Who are we
About us
A vibrant group of about 40 people from diverse professional and ethnic backgrounds, since 1972. We espouse Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self” and live by Rotary’s 4-way Test.
Our focus is to serve humanity through our various projects in the local community, international, vocational, and youth programs. We build relationships with other community organizations, and charity groups.
Our projects are funded primarily by our Market at North Rocks which we manage every Sunday morning. Our voluntary work is done in the spirit of fellowship and fun.
Please join us Tuesday evenings, or on a Sunday morning at our Market.
Learn more..
Presidents message

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Carlingford

President’s Message

It is an absolute honour and privilege to be the President of this vibrant club, we come together from diverse professional and ethnic backgrounds. The thing we all have in common is that we want to give back to our community,

The Club is 52 years of age, and we serve to support our local community, we undertake vocational programs supporting the development and professional growth to people in our community.  We support youth and local schools in our community making sure that we can empower them to reach their goals. We are involved in international projects that make the lives of people in poverty-stricken countries a whole lot better.

Funding for all our projects predominantly comes from our Sunday markets at North Rocks, all money raised goes directly to the humanitarian work we do! 

We all serve on a voluntary basis; we enjoy each other’s company and we have a lot of fun along the way. 

We meet every Tuesday night at the Vikings Sports Club in Dundas Valley, come along and have a meal, meet great people, there is no pressure to join or do anything you don’t want to – come along and see if we are a group of people you would like to work along to help others.

We wholeheartedly embrace Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self” and live by the Rotary 4-way Test. To be an effective Rotarian, we ask, Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships? Will it be Beneficial to all concerned? We emphasise integrity, fairness, goodwill, and positive outcomes.

We take action to unite people and to creating lasting change to people in our community and abroad.

I so look forward to working with this exception Club over the next year as President and see all the wonderful work started by others to continue.

 

Martha Jabour OAM

President

Rotary Club of Carlingford
Upcoming Events
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Carlingford
We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 6:30 pm
Vikings Club
35 Quarry Rd
Dundas, NSW 2117
Australia
Order dinner at the bistro from 6.15pm. Official meeting 7.00 to 8.00pm.
Our Projects
Club Trip to Bali April 2025
Club Trip to Bali - report by PP Trudy Stevenson, PP Dexter Tabeta, and PP Sudhir Mooray Pasala
27th May 2025
 
Eight members, partners and friends of Carlingford Rotary club travelled to Bali on 25th April 2025.  The purpose of the trip was threefold: meeting with members of the Rotary Club of Bali Bersinar, visting the joint project we have been undertaking in northern Bali, and experiencing the culture of Bali !  Participants were:  PP Trudy Stevenson, PP Sudhir Mooray Pasala and Radha, PP Dexter Tabeta and Ruth, Paul Keteku, Leela and Bart Pacheco.  The trip was coordinated by Carlingford Rotary Club member Nita Yunita, currently residing in Bali, and her associate Nobita who made all the travel arrangements and toured us around the island for 9 days.  Dexter created a wonderful presentation containing some short videos of the highlights of our trip.  
 
The first highlight was the welcome reception hosted by PP Dr Tini Gorda of Rotary Bali Bersinar in Rotary District 3420.  The recepton was attended by District Governor Suzana Chandra, Club President Tiwi, and many members of the Rotary Club of Bali Bersinar.  Featuring speeches, banner and gift exchanges, wonderful Balinese food, and dancing - both traditional and Zumba (led by Ruth Tabeta) - the evening was a great success.  We announced our new sister club relationship, and DG Suzana Chandra congratulated Rotarian Nita Yunita for connecting the two clubs.
 
The next day we embarked on a 4 hour trip through the mountainous northern region of Bali to visit the Bali Rural Toilets project in Singaraja region.  We were greeting by the Village Headman at his house, and a small ceremony was held with presentations of 5kg bags of rice donated by RC Bali Bersinar to local villagers.  Carlingford Rotarians also presented bags of sweet treats to young children.
 
We were then escorted to visit three of the recently constructed toilets (all we could access easily in the mountainous terrain in 200% humidity) and to meet the local villagers.  The toilets are of simple but study construction, with a solid door, and villagers are encouraged to select their own tiles to decorate/personalise the interior of the toilet building.  Rotarian Gunatri conducted the official handover to each toilet by having the villagers sign a certificate.  Two doctors from Bali were also part of the travel party - they provided important education on hygiene.
Following the review of the toilet buildings, we celebrated the success of the project by sharing huge coconuts which had been donated for the celebration.  Our club also presented the village headman with an Australian football jersey.
 
With the important purpose of the trip completed, we were then able to have some fun, enjoying the many attractions of Bali - a visit to the rice terraces, sunrise dolphin watch (more boats than dolphins ?), visiting the thermal pools at Mount Batur, the sunrise jeep safari up Mount Batur, the Leewak (civit) coffee plantation and temples in Ubud, visit to the Save the Turtle Conservation facility and released some baby turtles out into the ocean.  We enjoyed many wonderful meals, stayed in lovely hotels, enjoyed local shopping and massages, and generally had an amazing time.
 
This year the project has been to construct 20 toilets, funded by a District 9685 Grant, matched by Rotary Carlingford, and some further funds invested by members of Rotary Bali Bersinar.  There remain more than 70 households in this northern part of Bali which do not have toilet facilities.  We aspire to grow this project and fund through a Global Grant with additional clubs coming on as project partners.
 
A selection of photos is showcased below !
 
#MagicofRotary
 
 
 
Helping Hearing in Samoa
 
Helping Hearing in Samoa
Report from Rotarians Philip and Cristy Newall 
10th May 2025
 
This was our 25th trip to work in Samoa since 2008.
 
We worked from Monday until Friday in the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic at TTM hospital Apia. Cristy assessed the hearing of 16 children and 14 adults including a partially sighted child who had proved difficult to test on earlier visits.
 
I saw 10 children and 28 adults, fitted 44 hearing aids and left 4 more hearing aids set up to fit when earmoulds were available. We also took 24 impressions of clients’ ears, brought them back to Australia and sent them off to be made up into custom-made earmoulds.
 
One of the children we saw on this visit was first fitted in 2024 and she came back this year for a follow-up. Her father reported that he noticed a positive change in her school performance and social relationships.
 
We fitted adults with used hearing aids which have been donated from a number of sources. It was very sad to see so many such severe losses, one after the other, but gratifying to see so many faces light up when we fitted a hearing aid.
 
On Tuesday evening we attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Apia, who are our local contact for our Rotary Australia World Community Service Samoa project. We also contacted a dentist, Dr Emosi Ah Ching, in the nearby island of Savaii to discuss the help provided by our fellow Rotarian, John Green, who is involved in this project.
 
We followed up the visit by posting two parcels to Samoa with supplies, earmoulds, hearing aids and equipment, which have just arrived.
 
Photos above:
Cristy testing a little child with an audiometer.
Philip fitting a donated hearing aid.
A child whose progress at school and speech has improved after a hearing aid fitting.
 
 
Parramatta Mission Sponsored Lunch May 2025
Members from Carlingford Rotary Club recently volunteerd to assist prepare and serve lunch at a Parramatta Mission sponsored lunch. This was in addition to the club's donation from funds raised at the North Rocks Market.  Parramatta Mission provids this invaluable service to members of the community and Carlingford Rotary is pleased to be a supporter.
 
Vale Dr Rod Jolly
 
Dr Rod Jolly joined the Rotary Club of Carlingford in June 2001, an organisation in which he was to be actively involved, up until about 2 months ago.
 
His initial role on the Board of Directors came within 3 years, as the Community Service Director and in the following year as Youth Service Director.  He became Club President in 2007 – 2008 and under his leadership that year, the Club was awarded a Presidential Citation for “demonstrating how Rotary shares its talents, skills, energy and resources in order to create a better world”.  Rod subsequently served 4 more terms on the Board of Directors, as Club Service Director, Community Service Director again and twice more as Youth Service Director, where his passion lay.  In 2011 - 2012 he served our Rotary District, covering Rotary Clubs north of the Harbour and the Central Coast, in the position of International Service Chairman and in 2014 attended the Rotary International Convention held in Sydney that year.
 
Another longstanding role at our Club for 12 consecutive years was as a Day Treasurer at our weekly Sunday Market at North Rocks, which was scheduled so as to not clash with his Sunday commitments at St John’s Church Beecroft.
Rod was very passionate about the Rotary Youth Exchange program and his encouragement led to a number of girls from Tara applying successfully to spend 12 months overseas in a different culture. He and wife Neg have also hosted some of our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange students, providing them with a home for 3 months. For many years, Rod was our very polished Master of Ceremonies at our Annual Returning Youth Exchange Student Dinners held each February at the Muirfield Golf Club where he entertained all of us at suitable intervals throughout the night with his vast collection of Dad jokes.
 
Rod was someone who could be relied on at a moment’s notice to run our weekly meetings or offer a vote of thanks for our guest speaker, as well as being a generous donator of high-quality red wine to be used to raise funds.
Rod remained positive after his operation last year and told me that he was intending to return to teaching at Tara once he was able to drive again. Sadly, that did not occur. He will be greatly missed by all of us.
Rest in peace Rod.  Our deepest condolences to Neg and family.
Shelterbag Donation
Carlingford Rotary Club are delighted to donate six Shelterbags to Paul Moussa of Parramatta Mission.  Paul and the Parramatta Mission team do a remarkable job of caring for people in the community who need some help.  The Shelterbags are useful for people who do not have permanent accommodation, particularly as the colder weather approaches.
 
The Shelterbags are obtained via the Rotary Club of Bowral-Mittagong, arranged by our Club Community Service Director Cristy Newall, and transported to Sydney with thanks to Bob O'Shea.  
 
Message from Cooper H on Youth Exchange in Germany
Photo: Cooper, Rotary Youth Exchange student on the left.
 
Hello, I’ve been in Germany for nearly eight weeks now, and I’d like to share some of my experiences with you! 
 
I’ve had a lot of fun since I got here, I’ve been on day trips to cities, I’ve seen centuries old cities, I took part in Carnival (a massive German celebration at the start of March where everybody dresses up in costumes and attends big parades) I worked at a hospital for two weeks and so much more!
 
I’m staying in the suburb Kettwig, which is very beautiful and very old, most of the buildings look as though they were pulled from the middle ages, and some of the roads here were built by the Romans. Kettwig is positioned very conveniently in relation to the cities in my area, as it is in the middle of Cologne, Dortmund and Dusseldorf, making it VERY easy for my host family, friends, and Rotary to take me to other cities to see the sights. Last week my host club held their meeting in the K21 museum in Dusseldorf and we got a free guided tour of the exhibit. Because Kettwig is so old there are 2 castles near to where I’m staying (15 minute drive) which are all older than Australia as a country. 
 
For year 10 students in Germany, they have something called the Praktikum, which is essentially German work placement. I arrived two weeks before the Prakitkum started and was allowed to complete at the hospital where one of the rotarians in my club works as a surgeon. I acted as an unpaid nurse, moving patients, measuring blood pressure, and cleaning bedpans. It was a bit disgusting at times but it more than made up for it because at 2 o’clock every day I was allowed to watch some of the surgeries, which was very very interesting. My time at the hospital hasn’t made me want to become a doctor, but it was still very entertaining and I feel like I’ve grown because of it.
 
Carnival was very fun, because it was a long weekend I had multiple days of celebration. On the Sunday I stayed in Kettwig with my school friends and we watched a smaller parade, but it was still incredibly fun because the friends I’ve made at school are really funny people and I enjoy their company a lot. On the Monday (school was cancelled) I went out with some of the other exchange students to Cologne to see a bigger parade. This parade was a lot more full-on, which I enjoyed very much, and they gave out a lot of lollies, which I enjoyed even more. 
 
Overall my stay in Germany so far has been nothing short of extraordinary, everybody here is so kind and welcoming. I’m sorry I haven’t been giving many updates since I arrived, but I’ll do better from now. My Eurotour starts soon as well so expect lots of photos! Thank you for reading this, and for taking an interest in me.
 
Cooper :) 
YEX Trip to Canberra March 2025
Report on Youth Exchange trip to Canberra - Susanna Koegler (Austria)
 
Photo: Susanna - third from the left.
 
During my five days in Canberra with the other Youth Exchange students, we stayed with host families and explored all the major sights of Australia's capital.  we visited Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, and various national museums, getting a deeper understanding of the country's history and government.  A highlight was visiting our embassies, where we learned about diplomatic relations and one of them even met representatives from her home country.  Despite the packed schedule, we had a great time bonding with other exchange students and experiencing a different side of Australia.
 
March 2025
Australia Day 2025 John Wearn Reserve
Australia Day 2025 at John Wearn Reserve, Carlingford was a terrific success.  A collaboration between the Rotary Clubs of Beecroft and Carlingford, with the support of a National Australia Day Grant, was a lovely community occasion in support of the theme "Respect. Reflect. Celebrate".  Featuring a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country provided by Bush to Bowl, followed by our official Australia Day speeches by Rotary District Governor Niranjan Deodhar, Julian Leeser MP (Berowra), Dr Andrew Charlton MP (Parramatta).  The National Anthem and "I Am Australian" sung by North Beats Music Academy student , Flag raising by North Rocks Scouts, and a closing speech by Daniel Dummer, President of the Rotary Club of Beecroft.  (Carlingford Club President Martha Jabour OAM was noted as an apology due to her attendance at the National Australia Day Ceremony in Canberra).  We were also pleased to have Deputy Mayor Cameron McLean, City of Parramatta, Clr Georgina Valjak and Clr Monica Tudehope in attendence. This year, a new feature was the wonderful Auslan interpretation by Yasmin, so that hearing impaired members of the community could also enjoy the program.  At the close of the formalities Dan Romeo provided further musical entertainment, whilst the North Rocks RFS fired up the BBQ, Cakes by Jess and Triple Oh Coffee were kept busy.  We also featured children's activities - face painting, giant bubbles, and indigenous animal painting to ensure the morning was of interest to all members of the community.  A big thankyou to MC Michael Stuart-Watt, student volunteer Megha Easwar, and members of the organising committee - Fay Kitto, Robert Erskine, Jaythene Zimmerman, Greg Keighran, Russell Zimmerman, Daniel Dummer, Cristy Newall, Barry Wang and Trudy Stevenson.  Volunteers who assisted with set-up and pack down on the day, and letterbox drops in the week prior are also greatly appreciated !
 
Tree of Joy 2024
Thankyou thankyou thankyou !  Rotary Club of Carlingford wishes to thank the very generous donors of an amazing array of Christmas gifts and hampers at this year's Tree of Joy at Carlingford Court.  The gifts have been collected and delivered to our community distribution partners located in the Dundas and Telopea area.  We are certain that these gifts will put some smiles on faces of parents and children who need some help this year.  
 
Carols by Twilight 2024
Wow - how good was Carols by Twilight 2024 !  Despite the weather being slightly damp and cool (after a very hot day!), we managed to get through the entire program and what a fun evening it was.
Thankyou to our performers : Muirfield High School Band, Christ the King School Choir, Dan Romeo, Annette van Roden, Di Hammond, Valley Voices and Michael Stuart-Watt.
Thankyou to the North Rocks Fire Service and Santa ! Also to our VIPs Clr Georgina Valjak and Monica Tudehope MP for sharing their Christmas messages.
The North Rocks Scouts BBQ, Triple Oh Coffee and Cakes by Jess all seemed to do a roaring trade on the night which was terrific.
Thankyou to our Rotary volunteers for their organisation and work behind the scenes:  Fay Kitto (program coordinator and main organiser), Michael Stuart-Watt, Andrew Best (MC) , Barry Wang (Songbooks) , Sandra Payne, Therese and Amy Hanna (Glowstick sales), Sandra Payne, Russell Zimmerman, Robert Erskine (and Ian Erskine on the night), Cristy Newall (photos) and Trudy Stevenson (social media).  Thankyou also to Andy Bianci and Stephanie Bitar Boyagi for their assistance.  And most of all, thankyou to the community who came along to support the event !!
 
 
North Rocks Xmas Market 2024
Thankyou to Santa Chas (ably assisted by the elfie-kelpie Tessa) and to all of the wonderful stallholders who came along and participated in the North Rocks Christmas Market this year !
 
Everyone had a great time and there were plenty of lovely Christmas gifts available, particularly with the fantastic Arts & Crafts stalls at the Christmas market.
 
Merry Christmas from Mike, Gary and the North Rocks Market volunteer team !
 
Parramatta Rotary Walk Against Domestic Violence
 
Members of the Rotary Club of Carlingford joined the Rotary Walk Against Domestic Violence held in conjunction with City of Parramatta on Wednesday 4th December.
 
Members from five Rotary clubs in and around Parramatta joined the walk and rally held in Parramatta Square.  There were a number of speakers, one of whom was Corinne Lindsell, Deputy Chair of the Homicide Victim Support Group (HVSG).  Corinne's powerful speech can be heard as the voiceover for the recording of the event below.
 
 
Thankyou to the Rotary Club of Environment and Habitat for orchestrating this event in Parramatta on behalf of Rotary. 
Rotary clubs across Australia have been active in their own localities to say NO to domestic and family violence and say YES to respectful relationships.  Learn more here.
Congratulations Martha !
Members of Rotary Carlingford are delighted to congratulate Club President Martha Jabour OAM, on her award of 2025 NSW Local Hero of the Year.  The Award was presented by the Premier of NSW Chris Minns on November 13th.  Martha has been recognised due to her outstanding work with the Homicide Victim Support Group, and was instrumental in HVSG achieving their vision of the development of Grace's Place - a world first trauma centre for children affected by homicide.  We wish Martha every success as she proceeds to the National Local Hero of the Year award, to be announced on Australia Day 2025.  For more details refer to the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards website.
 
2025 Australians of the Year Awards for NSW
Martha Jabour OAM (NSW Local Hero); Kath Koschel (NSW Australian of the Year), Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM (NSW Senior Australian of the Year), Maddison O’Gradey (Young Australian of the Year).  Source: australianoftheyear.org.au
Water !
Kona Water Wells (Ghana) - great news! "The construction of the second phase of the Kona Water and Sanitation Project has started the construction of three wells.  My understanding is that there will be two or three more wells to be built later.  This is the result of the Carlingford Rotary club contribution and my personal donation {to a Rotary Foundation Global Grant}.  The chiefs, queens and the entire Kona Community will ever be grateful to Carlingford Rotary Club and Rotary International, as well as all the participating clubs of the project."  Thanks, James Addo (Rotarian).
 
 
 
North Rocks Market March 2024
Have you visited North Rocks Market recently ?  Open every Sunday 7am to 1pm.
In the grounds of Next Sense, 361-365 North Rocks Rd, North Rocks.
Entry by coin donation.  Parking available onsite.