COURTNEY BURKE
A CLASSIC Holden station wagon recently passed through Riverland towns to commemorate 100 years of Rotary in Australia.
Caboolture Queensland Rotary Club project co-ordinator and secretary Peter Brown, who has been a Rotarian since 1977, said Riverland Rotarians did not disappoint.
“It’s a small band of people that do big things in the community and leave a lasting impression,” he said.
The year-long tour commenced on Monday, January 18, after some rescheduling due to COVID-19, and is set to finish just before Christmas.
Mr Brown said he will try to cover all towns around Australia that have a Rotary Club, to see how each one is celebrating the milestone.
“It’s not 100 years of any particular club, even though Melbourne was the first club in Australia in 1921,” he said.
“The idea for the tour came while discussing better uses for the station wagon, which is normally used at Variety Bash charity events to support disadvantaged children.”
Mr Brown said although the tour has been rewarding, he faced a number of challenges.
“I could have gone around and done the exact same tour using my current, up-to-date, luxury, comfortable, airconditioned vehicle instead of driving this 30-year-old piece of… let’s just say classic Holden Commodore station wagon,” he said.
“We’ve had to replace a leak in the fuel tank, we’ve had to replace a damaged tail shaft and I’ve got engine misfunctions.
“Basically, it wasn’t running right, but we’re dealing with it as we go.”
Mr Brown said “when you’re a Rotarian you’re never alone”.
“I pull-up at a club and I just send a message that I’m a visiting Rotarian and there is always someone to have a coffee with,” he said.
“Once you’re a Rotarian, you have an international family.
“If you go to an airport and you’ve got a Rotary badge on someone will just walk up to you and say ‘Hello, I’m a Rotarian from so and so’– suddenly you’re like an ‘old friends’ sort of discussion.”
Any Riverlanders keen to be involved should contact their local Rotary club.