Thank you to the Perth Rotary members who travelled to the Avon Valley for the 2025/26 "Up, Up & Away" District Conference. It was an outstanding few days of fellowship, highlighted by a line-up of exceptional speakers and the truly unique, magical MC work of PDG Jonathan Usher from New Zealand.
Hosting the event in Northam was particularly significant, as it marks the home of the fourth Rotary Club established in Western Australia 80 years ago. The program was thoughtfully structured around six themes:
Proud to be an AUSSIE;
Proud to be a ROTARIAN;
Proud to SERVE the COMMUNITY;
Proud to be A LITTLE BIT CRAZY;
Proud to be FROM THE BUSH (my favourite segment) and
PROUD to be HERE.
A standout moment for our club was hearing from Perth Rotarian Dimitri Tsagaris in the final segment - Proud to be HERE. Dimitri centred his talk around the theme of "Rotary: A Window of Opportunity." Dimitri delivered a message that was humble, mindful, and deeply inspiring. He served as a powerful reminder of why we choose to serve our community.
Perth Rotary was well-represented throughout the weekend:
Wesley Sim was once again a dedicated ambassador for ShelterBox.
Our club display successfully promoted our upcoming Centenary Celebrations to the wider District with PP John Garland standing alongside the Perth Rotary Charter Certificate ... a mere nine years older than John.
Youth Director Katherine Wackett; PDG Graham Peden (must have been camera shy!) and Rotarian Philip Lako all made time in their weekend to represent the club. PROST was also visible along with our most recent project - The Pocket Forest.
Our RYE student, Elliot, enjoyed the camaraderie of his exchange peers and fellow Rotarians.
Looking ahead, next year’s District Conference will shift its focus outward. D9423 will be hosting a public Expo in Forrest Place, inviting all clubs to showcase their projects directly to the Western Australian community.
More details will follow as planning progresses. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos from our weekend in Northam.
