paul Harris Fellows including our two honorary members) and the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, annual participation in the Nundah Village Street Festival, mentoring students in the Australian Business Week competitions, mock interviews for secondary students and a myriad of other community-based activities.

In conclusion, the Rotary Club of Nundah continues to strive to serve the community to the best of its ability.

Bob Skitch


Port Moresby- First in Papua New Guinea

As the first Rotary Club in Papua New Guinea, the history of this club can be found at the above link.

Rabaul – The Phoenix Rises

It has been difficult to chart the history of the Rotary Club of Rabaul over the last 25 years for two main reasons. One is the transient nature of the relationship that many Rotarians have with the Club. They invariably are on short-term contracts and literally ‘they come, they stay, they leave!’
The other is the volcanic eruption on 26 September 1994, which flattened Rabaul and sent the population into mass exodus. Most buildings and their contents in town were destroyed, records lost, and generally Mother Nature made a pretty fair effort of removing Rabaul from the map.
Only a few records of Rotary’s history during this period have survived, and the job of piecing together the fragmented tale has been difficult. The ‘old-timers’, the repositories of the oral history have left for better climes. Some would say infinitely and heavenly better!
The volcano continued to blow ash on its surroundings for the next 10 years. Somewhat hesitantly I say that it has been reasonably quiet for the last few months, with only a small amount of steam escaping from the crater which devastated the town for so long.
But here goes. Rotary was formed in Rabaul on 18 May 1961 following the visit of Rotary International Counsellor, Lex Fraser. Lex met with a group of people including a plantation owner-cum-businessman, Alex Hopper, who became the founding president. It was the second club to be chartered in PNG.
The Club blossomed in its early years and at times the membership reached the mid thirties. However, 25 years later the membership had declined to around thirteen and after the eruption numbers were radically reduced to three or four.
One of the Club’s major projects in 1980 was the renovation of the Children’s Ward at Nonga Base Hospital, Rabaul, which was retiled and repainted with the help of a FAIM Team. The Children’s Ward has again received Rotary assistance during 2004 when five container loads of beds and equipment, a donation from the Sutherland Hospital in Sydney, were packed and sent by Rotarians through DIK Sydney.
The existence of the Club during the 10 ten years 1994 – 2004 has been entrusted to a few stalwarts including Paul Blaney and Ken Morgan both of whom have served as president during this period, with Ken re-elected a couple of times to ‘keep the flag flying’!
Generally the focus over the last 10 years has been on small community assistance initiatives. Help has been given to patients requiring treatment in more specialized facilities; the purchase of equipment for the Labour Ward, and the distribution of gifts to patients in the children’s ward at Nonga Hospital on Christmas Day, a long-standing tradition of Rotary in Rabaul.
However, 2004 marked a new era as the Club participated in the distribution of ten containers from DIK. Given the small membership (5-6) distribution of the health and educational items to many isolated Health Centres, Aid Posts, and primary schools has been a big logistical exercise. Paul Swartz, Chair of the Community Service, coordinated this exercise and deserves special mention. Paul also operates a Diabetes Education Centre totally funded by his own efforts with some assistance from DIK in the provision of donated drugs. Rotarian Archena Vilaflor, the resident physiotherapist at Nonga Hospital, did a great job distributing wheelchairs to needy people, and Rex Novulu, a high school sports teacher, has been most active in arranging distribution of school supplies through his network of schools.
Our primary fund-raiser is the Joker Draw, which has run for some years on Friday nights at the Yacht Club, coordinated by our excellent finance man Paul Blaney.
In 2005 ten water wells will be constructed under a Matching Grant in an area of Rabaul with no reticulated water supply. President Neal and President-Elect Rex Novulu will supervise this. A submission has also been made regarding refurbishment of the Kerevat Health Centre, which services the medical needs of some 50 000 persons about 40 kilometers from Rabaul. The facility is in an appalling state and struggles on a daily basis to meet the basic needs of the community let alone handle the many difficult cases presenting for attention.
These are some of the challenges, but the heart of Rotary in Rabaul, big in social commitment if not in size, beats strongly. Members, mostly ‘short-termers’ in PNG, agree that Rotary membership in Rabaul is an enriching experience. It gives them great satisfaction to help in a community where life is lived without the trappings and comforts of modern society. Rotary fires their altruistic instincts and allows them to see, and learn from, the less fortunate, to face real crises and deal with life, death and the daily struggle to survive.
The Rotary Club of Rabaul meets on the lip of an active volcano (giving new meaning to the phrase ‘living at the edge!) in one of the most geophysically unstable areas in the world. But it will survive despite the trials and tribulations probably not experienced by any other Club in the District.
One old member said that perhaps the Club should adopt the phoenix as its emblem. Indeed it has survived; is rising from the ashes, and will once again be in full flight!

Prue Jenkins

REDCLIFFE CITY

Fifty members and still singing! The Rotary Club of Redcliffe City sings figuratively and literally. The Club from its charter days in 1954 has bound its members together through fun and song. Charter member Alan Clarke played the piano at meetings. The Club was formal at that time requiring members to wear a coat and tie and to rotate their dinner places at successive meetings. No drinking was permitted during dinner but smoking was allowed until one group of members decided to smoke cigars. Our less formal current meetings are unaccompanied but still full of voice. Other opportunities for members to sing have become a valued part of the program. Club weekends with songs around the campfire at Christmas Creek, Christmas in July at Crows Nest starting with traditional Christmas songs and finishing the evening with some ribald nautical ditties have been typical.

Now the Club has sixteen members with caravans and campervans so regular trips away are common. Since the mid-eighties Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, progressive dinners, Rotary in the park, and partners nights once a month have been features of our programs. Prior to that we enjoyed outings in member Rex Elson’s Red buses. Members remember car rallies, theatre restaurants, family Christmas parties, visits to farms for picnics and barbeques and trips to Moreton Island. The result has been consistently strong personal bonds within the membership over the years, fostering ideas and greasing the wheels for projects in every avenue of service. The Club formally recognized the value of these strong relationships by appointing its first official Director of Good Times in 2000.

Nevertheless the success of the Club has to be measured by its service to the community. But guess what ? It has to be fun. We have built two family parks along the foreshore at Scott’s Point and Queen’s Beach. They are packed every weekend. We delivered furniture to our Peace Scholar’s flat in the late evening. Our team in our food van provided the best burgers at the Redcliffe Show until new regulations made it uneconomical. Ralph Ruiter takes the GSE team on a fun-filled tour of Moreton Bay each year.

Our joint activities with youth are a constant source of inspiration and fun. Our Club enjoys its support of our two Interact clubs. We provide Best All Rounder medals at our high schools for their annual awards. One memorable project involved joining with the Rotaractors to deliver presents to nominated families at Christmas. We provided Santa Claus; our Rotaractors were Santa’s helpers. The Santa theme is continued today with Mike Mahon being the stalwart of our sponsorship of the annual Christmas party for the Endeavour Foundation’s Tamariki Centre

Practical projects where members learn have always been a source of fun. We built an herb garden at Nazarene Nursing home, which taught us some specialized botanical terms. Concrete paths and amateurs can be slapstick comedy no matter how qualified the project leader. Bruised thumbs, soaked pants and barrows of concrete tipped over shoes were expected risks. We were proud, however, of the professional result of our paths at the womens refuge.

We built a fence at the PCYC in 1994 using old power poles made of ironbark. The task was to cut short posts to stand about eighteen inches out of the ground. Then we were to attach poles lengthwise on the top with steel straps using three-inch galvanized flat-head nails. Experienced builder Tony Cleaver cut the short lengths. Three blunt chainsaw chains later the short posts were cut and members were now dreading the task of nailing these hardened monsters to form the top rail. Hesitantly but surprisingly we learnt that you can belt a three-inch nail into a hardened power pole without it bending and without drilling it first.

Some lessons were painful. Paint Your Heart Out was one of those. We chose to help pensioners who were experiencing hard times and who would benefit from having their houses painted. We enlisted the support of community service workers for one house. At the end of the job the lady came out to thank us and in casual conversation informed us that her son was a Rotarian living not far away at the Gold Coast -not a good result for the Four Way Test particularly in front of people to whom we were supposed to provide a good example. Our Club stuck to painting community facilities such as the PCYC or the foreshore fences from that time on.

Rotary’s Centenary has provided us with an opportunity to demonstrate how good relationships amongst community organizations can coalesce to form something of enduring value. Our Centenary project involves all the Rotary clubs of the Redcliffe Peninsula in combination with the RSL and the Redcliffe City Council in a $1.25 million major redevelopment of the foreshore area just north of the Redcliffe jetty. Rotary’s cash contribution is modest but the need to celebrate our centenary is seen as so important that Ron Cook and Noel Powell have been able to steer the project so it will have made substantial progress before the end of the centenary year.

Making friends is Redcliffe Rotary’s job. Good things follow.

Stuart Stieler