There is a fine, well-built blue stone structure in Eastern Park that proudly displays the logo of the Rotary Club of Geelong East. It is a water fountain, located near a colourful new children’s playground, picnic table and public toilets, in the general vicinity of Geelong High School. It is obviously a past project of the Rotary Club of Geelong East – but when was it built?
Thanks to our wonderful long-serving Rotarian David Beretta, its story has been revealed.
The project was completed in David’s year as President, 1980–1981 and was opened with great ceremony by the-then mayor, Councillor Des Podbury, in the presence of President David and Rotarians Leon Mott, Alf Foster, John Burleigh, Bob Lethbridge and others
The project took many months and involved more than water fountains. It included picnic tables and two wood-fired barbecues, with wood generously supplied by the Geelong City Council. However the wood kept disappearing (light-fingered visitors were blamed) so the Council demolished the barbecues and left the fountain. Several gas barbecues are now installed in a large pavilion elsewhere in Eastern Park.
Rotary Club of Geelong East - Serving the People
