The Healesville Probus Club celebrated its history on Thursday 16 October, marking the club’s 40th anniversary.
Probians and guests gathered at the hall on High Street to celebrate with cake and a captivating local guest speaker.
President Trish Crowley said it’s thrilling but it’s just a pity it’s been going for so long that there are none of the original members here.
“I think Ron (husband) is one of the longest ones here, he’s been here 28 years and one or two have been, I recognise the faces and they’ve been here as long if not a bit longer than Ron,” she said.
“Probus was actually started by the Rotarians because Rotarians were getting too old to raise money and that’s their ethos… it was for the men who were too old to roll the sleeves up and work but still wanted to maintain the friendships that they’d actually made in Rotary.
“I think quite a few of the original Probus members were actually ex-Rotarians.”
The historic connection between Probus and Rotary was reflected in Healesville Rotary Club president Sally Piper and vice president Terry Hill attending. A number of members from the Lilydale Probus Club also made the trip up the highway to join the festivities.
Mrs Crowley said they have a lot of outings, including some close to home for members whose knees might not be able to take a long coach ride.
“It’s all about friendship, it’s what Probus actually stands for, fun fellowship and friendship, which is what we have,” she said.
“It’s good for new people coming to the town, you get people looking up in the community group under clubs, we’ve had two people that have just seen Probus and followed it up, and from that they make small groups of their own for morning coffees, it’s a good way to meet people.”
The group meets in the hall next to St Brigid’s Catholic Church on High Street, Healesville every third Thursday of the month.
Next up was recognition for Ron Crowley, who received life membership for his almost three decades with Healesville Probus Club and for his ‘loyalty, commitment, and excellence in support of the Probus ideas of fun, fellowship, and friendship.’
Mr Crowley said he was first introduced to the club by Derek Dean while playing bowls at the Healesville Bowling Club.
“I looked at him and I said ‘Probus, my mother had one of those, but the wheels fell off, what the hell is Probus’ and he then very briefly explained it and asked me for a visit,” he said.
“I went for the first visit and was very warmly welcomed, so then I went back for a second visit and again the welcome was just incredible so I decided I would join.
“That was what, nearly 29 years ago and ladies and gentlemen, I wouldn’t stay in a club that long for anybody, unless that was a positive, caring place and happy place.”
Founder and director of local acting group the Hills Act Theatre Company Phillip Stephenson was the guest speaker for the day, but it wasn’t his acting he got up to share with the audience.
Mr Stevenson was invited to share stories of his childhood growing up in New Britain, an island of Papua New Guinea. He lived in the former capital of the island, Rabaul, where a significant population of British and Australian expats, Taiwanese refugees and the native people lived following the Japanese surrender of the island after World War Two.
Mr Stevenson said his childhood on the island was one full of wonder.
“I grew up in a mixture of cultures, learning about all cultures and enjoying the difference, I had many Chinese friends and when I came to Australia, I couldn’t figure out why there was this racial difference between people,”
“Because to me, living with the different races up there, we were all the same, it’s just a person was either nice or a person was nasty.”
Mr Stevenson entertained the crowd with many stories from his time there, from the threat of volcanic eruption (which eventually occurred in Rabaul in 1994), to large pythons eating a pet dog, discovering and returning the samurai sword of a Japanese soldier to his family and joining in the traditions of the Papuans and Chinese residents.
