Our History
History of The Rotary Club of Murray Bridge
The Rotary Club of Murray Bridge was chartered on the 27th February 1954.
The club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Unley of metropolitan Adelaide. Forty nine years earlier, on the 23rd February 1905, the first Rotary meeting was held in Chicago, USA, convened by lawyer Paul Harris.
Rotary developed into Rotary International, the oldest and largest of the world’s service organisations, adopting the motto of “Service above Self”.
It attempts to encourage the highest standards in vocations and to improve conditions of the local and world communities.
The first President was Frank Hambidge, Vice President Ned Dutton and Secretary Frank Male. There were 23 charter members, Harry Beauchamp being the youngest.
The club’s first project was to provide a radio and 25 sets of headphones for the Murray Bridge Hospital.
For its first 49 years the club membership was all male. Only in its fiftieth year were the first women inducted.
During the first 50 years of the club’s existence, 269 people were inducted as members. The club continues to meet on Tuesday evenings and regularly has between 40 and 50 members. At present, July 2018, there are 48 members.
Its family tree includes daughter clubs Tailem Bend and Mobilong, and grand daughter club Lameroo which has since gone into recess.
(Excerpt from book “Rotary on the River” by Jim Mason).
PS Sadly Harry Beauchamp passed away in July 2010 and was still a member at that time.