Related Links
MEETING INFO
Each Tuesday morning
6:30 - 8 am
Oaks Oasis Resort
St George Room
Cnr Landsborough Pde and North St.
Caloundra 4551
Australia
Venue Map
 
Note
Some meetings venues & dates may change.  Check our calendar for up to date details.
The Rotary Club of Nambour sponsored the Rotary Club of Caloundra in 1954 with twenty-one Charter members.  The 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 by Rotary International.
Charter President, Ben Bennett ensured the club's early stability and later continuing success.
 
The first Ladies' Night was held on 25 November 1954 but it was not until 1999 that the club opened its doors to women members, and in 2002 the club installed its first female President.
The formation of the club was celebrated at its Charter Night on 19 March 1955 in Caloundra's Glideaway Hall - an appropriate start for an enthusiastic and lusty infant Rotary Club.
The first new members were inducted on 9 June 1955.
 
In 2004 The club now has around 40 members (40% of whom are female).
 

Past Presidents

Charter Members

Paul Harris Fellows

Honorary Members

Early visitors book

Time Line

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.  While 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.
 Rotary Handover Centaur Park to Caloundra Council June 1967 photo Max Clarke, Alex Hay collection

Fundraising was achieved by street stalls (eg cakes, plants, jams, etc), 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. 

 

The Breakfast Club is born

  • First, in June 1999 it was decided, after forty-four years as a dinner club, to convert 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.

It is again and now a vibrant Club.
 

Projects in the 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 of Queensland International House support
  • School of Arts
  • Repainting the CCSA Hall
  • Replacing the Roof of the CCSA Hall in partnership with the Rotary Club of Caloundra Pacific
  • National Fitness Club
  • QATB stretcher trolleys
  • Blue Nurses
  • Keep Caloundra Clean
  • Aust Paraplegic Games
  • Lighthouse Reserve park
  • Centaur Memorial Park, Wickham Point
  • Community youth support scheme
  • CADET Skillshare
  • Steam railway engine placement at Happy Valley, Now  Mary Valley Railway Rattler c17-967
  • North Caloundra (Dicky Beach) Surf Club
  • Caloundra hospital
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Active supporters of RAWCS' Donations in Kind
  • Picnic shelter and commemorative sign at Ben Bennett Park to celebrate Club’s 50th anniversary and to honour the club's Charter President after whom the park was named
These were from Darry's Brag Sheet in 2021 so some may be mentioned twice
 
  • Mobility & Courtyard garden,  Caloundra Hospital 2007 (RI Significant Achievement Award) and Tranquility Garden
  • Ben Bennett Park for Club’s 50th & RI 100th celebrations in 2004, opened by PIRP Sir Clem Renouf 
  • Rotary Youth Drivers Awareness (RYDA) since 2000
  • The Mens Shed since 2014
  • STEMM (Supporting Teenagers with Education, Mothering and Mentoring) since 2010
  • Australian Rotary Health, ShelterBox, ROMAC; ongoing
  • Sponsored Dragons Abreast SC 2006 national regatta 2007
  • Bohol from 2019; Fish Farm, Teacher in Box, Medical Equip
  • Local Junior Sports: Dicky Beach Nippers and Junior Golf
  • HMAS Centaur Memorial at Wickham point; 1967
  • Gizo: Hospital; Ngari School; Water & Literacy 2005-16
  • The Rotary Foundation: End Polio & GSE teams; ongoing
  • Helping Hands Cambodia, support a school & village 2007-12
  • DIK from 2002; eg PNG COVID medical assistance 2021
  • Womens bio-toilets for Indian village, Bhubaneswar 2018
  • Hosted International Marathon Fellowship Rotarians 2011
  • Rotary Youth Programs: REP, RYLA, RYPEN, NYSF, Bursaries for local Schools for over 40 yrs, Chaplaincy
     
Roger trawled these from the image library in 2020
 
added 2021
More details on some of these club projects may be found elsewhere on this website.

This collar got a bit heavy, so we had to start a new one in 2004


Development

The Rotary Club of Caloundra has sponsored the following:
 

Thanks to Les Walsh for setting up this page,  Mark Ward – Nov 2004 (as edited) and Roger Todd rearranged and added photos in 2020
 
To find this page to edit it ...