Some 93% of South Australian crops failed last year and farmers are having a horrific time sourcing quality feed for their livestock. It’s not just the expense they are battling, it’s that there is precious little available for purchase locally.

Rotary has stepped up and, in partnership with Farmers Relief Agency, is purchasing 600kg bales of hay from Victoria, freighting it into SA and donating it to farmers in desperate need.

At a recent Rotary Club of Burnside’s Board meeting was highly productive, with an important outcome being the board’s commitment to contributing $5,000 to the Giant Hay Bale Appeal. Given the tough season for our local farmers, this initiative—originally led by our very own Bob Cooper for drought relief—raises funds to purchase hay bales for struggling farmers.

 At $110 per bale, which can feed around 20 cattle for a week, our contribution will go a long way in supporting not just the farmers but also our own food supply. My thanks to the board for their support, to PDG Bob Cooper for his dedication, and to RC Adelaide Central for spearheading this project.

A fantastic effort by our Fundraising team at Bunnings, raising over $1,200 on the day! In addition, the team raised $126.40 for the Drought Relief Appeal, which means we’re able to fund another bale of hay for farmers struggling through this dry season.

As many of you know, if farmers are not given the support they need, they will be forced to drastically reduce their livestock numbers. This is not just a farming issue – it’s a critical food security issue that will affect everyone, particularly the most vulnerable in our society. To that end, I have been actively reaching out to local businesses, members of state and federal parliament, and the wider community to raise awareness and support.

Once people understand the scale of the problem, they want to help. With PIRSA funding transport, every tax- deductible donation goes directly to purchasing hay bales – ensuring that every dollar makes an impact. A heartfelt thank you to all Rotarians and friends who have generously donated and helped spread the word.

Dr. Richard Bowyer of the Rotary Club of Burnside shared that Rotary, including our club, has received a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of Rotary’s invaluable support for the 2025 National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Year 12 Program. This is a tremendous acknowledgment of Rotary’s long-standing commitment to youth development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The Rotary Club of Canberra played a pivotal role in founding the program’s predecessor, the National Science Summer School (NSSS), in 1984. Since then, Rotary’s partnership with NYSF has shaped the careers of thousands of young Australians, providing them with invaluable experiences and opportunities.

Dr. Bowyer will be meeting with the CEO of NYSF, Dr. Melanie Bagg GAICD, soon. Our club, through the dedicated efforts of David Dewar, Dr. Gerald Barker, Dr. Bowyer, and many Rotarians nationwide and years past, has been a strong advocate for this initiative—helping young people like Stuart Vass, our most recent local candidate, take meaningful steps towards their STEM careers.

Well done to everyone involved in making this a continued success!  

The next phase of the Club’s Environment project is in full swing! John, John, Ian, Nicky, and President Andrew are hard at work assembling bird boxes. We have a variety of materials on hand, including numerous sheets of plywood—some purchased and donated by Australian Timber, as well as recycled sheets from Woodhouse. These will be turned into nesting boxes for the Scouts at Woodhouse. Each box is specifically designed for a particular species, and we’re creating different styles and sizes to cater to them all.

As of March 17, 2025, we’ve already produced:

• 4 Barn Owl boxes
• 6 Kookaburra boxes
• 5 Black Cockatoo boxes
• 5 Pardalote boxes

We’re making great progress, but there’s still a lot of wood to cut, drill, and flatpack before we’re finished. We’d love to have more hands to help before JC heads off. If you’re interested in joining us in the workshop, we welcome any newcomers! We hope to see you at one or more of our upcoming sessions.”

COMMUNITY WELLNESS HUB THURSDAY 20^TH MARCH 2025:

Despite the rain we had an excellent number of guests. We continue to have people attending regularly which is always encouraging.

Our Guest Speaker was Rick Sarre, Emeritus professor of Law and Criminal Justice at the University of South Australia and an Adjunct with UniSA: Justice and Society. He was formerly Dean of Law at the UniSA law School 2019-2020.

His topic ‘What we know and what we need to know’ Crime Prevention.

Rick Sarre believes strongly that we need to treat youth crime in a more helping manner. Locking up youth only provides an environment to become harden criminals in adulthood.

He stated that it costs $1320213,00 per prisoner per year. The number of First Nations People 2021 Census – 812,000 or 3.2% of Australia’s population.

• 32% of all prisoners
• 24% youth suicides
• 13% homicides.

Possible 5 Strategies to help prevent youth being imprisoned:

5. Encourage public and private security partnerships.

Champion diversionary and restorative practices.

4. Champion diversionary and restorative practices.

3.Instill protective factors in young people’s lives.

Heavily funded programs that enhance the social and mental health of all young people and raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14.

 2. Protect victims of domestic and family violence.

Provide more women’s shelters and fund every program that has been shown to be effective in reducing the levels of abuse to women and children.

 1. Address social and economic disadvantage.

Address mental health, community housing, broad educational pathways, mentoring, employment and empower groups that are found on the margins, First Nation communities especially.

Ric Sarre’s presentation gave us all food for thought on how youth crime is presently dealt with. By addressing the problems of domestic abuse for a start. We were all very grateful to hear Rick’s insights.

Leanne again conducted chair exercises for the group, which was very well received, thank you Leanne.

Finishing of the day with a light lunch.

Special thank you to the volunteers helping to make the event so successful. Des, JC, Ian, Trish, Steph, and Maria.

Thank you also to the City of Burnside for their continual support.

Next month’s speaker is Beth Walton and her topic – ‘Our climate – What is happening.’ Beth previously worked at the Bureau of Meteorology and has vast experience and knowledge of the state of our weather. I highly recommend Beth’s presentation.

Next Community Wellness Hub – Thursday 17^th April 2025 11- 1 pm.

Margie Maloney

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Baptist Care / Westcare BBQ lunch, 13 March 2025 On Wednesday, in place of other Vocational Meeting alternatives, John Caddy and his Merry band of men and woman being John Rockliff, Brian Higgins, Des Munro and Margie Maloney, descended on the Westcare premises at Miller Court in the City.

Once there, said Band of Merry Men and woman prepared a meal fit for a King; sausages, rissoles, potato salad, coleslaw salad, onions cooked to perfection, bread, selection of sauces, served on plates with bamboo knives, forks, and serviettes to about 110 to 120 Clients and Staff. In the site briefing we were warned of altercations between some of the clients but everyone we served were most polite and thankful and appreciative of the meal we provided.

Our customers came from all walks of life, a very diverse range of nationalities, so a very interesting group of people. Our meal gave the kitchen staff a break from normal duties, but they did help us keep cooked food hot and afterwards helped us clean up all our BBQ utensils.

 A really satisfying day for all who participated, to be able to help a lot of people far less fortunate than ourselves, but the whole Club should feel proud, as we contributed all of the costs associated with the lunch, so it was a gift from our Club.

We were very privileged to have Leut. Ron Read speak at the club meeting.

“Ron served on iconic ships such as HMAS Sydney, HMAS Melbourne, and HMAS Torrens, earning promotions through his expertise in naval communications”.

Notable Achievements

“During his decades of service, Ron is a Vietnam veteran and a recognized contributor to preserving naval history through public speaking appearances across South Australia”.

Dedicated to Preserving Military History, Committed to Sharing Stories

“Ron is more than just a speaker—he is a passionate storyteller who brings history to life. With years of experience as a keynote speaker and military historian Ron specializes in uncovering untold stories from the Great War, the Second World War and beyond, inspiring audiences to reflect, learn, and connect with the past”.

Leut. Ron Read spoke about the bombings on Darwin 19th February 1942. It was amazing to hear how much Darwin was bombed and the number of casualties. Not much was published about this major event at the time, as the government did not wish to cause panic. Ron’s slides really captured the devastation and damage during these bombing raids.

The club members found Ron’s presentation insightful and very informative. Ron has a strong passion for military history and he has covered many major battles and events during various wars.

We look forward to more presentations in the future.

It was the first session for 2025. A brilliant day weather wise which encouraged guests to come along. We had twenty-five guests which was a wonderful way to start the year.

We love to see all the regulars attending and we appreciate the support.

We started with our Guest Speaker Sergeant Bridgette Barendregt from SAPOL. Her topic was ‘Cybersecurity and Scams.’

Her presentation was both informative and frightening. The way scammers are operating is very sophisticated and alarming. They are becoming more brazen with their ability to contact so many people, hoping to catch out as many as possible. Bridgette identified the many different scams and what to do. The bottom line was to always be suspicious of emails, especially those with links attached.

The group found the presentation very helpful and there were many questions.

We had a new Chair Exercise instructor, Leeanne, whose exercises were well received.

We look forward to Leeanne’s next class

Lunch was also appreciated.

Overall, it was a great way to start 2025.

Special Thank you to Marissa Payne for helping with the setup and the lunch. The support we receive from the City of Burnside is valued.

Thank you to all the volunteers on the day, Des and Maria Munro, Trish, Margie Ferguson, and David Dewar.

Once we had been given our High Vis vests, we were on our way. Toby briefed us on the long history of the Coopers Brewery. It started in 1862 by Thomas Cooper. He handed the reins to four of his sons, and now the Brewery has been in the family for six generations.

To the Coopers Brewery:

What a truly memorable tour at the Coopers Brewery. We were all amazed at the size of the facility.

We were graciously met at the Visitors centre by our Tour Guide, Toby.

On the tour we saw many artifacts reflecting the history of the Brewery. From an old delivery truck to a cart used with a horse for delivering the stock.

The facilities were truly spotlessly clean which we were told is essential for the brewing of beer. We saw many aspects of the brewing and bottling. It is a paradise for engineers.

There are robots for loading which reduces the need for labor and helps with the efficiency of the complex.

We were in awe seeing firsthand the different parts of the brewing process. Toby kept us well informed as we progressed through the different areas.

Once the extremely interesting tour was completed, Toby directed us to the Tasting Room.

We were honoured to have Dr. Tim Cooper talk to us about the different beers/ales we were tasting. Dr. Tim was a wonderful host, and we felt very fortunate to have his expertise.

We could have stayed with Dr. Tim for longer as his presentation was so interesting and insightful.

Even for us non beer drinkers it was a fascinating and brilliant tour.

Special thank you to Gerald Barker for arranging Dr. Tim to join us for the tasting. Thank you also to Brian Higgins for organising the Tour.

It was a truly memorable experience that we will not forget in a hurry.

Margie Maloney OAM

The Rotary Club of Burnside were invited to attend the City of Burnside Australia Day Awards Ceremony at the Regal Theatre. The Club had been nominated to receive the Community Event of the Year.

The club was delighted to be named the winner of this award for the Annual Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch.

There were four Awards handed out this year, Young Citizen of the Year, Citizen of the year Award for Active Citizenship and Community Event of the year

This Seniors Christmas lunch is the highlight of the Club’s year. This event has been going for many years and is always a wonderful day. We invite up to 150 people who can come along and enjoy a delicious Christmas lunch, with wine and entertainment, all at no cost. Guests requiring transport are catered for with a roster of members and 2 City of Burnside buses to collect them and return them home.

Guests are all delighted to be part of the lunch and look forward to attending.

Thank you to all the members, partners and friends of Rotary for making the Senior Christmas lunch such a success.

Thank you to the City of Burnside for their support, greatly appreciated.

Thank you to all the members and partners who attended, the Council were thankful for our support. Mayor Anne did a magnificent job with her speeches.