Club History

 

In 1986, during the presidency of Marcel Kaye, the Rotary Club of (then) Melbourne North undertook to form a new Rotary Club originally proposed as The Rotary Club of Flemington/Kensington. Local business people were canvassed and several preliminary meetings were conducted.
Then Rotary District 980 Governor, John King, appointed Past President Jim Hosie as his special representative responsible for forming the new club. Rotary International granted The Rotary Club of Flemington its charter on 5^th March 1987.

                                     

The charter was signed by the District Governor, John W.D. King;  
President of Rotary International M.A.T. Caparas from Manila, the Philippines
and the General Secretary of Rotary International, Philip H. Lindsay.

The club was officially presented with its charter at a function on 29^th April 1987 at the Victoria Racing Club committee rooms at Flemington racecourse, when 38 new Rotarians were inducted.
The Rotary Club of Flemington was the first club in district 980 (now 9800) to meet for breakfast, thereby making Rotary participation and opportunity for service available to a rapidly expanding sector of the business and professional community, who were unable to attend lunch or evening meetings due to work or other commitments. The club met at the North Melbourne Football Social Club until 2000, when it moved to Stesi’s Restaurant, in Racecourse Road, and subsequently to Quest Apartments, Flemington.

The Rotary Club of Flemington has been awarded with several Rotary International President's Citations and has been honoured with  several  district awards. In 2013,  the club was awarded three district trophies for community service projects and the club best bulletin award. In 2012, past president Peter Cribb was awarded the Moonee Valley Citizen of The Year for his work on Rotary's community service projects with the local horn-of-Africa community. In 2014, past president Allan Bruno was awarded a Spirit of Moonee Valley  Award. In 2015 the club was awarded the District Governor's Citation for Club  management.

The Club chose a racing theme for its club banner, which is depicted on the front of the Club Bulletin and on this website. The horse is Grosvenor, ridden by Peter Cook. Flemington Racecourse is the home of the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most famous horse race, run annually since 1861 over 3,200 metres on the first Tuesday of November. The Rotary Club of Flemington has thrived over the last thirty years. It has won several District awards for service to the local community and was honoured by the appointment of club member Vance Hilton as 1999-2000 District 9800 Governor. The club has recognised the efforts of the late Jim Hosie, by naming a perpetual trophy the Hosie Award. This trophy is awarded each year to recognise the Rotary service of a club member not holding executive office or on the board. 

Charter Members