Ask anyone who knows anything about the Ocean Grove Barwon Heads Lions Club and it is certain that they know the surname Corless.
Win Corless is currently the longest serving member of the club and husband Ed, who passed away in 2018, was a revered member of the organisation.
The couple set up several businesses in Ocean Grove over the years – the hardware store in the main street, a nursery, the deer and wildlife park, a cake shop in Trak Arcade, a bottle shop, Mitre 10 and Wallington’s WRG. Ed’s philosophy was to take over a struggling business, get it up and running then let someone else have an opportunity.
Win has been a Lions member since 1979 although back then, women had their own version of Lions, called Lionesses.
“At that time there was just a Lions ladies group,” Win says.
“Within a couple of years the Lions decided that the women should have a more formal approach called Lioness Clubs. They (Lions and Lionesses) operated separately but they worked together in many ways.”
Win formally joined the Lions Club when the two organisations became one in 1996.
The couple moved to Victoria from Tasmania in 1968 with two children, a cat and a dog and seven cases.
They were unable to use the garage on their Ocean Grove property for many years because the Lions Foodbank project was operating from it.
Long-time Lion John Brady, who passed away in 2019, would bring his van back from Melbourne each week fully loaded with long-life food. The food was packed into boxes and given to local churches to distribute to those in need.
“At the time we decided that we felt there was a need and that people were in need of help,” Win says.
“We had a double garage. My husband was very keen on the idea.
“Other Lions members could come at various times and help pack boxes and that sort of thing.
“Between him (John Brady) and Ed it became something they worked on together.”
But perhaps the biggest legacy the Corless’ have left on Ocean Grove has been a block of land donated so the Lions could establish the Barwon Grove Foundation, which provides accommodation for the Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads community, particularly the elderly.
“We had a good living out of Ocean Grove,” Win says.
“We came here and worked hard and did quite well. We decided we would like to do something to support the town but also wanted to do it under the auspices of the Lions Club.
“We had one block of land near the shopping centre on Shell Road. It was just sitting there and we thought we needed to give something back to this community. We thought about it and decided to donate that block of land.”
Win has enjoyed many moments of being a Lion over more than four decades. None more so than the simple act of helping children fly kites at Ocean Grove main beach every Australia Day.
“There’s nothing better than looking at a child with a kite, the really young ones and little ones in particular,” she says.
Win is still very much involved as a Lion but insists that “one person doesn’t make a Lions Club”.
“Anything that one person does won’t happen without the help of others,” she says.
Win says the club welcomes new members with open arms.
“We would always welcome new members because new people coming in always have fresh ideas,” she says.
