Rotary South Pacific Conference Program 

30 October – 1 November 2026

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Pre-Conference Leadership Program

Tuesday-Thursday, 27–29 October 

Governor Learning & Development Program

Led by PDG Ingrid Waugh

Governor Forums, leadership sessions and sponsored Governor dinners.

Friday, 30 October 

Morning & Early Afternoon

  • Morning & Early Afternoon
  • Registrations open (7:30 AM – 4:00 PM)
  • Multi-District Organisation Annual General Meetings
  • Rotary Foundation Masterclass with Trustee Gordon McInally
  • Rotarians Against Malaria Seminar
  • Exhibitor bump-in from 12:00pm

Afternoon & Evening – Conference Opening

  • Welcome to Country
  • Addresses from Rotary International Director Jennifer Scott AM, Melbourne Lord Mayor, DG Graeme Hope, and the Governor-General
  • Rotary International President Elect Larry Lunsford keynote address
  • Simon Kriss - Emerging Technologies, Human

Evening

  • Friday Fellowship Dinner (ticketed)
  • District Governor Year Group Dinners (own arrangements)

Saturday, 31 October

Morning

  • Registrations (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

  • Presidents’ Breakfast with Rotary International President Elect Larry Lunsford

Plenary Session (8:45–10:15 AM)

  • Dr Jill Gallagher AO — Trust & Partnership with Aboriginal Communities

  • Robert McGuirk - Ending Trachoma

  • Rotary South Pacific Awards

  • The Rotary Foundation Trustee Gordon McInally — Mental Health & Hope

  • The Rotary Foundation Trustee Dennis Shore — The Rotary Foundation Perpetual Trophies

Midday Plenary (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM)

  • Bridget Teirney - Water & Community Resilience

  • Patrick Pagkale & A/Prof Brian McIntosh - Water Sanitation & Hygiene Scholar Journey

  • Tim Wiebusch - Climate & Disaster Leadership

  • Resilience Panel — PDG Grant Hocking, DGE Haran Ramachandran OAM, Lynne Duckham OAM, Mahir Momand

  • Regionalisation update

Afternoon Breakouts (2:00 PM – 2:45 PM)

  • The Regionalisation Pilot in Action: From Vision to Impact

  • Diversity Equity & Inclusion and Membership

  • Dr Patricia Armstrong - Catalysing Climate Action in Rotary

  • Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Rotary Action Group - Open Workshop

Late Afternoon - Evening

  • End Polio Now Walk – Novotel Hotel Entrance

  • The Rotary Foundation Major Donor Recognition Event (invitation only) – Clarendon Foyer Level 4

  • Conference Dinner – Masquerade Ball (6:30pm – late) - Sovereign Room

Sunday, 1 November

Plenary Session (8:45–10:15 AM)

  • In Memoriam

  • RIPE Larry Lunsford — Membership & Vibrant Clubs

  • Assoc Prof Sebastian Kaempf — Geopolitics of Cyberspace

  • Dr Tania Miletic — Preventing Conflict in the Indo-Pacific

  • Arch Klumph Society Presentation

Breakouts (11:00–11:45 AM)

  • Panel: Peace in Practice — A/Prof Kaempf & Dr Miletic, moderated by PDG Murray Verso 

  • Panel: Rotaract to Rotary Pathways — Joe Martinovic, Amanda Barnes, Stephen Lovison, Nicholas Egan, Laura Telford

  • Public Image Masterclass — Rotary Down Under

Closing Plenary (11:45–1:30 PM)

  • Annette Schneider - Intercultural Education & Peace

  • Michele Berg - Global Trends & Rotary’s Future

  • RI Director Jennifer Scott AM - A Region at a Crossroads

  • PDG Lisa Hunt - International Convention Promotion

  • PDG Jennie Herring - 2027 RSP Conference Promotion

  • Wrap-up & closing entertainment

Lunch

Own arrangements