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We meet for a buffet breakfast most Thursday mornings at 7:00 am for 7:30 am at
Wests Rugby Union, Memorial Park, 65 Sylvan Rd, Toowong,
The 1st Thursday of Month is usually a dinner meeting, arrive at 6:00 pm for 6.30pm start.

Valerie Simons President 2026-27

Joint Meeting with Brisbane High Rise club to discuss preparations for the Brisbane Rotary Art Show.

Chairman David Frost

President's Message

Dear Rotarians and Friends,

What a wonderful week it has been for our club. It was a pleasure to officially welcome Jacqui as the newest member of the Rotary Club of Paddington. We are so happy to have you join our Rotary family and look forward to the friendships, ideas and contributions you will bring to our club.

We were also privileged to hear from our Rotary Peace Fellow, Khrizzy, whose presentation on the realities of human trafficking was both confronting and inspiring. Her dedication to protecting vulnerable children and adults reminds us of Rotary's commitment to building peace through service. As Khrizzy graduates from the Rotary Peace Fellowship at The University of Queensland this week, we congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and wish her every success in the important work that lies ahead.

On Sunday, we had our knit a beanie for the homeless afternoon. Another wonderful example of Rotary in action. It was fun and while we had experienced Knitters, it was also a time of learning for a couple of Rotarians and we can be sure that more beanies will be made in the future. We currently have 15 beanies to donate. 

Our annual Paddington Art Show is just around the corner, and the excitement is building! If you haven't already, please book your tickets for the Gala Opening and join us in celebrating another fantastic showcase of local artistic talent. We still have a few volunteer shifts available during the two-week exhibition, so if you can spare a few hours, your support would be greatly appreciated.

This week, we'll also be enjoying a joint meeting with our Art Show partners, the Rotary Club of Brisbane High-Rise. I encourage everyone to come along.

Finally, please save the date for our Club Leadership, Succession & Strategic Planning Workshop on Saturday, 31 October, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. This will be a valuable opportunity for us to work together to strengthen our club, develop future leaders and help shape the direction of Rotary Paddington for years to come. I hope to see as many members there as possible. 

Thank you for your continued enthusiasm, generosity and commitment. Together, we are creating lasting impact, one project, one friendship and one act of service at a time.

Warm regards,

Mademoiselle President Valerie

President 2026-27.

Beanies for the homeless

Please go online at Volunteers for Rotary Brisbane Art Show 2026 - Google Sheets to fill in your preferred slots

Club News

  1. looking for Raffle ticket sellers if you want to be part of the team please volunteer to register here.

  2. Fiddler on the Roof group booking for Wed 14 October 2026 7:00pm. our price $109.00 7:00pm  at Glass House Theatre, QPAC                                                                                                        

  3. For 44 years, the Brisbane Rotary Art Show has been a cornerstone of our city’s cultural life, raising over $2 million to support those in our community who need it most. As we prepare for our 2026 event at the Central Plaza 1 foyer from July 19–31, we are reaching out to our closest advocates to help us find the partners who make this possible.  We are looking for local businesses, philanthropists, and community leaders who want to align their brand with a prestigious event that attracts 15,000 visitors annually. Here is the Rotary Brisbane Art Show Prospectus. Please contact Dani Conn for hard copies.

  4. Great news! 1,000 Shelterbags for the homeless sleeping rough in Queensland  will be arriving soon.. Place your order with Wayne Rushton.Info sheet ShelterBags FaceBook YouTube ShelterSuit Please contact Wayne Rushton email

  5. Check out our latest fakebook post for ShelterBags

  6. Adventure Out Loud  follow us on Facebook & Insta

  7.  WASH Rotary Action Group have released their June Newsletter. Please read it here. Bo Morse is a member of the Water and Sanitation, Hygiene Action Group and hopes members will read and maintain an interest in this RAG.

  8. If any people have laptops they don't need, we will give them to Teacher in a Box project. 

Volunteer Opportunities 

The Rotary Brisbane Art Show is just around the corner, running from 18th to 1st August! As co-hosts alongside Brisbane High-Rise, our club is playing a lead role in making this event a success.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, we need volunteers to help with:
Setting up and pulling down the exhibition
Managing the registration desks

We are asking all members to please sign up for at least two sessions. You can select your shifts using the Google Sheets link below:
Volunteers for Rotary Brisbane Art Show 2026 - Google Sheets
Thank you for your support in making this year's show a fantastic event!

  • We have an opportunity to sell raffle tickets at the Paddo when the Broncos games are in Brisbane. Here is the raffle roster for volunteers to register Here is the link to all the broncos games this season

  • Bunnings BBQ at Newstead on Sunday the 5th July Volunteers are needed 5 people for 3 shifts 8am-10:30am, 10:30am-1:00pm, 1pm-3:30pm Pleaseregister herete

  • Teacher in a Box (TIB)  contact  Jeanette Johnstone at 0438659155.Details here.

  • District 9620 Youth Exchange Program (YEP) is Looking for Volunteer Committee members to help with the Youth Exchange Program.  Contact Bernie Wilson.Details here.

  • Seeking Rotarians to Serve on the Youth Exchange Committees

  • Braking the Cycle Driver mentoring Volunteers needed.  Mentoring assists with road safety. Attaining a driver's licence significantly improves young people's employment opportunities. PCYC will provide training for new mentors. They also provide automatic cars running out of Suncorp and the Valley centres. The amount of time you can give is up to you. Driving sessions normally last for an hour or so. If you want to volunteer for this program, please email David Frost. This program allows us to make a difference in the lives of young people in our local area. It can become one of our Club’s key ongoing local projects. Let's get behind. 

  • Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children ROMAC (Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children) is seeking passionate Rotary people of action to help transform the lives of children who need help to access life-saving medical care. Volunteering with ROMAC is an incredibly rewarding experience—you'll experience first hand the joy of seeing a child return home healthy and full of hope. Want to get involved? You can also volunteer at the Regional ROMAC-Committee level in fundraising, media, hospital liaison, patient care and more. For more information go to: https://romac.org.au/about-romac/team-positions-available/ To apply or learn more, contact Maggie Alexander at hr@romac.org.au

  • Join WASH-RAG Membership sign up through the official WASH-RAG website and take an active role in our humanitarian efforts. (https://www.wash-rag.org/membership/) WASH-RAG is at the heart of Rotary’s mission to ensure sustainable access to clean water, improved sanitation, and better hygiene for communities in need.

  • Rotary Global History Fellowship latest Newsletterere

Rotary Contacts

Club Board 2026-27

President: Valerie Simons
IPP:  Debra Lewis
VP:  Richard Carr

Secretary: Gillian Moody 

Treasurer: Leslie Smith

Admin: Peter Fell

Membership: Michelle Davis 

Service: Kyn Maddock

PR:  Toby Ellis

Foundation: Richard Carr 

Youth: Julian Clarke-Jervoise

President-Elect: ??

Club Officers

Insurance: John Clark
Speakers' Program:  Mish Davies
Duty Roster: Stephen Kirby
Youth Driver Training: David Frost
Kiva Loans: Bo Morse
Women's' Shelter: Mala and Leonie
Mirror of Hope: Valerie Simons
Brisbane Rotary Art Show: David Frost and Dani Conn
Shelter bags: Wayne Rushton
Paddington Heritage Trail: Lyn Maddock
Club Property: Valerie Simons
Blue Cards: Denise Spencer-Scarr
Newsletter: Gillian Moody