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 Current Management Committee

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The Conveners of the club's activities

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Original Members

Brian and Jenny Fallon were founding members of the Hawkesbury Combined Probus Club in 2008.  In January 2025 they ended their membership and it was sad to see them leave.  It is too far and too difficult for them to travel to meetings now.

Life Members

The Hawkesbury Probus Club has appointed 2 people as Life Members in April 2023, in recognition of their service to the club and its members.

                            Lester Vincent                                    Graham Wilcox (deceased)

​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

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​
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