The Zonta Club of Brisbane East Inc was chartered as a Club of Zonta International on 13 March 1989 and registered under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 Registration Number IA 06124 from 8 August 1981 and the granted sanction to raise funds under the Collections Act – CP6519.  The Club has an ABN number 36 906 783 906 effective from  24 June 2000.

The Club meets in the Meeting Rooms under the Bulimba Library on the third Monday of each month (except December and January) commencing at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start.  We aim to have our business meeting finished by 9.00pm. If you would like to be invited to a Monthly Meeting please send an email with your contact details.

Club members are women in business and the professions, as required under the rules of Zonta International, with membership drawn from both the public and private sectors.  We welcome all new members.

The Zonta Club of Brisbane East supports the Zonta International Service Projects as well as a number of local organisations.

Club Service Projects

  Club members provide “hands-on” service and non-monetary donations of books, clothing, business equipment, Christmas gifts and decorations.  We support women and their children receiving temporary housing support in a Women’s Refuge after fleeing from a domestic violence situation.

Our Club members make Zonta Breast Care Cushions which are delivered to the Brisbane and Redlands Mater Private Hospitals and other hospitals for giving to women and men who have had breast surgery.  The Club gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance provided by the Mater Chicks in Pink which assists our fundraising to continue with this project which sees in excess of 800 cushions made and distributed by our Club each year.  The Club also has a regular commitment to provide Drainage Bags to the Mater Private Hospital as another example of our “hands on” service.   Club members have an annual working bee with students from the Cannon Hill Anglican College to make and wrap some 100 cushions.

The Club also provides scholarships of $750 per year over a three year period to encourage and support a Grade 12 girl from Balmoral State High School to undertake tertiary education. This scholarship, the Beverley Farley Zonta Scholarship, is named to recognise the contribution made to our Club by Beverley, a Club Charter Member and Past President who was Principal of Balmoral State High School.  Club members have approved a similar scholarship to be awarded annually to a Grade 12 refugee or migrant girl student from the Yeronga State High School.  This scholarship was renamed the Jill Hedley Zonta scholarship in remembrance of Jill, a long term member and Past President of our Club.

We hold an annual Birthing Kit Assembly Day with students from Cannon Hill Anglican College.  The Birthing Kits are sent to developing countries and provide a safe and clean area for the women to deliver their babies.

Other local organisations who have previously received assistance from the Club include: The Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (BDVS), a women’s refuge, the Sexual Assault Response Team at the Logan Hospital, ZigZag, the Rape and Incest Survivors Support Group and Open Haven.

In the past we have also supported Dress for Success, the ATSI Women’s Legal and Advisory Service  and the Womens Legal Service.

One of our current projects is the furnishing of safe rooms in Police Stations .  These rooms provide a comfortable and calming room where women who have or are experiencing family and domestic violence may be interviewed by police officers and provide their statements.  This year we have completed safe rooms  for women and their children at the Morningside and Carina Police Stations.

Our fundraising activities have included Charity Dinner Auctions, Art Shows,  Antique & Collectible Fairs, Crazy Whist playing, Movie Nights, Golf Days, Cake and Slice Drives, Wine Tastings, Trivia Afternoons and nights, Fashion Parades and various raffles/Art Unions and Sausage Sizzles and High Teas.  The Club is registered as a Charitable Organisation under the Collections Act 1966  Registration Number CP 6519

In 2016 our Club invited other Zonta Clubs to contribute to the funding to train facilitators to introduce the LOVEBiTES program across some further 40 schools in 2017. This program is a program designed for Year 9 and 10 students covering domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and complements the Respectful Relationships program.  It was also favourably referred to in the Not Now Not Ever Report.  The training of 64 facilitators was funded by the Zonta Clubs taking part and a Grant received from EPIC Assist.  In 2019 the Club was successful in applying for and receiving a $5000 Zonta International Centenary Anniversary Grant.  In partnership with NAPCAN (the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) further training of facilitators and refresher training for previously trained facilitators was conducted in 2020 and 2021 with a further program in 2024.  This has enabled the program to be included in the curriculum of a greater number of schools.

Zonta Says NO to Gender Violence Campaign

Each year the Club conducts a campaign to raise awareness of  the incidence of Violence Against Women and promote the Zonta Says No campaign.  This campaign culminates in November/December each year.  In 2016 the Club had numerous orange silhouettes of women (plywood cut-outs) prominently displayed in businesses on the south side of Brisbane promoting the message that violence against women is not acceptable.  We also issued a statement via our Facebook page on each of the 16 Days of Activism highlighting the various forms violence can take and providing statistical information on the issue.  For our 2017 campaign we invited other Brisbane based Zonta Clubs to join with us in a concerted campaign in partnership with the Brisbane City Council to take this issue to the next level.  On 28 February 2017 we addressed a meeting of Brisbane City Council seeking BCC support to wrap a council bus or city cat, light up council infrastructure orange in November/December and support posters and billboards throughout the city. The Club was recognised for it work in addressing domestic and family violence against women and girls with inclusion on the Queensland Government Domestic and Family Violence Honour Roll.

To find out more about the activities of Zonta Clubs throughout District 22 Click here

Members of the Zonta Club of Brisbane East Inc support the Zonta International Say No Campaign to End Violence Against Women.  To read more about this campaign or register your support Click here.