1973-1978 - Brisbane Sherwood
Highlights
22nd March 1973 - Sponsored by Brisbane Ekibin Lions Club, the Brisbane Sherwood Lions club chartered under the leadership of ex Brisbane Western Suburbs member Graham Vann.
10th July 1975 Sherwood Leos Club chartered.
Local - 1974 Brisbane Flood
The 1974 Brisbane floods brought a tremendous amount of hardship to many people, and both Western Districts and Sherwood were heavily involved in supporting the community in this time of need. The M&As record a total of over 4500 hours were put in by the two clubs, mostly over the first three months of 1974, and donations of cash and goods totalling over $5300. Activities included rescues, evacuation of residents, removal of furniture, cleaning up and repairing of houses and electrical goods, and even the demolishing of a house. The Lions also manned the Relief Centre in Clewley Street.
National - Operation Grass
Farmers and graziers wept. Others just shook their heads. “I don’t believe it. I just don’t. But anyway, thanks a million mate.†They had just received part of 188 tons of grass clippings and 780 bales of hay collected and delivered on one weekend in January 1978.
From a phone call to Sherwood President Keith Walker by Mrs Audrey Meredith for assistance to organise the collection of grass clippings in the Brisbane area and despatch to the drought stricken areas of the Brisbane valley, “Operation Grass†grew into one of the best and most publicised Lions projects in Queensland.
Coles Corinda and St. Josephs Church offered their premises for the central receipt and dispatch area, and the Brisbane City Council consented to the use of various rubbish tips throughout the Brisbane area as receiving points. Berkeley Sanitation, Brisbane Sanitation and Laurex Waste Collection offered their trucks to transport the grass from the receiving points to the central depot, and Laurex also provided bulk container trucks for deliveries to Toogoolawah.
From the excellent publicity by Radio 4IP and the TV stations there wouldn’t have been many people in Brisbane who hadn’t read or heard about Lions Clubs International and the Lions Drought Relief Appeal. And it showed on the day. From 6:30 am the trucks and trailers started arriving and by 9:30 am. the first truck had been loaded and despatched to the country. Even 5 & 6 year olds arrived with their play barrows loaded with a few handfuls of grass to ‘save the little cows’.
After the weekend, it was realised that the amount of time required for the ongoing drought relief was too much for a voluntary organisation, so the Department of Primary Industries appointed two of their senior officers take over responsibility. Lion Bert Hooker from our sponsor club Moreton Bay was one of them, and in charge of the cutting, baling and transport of the fodder. Large areas such as Amberley Aerodrome and 300 acres at Lawnton were harvested, and by March 1978, over 10,000 bales of grass had been distributed.
The other officer, Ian Robinson, was responsible for the purchase and delivery of molasses, with funds raised by the Lions Drought Relief Appeal.
In the receiving areas, committees were set up, chaired by a local Lion, to investigate the needs of the farmers and distribute the molasses, hay etc. to them.
International
With Lions club of Carlisle, England, helped an 83 year old lady contact relatives.