Page 6 - Rotary Matters - May 2021
P. 6

Centenary of Rotary down under in Adelaide


        On the 21st April 1921 the first Rotary meeting in Australia and New Zealand was held in Melbourne
        convened by Sir John Monash with the help of two Rotarian envoys from Canada sent to establish Rotary
        in both countries. Clubs were also set up in the following weeks in Sydney, Wellington and Auckland.

        To celebrate the event the Area 12 clubs hosted a special Rotary 100 Down Under dinner meeting on April
        21 2021 at the Adelaide Oval. 240 guests were joined by H.E the Governor Hieu Van Le AC and his wife Lan.
        Speakers included His Excellency, who joined Rotary as an Honorary member of Adelaide South
        (now Adelaide Central) and is now also an Honorary member of RC Adelaide. DG David Jones also spoke
        as did RI President Holger Knaack (via Zoom). The Centenary baton was passed from President to President
        of the Area 12 Rotary and Rotaract clubs and the RC Adelaide choir also entertained the gathering. A brief
        history of the early years of Rotary in Australia was shown along with progress on the major R100 projects.


        The RC Adelaide, our first club, was formed in 1923 and chartered in 1924.


        At the event the RC Adelaide honoured its oldest and longest serving members. In the photo holding
        the R100 baton, is Dr Roy Scragg AM OBE. Roy joined Rotary at Port Morseby PNG, in 1958  and
        transferred to Adelaide in 1974, He is 97 years young.


        The longest serving member of the club is Bob Hastwell who joined in 1964 and is now 95 years young.
        It has two other long serving members in their 90s Dr Bob Hecker and Pat Christie.


































                     The Centenary baton being passed between club Presidents.

















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