Join Mike McGovern in conversation with Rotary South Pacific's Polio Coordinator, our club's PDG Amanda Wendt. Mike is Chair of Rotary International’s PolioPlus Committee and Chair of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Oversight Board. One of the world’s leading figures in the fight against polio, Mike will share firsthand stories and a candid update on what it will take to finally eradicate the disease.
The online event will be held on Saturday 7 November at 11.00 am Melbourne time and is open to all Rotarians and friends of Rotary. Click read more below for details and to book.
Rotary Melbourne maestro David Kram and German violinist scholar Rosa Matos are holding a charity concert for Nepal, supporting those affected by the recent devastating floods. It will take place on Saturday 17 October 26 at 5 pm at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (22 Parliament Place, Melbourne).
Renowned South Korean soprano Sumi Jo coached eight emerging singers in a brilliant masterclass on 4 October, with our Arts Committee chair Maestro Dr David Kram AM at the piano and three participants sponsored by Tony Battaini’s More Than Opera.
Members and friends staffed a drinks station at the Melbourne Marathon, raising funds for The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program. Our sincere thanks to Jim Orchard for organising the opportunity.
Rotary Melbourne welcomes Emma Amos who was recently inducted into the Club.
Thank you to Robert Fischer for last week's reflection, on Wednesday 7 October 2026.
Club Guests Maggie McDonell (Speaker), Hamish McDonell.
Guests of Members Grant Butteriss (Carolyn Burr), Millie Swann (Visitor), Christine Zavod (Bruce Livett), Richard Barley, Matthew Weller, David Townsend, Mirella Townsend (Reg Smith).
Membership Anniversary Austen Burleigh (27), David Prest (49), Tilman Ruff (8).
Happy Birthday Peter Doherty, Karen Gornalle, Jacques Morin.
Rotary Melbourne's Arts Committee are planning a visit to the Villa Alba Museum in Kew (www.villaalbamuseum.org) on a private tour with a maximum of 30 people:
* Saturday afternoon 17 October
* Tour with tea/coffee approx. $30
* BYO lunch with possible optional extra of ribbon sandwiches and/or scones (being investigated).
Robert Fisher would be happy to receive expressions of interest.
Rotary Melbourne welcomes Ahamed (Arshad) Samsudeen who was inducted into the Club on 29 July 2026 with the classification Finance - Accounting. He is a member of the Malvern Group.
President Carol, welcomed special guests, Emeritus Professor Ian Harper AO, until recently a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Monetary Policy Board, guest speaker to be introduced later by President Elect Branko Panich and speaking on ‘The Economic Development of Australia: How Did We Get Here?’ and Emmanuela Amos shortly to be inducted as a Club member.
The Melbourne Peregrine Falcons, at 367 Collins Street Melbourne, now have 3 hungary floofs (an informal, playful slang term for something or someone that is exceptionally soft, puffy, and fluffy) mouths to feed. Hopefully the fourth egg will hatch on Monday. It has been amazing how the parents have managed to look after the floofs during the extremely wet weather over the last few days.
Happy Birthday Peter Bailey, Austen Burleigh, Rob Helme (TODAY!), Sana Malik, Nick Pelham.
Its is a long held tradition that if you come to lunch on your birthday you will be tagged “the Wearer of the Carnation” A little out of favour in modern days a large spectacular rose for each of our Spring babies. President Carol, Mimmie Watts and Ian Harper celebrated their birthdays.
Rotary Melbourne welcomes Dan Durik who was inducted into the Club on 16 September 2026 with the classification Community Services - Management. He is a member of the Malvern Group.
Rotary Melbourne is proud to support SecondBite. In their first year since merging, SecondBite and FareShare rescued a record 25 million kilograms of food, cooked 2.8 million meals and supported more than 1,000 charities, reaching an estimated 700,000 Australians every week as demand for food relief keeps climbing. Click read more below to read the FY2025 Annual Report.
ROMAC provides surgical treatment for children in Australia and New Zealand from developing countries from our Pacific Region in the form of Life Giving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country.
To read the latest ROMAC articles on successful medical cases for September 2026 please click read more below.
Explore 18 private, landscape designed gardens across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Choose a $80 Weekend Pass for every garden over both days, a fully catered Bus Tour (places are limited), or individual tickets from $10.
Click read more below for details and bookings on the Garden DesignFest.
Thank you to Peter Dakin for last week's reflection, on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Rotary Melbourne’s Robert Fisher is lacing up again - challenging himself to walk 250 kilometres during October to help create a polio-free world. Since 1988, wild polio cases have fallen by more than 99.9%, but until transmission stops everywhere, children remain at risk. Every dollar raised through Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign is matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation, tripling its impact. We are incredibly close - but close isn’t finished. Click read more below to support Robert’s challenge and help Rotary finish the job.
Club Guests Rob Auld.
Visiting Rotarians John Hancock (Bangkok, Thailand).
Guests of Members Jessica Dudley, David & Michael Scalzo (Quin Scalzo), Janet Jane (Yidan Xi), Rachel Cameron (Deb Yin Foo), Michael Gornalle (Karen Gornalle).
This week’s duties: Robert Fisher, Dores Schembri (Reception), Stephen Mandie (Raffle), John Peberdy (Photographer), Karen Kim (MC), Robert Fisher (Reflection).
Membership Anniversary George Giamadakis (6 – TODAY!), Shiren Anwar (2), Peter Dakin (38), Pam Hargreaves (1), Stanley Ho (2), John Shaw (30), Barbara Yerondais (16).
Happy Birthday Mimmie Watts & Carol Bond (TODAY!), Stephen Mandie.
