About us
The Rotary Club of Orange is one of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs worldwide, linking over 1.2 million women and men who turn the ideal of service into practical action. Our 36 members uphold high ethical standards in their professions, strengthen the fabric of local life, and contribute to Rotary’s wider mission of fostering international understanding and peace.
We serve a vibrant regional city in Central West New South Wales. Orange—home to about 43,000 people—lies 250 km west of Sydney and 850 metres above sea level, a setting that shapes both its cool-climate vineyards and its strong sense of community.
Meet With Us
The club gathers each Monday at 6.00 pm in the Ambassador Motel for fellowship, dinner and thought-provoking programmes on issues of local and global significance. Membership is open to everyone and reflects the rich diversity of our district. Visitors and prospective members are warmly invited to join us; simply text Maggie Steventon on 0410 079 654 by 9.00 am the preceding Friday to reserve a place.
Fundraising That Fuels Community
Backing Bright Futures
We sponsor 20 local pupils through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life programme, covering essentials such as uniforms, textbooks and excursion fees. In return, each student commits to regular attendance and diligent completion of schoolwork, turning financial assistance into genuine educational progress.
Helping Young People Build a Home
Veritas House offers safe accommodation for homeless youth and guides teenagers leaving foster care towards independent living. Our club’s donations supply day-to-day essentials—food, toiletries and other consumables—that ease the transition and let these young people focus on shaping their future.
Keeping Digital Doors Open
Income from a major bequest enables us to keep the Glenroi Technology Centre operating. The centre offers students without home internet a safe space to complete homework, while also helping community members access online services, craft résumés and build confidence when applying for work.
Standing by Service Charities
Each year the Rotary Club of Orange channels part of its fundraising to Legacy, which supports the partners and children of Australian service personnel affected by injury or loss, and to the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, funding emergency housing, meal services and financial counselling for people in crisis across NSW; our ongoing donations keep these frontline organisations delivering vital care and dignity to those who need it most.
Rapid Flood Relief
When devastating floods struck New South Wales, the Rotary Club of Orange responded with both money and muscle. In Eugowra, club members joined neighbouring Rotary teams to set up and staff a free pop-up store, distributing donated furniture, white goods and groceries until the town’s supermarket could reopen. At the same time, we channelled cash assistance to a sister Rotary club on the North Coast, empowering them to direct aid where it was most urgently needed in their own flood-ravaged community
Investing in Indigenous Health
Our annual contribution to Australian Rotary Health finances scholarships for Aboriginal postgraduate students training in medicine, nursing or allied-health fields, strengthening the pipeline of First Nations professionals who will deliver culturally informed care in their own communities.
Service in Action
From planting trees and sprucing up local parkland to firing up the barbecue for hospital staff and visitors, hands-on service is at the heart of the Rotary Club of Orange. Members run annual youth-driver awareness courses, stage “Dream Cricket” clinics for children who don’t take part in mainstream sport, collect litter for Clean Up Australia Day, and organise two signature events: the Great Volcanic Mountain Challenge, a trail run up Mt Canobolas, and a poetry competition celebrating Orange-born bard Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson.
Our commitment extends well beyond city limits. In 2023 we hosted a year-long Rotary Youth Exchange student from Brazil and sponsored a local high-schooler to the National Youth Science Forum. Internationally we contribute to the Rotary Foundation’s humanitarian projects—most notably the PolioPlus campaign to eradicate polio—and purchase ShelterBox kits that provide emergency shelter and essentials for families displaced by natural disasters.
If you’d like to learn more about Rotary’s impact in Orange and discover how you can get involved, download our new brochure or drop in at one of our Monday-night meetings.