HISTORY & MANAGEMENT
The Rotary Club of Windsor formed a Probus Club in the Hawkesbury District on 18th May 1989. Rotary Clubs had originated as clubs for men only so it was common for Probus clubs to cater for men and women separately. This club became known as Hawkesbury Men's Probus Club.
Another club was then established for women as Hawkesbury Women's Probus Club on 17th September 1990.
As the point of Probus was to allow people to socialize together rather than undertake service work it became obvious that for Probus clubs to be really popular they would need to have mixed memberships. It was natural for husbands and wives to socialize together with friends, so why not at Probus?
By 2007 both clubs were struggling. Elsa Balch from the women's club and Graham Swain from the men's club decided that a merger would invigorate membership as a combined club. Their solution was to open the women's club to men and rename it Hawkesbury Combined Probus Club Inc. The move proved popular with most of the women and presumably all of the men, who either joined for the first time or transferred from the men's club. There was however strong resistance from the men who wished to retain their club with only male members.
The first meeting of the combined club was in April 2008 at the Richmond Club, Richmond. At that meeting the seventy-four people who attended had doubled the previous membership and Barbara Crook was elected as the first president. Barbara later told the Hawkesbury Gazette that the addition of men had lifted the tone of the club. "There was much more hilarity than normal. Much more camaraderie", she said.
Foundation Members who are still members of the club are: Elsa Balch, Audrey Blood, Maureen Bourke, Lorna Clare, Barbara Crook, Paula de Hair, Brian Fallon, Jenny Fallon, Joan Glanville, Anne Gordon, Ian Gordon, Brenda Harrold, Vivien Hill, Christina Locke, Bob Newland, Dorothy Phipps, Judy Rout, Merv Shaw, Lyn Smyth, Bea Stone and Graham Swain.
Since that time the Combined Club has continued to thrive and more activities continue to be added to the program. The popularity reached the point where membership reached 200. In 2015 a second combined club in the Hawkesbury was formed in Windsor and in 2016 a third, at North Richmond.
The Presidents of Hawkesbury Combined Probus Club
2008 Barbara Crook
2009 David Horn (to end of June) Gale Hill (from July)
2010 Gale Hill
2011 Kevin Meredith
2012 Jenny Fallon
2013 Paul Clarke
2014 Gay Oatley
2015 John Vincent
2016 Lyn Smyth
2017 Eric Dickinson
2018 Chris Skurray
2019 Jim Berrell
2020 Julie-Ann Coates (Due to the club's partial closure caused by the Covid-19 pandemic the presidency was extended)
2021 Julie-Ann Coates
2022 Julie-Anne Coates
2023 Chris Skurray
2024 Angelika May
The Management Committee
LEFT TO RIGHT: Angelika May, President; Janet Hoile, Vice-President;
Chris Skurray, Past President; Sue Daws, Secretary & Public Officer; Julie-Anne Coates, Treasurer; Sharyn Thompson, Membership; Linda Reinhardt, Interest Groups Co-ordinator; Jan Nash, Welfare Officer; Guy Boncardo, Technical Officer; Tina Tallack, Newsletter Editor; Margaret Novak, Programs & Guest Speakers; Gary Condon, Webmaster
The Conveners of the club's activities
LEFT TO RIGHT: Lyn Smyth, Australian Tours; Jan Chandler, Chatterbox Coffee Club and Outings; Ellie Kay, Outings; Marilyn Burgon, Restaurant Lunches; Carolyn Clarke, Book Club;
Kevin Meredith, Tennis Group; David Fleetwood, Ten-Pin Bowling Group; Pam Galloway, Snooker Group; Gary Condon, Last Carriage Club.
The Hawkesbury Probus Club Website
This website owes its existence to the following local businesses which have supported it with their generous donations. Members are asked to think of them when choosing services that are available from these donors. They are:-
Bendigo Bank - General banking facilities with personal and friendly staff at Richmond and North Richmond
www.bendigobank.com.au
Windsor Funeral Home - Your local Family-owned and operated Funeral Home
www.windsorfuneralhome.com.au
Wheelchairs & Stuff - A One-Stop Mobility Shop that does lots more than just wheelchairs
www.wheelchairsandstuff.com.au
McGrath Hawkesbury/Rouse Hill - Experts in the sale of homes through internet marketing
www.mcgrath.com.au/offices/255-rouse-hill
Rhys Pope Photography - As the header image shows Rhys Pope has captured the beauty of the Hawkesbury
To open the website of any of the above supporters, click on their website address or moving images
About this Website - www.hawkesburyprobus.com.au
Designed, built and hosted by Stralia Web and launched by the club on Monday 16th January 2017
Content design and construction by Graham Wilcox and Lester Vincent
