Download the Club Bulletin for meeting 998 here.

From President Kirsty Stark:

Tuesday’s meeting saw many visitors, including German exchange student Marie Hermanns, Peter and Jill Poulton, Gary and Marie Lockwood, and our guest speaker, Steph McCarthy.

Marie Hermanns

Marie gave us a brief run down on her recent activities. She has moved to Sue and Paul Hector’s and enjoyed a holiday with them at Sellick’s Beach, where she learned to ride a surfboard and is now apparently, an expert at “getting up”. Marie also had the opportunity to hear an orchestra from Cologne, Germany play here in SA, and speak with them after the performance.

Steph McCarthy

After breakfast, our guest speaker Steph McCarthy took to the lectern to talk about the two biographies she has written – “Bloody Marvellous!,” a collection of her father’s adventures as a country doctor, and “Tom Price – from Stonecutter to Premier”. Traditionally, a fictional author for the stage, page and screen, Steph discovered that she had two compelling stories within her own ancestry, as Tom was in fact her great grandfather. She stated that once she began her research, she discovered that Tom’s story was better than any imaginative tale she could have dreamt up in her own head, and dedicated time over eight years to completing the project.

Steph shared with us several tales from Tom’s life, including his apprenticeship as a stonecutter as a young boy, and his eventual emigration to South Australia, where he entered the Assembly as a Member for Sturt and became SA’s first Labor Premier, eventually loved among conservatives and the general-public alike. When he passed away, thousands lined the streets from his home in Hawthorn to the Mitcham Cemetery. Not prone to wasteful practices, he died right on the last day as his term as Premier and intended retirement.

For more fascinating tales, you will have to purchase a copy of the book, which is available through Wakefield Press. Several members have taken home copies, including our former cook Gary (Labor Party stalwart), for whom the club purchased a copy.

Siony Does it Again!

Siony knocked off the jackpot again for the luck card game. She informs us that it will pay for another massage. How decadent can one woman become?

Next Week’s Meeting

At next Tuesday’s meeting, our 999th (or as Marie Hermanns would say meeting number neun hundert und neunundneunzig), Mina Ward, freshly returned from the UK, will be speaking to us about her experiences overseas, including helping to fund a new shower block for the homeless in Gloucester through her long-distance swims with sister Bridget. Her address is entitled, “What makes you tick?”

The following meeting is Magill Sunrise’s 1000th meeting, and we’ll enjoy a casual and relaxed celebration at the club, to which all members, partners and friends are welcome. We hope to see you there! We will also be funding (and helping to serve) 1000 meals at Hutt Street Centre the following week to mark the occasion.

Tour Down Under

Wednesday saw the first marshalling efforts from Magill Sunrise Rotary at the Tour Down Under, as we manned the side streets to prevent vehicles entering the race roads when the riders passed through the Campbelltown Council area. We’ll be back again on Friday for the finish of the Campbelltown stage.

Download the Club Bulletin for meeting 998 here.