Northbridge Rotary Celebrates 30 Years

The Rotary Club of Northbridge was inaugurated 30 years ago by 24 members.  By 1988 we had started the annual Fireworks event and over the years, despite facing some disastrous weather and interruptions, we developed the wonderful annual family event of today.

 

In 1992 we funded and managed the floodlighting for the 100^th anniversary of the Suspension Bridge.  Over 10,000 people enjoyed the entertainment, events and the fireworks.

 

In 1996 our club provided the source funds for the Australian Cord Blood Bank. Ultimately, over $2 million was raised directly and indirectly.  At one fabulous Gala dinner for 1300 people at Darling Harbour we raised over $200,000.  The Cord Blood Bank might not have happened without Northbridge Rotary Club.

 

Overseas, we have funded medical teams in Mongolia, Nepal, New Guinea, Laos and Fiji; supported a diabetes campaign in Tonga; built a teacher training school in Timor Leste; helped a village in Vanuatu; building a school in Nepal and assisting a remote village in Fiji. We have funded Shelterbox emergency relief capsules for disasters all over the world.

 

Locally, we have supported Youth off the Streets but more particularly the Chatswood charity Streetwork which has received funding and two new buses from our club.  We donated a mobile community command post to NSW Police at Chatswood.  We sponsor the Red Cross mobile blood service in Northbridge, the Bowelscan program and Sailability, our wonderful activity with the club’s sailing dinghy for disabled sailors on Middle Harbour.

 

The club has many notable enduring activities: its annual golf day, the annual seniors’ lunch, the Christmas Tree of Joy, Pride of Workmanship awards, simulated  job interviews at Willoughby Girls High.  Then of course I can safely say that all of us can barbecue a sausage!

 

Over the years, the club has sent 50 young people to Rotary Youth Leadership camps.  We have also had over 16 outgoing and 16 incoming exchange students to and from Rotary clubs all over the world.  What a joy and inspiration these young people have been!

 

To increase the good works of Rotary, we inaugurated the Rotary Club of Roseville Chase in 1989.  We have helped form two Probus Clubs.

 

The club also travels and parties.  We have held many dinners and theatre evenings and travelled to Rotary conferences and events, including overseas.  In 2008 a contingent of Northbridge Rotarians travelled to our sister Rotary club in Japan, Tokyo Suginami, and their club members have also visited us on two occasions.