Community club rocks on

THE Bendigo Gem Club has been around for more than fifty years and over that time it has grown beyond just rocks to offer lapidary, silversmithing, and jewellery making.

Publicity officer Andie Downing said the organisation’s club rooms in Galvin Street are some of a high standard.

“We have arguably the best facilities in Australia as far as any lapidary or silversmithing club,” she said. “And that’s feedback from affiliate clubs that have come and had a look at the place.”

“We’ve got all of this equipment for all of the different hobbies right here.”

Ms Downing also said it’s also hard to find a gem club with a better backstory than founder Charlie Bock and the effort take to set the facilities.

“It was literally built by old Charlie Bock,” she said. “The story goes the founding members didn’t have enough money to buy the premises even after everybody’s chipped in and Charlie’s given a big loan.

“So, they all got together went down and picked fruit at Harcourt and raised the funds to literally build this place right here.”

While it might be half-a-century on, Ms Downing said the club is run on the same values as when it was founded.

“It’s a cheap club to be a member of,” she said. “It’s a $50 membership for a year to come and use the club to keep it accessible to the community.

“Because that’s what these fellas wanted and we are honouring their values of financial accessibility, giving people the ability to learn new hobbies, crafts and skills and then share that information.

“That’s really important to us as a club, having that exchange of knowledge between the generations.”

Secretary, David Bannon, said the club is open for anyone interested in any of the disciplines offered and the senior members offered training on-site.

“There is expensive equipment here,” he said. “You can do a lot of damage to the equipment, but you can also do some damage to yourself.

“We have supervisors in every workshop who are seasoned experts in and trained on each machine who will show you the ropes.”

For more information on the Bendigo Gem Club visit www.gembendigo.org.au.