MEETINGS and OUTINGS
Monthly meetings commence at 9.45am at the North Ipswich Bowls Club, Pine Street, North Ipswich
Remember your cup and (optional) a plate of goodies for a shared morning tea
Visitors are always welcome.
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Our first meeting for 2026 will be Monday 9th February
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2025 - OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
The Probus Club of Ipswich
enjoyed a busy and interesting year in 2025, with the focus on Friendship, Fellowship and Fun
The current Membership stands at 55 and an average of over 40 members attended each monthly meeting. Most apologies were from those who were enjoying some travelling or were not well on the day.
Each month we enjoyed meeting and listening to a Guest Speaker, each bringing their interesting and diverse stories of travel, adventure and education.
This was always followed by our free morning tea with time to mingle as well as time to chat further with our Guest Speakers.
A Club Member added to the interest of the morning with a short talk on a wide and interesting range of topics. Some that we have enjoyed this past year have included snippets of their family history, adventures, historical moments in time, humorous stories and the occasional quiz.
Each month, the morning is rounded off by members sharing time together over lunch. This activity is open to all who wish to, on the day.
Throughout each month, our Activities Co-ordinator brought an amazing array of interesting and diverse outings for all our members to enjoy.
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February 2025
The year began with an Australian themed Quiz which included questions highlighting events, people and places dating back to the 1970s and earlier. It proved to be a fun morning with members enjoying having their brains and memory tested. Some members scored an almost perfect score and were reworded with chocolate for their cognitive effort.
Club member John Issitt told us his story of emigrating from the UK to Australia in 1972.
Lunch: After the February meeting members shared time together over lunch at Ipswich Jets Leagues Club
Outing in February: Members drove to Laidley for Morning Tea before heading to Grantham to visit “The Garden of Eden”, a butterfly sanctuary. Before heading home we stopped at Plainlands for lunch.
MARCH 2025
An unusual adventure for south-east Queensland with Cyclone Alfred cancelling many activities including our Probus monthly meeting and planned outing to The Peak Australiana at Peak Crossing.
Cyclone Alfred saw us all diligently securing and locking away all our loose outdoor objects, taping windows and preparing our Disaster Packs. Thankfully our greater Ipswich region saw little to no damage but our thoughts and sympathy went to all those in Alfred’s firing line.
From as far back as 1893, history records several cyclones that have affected south eastern Queensland. If these accounts show us anything, it is that our region of southern Queensland is not immune from cyclones.
April 2025
Guest Speaker Joseph Kaara shared his remarkable story of his young days living in Kenya and his eventual move to Australia in 2014.
No Club Speaker this month due to the Club’s AGM (postponed from March).
Lunch: After the April meeting members shared time together over lunch at Ipswich Jets Leagues ClubOuting in April: A bus was hired for members to travel to Twin Towns Service Club at Tweed Heads for “Back to Tivoli”, a morning of great entertainment and fun followed by lunch at the venue.
Outing in April: A bus was hired for members to travel to Twin Towns Service Club at Tweed Heads for “Back to Tivoli”, a morning of great entertainment and fun followed by lunch at the venue.
May 2025
Guest Speaker John Williams took us an entertaining journey as he retold many of his experiences as a fighter pilot in the Australian Air Force.
Club member Jeanine Dwyer rekindled many memories for long term Ipswich residents with stories of her days growing up in Ipswich and her father’s well known and well-remembered fruit and vegetable business.
Lunch: After the May meeting members shared time together over lunch at Club Services Ipswich (CSI)
Outing in May: A tasty and delicious lunch at “The Miners Right Restaurant”, part of the Bundamba TAFE hospitality training unit.
June 2025
Guest Speakers were Rebekah Hearder and Ramon Saloman from Sylvan Funerals who spoke about their family’s business and the opportunities and rewards of serving the community in their field of work.
Club Member Marion Weatherhead relayed some of her stories of growing up in the fruit growing district of Stanthorpe, meeting and marrying a beekeeper and her journeys of learning to swap honey for sugar as the major sweetener in their home.
Lunch: After the June meeting members shared time together over lunch at Ipswich Jets Leagues Club
Outing in June: An entertaining outing to Ipswich’s Incinerator Theatre where we were treated to a simple hot lunch, and a talk about and tour of this significant, historical and fascinating facility. To complete this outing we were treated to a light-hearted, entertaining and funny short play that had us all smiling and laughing.
July 2025
Guest Speaker Peter Dunn OAM sparked much interest with his excellent presentation on the sites of World War 2 in Brisbane and surrounds.
Club Member Bruce Prasser, keeping in line with the WW2 theme, gave an illuminating talk on the Battle of Brisbane which many of us were unaware of but is a recorded incident in the heart of Brisbane in November 1942.
Lunch: After the July meeting members shared time together over lunch at Club Services Ipswich (CSI)
Outing in June: Visited St Paul’s Anglican Church Ipswich for an historical talk and tour, an organ recital on the pipe organ, which is still in use today after being imported from England and installed in 1860, followed by morning tea.
A visit to the Ipswich Library followed with an informative tour of the many facets of this Library and the many facilities available for people to use and enjoy.
Our morning concluded with lunch at the Commonwealth Hotel in the heart of Ipswich City. This hotel was originally built in the late 19th century. Several years ago it was carefully de-constructed, stored then re-construction. Once completed, it once again opened its doors to the public in 2014.
August 2025
Guest Speaker Jon Krause MP, LNP Member for the Scenic Rim and current Deputy Speaker of the Qld Parliament, shared interesting insights into his life growing up on a local farm and his eventual enter into politics.
Club Members Dorothy Prasser, Anna Bell and Trevor Weatherhead each shared a few interesting snippets about one of their ancestors.
Lunch: Following the August meeting members enjoyed our annual BBQ held at Elim Estate, Ipswich.
Outing in August: Due to wet weather, the planned Barefoot Bowls and sausage sizzle at the historical Ipswich Bowls Club was cancelled. Instead, we met at the Yamanto Tavern for lunch.
September 2025
Guest Speaker Donna Rooney, an Occupational Therapist, gave helpful and practical information about healthy ageing and how occupational therapists can aid in promoting independence, wellbeing and participation in meaningful activities as we age.
Club Member Col Dwyer regaled us with a very interesting presentation about his family origin, choosing to focus on his Irish ancestors.
Lunch: After the September meeting members shared time together over lunch at Ipswich Jets Leagues Club
Outing in September: A few members travelled to Esk spending three days in the region visiting interesting places around Esk, Blackbutt, Linville and Toogoolawah. We visited the Blackbutt CWA for a delicious morning tea with their famous scones. While visiting the Emerson Museum we saw memorabilia dedicated, not only to Australia’s famous tennis player, Roy Emerson, but also to some of the rich history of the surrounding South Burnett region. Some members had their past teaching days revived with items that are now regarded as historical items, while others found a treasure trove of photos and stories of their ancestors.
October 2025
Guest Speaker Pye Augustine, Division One for Ipswich City Council shared some of her personal story, emigrating to Australia from South Africa, her varied careers to where she is today, serving as a Councillor in the Ipswich City Council.
Club Member Margaret Secomb spoke of her life’s journey from childhood memories to Kindergarten teacher to wife of a Presbyterian Minister and the amazing bond shared with her husband David and the life they travelled together. Lunch: After the October meeting members shared time together over lunch at Club Services Ipswich (CSI)
Outing in October: Many enjoyed taking part in an Observation Run which culminated with lunch at the new Q Community
Club at Purga.
November 2025
Guest Speaker Barry Read, Probus Ambassador for Probus South Pacific Limited, provided us with some interesting historical facts as well as current facts and figures of Probus in Australia.
Club Members Anne Rutherford and Marion Weatherhead each gave a short talk. Anne spoke of some precious historical memorabilia she has of her Danish maternal Grandfather while Marion told a short, humorous story of a day beekeeping with their first and young son.
Lunch: After the November meeting members shared time together over lunch at Ipswich Jets Leagues Club
Outing in November: Many members enjoyed a Christmas themed lunch at “The Miners Right Restaurant”, the hospitality teaching restaurant at Bundamba TAFE.
December 2025
Guest Speaker Phuang Nguyen, Pharmacist and owner of a Priceline Pharmacy in Ipswich shared her remarkable story of survival as a refugee after the Vietnam war and her gratitude for all the opportunities Australia has offered her since arriving.
No Club Speaker today or Outing this month. As this was our last meeting for the year, many of our members met for lunch at the Raceview Tavern to celebrate the end of another year.
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