Welcome to the Rotary Club of Mount Barker, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Operation Flinders

Operation Flinders Mission Statement:

“Operation Flinders Foundation is to provide young men and women who have been identified as being at risk, with demanding outdoor challenges and support, to help them develop their personal attitudes and values of self esteem, motivation, team work and responsibility so they may grow as valued members of the community.”

These young men and women are taken to a remote location in the Flinders Ranges, trekking 100kms over 8 days, where they are confronted with physical, emotional and psychological challenges in an isolated and unfamiliar environment.

Operation Flinders site: https://operationflinders.org.au/

How the Rotary Club of Mt Barker got involved with Operation Flinders

While on a social excursion in September 2003, staying in the shearers quarters at Warraweena Station, several members of the Rotary Club of Mt Barker and their wives met volunteers from Operation Flinders and were impressed by their program.

On their return, Richard Harrington and David Pahl decided that the Rotary Club of Mt Barker should sponsor a team from the Hills to attend an Operation Flinders exercise. They secured the required funding and with the assistance of Operation Flinders staff Jonathon Robran and David Pahl, a team comprising students from Cornerstone College, St Francis de Sales College and Oakbank Area School was sent to Warraweena Station.

Feedback from the students and their parents and teachers was very supportive of the program so it was decided to continue our support of the ‘Hills Chapter’.

Supporting Operation Flinders

The Rotary Club or Mt Barker is very proud of the various financial and in-kind support we provide to Operation Flinders. This includes:

Hills Chapter
- Assistance in funding one (sometimes two) teams
- Fund cost of the bus and fuel to get them to and from the exercise
- Provide drivers for the bus
Occasionally drive the visiting VIP’s around the property during exercises
Donated a motorbike and trailer
Assisted in funding the new kitchen, tractor and shed extension
Erected a 25m x 10m shed at Yankaninna Station
Funded the purchase and erection of a large rainwater tank at Yankaninna Station
Erected a 10m x 5m shed at Yankaninna Station
Andy Byrne made several trips to Yankaninna Station in his truck delivering construction material and bringing back machinery for sale.
Assisting at the Trailblazer Fun Run and later the Operation Flinders Challenge with catering and staffing of checkpoints.

The Big Shed

During the period that Operation Flinders exercises were held at Warraweena Station a 15m x 10m truss shed was donated by Lysaght Steel and Murray Machining in Murray Bridge. A concrete slab was poured but they had to move out before the shed was built.

They then held exercises at Angapena and then Nepabunna before purchasing the Pastoral Lease at Yankaninna Station. Each time the shed was moved but never erected.

Now that Operation Flinders had a permanent home, Andy Byrne suggested that the Rotary Club of Mt Barker should erect it. This suggestion was adopted and in October 2015 several Rotarians and their wives travelled to Yankaninna to commence construction. Things did not start well with rock being encountered in the first three holes. It was decided to halt work until some jackhammers could be brought up, and instead went sightseeing.