General News
23 December, 2025
Laurel ladies recognised
Maryborough Lions Club gifted Christmas cakes to the local laurel ladies last week.
Maryborough Lions Club gifted Christmas cakes to the local laurel ladies last week, recognising their lifetime contribution to the community.
It was a time of laughter and companionship for Maryborough’s Laurel Club at their Christmas lunch this month.
Generations of women, from children to those in their 90s, came together as they do every month thanks to the support of Ballarat Legacy.
They’re united by their experiences as loved ones of service people, or have served themselves, and continue a tradition dating back a century.
Legacy was originally founded after Word War I on the promise those who lost family members in the war would be financially and emotionally supported.
Local legatee and laurel lady coordinator Jane Martin said the women have an unspoken bond.
“They know in their hearts how they’re feeling. It’s a different dynamic to friends and a different dynamic to family,” she said.
“It’s a really special thing they’ve done for the community and their families.”
In earlier decades, when the women were younger, they supported legacy and the community through fundraising and community work.
Maryborough Lions Club president Jenny Johnson said celebrating their years of dedication was an honour.
“It’s the pleasure of seeing the smiles on their faces,” she said.
Maryborough RSL sub-branch president Roy ‘Shady’ Lane, whose mother was among the first legacy beneficiaries, said the gifts were a way to thank the laurel ladies for their efforts.
He said they’d previously organised functions at the RSL and run the kitchen.
“It’s a thank you for all the sacrifices they’ve endured over the years,” he said.
Also at the lunch was Ballarat Legacy Club secretary Peta Gillespie who said the group’s gatherings were valuable to the local club.
“These ladies have really formed a strong connection because of their common link,” she said.
“Only someone who has been through that can understand the different challenges that they face.”
Ballarat Legacy Club supports legacy groups in Maryborough, St Arnaud, Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Ballarat.
Ballarat’s legacy branch is the third oldest in the country and is set to celebrate their centenary next year.