Erin Gielis

In this project, I have chosen to write a history of the Rotary Club of Waitara. To do this, I will examine not only the history of Rotary (and Rotary in Australia more specifically) but also the foundation of this particular club, and notable projects which they have been involved in over their thirty-four year history. As my aim is to create a record of the club, rather than to pass judgement on it necessarily, there is only a limited argument to my work, mostly that while there are always internal conflicts, an organisation such as Rotary International is overall doing good work in the community.

Evidence

My primary evidence has come from discussions with club members, including a short survey which I had members fill out at a meeting. I have also utilised the websites of Rotary International, Waitara Rotary, Trove, and various other websites including the Hornsby Advocate, Sydney Morning Herald, and the Daily Telegraph. Club Secretary, Joe Beskin, also was able to provide me with some Rotary publications, including:

Aitken, R. (2007) An Introduction to Programs of Rotary: An Overview of major programs available to Rotary clubs in districts administered by Australia and New Zealand Rotary Down Under

Henningham, P. (1996) Seventy Five Years of Service: Rotary in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands 1921-1996 Rotary Down Under

Themes

The primary themes of the history have been the contributions and development of community projects by the club. I have also chosen to discuss the history of Rotary in Australia, to place the club in context.

Need

The primary beneficiary of this work will be the Rotary Club themselves. For the Rotary Club of Waitara, having this record is extremely important, primarily as it allows them to evaluate where they have come from and use these lessons to guide the club in future endeavours. It has a direct correlation to the work I have undertaken with them, with the raw material from interviews and other assorted information (photos, archives etc.) to create the history. . From my own involvement with Rotary, it has become clear to me that the broader community as a whole does not have a great idea about what Rotary is or does. By having this information easily accessible in a clear and concise manner on their website, this may help rectify the issue.

The planned audience of the project is any prospective member of the club. This is as every Rotary Club has a slightly different focus or aim, and by making the history of the club clear to new members, they can choose the club which best suits them. Without providing a history of the club, this can be a difficult decision to make. Therefore the main beneficiary of the project is the club themselves. Not only will they hopefully acquire a greater understanding of the club and its roots, but they may also have new members join as a result of the updated website, which is always a benefit to clubs. Essentially, the more information available to prospective members, the more informed their decision will be.

Significance and Presentation

I have ended up presenting the information I have gathered on a website, rather than a pdf as I had originally envisaged. As planned, I have written a shorter history for the club’s main site, but there will also be a link to this dedicated website. These links are not yet active on Waitara Rotary’s website, but are still planned. Presenting in this manner allows for it to be more clearly displayed, and linked to separately, if need be. This website can be seen at www.waitararotary.wordpress.com. Additionally, presenting it as a website makes it much simpler to link to other sites of interest, as well as online articles and the like. This has allowed me to link to the websites belonging to each of the notable projects, if they exist, such as for Studio ARTES, or the Pride of Workmanship Awards, where further information is available.

Accessibility

Having the information on a website makes it very easily linked to. Each individual page can also be separately posted to Facebook, or any number of other social media sites. The page as a whole can also be linked to either Facebook, the club’s site, or the District Rotary History website. In terms of interactivity, other members of the club would be able to make amendments to the page, especially once it’s transferred to the club’s website. Feedback can be given either on the wordpress or Facebook sites through comment sections.

Sustainability

Having now set up the option of a WordPress site for the club, either myself or any other member of the club can continue to add content as the history of the club grows. For myself, there is still information regarding specific club projects that I wasn’t able to get ahold of the necessary parties prior to the due date, so I’d like to update those segments as I can. The eventual aim, would be to have all of this information either linked from or integrated into Waitara Rotary’s website.

Shorter blurb to appear on Waitara Rotary’s website—before linking to the more detailed sections:

The Rotary Club of Waitara was founded on April 3, 1981 as the Rotary Club of Hornsby-Waitara. The charter President was Doug May. The first name suggested was actually the Rotary Club of Hornsby Valley, as the club developed out of the original Rotary Club of Hornsby, but Hornsby-Waitara was eventually settled upon. Meetings were first held at lunchtime, and at the Hornsby Rugby Club. Eventually, however, the name became confusing, as they would often receive Hornsby Rotary Club’s mail, and vice versa. This led to the simplification to the Rotary Club of Waitara.

The Rotary Club of Waitara’s most enduring projects have included a fifteen-year association with Studio ARTES, a local organisation which provides an organised activity and location for people living with disabilities; an association with the Hornsby- Ku-ring-gai Hospital from the very start, due to some original members also being directors on the Hospital board; this has involved a large amount of fundraising over the years, in the form of balls, barbeques, and Christmas Tree sales; and also a continued involvement with the Salvation Army, participating annually in the Red Shield Appeal, as well as other fundraising activities.

The most enduring of all the club’s projects, however, has been their commitment and passion for Youth Exchange, annually hosting students from all around the world, as well as sponsoring young Australians to go overseas.

— ERIN GIELIS

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