In this post, we will include stories of the activities of the Rotary clubs in our area that we have been told about.
Fred Gibbs, a stalwart member of Rotary Balwyn
2019 Australia Day Honours Investiture. Fred Gibbs and the then Victorian Governor Linda Dessau
Julie Mulhauser
Fred Gibbs OAM is one of only two remaining charter members of the Rotary Club of Balwyn, established in 1972. His 53-year journey with the Club began when, as manager of the AMP Trentwood office, he was invited by local pharmacist Stan Clarke to join the newly formed Club.
One of the Club’s earliest major projects was the ‘Potting Down’ Project, initiated by the International Committee that Fred chaired. A local nursery supplied 2,500 native seedlings, which members and their families re-potted and grew at home. Proceeds from plant sales supported a Ringwood Rotary project delivering water tanks to Flores Island, Indonesia.
Fred served as President in 1977, just a year after the Camberwell Sunday Market began.
In 2007, he began a lasting involvement with the Box Hill Miniature Steam Railway (BHMSR), where he still produces the ‘On Track’ newsletter, maintains the gardens, and photographs events.
Fred played a key role in creating the Club’s Family Fun Day for children with disabilities and their families. With support from BHMSR, Parent Support Network (now Interchange Outer East), and sponsors like Bendigo Bank and Bunnings Box Hill, the event features rides, entertainment, food, showbags, and more. It also helped forge a strong partnership between BHMSR and Balwyn Rotary, with many members volunteering regularly.
This event holds special meaning for Fred and his wife Denise, whose grandson James has Sturge-Weber syndrome. They know how much a day of inclusive fun can mean to a family.
Fred’s favourite club role was serving as Assistant Treasurer for 10 years. He was honoured as a BHMSR Life Member in 2017 and received the OAM in 2019 for his service to the Balwyn community.
23/7/2025
Busy Bees 
Trish Carr, Rotary Club Box Hill Burwood and Glenys Grant
The Bee Education and Protection Project (BEAP) at Parkmore Primary School aims to support the survival of native bees.
Parkmore’s Team BEAP have found concerning information that indicates native bees are endangered. If the bee population continues to decline, this could have a dramatic impact on human food production, as well as the global environment.
Team BEAP’s endeavours have included running a Native Bee Hotel competition with the finished product on display in the garden; producing a native bee memory card game and publishing a picture story book on how to protect the native bee in the garden at home. The students have also researched and published brochures on how to protect the native bee, including the use of chemical-free pesticides and weedkillers.
Partnerships and community support
To date, BEAP have successfully implemented partnerships as part of the project. These include with Beechworth Honey, who have put QR codes on their honey jars taking people to the education centre and Monash University, who is gathering data in the Native Bee-Safe Garden designed and built at the school. The garden has seen the introduction of the Blue Banded bee, Native honey bee, Reed bee and red Legged Cuckoo Bee to its precinct on a daily basis.
Gaining community support from Bunnings, Nunawading Community gardens, Richard Welsh, Whitehorse Council, students, staff, parents and friends of Parkmore primary, the details of the student’s project were also presented to the State Environmental Minister and local MP John Mullahy, who is supporting their work.
Rotary Community Grants
The BEAP project is one of the worthy recipients of Rotary Box Hill Burwood’s 2025 Annual Grants. The students and principal shared information about their exciting environmental project at the recent Rotary Community Grants Presentation Night.
This dedicated team of youngsters travelled to the international 2025 Future Problem Solving Conference Championships at Indiana University, Bloomington to present a video on their excellent environmental work. Here they competed against teams from 14 countries who presented projects and shared how they have solved problems in their community.
Box Hill Burwood Rotary received over 20 applications from local Whitehorse organisations for their 2025 Community Grants. Many worthy applicants made it very difficult for the committee to select recipients. Parkmore Primary School’s Bee Education and Protection Project (BEAP), along with the others chosen, received grants of up to $3,000 for their projects.
These yearly community grants celebrate the meaningful partnerships between Rotary and the wider community in driving positive change and supporting those in need.
19 July 2025
Addressing Classroom Hunger: Supporting Our Local Kids
Robyn Stokes, President Box Hill Central Rotary
In today’s cost of living crisis, many local children face the daily challenge of attending school hungry. Without access to adequate nutrition, students often struggle to concentrate, behave appropriately, and engage fully in their learning. Recognizing this urgent need, our Rotary Club has launched Addressing Classroom Hunger, a program dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and educational success of our young community members.
Started in April 2025, Addressing Classroom Hunger provides free cheese sandwiches to requesting schools each month. These sandwiches are stored in school freezers, allowing designated staff to distribute them at appropriate times during the school day. This simple yet vital initiative ensures that children have access to nutritious meals, helping to improve their focus, behaviour, and overall health.
Beyond addressing nutritional needs, this program relieves teachers and school staff of the burden of meal preparation, allowing them to focus more on their students’ education. Our Rotary volunteers enjoy making these deliveries, experiencing the joy of service and connection with the schools and children they support.
We meet monthly at Forest Hill Chase (near Aldi) on Wednesdays from 10am to 11am. Our next scheduled meeting is set for June 18, 2025. We warmly welcome community-minded volunteers who wish to give a helping hand and make a positive impact in our neighbourhood.
Interested in volunteering? Register here. Together, we can combat hunger, foster brighter futures, and strengthen our community—one lunch at a time.
Unsung Heroes triumph at Youth Achievement Awards
Glenys Grant
Over the past 46 years, 448 youngsters in the Whitehorse region have won a unique Rotary award. Each year, 11 or 12 students in Year six at local primary schools have been chosen to receive this Youth Achievement Award.
The award has been operating since 1978, even continuing in a modified form through the challenges the two Covid years presented. It was established and run by the Rotary Club of Forest Hill for 45 years, then in November 2024 conducted by the Rotary Club of Nunawading.
The Youth Achievement award, affectionately called ‘The Unsung Hero Award,’ is designed to give recognition and confidence to hard-working, quiet young achievers who don’t shine in the limelight or win awards in other avenues of school life. These students dedicate their time and efforts to consistently helping at the school, are known for their exemplary behaviour and exceptional contributions to the community. Schools specifically choose a youngster who fits the criteria and Rotary takes it from there.
Aidan from Burwood Heights receiving his award.
L-R Charlie from Vermont Primary School delighted to receive her award
This year eleven schools participated, choosing a student they believed was worthy. The 2024 awards winners were: Greta from Blackburn Lake Primary School; Aidan from Burwood Heights PS; Magnus from Livingstone PS; Jasper from Mt Pleasant Road PS; Alexander from Orchard Grove PS; Casey from Parkmore PS; Henry from Rangeview PS; Charlie from Vermont PS; Phoebe from Vermont Sth Special School; Aaliyah from Weeden Heights PS; and Marcus from Whitehorse PS.
The presentations have become so popular that, to accommodate extra family members wanting to attend, two award nights were held. At each night, the youngsters, supported by parents, siblings and some grandparents, enjoyed a delicious dinner hosted by Rotarians at Bucatini Restaurant. Awardees received vouchers, photos, family dinners, framed certificates, laminated citations, a goodie bag and publicity for themselves and their schools.
The 2024 awards were presented to the students by the 9815 District Governor and District Governor nominee. Speakers congratulated the awardees and described what Rotary does nationally and internationally, and how to access the free Rotary youth programs designed to build self-confidence while improving leadership and learning skills.
The presentation of the awards is, of course, always the best part of the evening. That’s when the citations are read out and the audience hears why each school has chosen its hero. The calibre of these students is demonstrated by comments such as ‘…. known for his genuine kindness toward classmates and teachers, this student models respect and helps create a positive, inclusive environment,
One inspiring youngster had survived great hardship and bounced back to become a kind and caring mentor to all, along with supporting the school community at every opportunity. All the winners are a credit to their families and schools, a success now and in the future. Congratulations to all.
If you would like to view the Youth Achievement Awards memento book, see these youngsters and read some of their truly inspiring citations, the link is https://rotarynunawading.com.au/documents/en-au/d0e0f6aa-897c-4d56-beae-79e1051980a5/1/
Kingswood Students supporting their community and others
Kingswood Interact students with mentors and a carload of donated goods.
Ray McLeod-Dryden and Glenys Grant.
Students from the Interact Club at Kingswood College have had amazing results from their donation drive to support the clients of Kara Family Violence Service. The students collected, from the school community, over 15 large tubs of donated goods including bags of good quality clothing, books, toiletries, toys and much, much, more.
The Rotary Club of Box Hill Burwood sponsors the Interact Club at Kingswood College, providing support and guidance. Interact was formed by Rotary in the USA in 1962 and today there are more than 300,000 Interactors around the world.
Interact is a service club run in schools for young people ages 12 to 18 years who are passionate about making a difference while learning about the world and themselves. It gives them the opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends.
Their members are encouraged by their sponsoring rotary club to run one local community project and one international project each year to help people, both locally and internationally. Kingswood selected Kara Family Violence Service as their local community project for a number of reasons.
Kara FVS is a not-for-profit organisation providing safety, support and education for women and children affected by family violence. For over 45 years their specialist service has empowered victim survivors to live a life free of violence. Kara provides high-security crisis accommodation, case management, outreach support, secondary consultations and community education programs across the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to support those experiencing family violence.
The members of Kara Family Violence Service have been so grateful for the donated goods and thanked the Interact students and school community for the caring, kind thoughts and time they put into choosing the best items for their clients. This will help them survive after the trauma they have experienced and will support them in the early stages of their new life.
Kingswood Interact club’s chosen international project was the Educational Changemaker project conducted by SeeBeyondBorders Australia, a global charity which has been implementing educational programs in Cambodia since 2009.
For this project Kingswood College Interact students partnered with PLC Interact Club and Rotary clubs of Box Hill Burwood and Springvale City. They worked to provide support to five Cambodian women to complete an intensive two-year training program designed to equip them with high level skills and knowledge needed in primary schools and educational leadership roles.
Ray McLeod-Dryden, Director International and Club Projects, Rotary Club of Box Hill Burwood says, ‘All our Rotary members are so proud of the excellent efforts by our Kingswood College Interact students and their dedicated coordinator Katrina for supporting the clients at Kara Family Violence Service.’
Note: For details on how to set up an Interact club in a secondary school contact your local Rotary club, or D9815 Youth Service Chair, Dr Daryl Moran. daryl.moran@rotary9815.org.au
Rotary Club Forest Hill will be sorely missed
Stuart Williams
The Rotary Club of Forest Hill is handing back its charter on 30 June, 2024. The community will miss their generosity and love. In its 49 years of ‘service before self’ the club has directly impacted over 400,000 people.
Over time, the club put back close to $2,000,000 into the local and global community. Locally, this amounted to around $40,000 annually. This included the contribution of some very generous benefactors like the sons of Ford Davis, and Stan Harper. It also demonstrated how active and creative the group has been in its fund-raising activities.
The club has conducted air shows, fun-runs and marathons, sausage sizzles, golf days, trivia nights, movie nights, speaker breakfasts and footy tipping competitions. They have sold fresh produce, wine and Christmas cakes and collected stamps, spectacles and foreign coins and did cleaning at the Commonwealth Games. Ron Brooks drove the collection of coins. UNICEF benefitted by over $33,000.
Forest Hill Rotary has managed the Blackburn Station Art and Craft Market since 1995. Bill Marsh re-vitalised our sausage sizzle and John McPhee was a diligent and caring market manager. It also worked in partnership with other Whitehorse Rotary clubs and Rotaract in managing the Whitehorse Farmers Market for 17 years.
Rotary Forest Hill worked at doing good in the community in many practical and direct ways as well as supporting many local organisations. Members painted homes for needy people, weeded gardens, assisted with maintaining Blackburn Lake, and Rotary’s Youth Driver Awareness program. Sue Ballard coordinated assistance at The Dementia Cafes and community space at Forest Hill.
Local organisations directly supported include Alkira, Scope, Louise Multicultural Community Centre, Camp Getaway, Salvation Army, Taralye, Mitcham Community House and Eastern Emergency Relief Network.
In the last 45 years the club has had a meaningful and positive influence on the education of many young people. This was the legacy of club members involved in education at all levels. A comprehensive scholarship program ensured students from primary schools in Whitehorse could remain at school and advance their education.
Sophia and family at RCFH Youth Achievement Awards dinner, one of club’s unique programs
The ‘local hero’ award for the student ‘prepared to go the extra mile’ saw many students, not just high achievers recognised. Glenys Grant endeared herself to schools and families as she organised our Youth Achievement Awards. The former Pride of Workmanship awards to outstanding local workers included memorable recipients such as a violin maker, hairdressers, and car mechanics.
The club had one District Governor, Bob Laslett whose Ballarat District Conference set a District record of over 1,200 people attending.
Forest Hill Rotary has been an active member of Rotary International participating in specific projects, fundraising and youth exchanges. Past presidents, Richard Kleine, Stuart Williams and John Bindon were Group Study Exchange Team leaders, escorting teams of 5 or 6 twenty-year-olds to South Africa, USA and Great Britain. Past presidents Ray Smith and Geoff Hale went on a work party to the Solomon Islands.
The signature international project for our club for the last 15 years has been Hope Katolo Nursery School in Kenya. Warwick Stott, a local vet in South Blackburn and Forest Hill and at one stage on 3AW giving veterinary advice defined this important project for us. Since 2007, Forest Hill Rotary has contributed over $33,000 to the Nursery School.
Club members on visit to Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple, the Basin, after a scholarship sponsorship to a member of their community.
A proud club history that made a massive difference to our community.
Stuart Williams was three times club president of Rotary Forest Hill.
The club may be closing but is remaining active in worthwhile projects right to the end of the charter. Latest activities include:
- Five Youth Citizenship Awards to Year 8 students,
- Umbrella Dementia Café participation
- Apprenticeship Awards for Box Hill Institute
- Scholarships at both Box Hill High and Forest Hill College
- Teams sent to the Model United Nations Assembly
Rotary Apprenticeship Awards
Glenys Grant,
The Rotary Club of Forest Hill recently ran another Apprenticeship Awards night for Apprentices from Box Hill Institute.
The awards are all given to skilled and dedicated apprentices who are making every effort, but due to circumstances (finance, illness, academic impairment, etc) needed a little extra help to get their course completed.
There are three awards, for $1,750 each. Two are Ford Davis Awards, funded by the family in memory of Ford Davis, RCFH member and first District Governor of District 9810 who was given the task of starting the RC Forest Hill, chartered in 1975. The third is the Graham Taylor Award funded by the RC Forest Hill in memory of a former member.
The two apprentices who received awards were Wayne (Wei) Hao, an electrical and air conditioning apprentice and Ryan Bartlett, a carpentry apprentice.
Wayne Hao, Electrical Apprentice and Ross Barden, Teacher, Wood Trades, both from Faculty of Trades, Box Hill Institute, with Sue Ballard and Bob Laslett, Co-Presidents RCFH.
Wayne explained that he had been a surgeon in China and arrived here in 2018 with his wife to start a new life. They live in Mitcham with their two children, 10 years and 18 months. It was not an option for Wayne to re-enter medicine, so he was advised that becoming an electrician would give him and his young family a good living.
He initially was held back by his lack of English but feels more confident now and is about to commence year three of his course. He works for an air conditioning firm and attends the institute one day a week. The Award monies will mean he can finish his course with less financial stress and buy tools to set himself up in his trade. He expressed his gratitude to the Davis family for making this funding possible.
The second awardee, Ryan Bartlett, was unable to attend due to family illness He was nominated as Carpentry Apprentice Awardee due to his emerging natural leadership skills and commitment to his trade. As with Wayne, he will use the award monies for trade tools.
Ross Bardon, Wood Trades teacher has been attending the dinners for many years as representative for the Box Hill Institute Trades Faculty. In his speech, he explained that many industries, like carpentry, are now becoming automated and so teaching has changed. At one stage the course attendance numbers dwindled, but they are slowly building again, because bosses still want good, skilled workers, properly trained in both the trade and safety.
Ross noted that the return to Technical Trade schools is due to a greater need for trades and builders in the community. There is also a shortage of trade teachers, so incentives are being given by the Government to attract them. He finished by thanking the club and the Davis family for helping the apprentices of Box Hill Institute for so many years.
The Rotary Club of Forest Hill is closing down, but despite that, have ensured sponsorship of the three awards for later this year.
Rotary Box Hill Community Grants
Each year the Rotary Club of Box Hill Burwood supports local community groups within our locale through our Community Grants Program. Grants assist local groups to provide necessary services that benefit our local community.
Over the last 21 years Rotary Box Hill Burwood have been proud to support over $1 million dollars’ worth of projects locally and internationally. For more information and grant conditions/criteria click link here: https://www.boxhillburwoodrotary.org.au/community-grants/
Eligibility for funding through Community Grants is dependent on the organization being an existing group delivering community service within the City of Whitehorse, with priority given to those in Box Hill and Burwood neighbourhoods at the discretion of the Grants Committee; and should be incorporated and have published an annual report and accounts within the previous 12 months.
Preference will be given to projects that support Rotary’s seven areas of focuses. Funding is to be for a specific program, project, or piece of equipment, but not for normal recurrent expenditure items.
How to apply:
Go here to complete and submit your application: https://www.boxhillburwoodrotary.org.au/community-grants/
If you have any queries regarding the Community Grants initiative or wish to submit an application by email, please contact: Rotarian Tim Lynn by email at community.grants@boxhillburwoodrotary.org.au or by post at Community Services Coordinator, Rotary Club of Box Hill Burwood, PO Box 59, Box Hill 3128
Unsung Heroes. Over 40 years of Youth Achievement Awards.
Glenys Grant
Over forty years ago, Rotary Club of Forest Hill created a unique award, known as the RCFH Youth Achievement Award. The award was given to Year 6 students attending primary schools in Whitehorse. Up to and including 2023, the number of students receiving the award reached 396.
The award is designed to give recognition and confidence to those hard-working quiet young achievers, often not recognised, who dedicate their time and efforts to consistently helping the school and the community.
This award has become so popular that, to accommodate extra family members and teachers, this year TWO award evenings were held. Over two evenings in October, the club honoured 12 Year 6 students, one from each of 12 Whitehorse primary schools. On each night, six awardees along with their families, attended a presentation and dinner at Bucatini Restaurant.
Award winners for primary schools in Whitehorse for 2023 included Sophie from Blackburn Lake; Huma from Burwood Heights; Andrew from Livingstone; Tanaka from Mt Pleasant Road; Alexander from Orchard Grove; Isla from Parkmore; Kiah from Rangeview; Savannah from St Timothy’s; Penny from Vermont; Tiali from Vermont Sth Special; Aisha from Weeden Heights; and Isabella from Whitehorse. Award Winner Isabella
Awardees were supported by parents, siblings, grandparents and teachers. They received vouchers, photos, family dinners, framed certificates, laminated citations, a goodie bag and publicity for themselves and their schools.
Speakers explained the work of Rotary nationally and internationally including local youth programs such as the Youth Citizenship Awards that the Rotary Club of Forest Hill runs for Year 8 students.
An example of the calibre of these awesome students is demonstrated by one inspiring youngster who had survived great hardship and had bounced back to become a kind and caring mentor to all, along with supporting the school community at every opportunity.
This award is affectionately called the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ as they recognise a student who may not normally be widely recognised in the community for their efforts. Students are chosen by their school for the award using criteria that he/she:
- is a role model who upholds the school’s values;
- can be called upon to help the school or colleagues at any time
- has achieved success through application and determination this year
- has made a worthwhile contribution to the school community and/or the environment; and
- may not have received many academic or sporting awards but has excelled in other ways.
Congratulations to all recipients. They deserve their awards and are a credit to their families and schools, a success now and in the future.
Glenys Grant, is Youth Chair at Rotary Club of Forest Hill
Rotary reaches out to our African Australian communities
Dorothy Gilmour
Rotary SAFE Families is a community project from Rotary Hawthorn. SAFE Families has created the Inclusive Communities Initiative which is focused on providing primary prevention of abuse information to our new Australian communities using our First Aid 3R’s of Abuse Prevention.
3R’s of Prevention:
- Recognise signs of abuse
- Raise your concerns ‘safely’ with victim
- Refer victim to 000 (emergency) or appropriate support agency or make the call yourself
As Rotarians in Australia with a focus on inclusion, diversity and equality, we believe it is important for our new Australians to understand and be informed about primary prevention of family abuse.
We have created a free Toolkit of our Guide for Prevention of Family Abuse in Australia, a short film in Swahili and contact details of relevant support organisations. Our Guides are freely available in Arabic, Swahili, Farsi, Dari, Hindi, Mandarin and Greek.
Family abuse to men, women, children and our elderly is still a taboo topic in Australia. Our Rotary Inclusive Communities Initiative has been developed with the commitment to help our communities where English is the second language. Domestic abuse is not condoned and is a crime in Australia. Abuse is a major issue requiring culture change. Rotary SAFE Families promotes the model for prevention of all forms of abuse to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Along with an understandable fear of reporting abuse, and English being a second language, we identify there are Australians who need support in their first language and culture. Respecting possible trauma still being experienced by many new Australians, we want to help and inform them in how to prevent and support a victim of family abuse in Australia.
Rotary SAFE Families can provide a guest speaker on the following topics: Elder Abuse, Abuse to Children, Male Abuse and Domestic Violence and Its Impact on Children and prevention of abuse in our diverse Australian cultures. To find more information on this project, go to www.rotarysafefamilies.org.au.
Dorothy Gilmour is Rotary Hawthorn’s Chair and creator of Rotary SAFE Families
Source of top image: Rotary Club Forest Hill