This year represents 80 years since the first Bendigo Historical Society was formed at a meeting in the Bendigo Town Hall. Among the items discussed in 1935 was the idea of a history museum, which was one of the matters raised at the recent July meeting of the society.
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The year 1925 was an eventful one in the history of Bendigo, with headlines in the Bendigo Advertiser on Lansell Family bequests to the Bendigo hospital; electricity supplied to Kangaroo Flat; rescues from drowning; a sewage inquiry; Bendigo Pottery awards; and the Soldiers’ Memorial Appeal.
Another significant event in that year was the formation of the Rotary Club of Bendigo. In a booklet compiled by Heather Hampton, the history of this club is set out. A meeting was held in the Bendigo Town Hall on March 12, when prominent Rotarians visited the city and met a representative gathering of citizens.
The visitors compromised Professor Osborne, commissioner of Rotary International, Mr Emery, acting president of the Melbourne Rotary Club and Mr Drummond, honorary secretary of the Melbourne Rotary Club. The Mayor, Cr Vains, presided and 20 leading citizens were present.
The speakers explained that a Rotary Club was a group of business and professional men, one man from each distinct business or profession in a community, who had, without secret vow, dogma or creed, but each in his own way, accepted the Rotary philosophy of service.
On March 19, the inaugural meeting of the Bendigo Rotary Club was held at Favaloro’s Café in Pall Mall. Twenty Bendigo citizen representatives of the most important phases of the business and industrial activity of the city met and affirmed the necessity for good fellowship and community service before self
The charter members of the Bendigo Rotary Club were president, Cr Vains (stock and station agent), vice-president Mr JRV Anderson (education), honorary secretary Mr AH Leggo (timber merchant), Mr W McKie (public accountant); the board of directors included Cr Guidice (merchant real estate), Mr AL Bolton (manufacturing stationer), Mr HC Ingleton (town clerk), Mr CF Neal (solicitor), Mr F Levy (wine and spirit merchant) and Dr WJ Long (surgeon). The sergeant-at-arms was Mr WA Simcoe. There were 14 other members including George Victor Lansell.
The Bendigo Rotary Club began sponsoring Bendigo students in international exchange programs in 1962. The exchange student in 1981 was Simone Evans, a year 10 student at Golden Square High School who spent a year in Japan. She celebrated her 50th birthday on June 21 and is now an associate professor at Bahrain University.
