Ralph Smith reflects on the 40th Anniversary of the club he co-founded in 1969.

In 1966 my wife, Doreen, was shopping in a Melbourne department store and saw a gemstone display showcase which included a card with contact details for the Gemmological Association of Australia (Victoria Branch) Gem Club.

My wife noted the details and shortly thereafter we joined the GAA (Victoria Branch) Gem Club and quickly became immersed in lapidary. We were asked by GAA to investigate the potential for a new club in our area and we advertised to gauge public interest.

Some 100 people attended a meeting we called at Strathmore Community Centre on 8th July 1969. A committee was formed, I was elected President and Doreen was elected Treasurer.

The name Essendon Lapidary Club was agreed after some discussion. Shortly thereafter, the club leased a double garage at the rear of Sevasto’s Chemist in Napier Street, Strathmore for $4.00 per week.

The rest as they say is history. By 1977 the workshop had moved to the old Pioneers Hut in Moonee Ponds.

In 1984 the club started the search for a permanent home. With support from the Essendon Council the present site was finally found and agreed on. The club restored part of a vandalised sports pavilion at Cross Keys Reserve and constructed the new extension at a direct cost of $41,000 plus hundreds of hours of volunteer work and thousands of dollars of donated materials and services.

Our clubrooms were officially opened with suitable ceremony – tea, little cakes, sandwiches and lemon squash (for the more adventurous) on 15th March, 1987, by the Deputy Mayor, Cr Judy Maddigan. Judy didn’t become a member of our club, but went on to greater things as the distinguished member for Essendon in the Victorian Parliament.

It is most fitting that Judy joined us today as a very special guest at a luncheon to help mark our 40th birthday.

Over the past 40 years our club has been active in all aspects of lapidary. A band of dedicated, long serving members provide the core, welcoming newcomers and helping foster their interest in our craft in it’s varied forms.

While executive positions have never been  hereditary, our Secretary and Treasurer have, like me, also aged in their roles. I thank Bill Gordon and Robert Miles for many years of personal support and their loyal service to the club.

Longevity is not the only thing we celebrate at Essendon. Many of our newer members have also risen to the challenge and in doing so they have refreshed our club in many ways. I thank them all today for their individual and collective contributions to what is now a vibrant, inclusive and welcoming club.

Today I was happy to acknowledge the contribution of Don Butler with a special service citation.

We also celebrate those who are no longer with us. In many ways the club today stands as a memorial to their efforts. Our birthday party was an opportunity to share some memories of club characters of years gone by.

Back in 1969, I attended a meeting of the (Combined) Victorian Gem Clubs Association and have been involved with VGCA ever since. I feel privileged to have been able to play a part in lapidary’s development in Victoria for much of it’s 50 year history. Our club has always been a strong supporter of VGCA and most importantly, that support continues today.

Over the years we have all developed skills in faceting, cabochon cutting, silver-work and other jewellery and allied crafts. New members have introduced us to new skills and novel ideas and expanded our horizons considerably.

While some of us have embraced new technologies, and others are starting to lose their marbles; all of us continue to learn from each other and to support each other.

I am very proud of the club I see today. It’s something I couldn’t have imagined when Doreen and I took those first steps back in 1969. Nor could I have imagined still enjoying it 40 years later.

Lapidary has given me much more joy than heartache over the years and provided some great experiences. In the process I have met some wonderful people and made many friends. I hope many of you will also one day be able to echo those sentiments.

I trust that the club will continue to thrive and welcome new members of all ages and abilities and from all backgrounds and introduce them to the fascinating world of lapidary - be it as a hobby, a craft, a therapy, an art form or an obsession.

Happy Anniversary – and best wishes for many, many more.