As this Rotary year draws to a close, I find myself filled with immense gratitude. It has truly been an honour to serve as your District Governor, and I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for making this year Simply Irresistible and truly Magical. As this Rotary year draws to a close, I find myself filled with immense gratitude. It has truly been an honour to serve as your District Governor, and I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for making this year Simply Irresistible and truly Magical.
The Australian of the Year Awards celebrate extraordinary Australians who make a profound impact on lives, communities and society. Their challenges and triumphs, of reaching beyond professional achievements, reflect each recipient’s unique life journey. While the Awards focus on the year of recognition, they also honour the individual’s lifelong and ongoing contributions to the nation.
The Rotary Club of Eaglehawk has launched its Prep Pack Project for 2025: an initiative designed to support local primary schools in providing essential educational resources to young learners. This project has been made possible through the generous support of a district grant from the Rotary Foundation which underscores the Club’s commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for children in the community
Basic education and literacy, sanitation and hygiene are basic needs for a poorly developed country like Cambodia; especially important for children. With the support of separate District Foundation International Grants, World of Difference (WOD) conducted projects to improve both the school and sanitation facilities at two primary schools in rural Cambodia. These projects were also supported by Brighton North, Hawthorn Rotary and a WOD /VicPol Legatee tour in November 2024.Balwyn Rotarian 
Murray Wilkinson has been instrumental in creating over fifty biodiverse nature strips in just over 2 years. Murray was inspired when he attended a Rotarians for Bees event (“Bring Back the Buzz” organised by Canterbury Rotarian John McCaskill in March 2022.)
Murray Wilkinson has been instrumental in creating over fifty biodiverse nature strips in just over 2 years. Murray was inspired when he attended a Rotarians for Bees event (“Bring Back the Buzz” organised by Canterbury Rotarian John McCaskill in March 2022.)
With the support of a Rotary District 9800 Foundation Grant contributions from the local Somali community, the Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington has shipped a 40-foot container filled with hospital and medical equipment to Jarriban Hospital, Somalia.
The Timor Leste Rotary Consortium team of Vijay Susarla and John Walmsley has returned from Timor-Leste, from a scoping trip for the next stage of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Project. As part of the trip for the next stage of the WASH Project, they undertook due diligence and assessment of potential sites for toilet blocks and water tanks in several villages, as the project expands into the Kelikai, Baucau and Viqueque Districts. Since 2017, the consortium's WASH project has been delivered with the support of fourteen clubs from four Rotary Districts with funding from District Grants and Global Grants from the Rotary Foundation.
As we turn the calendar page to June, we enter the final month of this Rotary year—and the closing chapter of my time as steward of our great District 9800. It’s a moment of reflection, gratitude, and anticipation.
The weather conditions early on Sunday March 03, 2025 could only be described as one cheeky Rotarian put it when the sky opened and everybody took cover under the marquee, it's“great weather for ducks” But the sun shone through for the start of the race of bright yellow rubber ducks along the Maribyrnong River, The inaugural Great Essendon Rotary Duck Race began. Only outshone by the kids wearing their feathery duck hats, the racing ducks brought together kids of all ages for a day of fun.
Atop the 100 Steps of Federation at Truganina Park, watched over by the “Time Beacon” artwork (Cameron Robbins), Rotary Altona City’s Hobsons Bay Millennium Time Capsule lay buried for 25 years, safely holding the messages from over 12,000 people. The Time Capsule will be exhibited during the Hobsons Bay Heritage Festival, which has the theme “Unearthed.”
What an unforgettable experience the Inaugural Multi-District Impact Summit has been. Held at the Morphettville Racecourse in partnership with District 9510, this weekend was not just a conference—it was a celebration of connection, purpose, and Rotary’s power to transform lives.
The Rotary District 9800 Australian Rotary Health (ARH) Committee invites Rotarians and others interested in mental health to an Online Blended Mental Heal First Aid Zoom course. There will be two opportunities to participate: one on 16 August and the other on 23 August. Check the District Events page for details. For more information contact: ARH via the attached flyer.Looking for past stories
