Probus Club of the Hills chose its Annual Change Over Lunch this year to mark fifty years of Probus in Australia — a milestone that dates to 1976, when the first club in the country was formed. It was the kind of occasion that tends to make people reflective, and the speeches at the Galston Club did not disappoint.
Hornsby Mayor Warren Waddell has a family story that is hard to beat for local colour: fifth-generation orchardists in Galston, roots going back further than most of the suburb’s infrastructure. He talked about what that history means and what the Hornsby Shire is doing now to support people in retirement. State Member for Hornsby James Wallace spoke about his own ties to the district and the political case for taking retirees’ needs seriously — something, he suggested, that does not always happen automatically.
Hugh Dash handed the presidential chain to Ian McArthur, and both men said something worth paying attention to. Retirement can mean freedom, but it can also mean an unexpected kind of emptiness — fewer places to be, fewer reasons to leave the house. Probus, they argued, addresses that directly. Mystery coach tours, walks, golf, bowls, and discussion groups: there is something on the calendar almost every week.
The club meets on the second Wednesday of most months at the Galston Club. Anyone curious about joining can call Bob Heyward on 0427 360 389.
