The RC of Eaglehawk have a new married couple.  On 31.10.2026 Ally and Ben became Mr & Mrs Ben Hill at a lovely garden wedding in front of family and friends, some of whom travelled from overseas.  They were entertained by fireworks, Lion dancers and a number of other traditional international customs.  The entertainment included Ally & Ben singing a duet in Ally's native language.  Family and friends danced and sang well into the night.

Congratulations and best wishes on your wedding, enjoy your time away and we look forward to your company upon your return.

Eaglehawk's Citizen & Young Citizen of the Year nomination forms are now available. Simply go to our club's website, hover over ‘Citizen of the Year’ on the menu bar and you will see the option of either the Citizen of the Year or Young Citizen of the Year nomination forms in the drop down menu.  Simply download, complete and submit it - easy as that.

We all know people in the community that we have long admired for the work they do and for the efforts they put in.  It's important for our community that we recognise and thank those who support and ensure our community thrives - so here is your opportunity.  

Haven't seen the raffle trailer yet?  When you do, you'll be blown away by the number and quality of prizes.  With the feature prize of a Kubota Toddler Tractor/Trailer sitting atop the trailer - great eye candy for the little ones.  

Here's the list - now all you need to do is buy the tickets for your chance to win!

At our meeting last week, the program ‘For a Meal’ was discussed.  Many of our members participated in the last packing day held at our clubrooms as a cluster event, at which the District Governor Amanda Wendt attended as part of her club visits. Those in attendance from the local Rotary Clubs (and we were joined by quite a few non-Rotarians too) enjoyed the fellowship, but more importantly, it was the hands-on working together that brought the most joy.  We knew that the packs being made would one day be very much appreciated by those affected by a natural disaster.

For those who weren't lucky enough to be part of the amazing day your questions are best answered by the following information -

  Also, a couple of photos of the packing day can be found by following the link -

The following article was received from Helen Sexton, a local chiropractor; her partner is Brett Houlden, whose 2 sons attended NYSF some years ago. We keep in touch with her, and she came to help us recently at our NYSF Student/parent information session at Discovery Centre.  We do try to keep in touch with parents and past students; some could possibly be future Friends of Rotary or members.

Lynne Cooper.

So lovely to see you again at the NYSF information evening!

I felt quite nostalgic seeing those young faces – and very excited for the experience that lies ahead for them.

Both our boys – Tom and Blaze still speak fondly of their own NYSF adventure and the positive trailing effects it has had on their (still) young lives. You’ve asked me to write a little of their paths since NYSF, now 12yrs and 9yrs ago, respectively.

So, Tom left Bendigo after VCE to study Science/Arts at UNSW, Sydney – fuelled by a love of science and philosophy, and very much supercharged by the NYSF experience. He reunited with many of his NYSF cohort at uni in Sydney.   As with so many school leavers, his interests diversified in that first couple of years of university, and much to our surprise, he transferred to an Economics/Arts degree. It was a very conscious decision, and one that he explained at the time would allow him to have a more meaningful impact on the world. That year, UNSW featured Tom in their marketing program – a YouTube clip ( attached the link below) - and he gave (point of view from a doting mother) a thoughtful explanation of what he hoped to achieve through his study. Tom graduated with Honours and was fortunate enough to be offered a graduate position at Treasury in Canberra.  But he had itchy feet for research – particularly in the field of Effective Altruism, and after six months, he applied for a researcher role at the Global Priorities Institute, which at that time was at Oxford University. In the two years he worked there, he had incredible access to some truly great minds and was challenged by the breadth of research opportunities available to him. It seemed an obvious thing that he further consolidate his own academic path, and he applied to several international universities for a Master's in Economics. He was accepted to the London School of Economics and completed his Master's. Following this, he again applied internationally to begin a PhD program in Economics.  He had established a network of researchers and academics who supported him through this arduous application process, and he was able to choose from several European and American universities offering him a position in their PhD programs. It was a difficult choice, but ultimately he felt Columbia University in New York might be the best fit for his interests. And that is where he is today, currently in his second year of a five-year PhD program, studying growth and technology…and delving very deeply into AI.

Blaze, so far, has had a less convoluted academic and professional journey. He completed VCE and went straight into a science degree at Melbourne University. He has always had a strong maths/science interest. Again, he connected with many of his NYSF friends, especially in those early years of his degree.  He completed his Master's in Physics and was encouraged to apply to the Melbourne Uni PhD program. He is now in his second year of a PhD and is studying binary black hole gravitational waves (yep, it’s a mouthful). At this year’s Astronomical Society Annual Meeting in Canberra, he won the poster prize for his research (I’m a proud Mum). Blaze works with OzGrav in an outreach program at high schools, showing students the universe through virtual reality goggles.

There you have it. Their paths continue. 

Both Tom and Blaze are deeply grateful for their NYSF experience

• complete the survey (online via the Let's Talk page)
• identify locations you like or need improvement on the interactive map (online via the Let's Talk page)
• attend a drop-in session (details below)
• complete an expression of interest to be part of the community reference group (online via the Let's Talk page)

• Tuesday 10 November at the Eaglehawk Library 1.30-5pm
• Thursday 26 November at the Peter Krenz Centre, 5-7pm

• Tuesday 10 November from 12 to 1pm at the Eaglehawk Community House's Community Lunch
• Saturday 14 November from 9am to 1.30am out front of Skip's Skateboard Shop
• Monday 16 November from 12 to 1pm out front of Eaglehawk Bakery
• Tuesday 24 November from 3 to 4.30pm at the Eaglehawk Playspace

 

Lauren Watt

Coordinator Precinct Planning and Heritage