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About

Our story

From five members and a borrowed charter to a club with work in two countries and the sitting District Governor among its members.

Where our members are

No clubhouse, and no shortage of places

A traditional club is defined by its town. Ours is defined by the fact that it is not. Our members live from the New England tablelands to the Mid North Coast, and one of us is in Queensland altogether.

  • The Golden Guitar at Tamworth New EnglandTamworth
  • Headland on the Mid North Coast Mid North CoastPort Macquarie
  • Farmland on the New England tablelands New EnglandBendemeer
  • Cotton country in the New England North West North WestInverell
  • Grazing country in the northern tablelands Northern TablelandsTenterfield
  • A coastal bridge on the mid north coast Great LakesForster
  • Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, Queensland QueenslandGold Coast

Gold Coast photograph by City of Gold Coast on Unsplash. Other images are Rotary District 9660 regional photography.

Milestones

How the club grew

  1. Chartered, by taking on another club’s charter

    Rotary’s model required around twenty members to charter a new club, a steep barrier for an idea nobody in the district had tried. The solution was to assume the charter of the Rotary Club of Tamworth North and rebadge it. Ken Hall drove the administrative work; Dorothy Barwick was founding president.

  2. Dungowan Village Fair and Motor Show

    Guided by Past District Governor John Barwick, the club helped revive a local village fair. It raised about $5,000 in its first year under our coordination, which gave a five-member club its first real standing.

  3. Youth Insearch stewardship

    The charter handover brought with it a restricted fund of roughly $70,000 supporting Youth Insearch. Recognising how small the club was, the funds were safeguarded and transferred to district custodians so the program kept the scale it deserved.

  4. First district grant

    Awarded for youth programs, funding places at RYLA, the National Youth Science Forum and RYPEN. Before that, the work had been paid for by a habit of quiet generosity, including a voluntary five dollars a week.

  5. Siyabonga registered as RAWCS Project 44

    Skills and self-employment training in Gauteng, South Africa. Eleven fashion design students began training in July 2025.

  6. A club member becomes District Governor

    Di Hall was installed as District Governor of Rotary District 9660 for 2026-27 at the district changeover in Tamworth, and continues as a member of this club.

Founding members

The people who started it

  • Dorothy BarwickFounding president
  • Ken HallExecutive secretary
  • John GreeneFoundation member
  • John BoagFoundation member
  • John MackayFoundation member
  • John BarwickPast District Governor · early project leadership
Read a member’s story

2026-27

Club board

  • PDG Ken HallPresident
  • Steve BeatonVice President
  • Keiran RodgersSecretary & Public Relations
  • Justin BaiocchiTreasurer
  • DG Di HallExecutive Secretary · Youth Protection · Bulletin Editor
  • John MackayMembership Director
  • Peter FarquharCommunity Service Director
  • John OxleyRotary Foundation Director & Public Officer
  • Tahni TriffittYouth Service Director
  • Tony LanzafameMember Welfare
  • Keiran RodgersTechnology Chair & Club Promotions
  • VacantInternational Service Director

Rotary

The Four-Way Test

Of the things we think, say or do:

  1. Is it the truth?
  2. Is it fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
  4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Our name

Two names, both correct

We trade as Rotary Eastern Australia Online. Our registered legal name remains Rotary E-Club of District 9650 Incorporated, which is why that name appears on formal documents and in the footer of this site.

How membership works See our projects