Our Club meets 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, check Upcoming Events & Rotary News for details & booking links. The Club meets at various Sydney venues and & has a wide range of social events. Contact us: office@sydneyrotary.com
In November Shirley attended the 2024 Presentation Ceremony on Monday at Parliament House with her granddaughter Emilia Randell. The winners of the National History Challenge were awarded medals and certificates for their outstanding work in the presence of their parents and significant parliamentarians.
In particular, Senator Margaret Reynolds and Shirley presented an award to the 2024 national winner of the Special Category Women’s History, Aeon Nguyen from South Australia, for her essay titled “Pens of Protest: The Ingenious Feminist Response in Australia’s Suffrage Movement”.
Shirley congratulates Saanvi Malhotra with her family for being the New South Wales Young Historian for her essay on “The Bengal Famine of 1943”.
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Victoria Hollick - Merry Christmas from the UK
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Christine Yen - 2024: Extract from A Year of Inspirational Change
How much do we know about our fellow Rotarians? Often there is so much more if we only took the time to talk. Here is a brief extract from a LinkedIn post by Christine Yen.
"From Master of Pharmacy to Master of Sustainability, my journey this year may seem like a stark transition, but both fields share a purpose: bringing holistic and enriching perspectives to modern innovations.
To read Christine's entire post and get the full picture of what Christine does in her Academic, professional and Volunteering life go here!
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Garry Browne - 60 kms in a day, impressive! Exceeding fundraising target of $100,000, awesome!
In December Garry spent a memorable day running with the resilient and amazing Peter Baines OAM, an inspiration to all of around him. Garry completed one day of Peter’s 26-day journey of 1400kms.
Garry wrote "We shared stories, ideas and talked about the importance of this run to him and the impact it will make to Hands and the children it supports. Peter is an absolute legend and in this part of the world he is an Icon.
Running 60 kilometres with Peter was a priceless experience for me, it exceeded all expectations and additionally I was able to exceed the target, I set myself of $100,000 for Hands."
If you would like to support with a contribution, please click here!
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The Rotary Club of Sydney is proud to have such notable Business and Community Leaders as members of our club.
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Celebrating Our Members
Member Birthdays
Garry Browne AM
February 13
Joe Botta
February 14
Anniversaries
Geoffrey Little
February 14
Join Date
David Kellaway
February 1, 1972
53 years
John Randall
February 1, 1985
40 years
Wayne Costin
February 1, 1986
39 years
Natalie Ward
February 9, 1999
26 years
Fleur Hourihan
February 18, 2018
7 years
Sy Lagaaia
February 21, 2023
2 years
Happy birthday to all members.
Congratulations on your Rotary anniversary and thank you for the work you do in Rotary and in your community.
Rotary Club of Sydney Newsletter - Bumper Nov Dec 2024 Edition
Welcome all to our bumper edition of our Newsletter covering the packed and exciting period from 1st November through to the end of 2024.
Let me start by wishing you all a prosperous and peaceful New Year and I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.
During my professional life working with colleagues in India several times over the Diwali period, I was deeply touched when they warmly wished me a Happy Diwali. Though I do not celebrate the festival myself, their genuine joy and heartfelt wishes made me feel honoured and included in a way that transcended cultural and religious boundaries. It was not just a gesture but an expression of kindness and shared humanity, reminding me of the power of simple, meaningful connections.
This experience taught me the importance of accepting offers of goodwill with respect and grace, even when it comes from a tradition we might not share. So, when I wish someone a Merry Christmas, I do so with the same sincerity and respect I felt from my Indian colleagues. It is not just about the celebration itself but about extending warmth and good wishes, something we all can embrace, regardless of our beliefs.
It has been a very eventful half year and I am looking forward, with the encouragement and support of my fellow Board Members, Committee and Team Leads and members, to our club scaling new heights of service, fellowship and philanthropy in 2025.
Check in regularly at www.sydneyrotary.com to see all the latest news and what special events we have lined up for you in the coming months.
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In November we held two lunch events at The UBS Meeting Rooms in Chifley Tower, a Melbourne Cup Social and Fundraiser, a Prospective Members night at Club York, and an Indian Dinner Social at the Delhi Heights Restaurant and Function Centre.
In December we had an informative Zoom presentation on Julian Assange, our AGM and a Club Assembly as well as our Christmas Party.
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The Sydney Peace Foundation, one of our Partner Organisations, held its Sydney Peace Prize Gala Dinner. It was attended by a contingent of Sydney Rotary members and partners. It was a sumptuous affair and one we will aim to match when we have our own Gala Dinner in 2025.
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We continued to support PCYC Redfern and this year we funded their Christmas BBQ and, with help from Sydney Food Share and OZHarvest, donated over 100 food hampers along with Tree of Friendship gifts to the local community. We love Freny, of Sydney Food Share, devotion and selfless service.
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A big thank you to Nathan Griffioen and Christine Yen, for helping help with the PCYC Redfern BBQ. Great to see Victor and Anne from PCYC helping out! A big thanks to Nick Woodfield, Manager of PCYC Redfern, for his help to organise the BBQ.
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1st November - Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year Awards
I did include an update on the Rotary Police Officer of the Year Awards held on 1st November at the Hyatt Regency in my last Newsletter and I include an abbreviated version here for completeness.
The Hyatt Regency provided a spectacular setting for the Rotary NSW Police officer of the Year Awards 2024.POOTY Awards
More than four hundred police officers, Rotarians, family and friends recently attended the annual NSW Police Officer of the Year awards.
The awards are a joint initiative by the Rotary Club of Sydney on behalf all Rotary Districts in NSW and the NSW Police Force, to recognise professional excellence and dedication to service by officers and civilian staff.
Senior Constable Alison Stewart, from the Port Stephens Hunter Police District was named the 2024 Rotary NSW Police Officer of the Year.
The 2024 Awards were presented by NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb APM; Minister for Police and Counter Terrorism, The Hon. Yasmin Catley; Rotary Club of Sydney President, Glenn Stafford; retired NSW Police Inspector, Irene Juergens APM, Deputy Commissioners and senior Rotarians.
For the full story and Winners in each category go to our website, click here.
The Rotary Club of Sydney was well represented as can be seen in our previous newsletter.
In addition to receiving a Paul Harris Fellow (3 Ruby), the highest level of PHF, John Given OAM also received a NSW Police Commendation from NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb. It was a privilege to be part of the presentation party recognising John for his unwavering commitment to POOTY since its inception in 2010.
A very special footnote to the awards.
Christine Yen on hearing that P.P. John Given is a very keen yachtie and had put in a silent auction bid for a particularly fine painting of a Yacht in heavy seas made it her mission to secure the painting for John.
John was very moved by Christine's gesture and the painting now has pride of place in John's recuperation room at his home.
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November 5th - A Sydney Rotary Boardroom Dialogue - Pathways to educational attainment from early childhood to higher education
Thank you to Emerita Professor Eileen Baldry....for her insightful and engaging presentation on our children's learning journeys from early childhood to tertiary. Together we can work to improve the pathway for all and reduce inequities.
November 5th - Melbourne Cup Day Fundraiser
Following the informative talk from Emerita Professor Eileen Baldry we prepared ourselves for our Melbourne Cup Fundraiser.
Our erstwhile Sergeant at Arms and myself did our best to compete for best Hat.
But our efforts were to no avail in the face of stiff competition including this noble effort from Victoria Hollick!
Some of the Raffle prizes on offer.
Some of the attendees san hats! From L-R Mr Geoffrey Little, Victoria Hollick, Eileen Baldry AO, Shirley Randell AO, Glenn Stafford and Liudmyla Olkhovska.
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November 19th - Rotary Sydney and PCYC NSW Special Event: Youth Encouragement Scholarships (YES) Awards Presentation
The Youth Encouragement Scholarships (YES!), established in 2021, supports vulnerable and disadvantaged youth across NSW in pursuing their ambitions in education, sports, the arts, and environmental leadership.
During the event, we presented a brief overview of the YES program, highlighting what has been achieved to date, the number of scholarships awarded and showcasing inspiring case studies from past recipients. These stories demonstrate how the scholarships have empowered young people to overcome challenges and excel in their chosen fields, from performing arts to sports coaching, and more.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the 2024 YES Scholarships, recognising this year's outstanding young recipients from both regional and metropolitan areas of NSW. This is a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand how your support and involvement with Rotary Sydney and PCYC NSW are making a lasting impact in the lives of our youth.
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November 20 - Sydney Rotary Member & Prospective Member Social Night
Sydney Rotary once again open its arms and warmly welcomed members and prospective members to an evening of fellowship and networking in the heart of Sydney's CBD! Whether a current member, a friend, or considering joining, this social gathering at Club York—just a short walk from the QVB — offered a relaxed atmosphere to connect with like-minded professionals.
It was the perfect opportunity expand networks while learning about our club’s mission to create lasting positive change. Attendees discovered how you can get involved in projects supporting diversity, climate action, youth programs, and Indigenous education.
Many thanks to John Snelgrove, Geoffrey Wilbow, Iurie Brinister, Christine Yen, Raja Venkat, Phoebe Alexander. Lindsey Mell and Geoffrey Little for helping to make our prospective members feel welcome. Special thanks to Mark Dyer for organising the event and please note we will be holding prospective member nights every month. We look forward to the support of club members.
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November 29 - Sydney Rotary Diwali Celebration
We had a great turn out with friends and supporters joining a sprinkling of Sydney Rotary members for a truly special evening as we celebrated the vibrant and joyous Festival of Lights—Diwali! Hosted by Club Secretary Paul and his wife Sony, a talented Indian tandoori chef, this festive gathering took place at the renowned Delhi Heights Indian Restaurant & Function Centre in Dural.
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, symbolising the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. It's celebrated across India and by Indian communities around the world, with dazzling displays of lights that mark this profound moment of unity and hope.
We all experienced the warmth of authentic Indian hospitality as you enjoy a sumptuous buffet crafted by Sony.
Paul McKenzie with two of our special guests, on the left Dr Heston Kwong, President Rotary Club of Admiralty in Hong Kong and Mayor of Hornsby Shire, Warren Waddell.
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December 3 - Julian Assange, the rest of the Story
We kicked of December with an insightful Zoom session from David Hirsch, Barrister, who expertly led us through the complex history and lesser-known aspects of the Julian Assange case, revealing the legal intricacies, political maneuvers, and ethical considerations often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
We all gained a deeper understanding of this high-profile case as David shed light on the broader implications for freedom of speech, legal protections, and the responsibilities of modern journalism. A great opportunity, for those who attended, to be that informed voice at your next dinner party on the "rest of the story" behind one of the most contentious legal battles of our time.
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December 4, 17 & 23 - Sydney Rotary Tree of Friendship
Sydney Rotary in partnership with Market City shopping centre Haymarket launched its annual initiative aimed at inspiring friendships between young children.
A giant Tree of Friendship was planted in the Market City Activity Centre to mark the 2024 festive season and Sydneysiders invited to donate a toy (or monies to purchase toys) that will inspire children to be active, share and care.
Our goal every year is to provide as many children as possible with the gift of play, creativity, and laughter!
Flying the flags of those we support!
Youth Committee Chair and tree organiser, Kaila Cruz, helping Santa!
Preparing gifts to be delivered to Sydney Food Share!
The Kids from the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre not just had a great day out but received creative gifts that might just start them on a path in the arts or sports! Take a close look, this is why we do what we do!
Did you give a gift, donate monies or did your inner scrooge prevail? It's not too late you can still donate! At the time of writing we are $2811 towards a target of $5000 and you can donate here.
Donated monies and gifts for the Sydney Rotary Tree of Friendship are distributed to PCYC Redfern, Glebe and Woolloomooloo Clubs, the Be Centre (for traumatised children), the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre, and Sydney Food Share.
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December 11 - Sydney Rotary Member & Prospective Member Social Night
Another night when Sydney Rotary once again open its arms and warmly welcomed members and prospective members to an evening of fellowship and networking in the heart of Sydney's CBD! Whether a current member, a friend, or considering joining, this social gathering at Club York—just a short walk from the QVB — offered a relaxed atmosphere to connect with like-minded professionals.
It was the perfect opportunity expand networks while learning about our club’s mission to create lasting positive change. Attendees discovered how you can get involved in projects supporting diversity, climate action, youth programs, and Indigenous education.
Many thanks to James Allen, Mike Chilcott, Liudmyla Olkhovska, Iurie Brinister, Christine Yen, Shanka Sankaran, Paul McKenzie and Geoffrey Little for helping to make our prospective members feel welcome.
Special thanks again to Mark Dyer for organising the event and please note we will be holding prospective member nights every month. We look forward to the support of club members.
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December 17 - Sydney Rotary AGM and Club Assembly
Congratulations to all of our Club Members, Officers and Board Members who attended our Annual General Meeting followed by our Club Assembly.
Special thanks to James Allen for being the presiding officer for Board Nominations, Paul McKenzie and Geoffrey Wilbow for presiding over the AGM in the respective roles as Honorary Secretary and Public Officer.
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December 18 - Sydney Rotary AGM and Club Assembly
Another great Sydney Rotary Christmas Party organised by Events lead Phoebe Alexander!
At the Blue Eye Dragon we enjoyed home style Taiwanese cuisine; local ingredients, treated with care, cooked with love and served with a smile.
The evening was one full of surprises and prizes!
From L-R Georgie and Jessica from Adara Group and Kate from Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre
A surprise for Phoebe! Receiving her second Paul Harris Fellow for her selfless volunteering work.
As well as being a fun social event this was also a fund raiser with over $500 raised towards Sydney Rotary's and PCYC NSW's Youth Encouragement Scholarship program.