Richmond Girl Guides Celebrate 60 Years
On Saturday 25th June 2022, the Richmond Girl Guides celebrated 60 years of guiding at the Richmond Guide Hall on Bourke Street, Richmond. Special guests were
• Deputy Mayor of Hawkesbury, Councillor Barry Calvert
• Hawkesbury 2022 Citizen of the Year, Dianne Williams
• Kerrey Williams, Deputy State Commissioner, Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT
• Chesne Jones, Archivist (and Hawkesbury local), Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT
• Heather Pinning on behalf of Girl Guides Greater Rivers Region
• Special guest Robin Bennett (nee Holman) who was the first Richmond girl guide to earn her Queens Guide in the Richmond Guide Hall
• Generations of Guides celebrated the 60-year anniversary with an afternoon tea and enjoyed the current girl guides (aged from 5 to 16) entertaining the audience with their activities.
Chesne Jones, Archivist (and Hawkesbury local) gave a brief history of guiding in Richmond, from the first unit in 1925 to how they came to the current location on Bourke St, Richmond. The Richmond Guide Hall was opened on 30th June 1962 by the then Mayor, Victor William Gillespie.
It was originally acquired from the RAAF base, as the RAAF no longer needed the building. The Lions Club Richmond assisted in raising funds to transport the hall from the RAAF base back to Bourke Street, Richmond.
Over the past 8 years it has undergone some renovations to allow for another 60 years of guiding!