Rotary Celebrates 30 Years in Kununurra

Monday 17 October 2016 the Rotary Club of Kununurra had a special celebration aboard the MV Jabiru to commemorate 30 years to the day when the Club was presented with its Charter.
 
Rotarians & friends enjoyed fellowship aboard the Jabiru whose deck many past Rotarians had shared that same friendship of Rotary.

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Special Guest for the evening was District Governor Patricia Canning who received a cheque for $2000 from President Colin Kuiper being the Clubs donation to the Rotary Foundation. The Charity where moneys are distributed worldwide for life changing projects which include End Polio Now.
 
Colin accepted a “Congratulatory 30th Year Certificate” on behalf of the Club from the District Governor, who also praised the Rotarians for having a vibrant and more significantly fun club.
 
There are also the compulsory birthday cake created by Fiona & Colin Kuiper and cut by the attending past presidents and current president Colin.
 
This Club came about in 1986 due to the efforts of  Warren & Barbara Johnson who were the driving force behind establishing Rotary in Kununurra. Warren had been introduced to Rotary by Mr John Pizey, of the Rotary Club of West Perth, of which he became a member.  Upon moving to Kununurra, Warren identified the need to form a Rotary Club here.
 
Through Warren, West Perth Rotary sponsored the Charter of the Kununurra Club. After several months of work & preparation by Warren who was appointed District Governors Special Representative, the Rotary Club was formed.
 
The Provisional Club was established 08 Sept 1986.  The List of Charter Members was established with the successful Chartered being granted 26 Sep.
 
This Charter was presented by District 945 Mr Graham Fosbery at a special Dinner held in Kununurra on the 17 October 1986 with the 25 Charter members & their wives.   Mr John Woodhead & Spike Dessert both Charter members are still actively involved members of our Club.  With John having one of the best attendance records of the Club.
 
Kununurra Rotary Club in turn sponsored the formation of the Broome & Derby Rotary Clubs along with Rotaract  in Kununurra.
 
During the past 30 years this small Club has hosted 28 students from all over the world which in turn has allowed 28 local children to experience living in another country for 12 months. There have also been shorter individual & group Study exchange programs, not only for school students but for adults. 
 
In the early days the Club run both the Rodeo & Agriculture Show along with operating the bar at the Swag Swappers B&S Balls. It is still involved with the Rodeo & Ag Show with cooking their famous Burgers which over the years have been cooked at the Mardi Gra, Dam to Dam, Barramundi Concert & Street Party.
 
The Club has hosted Pioneers Dinners, The Year that Was, Wine & Cheese Evenings & in 1993 the District Conference in Broome.
 
Raffled countless items including a 4WD Hilux in 1990!
 
Involved nearly the whole community by hosting one of the biggest Fundraiser Projects this town has ever seen with the Rotary 100 Women’s Walk in 2010.
 
Plotted the course for adventures in the bush, enabling people to see parts of this country that they may not get an opportunity otherwise to see.
 
Sold Posties bikes & melons and auctioned paintings.
 
With 30 years of fundraisers the Club have raised a LOT of Money!
 
To balance the ledger the Club naturally has to spend that same money and put it back into the community, into projects that it has identified are for the better of the community.​

Rotary has been able to fund many varied causes not only in Kununurra but internationally, both through direct donations to Local groups and through Rotary International.
The eradication of Polio worldwide has been nearly achieved, Bowel Cancer Screening Tests, the funds raised by the Club has contributed to these projects
 
With the “Paul Harris Fellowship” award the Club has recognised 24 persons, not necessarily Rotarians, from our local community  for their commitment to our community and to making the difference.
 
The following awards have also been presented in the past:
            Apprentice of the Year,
            Pride of Workmanship,
            School Achievement Awards,
            Leadership Awards,
            Vocational School Awards
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Rotarians have shown their community spirit by cooking on Anzac Day Services & Australia Day Celebrations. Also brought awareness to the community by handing out information about “Bowel Cancer screening kits” in the Shopping Centre
 
It has over the years contributed to the beautification of our town.
At the Cemetery the construction of entrance gates, remembrance wall. And recovered from the rising waters of the Main Dam near the old Lissadell Stock Yards in 1996 two old headstones and relocated them in Kununurra Headstones. And last year contributed towards the upgrade of roads in the cemetery and planted 200 trees.
 
At Celebrity Tree Park we have contributed towards the construction of the Gazebo, Playground, Interpretive Lookout & presenting the Shire with $10,000 to help green the park by extending the existing reticulation system.
We donated $150,000 to have a Quiet Room reinstated at the Hospital. It is now known as the Rotary Reflection Lounge. With this also came the Rotary Transit Room.
 
As an example of its generosity during the 1993/94 year alone it handed over $16638 to local organisations.

International projects have included:
     1990/91        Construct school building in Talisay in the Philippines
     2015/16        Contributing funds to help finish the construction of a  school building on Atauro Island, East Timor.
                        Also on same island the installation of taps & hand pumps and the construction of a well, tank stand & trough to water the cattle.
 
With meetings held weekly there have obviously been numerous & varied, with many guest speakers during the 30 years.
 
The remotest meeting was held at Kachana Station in 1997. And the largest attendance at a Changeover dinner was 140 guests. With was in 1999 at Quentins Parkers home when 70 Rotarians on their way home for World Conference in Singapore popped in!
 
Fundraising ideas, good causes and Rotarians may have changed during the past 30 years, but the essence of Rotary remains. Fellowship and helping others.
 
By the introduction of just one new member to Rotary we have achieved this & more. That ripple effect continues today with the Kununurra being one of the strongest Rotary Clubs in WA.
 
Meeting are held weekly and meet at Gullivers Tavern at 6pm on Mondays. We welcome new members.