Ink Spot 4: 15 Key Events in the History of Maryborough Rotary
1. 1951: The Suggestion
• 1951 Hans Ebling (Rotary Club of Ballarat) suggested to incoming President, Bert Stohr that Maryborough could support a new club
• Ebling appointed as Governor’s Rep. for the new club by DG Len Clarkson
2. 1951: Interviews
• Ebling & Tom Boyle (recently moved to Maryborough from Ballarat) started interviewing prospective members
3. 1952 Feb. 14th: Organizational Meeting
• Several Ballarat members attended first Organizational meeting
• The Group met weekly up until Charter
4. 1952 July 14th: Charter
• Charter meeting on evening of July 14th 1952 in Maryborough Town Hall
• Chaired by Bert Stohr (Ballarat)
• Part of Rotary District 33
• 201 attendees saw 22 members inducted
5. First President(s)
• Vern Benjamin elected as first president but had to resign
• Frank Lowery took over and continued into next Rotary year
6. First Meeting Location
• First meetings held at Harris’s Café in Nolan Street – next to Paramount Theatre
7. 1957: Move to the RSL
• As numbers grew, meetings were transferred to RSL Hall in High Street in 1957
• Meals provided by RSL Ladies for 60 years\
8. 1957: Became part of District 250
• Linked with Castlemaine, Daylesford and many Melbourne Clubs
9. 1977: Rejoined District 978
• Linked with Ballarat and Western Victoria again
• District 978 became 9780 in 1991
10. 1980: First District Governor
• Frank Lowery installed as District Governor of District 978 on July 1st
• District Conference was held in Ballarat in 1981
11. 2002: First Female member
• Sharon Fanning was inducted as the club’s first female member on December 5th 2002
• Sharon transferred from a Rotary Club in the Northern Territory
• Pieta McNaught was the first female nominated by our members and was inducted in 2005
12. 2006: Construction of "The Shed"
• A “Hangar” built at the airport to store our trailers and equipment
• The brainchild of past Rotarian Noel Quaife
13. 2006: Havilah Catering
• When RSL Ladies disbanded in 2005, the club looked at alternative venues and catering options
• Havilah Volunteer Catering Group was selected to provide meals at RSL
14. 2012: Move to Raglan Street
• As RSL catering facilities deteriorated, club meetings moved to the Community Room at Havilah’s Raglan Street premises
15. 2015: First District Conference in Maryborough
• The Club hosted the first District Conference in Maryborough at the Maryborough Town Hall during March, 2015
• 1951 Hans Ebling (Rotary Club of Ballarat) suggested to incoming President, Bert Stohr that Maryborough could support a new club
• Ebling appointed as Governor’s Rep. for the new club by DG Len Clarkson
2. 1951: Interviews
• Ebling & Tom Boyle (recently moved to Maryborough from Ballarat) started interviewing prospective members
3. 1952 Feb. 14th: Organizational Meeting
• Several Ballarat members attended first Organizational meeting
• The Group met weekly up until Charter
4. 1952 July 14th: Charter
• Charter meeting on evening of July 14th 1952 in Maryborough Town Hall
• Chaired by Bert Stohr (Ballarat)
• Part of Rotary District 33
• 201 attendees saw 22 members inducted
5. First President(s)
• Vern Benjamin elected as first president but had to resign
• Frank Lowery took over and continued into next Rotary year
6. First Meeting Location
• First meetings held at Harris’s Café in Nolan Street – next to Paramount Theatre
7. 1957: Move to the RSL
• As numbers grew, meetings were transferred to RSL Hall in High Street in 1957
• Meals provided by RSL Ladies for 60 years\
8. 1957: Became part of District 250
• Linked with Castlemaine, Daylesford and many Melbourne Clubs
9. 1977: Rejoined District 978
• Linked with Ballarat and Western Victoria again
• District 978 became 9780 in 1991
10. 1980: First District Governor
• Frank Lowery installed as District Governor of District 978 on July 1st
• District Conference was held in Ballarat in 1981
11. 2002: First Female member
• Sharon Fanning was inducted as the club’s first female member on December 5th 2002
• Sharon transferred from a Rotary Club in the Northern Territory
• Pieta McNaught was the first female nominated by our members and was inducted in 2005
12. 2006: Construction of "The Shed"
• A “Hangar” built at the airport to store our trailers and equipment
• The brainchild of past Rotarian Noel Quaife
13. 2006: Havilah Catering
• When RSL Ladies disbanded in 2005, the club looked at alternative venues and catering options
• Havilah Volunteer Catering Group was selected to provide meals at RSL
14. 2012: Move to Raglan Street
• As RSL catering facilities deteriorated, club meetings moved to the Community Room at Havilah’s Raglan Street premises
15. 2015: First District Conference in Maryborough
• The Club hosted the first District Conference in Maryborough at the Maryborough Town Hall during March, 2015