In November President Julie accompanied her mother (from SI Nantwich) on a visit to relatives in Australia. In true Soroptimist style it was also an opportunity to meet with fellow Soroptimists and with a few well timed emails beforehand this fell into place.
The first stop was Melbourne where President Erica of SI Melba had started this new club as a breakaway from the established SI Melbourne. As happens from time to time there are different views and Erica is a dynamic Soroptimist and used to be a member of SI Lewisham hence the connection with President Julie, as they had shared the same Chilterns Region in the past. Erica clearly had a good group of members and they had recently held an event for schools where the attendance was 300 young girls, to listen to motivational speakers and how to progress in education and work. A very pleasant evening was spent in the city catching up and hearing about SI Melba.
The next stop was Ballarat and the timing was such that SI Ballarat were holding a fundraising garden party for their project with displace women in the area. There is an influx of Tongolese people who need help and support with work and family support. The garden party was held at one of the members homes where cakes and other items were on sale and in addition to a small entrance fee and raffle.
President Susannah is a local solicitor with her shared practice in Ballarat. The club has a healthy membership and are very active in the town.
The final club visit was in Sydney, where SI Winchester shares a member with SI Randwick (suburb of Sydney). Chrissie Landale spends part of her year in Sydney and then returns to Winchester. It was great that she was in Sydney in November, where President Julie also had her birthday. SI Randwick invited President Julie and her mother to dinner after their business meeting which they hold at the Yacht Club in Double Bay, a very prestigious place. President Terry is a pharmacist and works in the Government, the club is small but effective with retired teachers and nurses. They support a school for Aboriginal children and have great difficulty in filling school places. This appears to be an ongoing problem with the Australian society and integration with Aborigines, it has not been as successful as was hoped.
As usual in Soroptimist circles there was much conversation and amiable discussion around the dinner table. The following day was President Julie’s birthday and she invited friends and family to a tea party at Vaucluse House, another Soroptimist connection. The area of Vaucluse is a prestigious suburb of Sydney and the houses have fantastic views of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. The Soroptimis connection is to do with the Region meeting which was held at Merley House this summer. A one time tenant of Merley House was a certain William Wentworth. He was an Australian who came to the UK in 1854 and rented the property for the time he was here. He was instrumental in getting the Colonial Office to grant a new constitution for New South Wales. His family home was Vaucluse House and he subsequently returned and is buried there in the family mausoleum.
Nowadays it is a function venue and has lovely outdoor tearooms and a small beach at the bottom of the gardens. It made a wonderful birthday tea party venue.
I hope you find these snippets of interest and hope it inspires Soroptimists to make contact with their sisters wherever they travel in the world.