Rotary Melbourne

13/08/2026

📻 Tune in tonight!

Join the Rotary and Community Service Radio Show tonight, Friday 14 August, from 6–8pm on 94.1FM 3WBC or stream live at www.3wbc.org.au.

Tonight’s program features a special interview with Rotary Melbourne President Dr Carol Bond, hosted by Ian Salek and his co-host Alex Birnie.

Born in Evanston, Chicago—just a stone’s throw from Rotary International headquarters—Carol shares stories from her early life, professional journey and dedication to Rotary Melbourne, its members and its diverse community projects.

There’ll also be great music and lively conversation to kick off your weekend. Please join us!

🎙 Tonight—Friday, 14 August
⏰ 6–8pm
📻 94.1FM 3WBC
💻 Live: www.3wbc.org.au

11/08/2026

07/08/2026

🇦🇺 Honouring the extraordinary legacy of Sir John Monash.

Today, inside Victoria’s Parliament House, students, parliamentarians and community leaders gathered for the annual General Sir John Monash Commemorative Service.

Presented by the Spirit of Australia Foundation in collaboration with the Victorian Parliament, the service celebrated Monash not only as a brilliant engineer, soldier and civic leader, but as a man who believed leadership carried a responsibility to serve others.

As a founding member and Past President of Rotary Melbourne, Sir John Monash remains an enduring part of our Club’s story. His example continues to inspire new generations to lead with courage, integrity and purpose.

A proud and meaningful occasion honouring one of Australia’s greatest leaders.

PeopleOfAction ServiceAboveSelf Leadership AustralianHistory

06/08/2026

🏅 A remarkable leader. An enduring legacy. A moment worth celebrating.

At yesterday’s Rotary Melbourne meeting, Lara Olsen was presented with the 2026 Monash Medal - recognising her outstanding leadership, integrity and service to Australia.

A former John Monash Scholar, Lara has been at the forefront of Australia’s clean energy and water sectors. Her career has taken her from shaping strategy at ARENA and CitiPower Powercor to leading Tesla Energy’s grid-scale storage business and the landmark Hornsdale “Big Battery”.

As Managing Director of South East Water, Lara also led the delivery of essential water and wastewater services to nearly two million Victorians.

Her career reflects the very qualities embodied by Sir John Monash: bold thinking, principled leadership and service with purpose.

👏 Congratulations, Lara Olsen - Rotary Melbourne’s 2026 Monash Medallist.

Watch the moment Lara received the medal 🎥

30/07/2026

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: After 15 years, Branko has finally won the wine raffle!

He has bought tickets at Rotary Melbourne’s weekly meetings for 15 years - and at last, his number came up. Now that’s commitment! Congratulations, Branko. 🍷

Behind the weekly fun is some serious community impact. Run by our Community Welfare Committee, with bottles generously donated by members, the raffle has raised approximately $30,000 over the past five years.

Those funds have supported projects including Make A House A Home, The Smith Family, Rotary Safe Families, ForAMeal and the Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network.

One weekly tradition. Thousands of dollars raised. Countless people supported - and one very patient winner!

24/07/2026

📦 A shipment making a real difference in Timor-Leste!

Last week, 75 chairs, 14 sewing machines and three overlockers arrived at Canossa PreEscola in Dili, with shipping funded through a Rotary Melbourne club grant.

The chairs have already been put to good use at parent–teacher meetings, while the sewing equipment will support valuable learning and practical opportunities for the Canossian community.

Thank you to AfriAusCare for donating the sewing machines and overlockers, and Rotary Donations in Kind for providing the chairs. A wonderful example of organisations working together to turn donated goods into lasting community impact. 🇹🇱

21/07/2026

💙 The right words can save a life.

Last week, Rotary Melbourne welcomed Dr David Horgan, founder of the Australian Su***de Prevention Foundation, who introduced WhatDoISay.org—a free website designed to help anyone support someone who may be struggling.

The site provides hundreds of expert-approved messages that can be sent to a friend, family member or colleague when you don't know what to say. It's free, easy to use, and could make all the difference.

Rotary Melbourne is proud to support this outstanding initiative and help share it through Rotary networks in Australia and beyond.

Take a moment to bookmark WhatDoISay.org. You never know when those simple words might help save a life.

Click here for the website: https://whatdoisay.org

***dePrevention

15/07/2026

13/07/2026

⛵ Creating opportunities through the power of partnership.

Thanks to a $5,000 contribution from Rotary Melbourne, the Docklands Yacht Club has purchased a new patient hoist, making sailing more accessible for people of all ages living with physical disabilities.

The hoist enables participants to be safely transferred into the Club’s sailing simulator, where they can learn the fundamentals of sailing before heading out onto the water. Recently installed, it is already helping people like Tim, a stroke survivor, experience the freedom and joy of sailing.

This is Rotary in action - breaking down barriers, promoting inclusion, and helping everyone enjoy life on the water. 💙💛