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Rotary Club of Bendigo |
 District 9800 |
| The Rotary Cub of Bendigo was
chartered on 30 July 1925, as the first Rotary Club to be formed outside
a capital city in Australia, It was the eighth Club to be established in
Australia. The Club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Melbourne and
began with 25 charter members. The Mayor of Bendigo, Cr. E.M. Vains, was
a prominent advocate in the formation of the Club and became the first
President. The Rotary Club of Bendigo has sponsored the Rotary Clubs of Castlemaine, Echuca, Bendigo-South, Eaglehawk, Bendigo-Strathdale and Bendigo-Sandhurst. In 1974 the Club sponsored the Rotaract Club of Bendigo, conjointly with the Rotary Club of Bendigo-South.  In
1937 Paul Harris dedicated a tree, in his
Chicago garden to RC of Bendigo.Over the 78 years of its existence, the Club has supported the Community of Bendigo and district extensively with the sponsoring of a junior football competition; a Boy’s and Girl’s Week for 3000 school children; and after care program for Infantile Paralysis patients; the establishment of a Youth Camp, in 1948 which is an on-going project to this day; radios were installed in the Anne Caudle Centre for the Aged; the Rotary Youth Exchange Program has been supported since 1963; Rotary Group Study Exchange programs have been supported and in 1974 the Club provided a Group Study Team Leader and commenced a Rotary Art Show in 1968 which is still staged each year. Carols By Candlelight began in 1970 and continues each year; a new children’s ward was sponsored at the Hospital; a floral clock was presented to the City; an illuminated Fountain was installed at Lake Weeroona in a combined project with the Rotary Clubs of Bendigo for the 75th Anniversary of Rotary International. The Rotary Club of Bendigo commenced with 25 members and in its Golden Jubilee year 1975 had a membership of 100 members. A real highlight in the history of the Club is that three of its Past Presidents have served as District Governors. They were Rotarian Arthur L. Bolton (1936-37), Rotarian Ernest F. Granger (1962-63) and Rotarian Bill Sones(1967-68). Our current member Rotarian Ray Downey also served as District Governor of District 9780. The Club inducted more than 40 Paul Harris Fellows during past years. 1983/1984 saw the first Probus Club started by our joint efforts with Bendigo South. History was made in 1992 when three women members were inducted into our Club and by year 1999/2000 we had our first woman as President of the Club. The Rotary Club of Bendigo has recognised many achievements in the youth field including: Rotary Shield for Scouts, Rotary Cup and Pennant for Guides, School Bursaries and an Award for the Outstanding Apprentice of the Year. Our Club records show strong emphasis and service to youth over many years including: Netball Courts construction at Garden Gully, Student Counselling and Careers Night, a Train of Knowledge, 1000 students travelled by train to Melbourne to inspect various industries, provided special equipment for the McDonald School for the Deaf, erected a first-aid room and shelter at the Maiden Gully sports area and combined with district Rotary Clubs to install state of the art play equipment at Lake Weeroona. The Club started the Bendigo Old People’s Welfare Society, from which the Golden Oaks Village was commenced, built a bowling green at the Home and Hospital for the Aged, organised a Festival of Modern and Better Living and has financially supported many hundreds of local charitable bodies and causes. During the 1980’s and 1990’s the Club has strengthened its commitment to the international activities of Rotary and supported a teaching program in the Solomon Islands in 1980/81, the Interplast Project and the Rotary Health Fund, has been a strong supporter of ROMAC program since introduction in 1995, raised $ 25,000 in 1994 for medical supplies for New Guinea residents, provided word processors for Samoa, and Club members have provided voluntary labour and materials for Overseas Aid in Samoa and other Pacific countries. A working party of Club members carried out improvements in remote Samoan villages in year 2000. In more recent times the Club and Members have provided aid for the restitution of East Timor. The Bendigo community has been a beneficiary of strong support from the Club and in 1998 our Club joined with the District Clubs to build 2 homes for young single mothers. The Club has numerous fund raising activities for charitable organisations through the early Walkabout 26, a visit from The Flying Fruit Fly Circus in 1984/85, Charity Dinner Auction, Easter Art Show, Pottery Exhibition and Sales, catering at the Bendigo Swap Meet and Golf Day. In 1994/95 and 1995/96 Rotary implemented the Rotary Farm Aid project and the Rotary Town project to help more than 175 district farming families with weekly food parcels to sustain them through a prolonged drought, the retail value of the projects was in excess of $ 553,000. This summary reflects just some of the many achievements, changes and activities of our Club in a condensed form, but hopefully serves to indicate a vibrant Club where traditions are valued and respected, with new ideas and new projects being warmly embraced, to prepare for future generations of Rotarians giving “Service Above Self”. This entire section was prepared by Rotary Global History board member, Australia project chair, the late PDG John Louttit |
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