Guest Speakers - Karratha is King!
Our scheduled speaker found out the hard way that overnight power outages can affect clock radio alarms…..
By good fortune, we had Outbound Rotary Exchange (RYE) Student Makinli Fitzgerald and her mum Michelle visiting as guests of the club. Makinli will be later heading to Paris for her year’s exchange. It was an opportunity to learn a bit more about Makinli and her home town of Karratha. By excellent impromptu thinking, our President Gerry invited members to share any Karratha or Paris anecdotes.
Makinli is a keen netballer, where she plays, coaches and umpires as well. Last year she came to Perth for a two-week netball tour, enjoying the better weather after hot and terrible Karratha…
In Karratha she works two jobs, in retail at Kmart and as a gymnastics coach. At Kmart, Kakinli works the Service Desk dealing with angry customers. “So if you’re angry, don’t come to my club…”
In preparing for her exchange, Makinli will need to do a language course to learn French and reach a certain CAA. This is the first time exchange students will need to do this and will take about four months.
McKinlay told us about her intended Rotary Youth Exchange trip in January of next year, answering questions flung at her by eager Rotarians living precariously on the edge, and then "Stories from Karratha" were shared by various members of the Club.
We look forward to seeing Makinli any time she is visiting Perth and certainly after she returns after her twelve months in France.
Karratha is a resources town, with the local industries centred around mining and off-shore drilling/gas exploration.
P2 aka Co-President David Rowell
recalled his early involvement in regional development, including pioneering
drilling operations in 1969 when Karratha did not yet exist, infrastructure
creation (like setting up a drilling rig and bank establishment in Dampier/Port
Hedland, and later a new bank in Karratha), and dealing with unexpected
aviation incidents. One such incident involved a pilot's (David’s father)
Fokker Friendship aircraft getting stuck on the Karratha tarmac after going off
to the side, requiring assistance from the salt works crew with vehicles and
tow ropes, in which David was directly involved via Land Rover. Another
challenge involved the poor road conditions in the newly developing Karratha,
which led to a car being destroyed within months
Vice-President Kelly Gillen, as a marine biologist, worked at the Dampier salt field starting in 1982. He provided an in-depth explanation of the solar salt field operations, detailing how a natural drainage system (a major creek system) was converted into a series of controlled ponds for salt crystallization. Kelly also shared a humorous anecdote about driving beach buggies on the dry brine flats to collect samples, performing "broggies" (doughnuts), and being severely disciplined by the managing director for leaving cloverleaf patterns.
“Admiral” Brian Adams shared humorous and illustrative anecdotes from experiences in France, including a recount of his daughter's birthday party at 13th Clichy where an impromptu claim on a table led to organized chaos with a dozen kids. He also discussed interactions about drinking age norms (a 17-year-old claiming to be 18 to meet Australian drinking age) and "makeup" sessions for work events, which involved attending another club to get credit for time. During one such "makeup" session, Brian was unexpectedly asked to give an impromptu talk about "Hobbes Court and the takeover of BHP in French."
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements
Angus : Fundraising committee meeting after breakfast.
Kelly : Tree planting happening on 19 June at Wungong Creek and 20 June at Helena Valley. Wear appropriate gear and RVSP Kelly on 0419 941 629. Scroll down to EVENTS.
P2 (David R) : Board meeting on 30 July at John McGrath centre .
Gorby : E club of WA invited 10 people to Royal Flying Doctor Service at 11:00am on Tuesday 22nd July 2025. The tour will be at the RFDS’s premises at Jandakot and will last about 45 minutes. Wear appropriate footwear and be reasonably fit to paricipate in the tour, all walking no sitting available. RSVP Gorby on mjgwaconsulting@gmail.com as soon as possible before 15 July.
Rick : Calling all chefs - PICYS are in need of cooked meals, Rick will collect or you can bring to next meeting.
P1 (Gerry McG) : 14,000 items of linen now being stored at the warehouse and ready to be shipped in extra container left over from the bushfires, by Roy Hill Holdings (Gina Rhinehart).
Gorby : Vocational visits planned. Mid August - Telethon Kids (now Kids Cancer); October - Pump Station at Mundaring; November - Bicycles for Humanity.
Fine-ally Retired and needing funds - on her first day as a retiree, and now gainfully UNEMPLOYED Joy(ous) Burnett played the 'Honesty' card and left no pocket untouched...
- State of Origin watchers - pay up.
- All retirees.
- Those who have NOT read Brian Johnson's Membership directory
- Tricia, Ross, Marg H - for KNOWING which committee they sat on.
- Those who knew when P1 (David R) was President.
- Those who knew when P2 (Gerry McG) was President.
- Ken Pittman for showing his feminine side and attending the Ballet instead of the Men's dinner or watching the rugby.
- Mike Collett for his war wounds - nose first!
- P1 (Gerry McG) having to beg for friends to fill in the top table AND for his phone going off TWICE ("..the Bells, the Bells Esmerelda...")
Winner of Heads and Tails - Kelly Gillen was the tosser for the day and after too many tails, Lyn Metcalf was the proud winner of his own wine and as a master of generosity presented his winnings to Michelle - Makinli Fitzgerald's mum.
Attendance
31 attendees in all, including visitors Makinli and Michelle Fitzgerald.
