Ian was involved in the chartering of the Rotary Club of Werribee in 1968, and became its President in 1972/73. Since that time, he has been involved in all avenues of service, locally and internationally, served as District Rotaract Chairman for Rotaract for 3 years, and assisted with the commencement of 11 Rotaract Clubs in District 978.Ian’s long and distinguished Rotary career of over 50 years, has included so many notable projects including hosting 9 Exchange Students plus many Group Study Exchange team members, and acted as counsellor for Rotary Foundation Scholars. He instigated and assisted with the first Rotary Trade Fair in Werribee; initiated the development of the first not-for-profit aged care home in Werribee, Manor Court (was its chairman for 14 years, and remains a Board member); developed, with his Club and the Rotary Club of Sapporo North, a Japanese Garden at the Werribee Civic Centre; and was involved in forming Little Athletics for all primary schools in Werribee.
In 1996, Ian was named Werribee Citizen of the Year, and in 2006 received the Order of Australia for “Service to the community of the City of Wyndham particularly through aged care services and Rotary International”.
In 1987/88 Ian was privileged to be District 9800 Governor, the year District 9800 raised over $650,000 for Rotary’s ongoing worldwide program to eliminate Polio.
For the past 38 years, Ian has been involved with The Rotary Foundation District Committee in a variety of roles, one of the most satisfying being the instigation of the Rotary Foundation Vocational Training Team, Maternal and Child Health program in Timor Leste with teaching Professor Rotarian Jeremy Oats.
Sometime ago, Ian was at a Rotary meeting where a Rotarian from Timor Leste paid tribute to Ian and the program and told of his recent visit to a remote Timorese village where a midwife advised that if it hadn’t been for what she had learnt from Professors Jeremy and Sue, she would have lost mother and baby the previous night.
Another significant achievement was securing a Rotary Foundation major Global Grant for the sinking of a deep water well in Uganda for 2,000 people including a 400 student boarding school.
As a member of the Rotary Foundation Royce and Jean Abbey Vocational Scholarship program, Ian assisted with bringing Chris Ochaya from Uganda to Australia for 3 months to be mentored by the Rotary Club of Werribee and learn many new food-growing skills, which he now teaches to others in Uganda.
In 2012/13 Ian received The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award; represented the District at the Council on Legislation in 2004 and 2007; represented the President of Rotary International at 3 District Conferences; led a Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange team to Japan; and was invited by the President of Rotary International to chair breakout sessions at International conventions.
In 2020, Ian received Rotary International’s highest honour, the Rotary Service Above Self Award.
In Ian’s words: “What I have learnt through Rotary is that if Rotary has encouraged us to be more kindly in our outlook on life and toward people, taught us greater tolerance, a desire to see the best in others and has brought us helpful contacts that share the same values, then Rotary has brought us all fulfilment.”