"Defying gravity with hyper-local print publications"
Docklands News was originally established by VicUrban, the Victorian Government’s development agency, as a community building tool. With unique and compelling content delivered to the apartment mailbox, mail room, supermarket, food court, cafe, waiting room or foyer, these monthly community newspapers are highly anticipated and much loved. They are read cover-to-cover and are kept for weeks. With a combined readership of more than 100,000 locals, switched-on businesses are reaping the benefits from advertising with Hyperlocal. In an increasingly digital world, hyper-local print remains the best way to target a single postcode.
Shane acquired Dockland News from the State Government’s VicUrban in 2007, bringing many years of experience as a journalist gained since 1986. On the strength of success in Docklands, he established Southbank Local News in 2011 and, in 2014 he started CBD News. Shane has created and dominated the Docklands Melbourne area with a high-quality, community focused and always entertaining publication. He helps small businesses in the area innovate with features such as Docklands TV and is always ready to discuss news ways to promote. He is also a Docklands local, making him a constant fixture of our neighbourhood.
Fellow journalist Sean Car, 26, and Shane have formed a new company, Hyperlocal News Pty Ltd, to publish CBD News and sister publications Docklands News and Southbank Local News. Sean has edited Southbank Local News since 2014 and from July 2019 onwards will become the sole owner of the business.
Dockland News has been invaluable in supporting and promoting our own club’s initiative to re-establish the Rotary Club of Docklands, providing a great opportunity to develop a Rotary presence that is aligned to the current and future needs of Docklands as it develops into a community.
Well earned acknowledgement for Marjorie and Bernie.
District Governor Peter Frueh has awarded Marjorie and Bernie a
District 9800 Outstanding Service Award.
This award is discretionary, in the DG’s hands, and is in fact the third time Marjorie and Bernie have received this exceptional acknowledgement. Previous occasions were in 2010, 2013 and now 2018.
The award is a Peter Blizzard sculpture in stone capped with a brass clad spire and is engraved;
Marjorie and Bernie Gerlinger.
For outstanding service to Rotary International District 9800.
Peter Frueh
District Governor 2017 - 18
The 2018 award alongside the 2010 Outstanding Service Award.
Bernie's award is blue and Marjorie's in pink!
The award for 2013 was a $2,000 donation to Polio Plus program,
Our President Elect Neville Taylor (aka Nev2) invites members to join the Board to do a final bit of planning to ensure that Rotary Central Melbourne is ready for our new year of service.
This year's Kick Start will build on the strategy developed last year and focus on the people and fabric of our club. It is vital for the health of our club that we all participate in this event.
Where: Montague Continuing Education, 100 Montague St South Melbourne
When: Sunday 17 June 2018 9am to 12:30pm (morning tea provided)
Street parking is freely available and public transport is available via tram route 109.
Please confirm your participation no later than Thursday 14th June to Nev2 at neville.taylor5@bigpond.com.
The ladies at the Highvale Retirement Village in Glen Waverley have a long history of charitable work. They have been knitting babies clothes for orphaned children in India and Cambodia for nearly 10 years.
About a year ago, on one of my visits to collect the clothes, I mentioned the work that Rotary Central Melbourne was doing to assist the homeless in Melbourne through Youth Projects. They decided that they would like to help and started a project to make woolen blankets for homeless people.
Unfortunately, Peter Duras was unable to join us on this occasion, so last Thursday Marjorie, Frank and I went to Highvale to meet the ladies and collect the blankets. Not only have they knitted over a dozen beautiful hand knitted blankets (yes even the yellow and black ones!) but they also made a cash donation of $500.
What a great effort and example of people doing something to make a difference for those less fortunate.
Robyn is a highly skilled botanical artist and illustrated her talk with beautiful examples of her intricate paintings of Jonathan apple twigs, raspberries, artichoke, banksias and a pineapple with its clear Fibonacci growth pattern. She explained how this art needs to covers both accuracy and aesthetics.
Her skill has been recognized in exhibiting at Sydney’s Bicentennial at the Botanic Gardens Show in 2016, in Victorian Government House florilegium and Kew Gardens in London. She’s now working on drawings of the plants collected here by Joseph Banks during his visit with Captain Cook.
She starts with pencil outlines and fills details with tiny brush-points under a magnifying glass. Husband Alan sometimes finds banksia seeds rather than roast lamb in the oven, with Robyn still engrossed at 7pm in art rather than his culinary welfare. “Are we eating tonight?” he inquires. Maybe there are ripe pineapples available.
Russell Rolls requested members to notify him of volunteer hours for 2017/18 this week.
Peter Duras reported another successful sausage sizzle at Bunnings Collingwood, which raised a handsome $900 taking total sizzles money to $9000-plus. Pauline O’Brien and Sue Duras were our sizzle queens on the day (says President Frank). The Caprice donation of $4500 worth of shoes and boots is being distributed well to St Vincent’s, Good Samaritan, Cambodia and DIK.
President Frank reported that we had 14 at District Changeover where Marjorie and Bernie Gerlinger received a D9800 Outstanding Service Award. Our club also won awards for public image and membership development.
President Elect Neville Taylor said the club also won a $1000 early-bird gift for a project. Therese Robinson will be deepening relationship with Concern Australia including Steps Outreach (Christmas hampers) and organizing a stay-at-school scholarship for youngsters and mentorships.
Rob Hines spruiked for sign-ons for the India trip January 10-29. The 30% deposits are needed by end-July.
Inductions:
Dominic Varrasso described his family and accounting-business life. Interests include reading, walking and hynotherapy practice (e.g. for anti-smoking) and mentoring overseas university students.
Hamza Wariyo from Ethiopia has three children, aged 21, 18 and 10. The older ones are doing university economics and criminology. He’s actively formed youth groups involving up to 200 boys. He has graduated in community development at Victorian University and has a diploma in welfare and counseling. He and Aliy are also community mediators. The family adopted two orphans now 21 and 18. One is at university and the other in Year 12.
Guest Speaker: Please refer separate report in this BULLETIN