| Bairnsdale Lapidary Club (Inc) will be 30 years old this
year. We have a membership of around 70 at present. We run a junior workshop every
Saturday morning; and an adult workshop every Thursday evening. We hold monthly meetings,
2nd Friday every month with a field trip on the following Sunday.
Our club is affiliated with the Victorian Gem Clubs
association of which there are 38 member clubs. We combine with 6 Gippsland clubs yearly
for a display and many of our members attend the state yearly show called a
"Gemkhana" and the national show called a "Gembarree". Both of these
names are registered names and must be used as such. Bairnsdale Lapidary Club (Inc) PO Box 431 Bairnsdale 3875 A BRIEF HISTORY The Bairnsdale Lapidary Club was first inaugurated in 1967.
Mrs Joan Vincent first called a public meeting to arrange this. She became the first
President of the club. The club was first housed in the old waterworks office. When the
workshop was established and ready to start, the building was demolished to make way for a
car park, our first disaster. Over the next couple of years the hunt was on to establish a
new clubhouse. We shared a garage belonging to Peter Petroll as a temporary workshop while
holding club meetings at the home of Edna Beare, then president of the club, and the
Bairnsdale High School. We then attained a garage and lean to belonging to Eric Gascoigne
at East Bairnsdale. We went ahead then, expanded membership and joined in many
functions around town and district as well as the combined Gippsland Gemshows. A few more years at this location then the old T.A.B.
building at the Racecourse was offered to us for rent, in which the club prospered, giving
instruction to members on the cutting and polishing of gemstones, silver-smithing, etc.
Also a small amount of competition. During this time a large junior club was formed, ably
managed by about five of our senior members. A happy and progressive time which ended in
disaster again. The time arrived when we were asked to vacate as a big machinery shed was
to be erected in its place. Then we started a couple of years of rigorous fund raising, negotiations to the different organisations involved. During which a temporary workshop was held at the home of Barrie and Marie Gibson, Eagle Point. This campaign led by our untiring leader, Lionel Palling, was a just reward when we achieved what we have, a nice new clubhouse. |
New members are welcome at any of these
events, with joining fees $10 a family and $25 yearly subscription. Single fees are $5 and
$10 juniors to 16 years or student $1 joining and $5 yearly.