Sir John Monash was our Founding Member in 1921 and then President of this Club 1922-23.
On the 5th anniversary the Battle of Amiens – 8 August, 1923 – he was asked to say a few words at our Club meeting. The minutes record his brief commentary on the extraordinary outcome of his planning and execution leading to the end of the war in less than 100 days from 0808.
His contribution to Victoria, Australia and the world community is legend. His counsel to all, especially to students, was:
"Adopt as your fundamental creed that you equip yourself for life not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community"
He is our greatest Australian by any measure.
The Rotary Club of Melbourne agreed in 2010 to award the Monash Medal each year to an outstanding Australian for her/his contribution to the Australian Community and beyond.
General Sir John Monash was the first Australian Commander of Australian Forces in World War 1 and the innovative planner for Allied Forces at The Battle of Amiens (0808). He is considered a “Significant Australian” for his contribution to the community before, during and after WW1.
The Monash Medal is awarded by Rotary Melbourne to an outstanding Australian who has made a significant contribution to the Australian community.
The criteria are Leadership, Integrity and Service – which are three of the five core values of Rotary.
Recipients:
