Rotary Keilor East members are dedicated to projects that enhance lives and communities locally and in developing countries. You cacn see the range of our work on this page. We are keen to build up these projects and create new ones, but for that we need more volunteers willing to give some of their time, skills and energy. So we're appealing to community members in Keilor and Moonee Valley -- not just to our own members - to lend us a hand. If you'd like to help, and enjoy making new friends - use our blue Contact button at top right-hand of the page. Thanks, David Dippie, President.
Centreway in Keilor East is staging a Community Festival this Sunday 24th September. Our club is running the sausage sizzle and needs several more BBQ helpers. Please let Tina know at Tina.Ballos@bendigoadelaide.com.au if you can help. [Update: a number of helpers have put their hand up for it]The Festival is from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and celebrates a series of upgrades and new facilities there.
We hope all our members will come over during the day to enjoy the fun, music, picnic and atmosphere for adults and kids. BYO chairs and picnic items.
The opening is by the MVCC Mayor and Parliamentarians, including an Indigenous blessing.
Music is via Andrew McSweeney & the Wishing Horse.
Bendigo Community Bank has offered $500 in Centreway vouchers, drawn from those making purchases at the centre.
Two $50 prizes are for kids under 16 best dressed for AFL or NFL.
Our own Gerard Mahoney is chair of the Centreway Traders Assn.
RCKE Social Outings Survey
Hi all, 30 members responded to our club survey on possible social outings. With the availability of Bendigo Bank’s 24-seater bus and car pooling, we have many potential outings to enhance the “Fellowship” aspect of Rotary. Results are an interesting guide to what members like, and member preferences for weekdays or weekends.
Results (“yes” score in brackets) are
Mt Macedon spring tour (20)
Monthly restaurant dinners (20)
State Library backstage tour (19)
Exhibition Building Dome tour (19) – sadly, booked out far in advance
Nagambie day tour of Tahbilk and Michelton wineries (19)
RAAF Pt Cook tour (16)
Ballarat tour (17)
Catamaran tour to Jack Rabbit Restaurant at Port Arlington (18)
Lunch at Buda mansion, Castlemaine (15)
Progressive dinner at ethnic restaurants, Keilor Road (15)
Bendigo tour (17)
Elizabeth Murdoch’s Cruden Farm tour (13)
Echuca overnight and paddlesteamer cruise (14)
MCG guided tour (10)
City musical e.g. Moulin Rouge (10)
Note that members might well be keen on events we have failed to list (e.g. a Maribyrnong cruise on the elderly launch Blackbird), so let pls let us know of any extra suggestions.
The survey also found 5 members keen on weekdays outings, another 10 keen on both weekdays or weekends, and 13 available only on weekends. We need to factor in these preferences for the benefit of all members.
At this stage we are just looking at options. Next stage will be to plan some actual events.
Thanks! Tony Thomas 0407 305 757. tthomas061@gmail.com
Pic below is the magnificent old reading room and dome of the State Library
Sanitation needs met in Siem Reap Cambodia High School
While planning for the installation of a Biosand water filtration system at Techo Hun Sen Angkor Thom High School, Siem Reap, Cambodia, the principal asked if our Rotary team would also provide toilets: an opportunity too good to miss for the Rotary clubs of Keilor East and Passport Melbourne. The school had just 13 toilets for 1,518 students - 921 females and 597 males.
We were told that female students would choose to not use these toilets as they felt uncomfortable and at times unsafe. They often chose to not drink when at school in case they had to use the toilets.The site was checked re access to water and positioning of the septic tanks and the design of the new toilet block considered sustainability and long-term use. The eleven new toilets were divided into 2 blocks with ramp access, tiled cubicles, a large water storage system and a door allowing for privacy. Hand-washing stations are located outside the toilets.
The reactions of the students (both boys and girls) on the completion of the project made our year:
“I am so excited after my school got new toilets. These toilets are not only clean, safe, and comfortable for us, but it also contributes to making a friendly environment and making everyone feel comfortable to go to school”.
Go to Read More
Nine members took a break on August 31 from charity work to enjoy a guided tour of the Lindsay Fox Car Museum in Docklands. We got there by two-car pooling from Niddrie.The museum is unique in the world for its stunning collection of near-priceless cars, some such as Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes and Rolls Royce "specials" worth multi-millions each. The museum is housed in an equally-historic warehouse off Collins St. Lindsay has put the whole collection into a charitable trust so it will long outlive himself and his family.
We had excellent volunteer guides Noel (ground floor) and Costas (second floor) who could tell us the history of each car and its technology. After this great morning's tour most of us peeled off to lunch at Keilor East RSL. More social trips are under consideration. (More pics - click Read More.
At our meeting of August 28, speaker Tony Thomas spelt out the historical mystery of Dutch colonists in Australia . Australia's "Bush Tucker Man", Major Les Hiddins, has spent 30 years investigating whether 90 survivors from the wreck of the Dutch 'great ship' Concordia in 1708 landed on the NW coast and trekked 2000km east to approximately Palm Valley, where they settled and lived on fish, yams, maize and game. A British military explorers' party came across the 300 descendants there in 1832 and stayed with them eight days. A detailed report of this surfaced in the Leeds Mercury of 1834.
By the time the first explorers passed through the centre in 1860-70, no physical trace of the Dutch was in evidence. Yet many independent facts corroborate the "Dutch settlers" story. If true it must cause a re-write of the history of white settlement in Australia. Academic historians show no interest so far.
Here's some pictures from our Club's 40th Birthday Lunch at Riverside Kitchen and Bar on August 13. President David complimented the organisers for such an enjoyable and professional occasion, attended by 84 members, associated and friends. Below left: Gerard Mahoney, Michael Portelli (President Essendon Rotary), Lynn Mahoney and Ben Carroll, MLA for Niddrie.
Below right: Gerard Mahoney with District Governor Ron Payne from Eaglehawk RC.
Our club has received formal thanks from Past District Governor Bruce Anderson for our donation of $800 to Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM). We raised the funds through collecting unwanted foreign currency.
The Rotary programs help the malaria control and elimination campaigns in PNG, Solomons, Vanuatu, Timor Leste and West Timor. They attack malaria-mosquito breeding and provide anti-mosquito protections.
While Covid19 has caused setbacks in some areas, Timor Leste achieved zero indigenous malaria in 2021 and is on track to achieve WHO malaria-free status by 2025. The country’s biggest threat is cross border malaria transmission from West Timor into Oecusse in Timor Leste. The two-year Rotary Global Grant to prevent re-establishment of malaria progressed well, and is managed by the RAM Timor Leste country representative from RC Darwin, D9560.
RAM has raised more than $1.6 million to eliminate malaria since 2003. RAM works in conjunction with the Ministry of Health authorities in each country and complements the work of other malaria organisations
Our club is sponsoring student Sokny Nheam 17, this year for her education at Siem Reap’s Future Bright International High School. Her support will include- Annual tuition
- Course books
- Monthly living allowance
- Health and dental care
- Life skill courses
- Daily English classes
- Volunteering activities
- Monthly sport
This is one of the projects we partner with the Cambodian Rural Students Trust (CRST). RC Hornsby NSW helped with finance through their collecting of foreign currency coins and notes.
For more on Sokny ’s story click the International menu top left.
To Everyone in the Keilor -Moonee Valley Districts...
From David Dippie, President, Keilor East Rotary.
You might not be a member of our Keilor East Rotary Club but why not join us for a morning or day helping on a community or environme
ntal project?
ntal project?We're friendly volunteers committed to making the world a better place. We're achieving a lot but could do much more with your help. If you've got some spare time, please lend us a hand! If you'd like to apply to join our club, that would be great but it's your call.
Contact using the blue "Contact" button at top right of our webpage, or just email solatube@bigpond.com.
District 9800 has thanked our team of helpers for the wonderful work ona general tidy up of the surrounds of Camp Getaway at Axedale over the weekend of July 21-23.
Camp Getaway provides a quality recreational camp experience for people of all abilities - the target groups are people with disabilities and special needs.
Thousands of voluntary hours have gone into redeveloping the site, which now includes self-contained units with full disabled facilities, modern dormitories and many other improvements.
Rotarians and volunteers from; Keilor East, Altona City, Melton, Footscray,Bendigo South, Eaglehawk, Bendigo Rotary Clubs and Taylor's Lakes Probus
gave the place a good spruce up. The task agenda was set by Getaway's caretaker Benji. District Governor Ron Payne was among our workforce.
Jobs included;
* Emptying a storage hut
* Splitting wood and restocking the wood shed
* Cleaning air vents
* Tree planting
* Cleaning hall windows
* Cleaning debris from the mini golf course
and many more general cleaning tasks.
Rotary Keilor East has handed over 240 birthing kits for remote Philippines islands. Roy Carbungco, President of the Pampagueno Club, and Lydia John, received the kits from our member.
An Appreciation Certificate was presented to David Moore, Manager, Keilor Retirement Village, for the use of the Conference Room for the working bee afternoon to make the kits.
Donations In Kind Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8.30 - 4.00pm February – Mid December. Shed 39, 400 Somerville Road West Footscray.
This is one of Victoria’s largest recycling and repurposing operations that specialises in surplus re-usable educational and medical equipment for shipment by container to developing countries like Timor Leste or Cambodia. It's run 100% by volunteers, who gather, sort, and pack the goods. No appointment is necessary, just turn up any time during the Tuesdays and Thursdays listed above. For more information www.rotarydik.org
National Tree Day 10.00 -1.00 Sunday 30th July10-54 Rachelle Rd, Keilor East
Join your neighbours and plant trees at this Moonee Valley Council event! Our team will be planting seedlings and running the BBQ. For more information hit the blue Contact button at top right of this web-page.
Bunnings BBQs at Taylors Lakes Store, 430 Melton Highway. Monthly on a Saturday or Sunday – check our "Upcoming Events" listing or Calendar, right-hand side of the page. We dedicate funds raised to our local and overseas charity projects.
There are three shifts 8.30-11.00am / 11.00-1.30pm / 1.30-4.00pm. No experience necessary. Hit the blue Contact button top right of the page or email solatube@bigpond.com.
Camp Getaway is a camp designed for young people with disabilities that everyone can attend. When schools use it everyone in the school can attend. It’s a major project that many Rotary Clubs support. Each year members of our Club spend a weekend there helping with the maintenance and having a lot of fun. For more information https://rotarydistrict9800.org.au/sitepage/community-service/camp-getaway
Western Emergency Relief Network Tuesday – Thursday 10.00 -3.00
2/23 Westwood Drive Ravenhall 3023
This project repurposes home goods for people in genuine need, recommended by welfare agencies. We collect donated items, check goods, and put them on display. For more details contact 8372 4110 or adminisration@wern.org
Thanks! David Dippie, President, RCKE
We have been supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Fun Run for many years. The next one is Great Strides, a combined run and family-fun event. It a great cause and our main contribution this year is to run their fund-raising BBQ, . If you would like to participate in the event https://www.cfcc.org.au/page/131/events If you would like to help us with the BBQ, please contact us. keiloreastrotary@gmail.com
Keilor East Rotary, with Essendon Rotary, has been an organiser and supporter of the annual Moonee Valley Art Show for the past nine years.
The 2023 Show, held from May 19-21, 2023, was an outstanding success.
The venue for the second year was at the fabulous St. Bernard’s College Stadium.
Funds raised by the Moonee Valley Art Show are used for community projects, while giving amateur and professional artists the opportunity to present and market their work.
Keilor East Community Bank continues to be an outstanding sponsor of our Club Projects. We are very appreciative of their generosity and support and urge Members, family and friends to use the bank which supports its local community. 
We are also very grateful to have the sponsorship of Smart Storage World in Keilor East for the storage of our Club trailer. We appreciate their support for us and urge Club Members and friends to make use of their new local business.
For all your Home or Business Storage, including Boats, Caravans and Cars, call 0408 KEILOR 0408 534 567. http://smartstorageworld.com.au/
We are also very grateful to have the sponsorship of Smart Storage World in Keilor East for the storage of our Club trailer. We appreciate their support for us and urge Club Members and friends to make use of their new local business.For all your Home or Business Storage, including Boats, Caravans and Cars, call 0408 KEILOR 0408 534 567. http://smartstorageworld.com.au/
Service Above Self
Essendon, VIC 3040
Australia