Lions Club Australia – 75 years and counting

For 75 years, we’ve served with uncommon kindness, putting the needs of our neighbours, our communities and our world first. Since the first Lions club was formed in Lismore, NSW in September 1947, we have grown to be Australia’s largest service club organisation.

We look back at our storied past with pride, but we know it’s only the beginning. Every day, we’re building on our legacy with the goal of making an even greater impact in the future.

Read through our timeline to discover some of our major achievements over the past 75 years.

Timeline:

 1 July 1947 – Formation of the first Australian Lions Club of Lismore

 29 September 1947 – Charter night of Lismore Lions Club

 1952 – First Lions Club formed in Victoria – Lions Club of Melbourne Host

 1952 – First Lions Club formed in Queensland – Lions Club of Coolangatta-Tweed Heads

 1957 – First Lions Club formed in Tasmania – Lions Club of the City of Launceston

 1958 – Lions first National project raises £50,000 to establish the Lions National Eye Research Unit in Victoria

 1962– Lions Clubs formed in South Australia, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea

 1964 – Lions Club of Alice Springs (NT) and Lions Clubs of Norfolk Island formed

 1970 – Lions in Western Australia found the Lions Save Sight Foundation (WA) Inc. leading to the establishment of the renowned Lions Eye Institute in 1983

1974 – Lions mobilise in Queensland to support the emergency following Cyclone Wanda

1975 – Lions mobilise in Darwin to provide direct support to the emergency relief and recovery following Cyclone Tracey including over $500,000 in funds

 1986 – The Lions Medical Research Foundation supports Professor Ian Frazer in his work to develop the Cervical Cancer vaccine

 1988 – The Lions International Deafness Research Fellowship established to support the ongoing development of the Cochlear Implant

 1991 The first Lions International Convention in the Southern Hemisphere – Brisbane, Australia, attended by over 30,000 Lions

 2013 Lion Barry Palmer AO elected at the first Australian to hold the role of International President of Lions Clubs International, presiding over 1.4million Lions in over 200 countries

 2016 Lions partner with the Garvan Institute in Australia, contributing over $4m towards the ‘Genome Power’ project to develop advanced treatments for children with high-risk and aggressive cancers

 2022 The 75th  Anniversary of Lions Australia

 2024 77 years and still going strong!!

Please call Stuart Grierson on 0418 735 190 or via email at LionStuartG@gmail.com if you’d like to find out more, or would like to join our Forest Lake Club.

Remember – when there’s a need, there’s a Lion!