ADDRESS
Secretary
Bairnsdale Lapidary Club Inc
PO Box 431
BAIRNSDALE   VIC   3875

email:
bairnsdalelapidary@bigpond.com

CLUBROOMS
MacArthur Street
BAIRNSDALE   VIC

The Bairnsdale Lapidary Club was inaugurated in 1967. Mrs Joan Vincent first called a public meeting to arrange this and she became the first President of the club.

The club was first housed in the old waterworks office. When the workshop was established and ready to start, the building was demolished to make way for a car park, our first disaster.

Over the next couple of years the hunt was on to establish a new clubhouse. We shared a garage belonging to Peter Petroll as a temporary workshop while holding club meetings at the home of Edna Beare, then president of the club, and in the Bairnsdale High School.

We then obtained attained a garage and lean to belonging to Eric Gascoigne at East Bairnsdale.

We went ahead then, expanded membership and joined in many functions around town and district as well as the combined Gippsland Gemshows.

A few more years at this location then the old T.A.B. building at the Racecourse was offered to us for rent, in which the club prospered, giving instruction to members on the cutting and polishing of gemstones, silver-smithing, etc. Also a small amount of competition.

During this time a large junior club was formed, ably managed by about five of our senior members. A happy and progressive time which ended in disaster again. The time arrived when we were asked to vacate as a big machinery shed was to be erected in its place.

Then we started a couple of years of rigorous fund-raising, negotiations with the different organisations involved. During which a temporary workshop was held at the home of Barrie and Marie Gibson, Eagle Point.

This campaign led by our untiring leader, Lionel Palling, had it’s just reward when we eventually achieved a nice new clubhouse.