13/06/2026
A New Tradition Begins for the Youth of the Mountain!
Wednesday night saw something pretty special happen in Kinglake.
Our very first Youth Showcase Night brought together schools, clubs, community groups, families, local leaders, and passionate volunteers, all with one shared belief:
>>> Our young people matter.
Before we talk about the night itself, it's important to recognise the person who made it happen.
This event began as an idea from our New Generations Director, Tamara Fowkes.
The result wasn't just an event.
It was a room full of people discovering new pathways, making connections, sharing ideas, and seeing just how much support already exists for young people in our community.
Tamara's passion for creating opportunities for local youth was evident in every part of the evening, and our community is better for it. We are incredibly proud of what she has achieved and grateful for the energy, heart, and determination she invested to bring this vision to life.
The night kicked off with a BBQ proudly sponsored by Murrindindi Shire Council and cooked with love by our BBQ masters. Thank you to all of our Rotarians and Friends of Rotary, Andy, Nina, Miriam, Helmut, Julie, Jordyn, Donna, Rowan and Sarah for helping put the night together and everyone who helped leading up to it.
From the very beginning, the energy in the room was electric, thanks to the ever-enthusiastic Rowan Francis, who rallied the crowd and introduced the "hostess with the most-est, Tamara 'That's All Fowkes'" 😆
And what a night it turned out to be.
The room was filled with passionate people sharing pathways, programs, ideas, and opportunities designed to help our young people grow, connect, build confidence, and thrive.
A huge thank you to our incredible guest speakers and presenters:
🌱 Tamara Fowkes – launching the brand-new Rotary Youth Community Challenge (RYCC) for Grade 6 students, sharing the 6–7 Transition Scholarship, and opportunities through Murcotts Defensive Driving for young drivers.
🚨 Leanne Klammer – showcasing the exciting world of Junior SES, with a special thank you to the SES Kinglake Unit crew for bringing the truck (and all the lights!) which helped light up the carpark and made the night extra special.
🧠 Linda Gidlund & Sally West – sharing the life-changing opportunities available through Interact, Rotaract, Earlyact, RYLA District 9790 and RYPEN Youth Leadership Programs. Rypen Rise
🏎 Rowan Francis – bringing passion and energy to Penguin Racing.
🔬 STEM Programs – showcased via video, highlighting future-focused opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths.
🚒 Elliot Sheedy – proudly sharing opportunities through Junior CFA - Kinglake West Fire Brigade
Thank you to the Kinglake CFA crew for bringing the fire truck along for the kids and supporting Elliot's presentation.
🌏 Nat Hood – inspiring us with the possibilities of Rotary Youth Exchange 9790, where young people can experience life, culture and learning in another country.
⛵ Milt Golenberg – introducing the adventure and challenge of the Sailing Challenge Program. All the way from the Rotary Club of Holbrook Australia
🏉 Justin Bumpstead – sharing how the Kinglake Junior Football Club supports youth through wellbeing, leadership, teamwork and belonging.
🤝 Kirsty Roberts – Community Development & Partnerships Officer, Growing Healthy Communities, Murrindindi Shire Council – sharing exciting future opportunities for young people across our region.
Murrindindi Shire Council
A special shoutout also to the incredible community organisations and legends who joined us:
💛 Luke, Principal of Kinglake Primary School, with information for families looking ahead to 2027 enrolments. Kinglake Primary School
💛 Corrienne from Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House, sharing the latest opportunities and support available through the neighbourhood house.
💛 Sheren and Neralle from the Youth Enterprise Hub, collecting valuable feedback and ideas as they work towards creating a future youth hub for our community.
💛 And a cameo appearance from local legend Kirk Mercuri, sharing his inspiring book Step by Step – Living with Autism.
Of course, no community event is complete without refreshments 😍 Fresh fruit, biscuits, and the most delicious chocolate brownie from our friends at Valley Meal Prep Au — safe to say it disappeared very quickly!
We were also honoured to welcome Damien Gallagher, Murrindindi Shire Councillori whose support for youth in our region means so much.
With Murrindindi Shire investing in youth opportunities across Kinglake, Yea and Eildon over the next two years, this night felt bigger than just an event.
Thank you to the Rotary Club of Diamond Creek and Yea Rotary for attending & showing support.
It felt like a community saying:
✨ We're all in. ✨
As Damien shared so perfectly:
"Our young, engaged, community-conscious citizens become future community leaders and community-conscious adults."
The feedback from the night has been overwhelming:
💬 "It was the most amazing event — showcasing the many options available to the youth on the mountain."
💬 "Great belly laughs, best sausage sizzle and people who really care about the younger generation's future."
💬 "Well done on coordinating and organising a splendid event focused on bringing together youth and community!"
Most importantly, the night proved something powerful:
We already have incredible opportunities for young people here.
Now imagine what happens when schools, clubs, families, community groups, Council and Rotary all work together to build even more.
To everyone who came, presented, volunteered, cooked, supported, encouraged, shared ideas, or simply showed up for our young people — thank you.
And to Tamara, thank you for seeing the potential for something bigger, having the courage to start it, and putting in the hard work to turn an idea into reality.
This truly feels like the beginning of something pretty special for the mountain. 💛⛰️
