Rowville Red Cross

The first involvement in Rowville with Red Cross came with a request to the Rowville Progress Association to provide collectors for the “Red Cross Calling” door-knock in March 1965. This request had come from the Shire of Knox Red Cross District Citizens’ Appeal Committee. In response, members of the Progress Association: Harry and Rose Raymond, Connie and Frank Fordham and Alf Taylor collected quite a large amount in donations from Rowville residents. The Progress Association continued to support the annual Red Cross appeal until it was suggested by Red Cross that a unit be formed in Rowville. Mr Drummond, the owner of the Stamford Hotel, offered the free use of a room for a public meeting and Connie Fordham distributed invitations. The meeting however was not very well attended and nothing came of it.

Unit Founded in 1971

A second meeting was called on 4th May 1971 at the Rowville Recreation Reserve Hall and was chaired by Mrs E. Pike, the Deputy Regional Commandant of Red Cross, and this meeting saw the successful establishment of the Rowville unit. Present at that historical occasion were Aimee Seebeck, Connie Fordham, Kath Finn, Margaret Robinson, Yvonne Bodsworth and Anne Dobson. The first ordinary meeting of the unit was held in the dining room of the Rowville Motel on 27th May and new members present were Margaret Wanke, Mrs Murray, Etta Clayton-Jones, Nancy Gearon, Daphne McHugh and Tess Garner. The office bearers elected were:

President – Aimee Seebeck; Secretary – Etta Clayton-Jones; Treasurer – Nancy Gearon. Monthly meetings continued to be held at Frank and Kath Finn’s motel until 1992. The current venue is the Rowville Community Centre where meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month.

Strong History of Fund Raising

During its 25 years in Rowville the unit has been involved in many fund raising activities including street stalls, raffles, luncheons, a Fletcher Jones fashion parade and demonstrations by Tupperware, Brockhoff, Ardmona, Western Star, Kitchen Kapers, Stanhome, Golden Poultry, bark painting, floral art and candle making. These activities have raised a total of $15,603 for Red Cross over the years.

The biggest event organised each year in Rowville by the unit is the “Red Cross Calling” appeal and between 1974 and 1996 $42,208 has been collected to support the great humanitarian projects run by Red Cross both within Australia and throughout the world.

Rowville members regularly assist at the Mobile Blood Bank sessions at the Community Centre and one of the founding members, Kath Finn, has assisted with immunisations since 1972.

Members who have received Long Service Awards are Kath Finn, Connie Fordham, Aimee Seebeck, Anne Dobson, Daphne McHugh, Ivy Hill, Janet Johns, Margaret Stubbs, Marcia Kent, Elva Taylor, Elaine Kortholt and Evelyne Veeraswamy.

The Rowville unit has many loyal supporters who generously give of their time and donations: the nurserymen Warners and Dunscombes of Heany Park Road; Marj and Ron Lade who help the unit in so many ways and the staff of the Community Centre who attend to every detail and always with a smile. The members of the Rowville unit are very grateful to these special people.

The 21st birthday celebrations of the unit in 1992 were highlighted by a luncheon given to members at the Knox Civic Centre by the then Mayor of Knox, Cr John Raymond.

25th Anniversary

It is hoped that the 25th Anniversary celebrations will bring together past and present members at a luncheon to be held at the Waverley Golf Club in Bergins Road on 15th May 1996.

Office Holders Over the Past 25 Years

Members over the Past 25 Years

Elly Bare, Jean Baird, Jean Beswick, Yvonne Bodsworth, Meg Bruce, Fran Bucknell, Etta Clayton-Jones, June Cox, Margaret Dobson, Anne Dobson, Evelyn Drayton, Kath Finn, Connie Fordham, Tess Garner, Nancy Gearon, Sheila Hackett, Ivy Hill, Doris Heathfield, Dorothy Hall, Vauna Jaensch, Janet Johns, Marcia Kent, Elaine Kortholt, Marcia Kochan, Margaret Lindsay, Daphne McHugh, Mabel McIntyre, Victoria Miller, Mrs Morris, Glenys Morgan, Margaret Robinson, Jean Reid, Aimee Seebeck, Margaret Stubbs, Elva Taylor, Evelyne Veeraswamy, Margaret Wanke and Jo Wilson.