Community
13 May, 2026
Rotary celebrating 60 years
COBDEN Rotary is celebrating its 60th anniversary with two months of activity planned, starting with a membership drive through the month of May.
The club will have a May membership month campaign including an information night on Thursday, May 21, followed in the next month by a gala night of celebration on Thursday, June 25.
“For 60 years the club has proudly served Cobden with assisting the beginning of the mini railway complex, the mini golf course, collection on the gate at Simpson Speedway, Rotary Park at the lake and financial support for Cobdenhealth,” Cobden Rotary Club president Gary Kimber said.
“We have also supported the Cobden airstrip, families in need at Christmas and for school camps, participation in the Cobden connection and its rotunda, citizenship awards for the three schools, providing books for our kinder kids, supporting young people through the Rotary Youth Program and fundraising for disasters such as bushfires.
“We have put on events such as our annual Easter Egg-stravaganza and Easter egg hunt, our annual Easter raffle, participating in the annual Christmas at Tandarook Park, providing barbecues and catering at clearing sales, election days and break ups.
“We’ve conducted smoke alarm battery changeovers, erected seats around town and taken part in the building of carports at Tandarook house.”
Mr Kimber said Rotary had a lot to offer any potential interested members.
“It’s that community sense, bringing communities together, connecting people by providing a service – it’s just so important in this day and age,” he said.
“What you get out of Rotary is a sense of giving back, a chance to work outside your normal area, meet new people from different fields and different areas and the fellowship is one of the most outstanding things of Rotary.
“I’m proud of what Rotary has been able to do, particularly in my 35 years, and we hope that it just continues because all communities need groups such as Rotary to be there for them and support them.
“Rotary, to me, means fellowship. It means giving back.
“It’s a sense of community strengthening, bonding, getting together and providing community resources, and to me that’s the best part – the smiles on the faces.”
Mr Kimber said with the club’s May membership month campaign, they hoped to recruit more Rotarians to the club.
“Moving forward, we hope we can pick up more members,” he said.
“We’ve dropped members all the way through, and it would be lovely to get back to 20 members – we have nine at the moment.
“I would love to see, in 10 years’ time, us having 20 members.”
Mr Kimber said the club had a very proud history of all it had done and would continue to do in the future.
“To assist with this, the club is keen to expand its membership,” he said.
“Membership is open to all ages and abilities and it a great way for people to become involved in a rewarding, fun-filled club which gets involved wherever and whenever they can.
“If you are looking for an amazingly rewarding volunteering group, our club is for you.
“Please contact me on 0439 079 098 for further information or to book in to the information night on May 21, which will be held at 6pm at the Civic Hall in Cobden.”
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