History Summary
A summary of the Club’s History
Let’s see what this Club has done over the years!
Chartered in 1953, we sponsored the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 1962, two local Probus Clubs and two Rotaract Clubs, then in 1996 the Rotary Club of Port of Brisbane. We hosted three District Conferences – we have supplied three District Governors - also hosted Roma and Chinchilla Rotarians. Our Club held annual Combined Service Club meetings locally. We commenced our Club’s Charitable Trust after selling a house donated by a PP Frank Davies.
In 1978, we introduced yellow shirts for members - a real phalanx of Wynnum and Manly members at District Conferences! Member social activities have included tennis evenings, cricket matches against Cleveland, theatre nights, interclub visits, car “rally” weekends, sailing weekend with RQYS, opera in the vineyard weekend at Stanthorpe, barefoot bowls, annual caravan and camping weekends.
Community Service has included development of public facilities – a children’s playground at Lota, showing 8mm films to nursing home residents, donations of cars to Blue Nursing Service, organised a Sailboard Classic on the foreshore, formed a District Concert Band, established the Mud Flat Toy Factory, setting up and painting playground equipment and bridges at Ed Devenport Park at Lota, the Quandamooka project at Wynnum Jetty, Les Eastwood Beach at Manly – “they” said it couldn’t be done, but we did it!, shelter sheds and seating along the Esplanade – now taken over by the Brisbane City Council, vessel for Sailability – assistance to the disabled, donations to Manly Coast Guard, building sheds and gardens at Lota House, transport for adult disabled (the former ARAD) and constructing ramps for disabled people, operating a BBQ and providing parking and traffic control for Manly’s Halloween night, .
Community activities include – Australia Day BBQ for the public – we cook some 5,000 sausages, operating the kitchen and delivering meals for Wynnum Manly Meals-on-Wheels once a month, co-ordinating approaches to overcoming Domestic Violence, Bush Drought relief – $17,700 donated last year. Though our Rotary District, Senior’s Concerts, coordinating relief supplies for the Brisbane/Ipswich areas after the 2011 floods, installation of ANZAC memorials at some 17 local schools and colleges and Manly Lota RSL, setting up gardens for students at Manly West State School.
We set up and ran a train on St. Helena Island for a few years, also helped establish a Historical Library in Wynnum. The “Adopt a Road” program, in conjunction with keep Australia Beautiful Council, ensuring Whites Road at Lota and part of the Esplanade are tidied periodically.
Our members have been involved in the RYDA program to train Grade 11 students and also in the Make It Home Safely program assisting selected people to obtain their minimum100 hours practice to help achieve their driving licence.