6th Sept - Vic Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA) 2025 Awards dinner. Details and ticket link below.
1st Oct - Club visit by new District Governor Peter Shepheard. More info below.
5th Oct- Save the date! Annual RCOBS Mystery Tour. Details to come.
5th Dec - (friday) Lightning Reef have requested a BBQ for an event they are holding. Please reserve the date.
19th - 23rd March 2026 Barham weekend. Phone 5453 2553 to book a site/cabin and say you are from Rotary.
Welcome to Issue 8 (2025-26) of our weekly bulletin. Find out about our upcoming events, our guest speakers, what we covered during the last meeting and more!
Can't make our meeting in person please join us via Zoom:
Opportunities to volunteer -for non-Rotarian friends and volunteers:
* Upcoming BBQs - Contact Kevin - 0428 996 619
Meeting Roster
Week 4
27-Aug
3-Sept
10-Sept
17-Sept
Speaker
Erika Salathiel
Aspire – La Trobe
Brad Scott
Transmutation, Robe
Carol McKinstry
Deputy Dean – Latrobe University
Brian Hodge
Ugandan update
Meeting Location
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Peppergreen Farm
Chair
Linda Barrow
Doug Lougoon
Linda Barrow
Kevin Dobson
Computer
Toni Carrington
Cathie Miller
Allie Lyall
Doug Lougoon
Set-Up 6.45am & pack up
Stew Annan
John Cannon
Toni Carrington
Liz Commadeur
Welcome, raffle & roaming microphone
Kevin Reade
Jim Rolfe
Madeleine Schoo
Linda Barrow
Co-President's report
Co-Presidents Report for 20th August 2025
Federation picnic coming up on Sunday the 31st August. Volunteers needed to run the BBQ please contact Kevin Reade.
Lightning Reef School breakfast program, Stew is calling for volunteers to help. It is envisioned that we would do it 2 days a week, 8:30 to 9:00. With a pool of helpers, we could do it easily. Please contact Stew for more info or to offer your help.
Lightning Reef have requested a BBQ for 5th Dec for an event they are holding. Please reserve the date.
Colleen and President Cathie will be speaking to Marist College Year 10 students about Rotary and community volunteering.
The proposal that was put forward to the Club about a heater for the scout camp will be investigated by the Community committee.
A discussion on “Friends of Rotary” to be followed up regarding: a) a list of friends, and b) distribution of our bulletin.
Our speaker this week gave us an in depth talk on the history of Chinese Cafes in Bendigo from 1850 to the present day.
Allie and Cathie.
Guest Speaker:Golden Dragon Museum Chinese Legacy, including the Toi Shan story
Guest Speaker- Leigh McKinnon
Leigh is the Historian with the Golden Dragon Museum. With the closing of the Toi Shan Restaurant, an icon of Bendigo, it was timely that Leigh could pay us a visit and talk about the history of Chinese cuisine in Bendigo. Chinese migrants to Bendigo were from the south of China, predominantly the Guangdong Province. Thus the traditions of Chinese food in Bendigo have been influenced by the tastes of that area. Chinese cooking goes right back to the early days and included initially dishes such as curried rabbit. Chinese Cooks with both food and stores were initially located in the Bridge Street precinct and Market Square (in the area between the library and the Town Hall). Food played some part in breaking down cultural barriers.
The Bendigo Advertiser of 1859 reported about a sizeable Chinese Cook serving poultry, fish, desserts and wine and noted the high standards of cleanliness (Europeans take note!). By the 1890's there were three Chinese Cook Shops in Chinatown. With the advent of the White Australia Policy things became more difficult for migrants other than those from Europe. Leigh sadly recounted the demise of the Canton Cafe in 1917 after only a month through what can only be described as discrimination. The Toi Shan had its origins in the Peter Louey Mow's restaurant in Chinatown. Allan Chan on arriving in Bendigo purchased the restaurant and relocated it to Mitchell Street naming it the Toi Shan after his hometown in Guangdong.
Allan married Bendigo born Gladys Lee who had worked in the Peter Louey Mow. The You Tube production of 1992 outlines the operation of the restaurant. Allan had his own chicken run out the back where he raised and slaughtered poultry for the restaurant. Fried rice and dim sims were the favourites. When the locals made reference to making use of cat meat Gladys responded by saying "No not today we are using dogs there is more meat on them!" The work was very demanding such that Gladys and Allan's children decided to get an education and work in other areas.
Whatever about the origins of the chiko roll the Toi Snan being the oldest Chinese restaurant in Australia is not contested. Had it not been for the introduction of Chinese cuisine in Bendigo in the early days, diners would have been restricted to steak and eggs type options in local hotels. Members recounted fond memories of taking the family saucepans to the Golden Star and purchasing items such as ginger. The tradition lives on in Bendigo with most restaurants now run by people with origins in SouthEast Asia and some Malay Chinese. We are most grateful to Leigh for sharing this very well researched part of the history of Bendigo.
Marist College Year 10 Call to Action Daywas buzzing with energy as volunteer clubs from across Bendigo inspired students with stories of service and community. Representatives from Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary, Mad Cow Enterprises, SES and CFA came together to showcase the benefits and opportunities that come with volunteering.
On Wednesday 21 August, Cathie and Colleen shared Rotary’s incredible impact—both globally and right here in Bendigo. They highlighted the value of leadership, service, and achievement, encouraging students to watch out for invitations to Rotary’s sought-after youth leadership programs throughout the year.The students were enthusiastic and curious, asking thoughtful questions and connecting strongly with the values of caring, helping, giving back, and building skills for the future.
The Youth Committee Buzz
Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary potential to engage with youth housing initiatives. This week, Phil Britton and Colleen represented Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary at a YO Bendigo meeting, joining a motivated group of around 22 participants from various Bendigo organisations. The session featured Keith Waters, an advocate from Kids Under Cover (KUC), who shared powerful insights into youth homelessness in Australia, including local statistics for Bendigo. The information was both moving and alarming—but also inspirational, highlighting the remarkable work KUC is doing to support vulnerable young people. KUC plans to hold more of these informative sessions in the coming months, helping the community stay connected and informed.
The main focus for the meeting this week was KUC’s Village 21 program, which provides youth supported accommodation and transitional housing. KUC is currently exploring sites in Bendigo to establish two Village 21 homes, with a potential location at the new BDAC site in Eaglehawk. The organisation already makes a difference locally through the Studio Program , which supports young people in Bendigo to gain stability and independence. Rotary members look forward to opportunities to support these initiatives and collaborate with KUC to help young people in our community thrive.
Each week various bits of information come into the Bulletin email. Small bits of information to add into the bulletin that doesn't really go anywhere else but may be good to know. Some times its an announcement, an invitation, an update or advertisement.
Here are this weeks tidbits:
Donations In Kind (DIK) – help needed for a range of tasks from first aid kit assembly to sorting to clothing sorting and packing school packs. In at the Melbourne warehouse on Tuesday and Thursday only. If you want to lend a hand, contact DIK Manager directly at colleen@rotarydik.org; m: 0418 551 551
Paid casual role- Sim Pat for the Rural Health students Monash University. The university has contacted service clubs inviting members to contribute to the training of doctors at the Monash Regional Medical School by recruiting people to role play medical situations for the student exams. Contact Tamara Lalor, Monash Rural Health Bendigo Ph5440 9000 or E:mrh-bendigo@monash.edu
