50 years of Probus in Australia 1976 - 2026

The first Probus club in this country commenced on the 3rd February, 1976 at Hunter’s Hill in Sydney. This Club is still in existence! Probus was launched as a Rotary project to provide a social outlet for retired members who could no longer participate in Rotary. For many years a new Probus club had to be sponsored by a Rotary club (as was the case for Taringa Probus in 2008), however this no longer applies.

Since its inception in 1976 Probus in Australia has grown into an organisation with approximately 1300 clubs and 90,000  members. During the past 50 years, Probus has helped more than half a million Australians stay engaged and connected following retirement from the workforce. Probus is non-political, nonreligious, is not a lobbying or advocacy organisation and is not a commercial or profit driven enterprise and perhaps this is one of the reasons for its success. In a press release last month, the CEO of Probus in Australia and New Zealand, summed it up as follows: “Probus was created to ensure people had a place to connect, form friendships and enjoy life beyond work.” Probus South Pacific Ltd (PSPL) is organising a number of events during the year to mark the Golden Anniversary of Probus in Australia. On the 3rd February, exactly 50 years since the founding of the first Probus Club, a ceremony was held at Hunter’s Hill to mark the occasion. In April receptions will be held at all State Government Houses, including Queensland.

A special cake was arranged to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Probus in Australia by Taringa Probus. Laurie invited the two Life Members, Judy Magub (also the first President), and Meg White to cut the cake. All Past Presidents present were invited to be part of the photo shoot.

Happy birthday Probus!!

The birthday cake

Meg and Judy cutting the cake

Past Presidents of Taringa Probus Club with the 50 Years birthday cake