Our Tribute to Jim Braden

Jim Braden was about seven months short of his hundredth birthday when he passed away on May 25, 2010.

President Neil Roberts made these remarks about Jim at the next club meeting on June 1.

The President and Members of the Rotary Club of Hawthorn acknowledge with sadness the passing of our Honorary Member, Jim Braden PHF aged 99 years. Jim was a long serving and distinguished Rotarian, joining the Moe Club in 1955, Northcote Club (President 1964-65), Kew Club (CharterMember) and a member of the Rotary Club of Hawthorn 1972 - 2010.

He was a dignified and committed Rotarian and the world is a better place as a result of his Service Above Self.

We extend our love, sympathy and support to Edna and the family.

The club bulletin of January, 16, 2001 published this tribute to Jim on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

January 17 is a very special day for the Rotary Club of Hawthorn. This is when our member, gentleman Jim Braden, turns 90. A rare event for our club indeed and a cause for celebration for us!

Talking to Jim recently one cannot but be impressed by the sharpness of his mind, the clarity of his recall of events, names and places of long ago, his twinkling eye and his ready humour.

Primary education was Jim's life work. Accepted into the teaching service at the (now) amazing age of 16 years after undertaking his primary and secondary education in Ballarat, Jim started his classroom duties in that same town and went onto a career of 23 years with service also in a variety of country and city locations.

In 1950 Jim moved into teacher's college lecturing and worked in that area for five years before his eye was attracted to an advertisement in the Education Gazette for an inspector of schools in the Latrobe Valley.In this way the third phase of Jim's professional career started. Jim says that his was an onerous task of primary school inspection over a wide area of country Victoria. In 1961 he was transferred to metropolitan Melbourne before being appointed as the assistant director of Primary Education, the last phase of his 46 years in education.

Meanwhile during his years in the Latrobe Valley Jim had been persuaded to join the Rotary Club of Moe in 1955. Return to the city in 1961 saw a transfer to Northcote and his accession to the presidency of that club in 1964-65, the same year as Jack Cathie at Hawthorn. Thus began a 35 year friendship which endures still.

Jack, as the Governor's special representative at the formation of Kew club, recommended that Jim become a charter member of the new Kew club which he did. The wheel came full circle in 1972 when Jack persuaded Jim to join Hawthorn.

Jim has served as President, Secretary and Treasurer at three separate clubs and been bulletin editor at all four.

His hobbies of reading, history and sport are evidenced by his long membership of the Naval Historical Society and the Melbourne Cricket Club.