by CHARTER MEMBER REX EATON
The Rotary Club of Aspley had its beginning in May 1970, when the Chermside Rotary Club agreed to sponsor another Club, give up some of its territory and form a daughter Club, taking in most of Aspley, Albany Creek, and all of Bald Hills to the north.
About mid-May 1970, a number of businessmen in this area received a letter from the Chermside Rotary Club inviting us to attend an interest meeting with a view to forming another Rotary Club in the area. This was held at the Starlight Room (Caltex Service Station, Gympie Road - between Aspley and Bald Hills) towards the end of May 1970.
About 25~30 fellows attended this meeting with the Chermside Club, not knowing a thing about what Rotary was all about, and hardly knowing anyone there.
This to me was a frightening experience, not knowing what to expect as I had never been involved with any Club before. During the course of the meeting it was explained to us what Rotary was all about, and that we would be given the responsibility of running our own Club completely independent from the Chermside Club after a settling in period of two to three months.
We were asked to go home and think about it and invited back for another meeting the following week at the same venue. During the course of this meeting we were asked if we would like to join Rotary. Most of us said "yes", a few said "no" and decided it was not for them and left without any obligation placed on them.
After that meeting the wheels began to turn. A board was formed with nominations from the floor for various positions, with two nominations for the Charter President position. These two gentlemen were Ian Galloway and Ken Hipwood. Each was asked why and what they would do if elected, and it went on to a secret ballot from the others present. This was hard for me because I didn't know either of them. However, Ian Galloway was to become the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Aspley, with Ken Hipwood Vice-President. Other positions were then elected.
After all this, we were to become the Provisional Rotary Club of Aspley, meeting each week at the Starlight Room, until our charter came through. This was organised by the Chermside Club and was held on a Friday night in September at the Homestead Hotel on Zillmere Road, Zillmere.
This was a big night for all of us, with the top brass of Rotary being invited, and a very long night for me, arriving home at 11:30pm and taking off immediately after midnight to start my milkrun, arriving back home at about 9:00arn Saturday morning. Boy was I pooped. No need to say I slept all day Saturday! What a night it was!
After the Charter Night was out of the way, we were on our way. The cost to each member at the time was an annual subscription of $20, and a joining fee $10 (big difference now). We continued to meet each week at the Starlight Room, which was run by T. Sklavos, until August 1972, when we decided it was time for a venue change. It was decided that we move to the Cheryl Ann Motel on Gympie Road (where Harvey Norman is now). The name was later changed to Gum Trees Motel, and was run by Jack O'Brien.
Our first meeting there was on 10 August 1972. This is where we started operating our own bar, buying the beer, soft drinks etc. from Jack each week
There were many late nights around the bar after the meetings at the Gum Trees. As Jack and his family lived upstairs, he quite often left us to lock up our way out, so he could go to bed.
Many a second unofficial meeting was held during this time, as some of the members reckoned it was too early to go home. My, how times have changed.
Many great nights and functions were held at the Gum Trees Motel during the late 70's, and I think it was around 1979 that we were given notice that the motel was going to be pulled down, so we had to look around for another venue. Someone suggested we try the Kedron-Wavell Services Club. It was not in our area, but at the time we could not find any place that was, so it was decided we move to the Kedron-Wavell RSL.
We were given the Community Hall alongside the RSL itself, which meant the meals had to be brought across from the main kitchen. The hall had its own bar area, which we were allowed to use, buying the supplies from the RSL store. A few years later the RSL extended its upstairs area and we were given the Long Tan Room for our weekly meetings.
This room we had until 1993, when we again received notice to vacate the premises because the RSL was going to renovate them and everyone had to move out for 2-3 months.
This proved a bit difficult at the time, as we didn't have much time to reorganise. However, our Club Service Director at the time (Bill Pettigrew) got us in at the Geebung RSL. This only lasted three weeks as it proved unsatisfactory because it was too open and too noisy from the poker machines.
Bill finally managed to find a venue for us at the Carseldine Conference Centre or the Carseldine Palms Motel as it is now referred to, and I'm pleased to say we still meet there each Thursday and have been since September 1993. (In April 2003 we moved to The Tavernetta in Dorville Rd after considerable discussion facilitated and researched by Club Service Director Tony Chant.) Ed.
SOME ACTIVITIES
In the early years our main fundraiser was a Market Fair, similar nowadays to the garage sales, but on a much larger scale. We used to distribute notices to householders in the district asking them to leave out unwanted household items, and then call back and collect all items the people put out and then store them in a shed until the date of the Market Fair. This was usually done over a 12-13 week period prior to the set date, which was usually one weekend early in December and held on what was then open land on Gympie Road near Coops Tennis Centre and also Rotary Park and Marchant Park.
Members took turns to act as guards on the Friday and Saturday nights and this added to the fellowship. Everyone looked forward to Saturday afternoon when the leftover material, mostly junk, could be taken to the dump in one of Bill Upton's trucks. We would usually dump about two truckloads.
In 1979 we chartered the Aspley Rotaract Club.
During 1980-1981 we organised the District Conference at Surfers Paradise for the District Governor, our own member Bill Upton.
On 11 May 1983 we chartered our own daughter Club of Albany Creek, which shares the area with us. Our President at the time was Geoff Still, and their Charter President was Jeffrey Biggs.
In 1986 we were asked by the then D.G. Dr. Gerry Meyer if we could sponsor a new Club, to be called the Rotary Club of Honiara, which is a long way from here but still in District 9600. This we agreed to and it was mainly organised by the D.G. himself. All we had to do was fill out the necessary forms and pay the costs. As none of us could get to the event, it was organised from over there entirely. Their charter was presented on the 23rd of May 1987, when the D.G made his yearly visit.
We have in the past also organised exchange students, both home and away This we have not been involved in for a while as it is not every member who can handle a student for an extended time, and it came back to the same families all the time. It is pleasing to see this Club get involved in this scheme again.
Over the years we have also been involved with all the schools in our area including the Aspley Special School, which we helped obtain their first bus.
We have been involved in programs with the Prince Charles Hospital and Bald Hills Hospital, now known as the Jacana Centre, which we are assisting. In 1986 we helped them with a lifting chair to lift some of their patients at a cost of $3000. It is good to see our Club involved in helping them improve the lives of their 40 or so patients.
We also founded the Rotary Cardio-Vascular Research Institute, initially with some input from Prince Charles Hospital but eventually in association with Griffith University. Funds for the Institute were raised through Rotary and also from other outside sources.
One of the main attractions in our area is our Rotary Park on Graham Road. This park was started by the Chermside Club and handed over to us to look after. We have, along with the Brisbane City Council, done quite a few improvements over the years with swings, shelter sheds, BBQ and also the toilet block. To enable us to help with these projects our annual Christmas Hamper at the HyperMart was started when the centre first opened in 1984.
Let's hope we can keep this annual event going, because believe me, it's a hell of a lot easier than what we did in the old days. "Been there. Done that. Don't want to do it again".
The Rotary Club of Aspley has been good to me. I have enjoyed the many years as a member of the best Club around.
Rex Eaton