Meeting 1656 - 7th April 2026
Apologies: Kevin Hales, Meredith Harton, David McDonald, Bron Daws, Judy Newport and Theresa Wurlod
Visitors: Brian Tapping, Lorenzo Sanches-Pagliuso and Django Westmoreland
Guest Speaker: Django Westmoreland
Our meeting this week began with dinner of baked fish with capsicum and onions—though it quickly became clear that olives remain a divisive addition among our members!
Sergeant Noeline welcomed President Debbie to the front and Janet Tapping gave the invocation.
Dee was presented with a present for her upcoming wedding. Congratulations Dee, our first Rotary Bride!
A Warm Welcome Back
A highlight of the evening was the reinduction of Past President Andy Wood, who was welcomed back with enthusiastic applause. Andy played a key role in establishing our early social media presence, including our Facebook page and website, and his contributions were greatly missed when he first stepped away.
We are thrilled to have him back in the fold and look forward to also welcoming back his wife Alice, whose past support and volunteer efforts were invaluable in helping grow our club.
Guest Speaker – Django Westmoreland
Our guest speaker for the evening, Django Westmoreland, was truly inspiring. A Year 12 student at Investigator College, Django is already making a remarkable impact as an environmental advocate.
Growing up on the Fleurieu, Django has a deep love for surfing and the natural environment. He is currently undertaking a TAFE course at the Investigator Eco Centre, focusing on conservation and ecosystem management.
In 2025, Django was recognised with the Leif Justham Young Achiever Award for his outstanding environmental work and his project restoring between 2,500–3,000 site-specific native plants across 11 local sites, including areas along the railway corridor near Currency Creek. His work involved:
- Planting native species
- Weed removal
- Installing nesting boxes
The results have been extraordinary, with some areas recording a 40% increase in native bird, mammal, and reptile species, and up to an 80% increase in small bird populations following the removal of invasive species such as olives and box thorn.
Django is also a natural leader—mentoring fellow students, contributing to his school community, and excelling in sailing as a fully qualified instructor. He has competed at a national level for the past four years and will head to Tasmania in July for the championships.
Adding to his impressive achievements, Django has already secured a place at Flinders University to study biodiversity in the honours program.
Di presented Django with a thank-you gift and expressed the club’s appreciation for sharing his passion and inspiring work.
Club Business & Updates
Two-Minute Spots:
Alan entertained members with the presentation of “OBE” (Over Bloody Eighty) awards to Chris, with another award for Kevin (who was absent).
Tamara spoke about the importance of members engaging with ClubRunner and shared that she would be attending the District Planning Day over the weekend.
Noeline responded with a reminder that not all members feel comfortable with technology, highlighting the need for balance and inclusivity as we move forward.
Art Show Updates:
Di provided an update on catering and volunteer rosters, followed by Greg with further details on preparations for the upcoming Goolwa Art Show.
Raffle
Congratulations (again!) to Tony, who won the raffle for the second time in just a few meetings—though luck wasn’t entirely on his side as he drew the white ball!
Meeting Close
President Debbie closed the meeting, thanking members and guests for another engaging and enjoyable evening.
