Our Club meets 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, check Upcoming Events & Rotary News for details & booking links. The Club meets at various Sydney venues and & has a wide range of social events.
Contact us: office@sydneyrotary.com
Congratulations on your Rotary anniversary and thank you for the work you do in Rotary and in your community.
Club Subscriptions – Due 30 June 2026
As we approach the end of the Rotary year, please note that Rotary International membership fees are payable from 1 July 2026. To assist the Club with its annual membership reconciliation, we kindly ask all members with outstanding Club subscriptions to arrange payment as soon as possible. If you are considering resigning from the Club, please notify our Membership Director, Mark Dyer, at your earliest convenience. This will enable us to update our membership records before the new Rotary year begins.
Thank you for your prompt attention and your continued support of the Rotary Club of Sydney.
End of Financial Year Giving
As the financial year draws to a close, we invite members to consider making a tax-deductible donation to support The Rotary Foundation or the Rotary Club of Sydney Benevolent Fund.
Your generosity helps us continue our community and international service projects, supporting those in need both locally and around the world. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps Rotary create lasting, positive change.
Thank you for your continued generosity and commitment to Service Above Self
President’s Message
Dear Rotarians and Friends,
Time truly flies. A year filled with challenges, achievements, friendship and service has passed in the blink of an eye, and this is my final bulletin as President of the Rotary Club of Sydney.
It has been an extraordinary honour to serve as your President during 2025–2026. I sincerely thank you for your support, encouragement and friendship throughout the year. When I unexpectedly stepped into the presidency a year earlier than planned, following the resignation of President-Elect Iurie Brinister just weeks before induction, several key leadership positions also remained vacant. What could have been a difficult year became a successful one because so many members stepped forward to help.
My heartfelt thanks go to Michael Chilcott, Michael Silman, Roger Xie, Kuldeep Thombre, Simon Martin, Kaila Cruz, and Fleur Hourihan for accepting leadership roles at short notice. I also extend my sincere appreciation to Geoff and Gillean Wilbow for their wise guidance and unwavering support throughout the year.
I would also like to acknowledge our newer members, Jon Claire Lee, Ester Hermosura, Leon Zane, Liudmyla Olkhovska and Roselle Gowan, whose enthusiasm helped make our 105th Anniversary Gala Dinner such a memorable celebration.
Together, we achieved a great deal. We revitalised the Services and Awards Committee, reinstated the Rotary Vocational and Rotary Community Service Awards, revived the Rotary Citizenship Ceremony, strengthened our communications through social media and digital platforms, and proudly reintroduced the Community Peace Award during our Anniversary Gala.
Our Club also continued its commitment to meaningful service. We supported a Rotary Global Grant for the Diabetic Foot Care Programme in Hong Kong, continued our clean water project in Nepal, expanded our partnership with NSW Ambulance through the Rotary HeartReady initiative, and supported projects benefiting vulnerable communities both in Australia and overseas.
Throughout the year, we were privileged to hear from an outstanding range of speakers who inspired, challenged and educated us, while our fellowship remained as strong as ever. Together, we welcomed new members, celebrated achievements, and continued building a Club that is active, relevant and compassionate.
None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our Board, committee chairs, volunteers and members. To each of you, thank you for your generosity, commitment and friendship.
As I conclude my year as President, I do so with immense gratitude and pride. We have faced challenges together, celebrated successes together, and strengthened the friendships that make Rotary so special.
Thank you for joining me on this wonderful journey of United for Good and for continuing to live Rotary's motto of Service Above Self.
It has been one of the greatest privileges of my Rotary life to serve as your President.
With sincere thanks and best wishes,
Yours in Rotary,
Phoebe Alexander
President 2025–2026
Rotary Club of Sydney Inc.
Passing the Gavel: Celebrating Phoebe’s Legacy and Welcoming Michael Chilcott
The Rotary Club of Sydney’s most time‑honoured tradition returns on 30 June and this year’s Changeover carries extra significance.
On Tuesday, 30 June 2026, members, partners, and friends will gather at Cello’s Room (4th floor, Castlereagh Boutique Hotel) to mark the end of President Phoebe’s term as the 103rd President of Rotary Sydney and to officially welcome President‑Elect Michael Chilcott and his incoming leadership team.
12:00 for a 12:30 pm start.
Phoebe has led the club with energy and heart since July 2025. The Changeover is our chance to thank her, reflect on what’s been achieved, and enjoy the fellowship that makes this club special.
But it’s also a day of looking forward. Michael will share his plans and vision for the year ahead and you’ll get to meet the team who will help him deliver it.
Expect good company, warmth, a few surprises, and the ceremonial passing of the gavel that connects every Rotary year to the next. BOOK NOW
Governor-General to Join Our Club
We are proud to announce a landmark event for the Rotary Club of Sydney. Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, has accepted our invitation to become an Honorary Member of our club.
The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, 3 July 2026 (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM) at Admiralty House, Kirribilli. This is a wonderful opportunity to welcome Her Excellency and celebrate her dedication to service.
please contact PE Michael Chilcott if you would like to attend. Email: mjchilcott@gmail.com
Private Tour: Archibald Prizes 2026
We are thrilled to invite members and their families to an exclusive after-hours event: a private guided tour of the 2026 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This is a rare opportunity to experience Australia’s most celebrated art exhibition with an expert guide, away from the public crowds, followed by wine and cheese in the company of fellow Rotarians. This year’s Archibald winner Richard Lewer’s portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder Iluwanti Ken is already generating significant buzz, and our intimate tour promises insights you simply won’t get on a self-guided visit. Spaces are strictly limited to just 20 guests, and this event sold out quickly last year, so we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. The tour takes place on Wednesday 29 July at 6:00pm (arrive 5:45pm) at the Art Gallery of NSW. To secure your spot, please register via the link below we look forward to sharing this wonderful cultural evening with you!Book Now
Happy 1st Birthday to our Satellite Club - Rotary Club of Sydney Trident 🔱
The coat of arms of Ukraine is a symbol of invincibility, will, and connection with ancestors, which they carry through the centuries!
Snapshot of recent event
2026 Rotary International Convention – Taipei
The 2026 Rotary International Convention was held in Taipei, Taiwan, from 13–17 June, bringing together more than 38,000 Rotarians from 140 countries. Four members of the Rotary Club of Sydney joined approximately 20 Rotarians from District 9675 to attend this inspiring global event.
The Convention provided a wonderful opportunity to renew friendships and build new connections with Rotarians from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and clubs throughout Taiwan, strengthening international fellowship and creating opportunities for future collaboration.
Our group also enjoyed the warm hospitality of our Taiwanese Rotary friends. Fourteen members were hosted for lunch by the Rotary Club of Dragon and Phoenix, while twelve attended a farewell dinner hosted by the Rotary Club of Universal Love. Both events reflected Rotary's spirit of friendship, generosity and international goodwill.
The Convention featured inspiring keynote speakers and showcased Rotary's global impact through projects ranging from polio eradication and clean water initiatives to peacebuilding and community development.
A personal highlight was hearing Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, whose powerful message on the importance of educating girls reminded us that investing in education has the power to transform lives, communities and the future.
The Taipei Convention was a memorable celebration of service, friendship and hope, reinforcing Rotary's shared vision of creating lasting change around the world.
Review of Our Meeting – 16 June 2026
Thanks to President Nominee – Michale Silman who hosted the final Club meeting for the Rotary year featured two outstanding presentations focusing on improving emergency cardiac care in NSW and strengthening Rotary's partnership with the Heart Foundation.
Dr Mark Dennis provided an update on the NSW Ambulance ECMO Pilot Project, highlighting the important role Rotary Club of Sydney has played in supporting this life-saving initiative. Thanks to the generosity of our major donor and the matched funding from the Macquarie Group Foundation, our commitment of $96,000 to purchase a specialised GE Healthcare ultrasound machine remains on track, with delivery expected in early July 2026. Dr Dennis also announced the excellent news that the NSW Ambulance ECMO Pilot Project has been extended for a further year, allowing this innovative program to continue saving lives.
We were also pleased to welcome Julie Hughes from the Heart Foundation, who introduced the Foundation's Heart of the Nation initiative. Julie shared how Rotary can play an important role in improving cardiac health across our communities. During the meeting, we officially launched our new Rotary HeartReady project, which will focus on three key pillars: Research Excellence, New Initiatives and Pilots, and Advocacy and Networks. This exciting long-term partnership builds on our successful collaboration with NSW Ambulance and represents another meaningful opportunity for Rotary to make a lasting impact on community health.
We look forward to sharing further updates as the Rotary HeartReady project continues to develop.
Rotary MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly)
The Rotary MUNA program saw an exceptional performance from our sponsored Sydney Secondary College delegation, who ably represented the Republic of Korea. We are delighted to announce that Pavlos P Martin was awarded Best Speaker during the proceedings at Parliament House. This is a wonderful outcome for our club’s Youth Committee and a shining example of youth in action.
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