Austral Hotel supports RCH fundraising effort

THE ROYAL Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal will receive a boost from the annual Uncle Bobs Club fundraising auction hosted by Korumburra’s Austral Hotel on Friday March 31.

Publican Trudy Cairns is looking forward to the evening, saying that as well as supporting a worthy cause the auction brings everybody together.

“There’s a lot of support from around the town and everybody is happy to help,” Trudy said of the generosity of local business operators and others who donate items for sale.

That generosity isn’t confined to Korumburra, with Leongatha businesses also helping. 

The Austral Hotel is now accepting goods and services to be auctioned on the night.

Those keen to donate auction items can bring goods or vouchers to the bar or arrange for Trudy to collect them.

Stuart Jenkins will be the auctioneer and is sure to keep bidders entertained, with Eddy Hams assisting.

Action kicks off at 6.30pm in the Austral Hotel’s main bar.

As well as the auction, an Uncle Bobs Club raffle will be drawn on the night.

Long-term volunteer for the South Gippsland Group of Uncle Bobs Club, Melissa Whelan, is helping by generating business support for the auction, and will be busy when the items go under the hammer.

“I’m usually running around finding auction items,” she said of her role in keeping the event flowing.

A couple of other members of the local Uncle Bobs group will be on hand to record details of the winning bidders and collect money for the cause.

Melissa became involved in Uncle Bobs as a 21-year-old working for local identity Bill O’Neill and has continued her involvement ever since. 

“Everyone who worked for Bill ended up involved,” she said of the passionate Uncle Bobs Club volunteer and president.

Uncle Bobs Club has been supporting children’s health since the early 1940s and sprang from a 1941 raffle at the Riverside Hotel in Hawthorn benefiting the Royal Children’s Hospital orthopaedic section in Mt Eliza.

Four men present decided to form a fundraising organisation, with its membership fee initially being a shilling (a Bob), hence the club’s name.

Uncle Bobs Club began its association with the Good Friday Appeal in 1948.