For 26 years, Sherwood Probus has brought local people together over books and Scrabble, theatre trips, dinners, guest speakers and journeys further afield.
Now the club is hoping more retirees and semi-retirees from Sherwood, Chelmer, Graceville, Corinda and surrounding suburbs will become part of what comes next.
Sherwood Probus currently has 54 members, with around 40 generally attending its monthly meetings in Chelmer. After losing members through ill health and age, the club has set itself a target of reaching 70 by Christmas.
There is a practical reason behind the push. The club says lower attendance could eventually make its current meeting and catering arrangements more difficult to maintain.
For member Eileen Koranias, though, rebuilding the numbers is about much more than filling seats.
“The club really means a lot to me and all of our members,” she said.
Friendships That Have Lasted for Decades
The Combined Probus Club of Sherwood dates back to July 2000, and some of the people who joined during its earliest days have remained involved for decades.
When the club celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, members from its foundation year were among those marking the occasion. Old photographs revisited years of committees, trips and social gatherings, while long-serving members received certificates recognising their time with the club.
The monthly meeting is only one part of club life. Members can join book, gardening, Scrabble and mahjong groups, head to the theatre or take part in tours, lunches and dinners.
Guest speakers add another dimension. Professor Roly Sussex joined members for the club’s 26th anniversary meeting in July, followed by Australian poet Rupert McCall in August.
The appeal is that members can take part as much or as little as they like. For some, that might mean a theatre outing or a trip away. For others, it is simply having somewhere familiar to go and people they know when the monthly meeting comes around.
SHERWOOD PROBUS AT A GLANCE
Established: July 2000
Current membership: 54
Target: 70 members by Christmas
For: Retired and semi-retired people
Meetings: Third Friday of each month, 10am–12 noon
Where: Western Magpies AFL Club, 41 Chelmer Street East, Chelmer
Activities: Books, theatre, gardening, travel and tours, Scrabble, mahjong, lunches and dinners
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Finding the Club’s Next Members
Sherwood Probus isn’t looking to reinvent itself. It is looking for enough new members to keep the activities, meetings and friendships going.
That invitation includes people who have recently retired, newcomers to the western suburbs and others who may simply be looking for more opportunities to get out, meet people and try something different.
The club meets on the third Friday of each month at the Western Magpies AFL Club in Chelmer.
Its immediate aim is 70 members by Christmas. Longer term, members hope some of the people walking through the door for the first time now will still be doing so years from now.
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Probus Marks 50 Years in Australia
The membership drive also comes during a milestone year for the wider Probus movement.
Australia’s first Probus club opened at Hunters Hill in Sydney in 1976, making 2026 its 50th anniversary in Australia.
The name came from the words “professional” and “business”, reflecting the movement’s beginnings, although modern clubs bring together retired and semi-retired people from a much broader range of backgrounds.
The basic idea has endured: a place to maintain friendships, pursue interests and make new connections after leaving the workforce.
Published 13-Sept-2026
