Herb’s plan to put Rotary on the map

Yarra’s Edge resident and long-time Rotarian Herb Greenwood is working on a bold plan to stage a big event at Bolte West Precinct on the banks of the Yarra River.

Herb has been a member of the Rotary Club of Central Melbourne for many years and has recently engaged with the group’s new branch club in Docklands in an effort to raise Rotary’s profile in our local community.

As head of the group’s fundraising committee, Herb has spearheaded the annual Opera on the Yarra event at the rowing sheds in Southbank held over previous years in March, which raises money for Rotary’s community projects.

However, with the rowing sheds currently under renovation, Herb has been on the lookout for a new location on the Yarra to host a new event and has his sights set on something very different …

The unused Bolte West Precinct site on Lorimer St, owned by Development Victoria and touted for a future community and boating hub, is the ideal spot to host an event with a twist that showcases the beauty of Docklands, according to Herb.

“I really want something with this sort of industrial character. I don’t want to go into something that is just a standard old place. It’s a bit of a West Side Story kind of setting is the way I equate it,” Herb said.

“March is about the best time. This would be good because it’s under cover so that if does happen to rain we’re not losing the event. They’d just enter from Lorimer St and we could control that because it’s one entrance from the gate.”

“If we can arrange it, it would be great. I know there are lots challenges. I’d have to work out how to get things like electricity on to it and things like that. We’d have to get it inspected for safety but I understand all that.”

“If we start doing it now and getting things in place we can start to get people down and let them know what we want to do. We want to get into something that is going to make more of an impact on the community and put Rotary on the map down here.”

While the event has previously been centred on opera, Herb said the new event would aim to provide a more diverse and cultural musical offering to cater to a larger audience. Ideas surrounding food trucks and other activities are all on the table given the space of the site, which he believed could accommodate 300-400 people.

“Opera is too highbrow,” Herb said. “It doesn’t attract enough people and if you try and do one particular opera you have to spend a lot of money on props and uniforms.”

More importantly, if the event came off, it could raise a potential $35,000 for Rotary’s efforts to end homelessness and support the disadvantaged.

In the meantime, Herb said he would be busy talking to the powers that be about gaining access to the site and searching for potential sponsors. The Docklands Rotary Club also meets on the first and third Wednesday of every month to discuss its projects.

The first Wednesday, the club meets in the morning at Saluministi Café, Bourke St and on the third Wednesday it meets in the evening after work at Cargo Restaurant at NewQuay.

To find out how to help visit rotarydocklands.com.au