The Association of Apex Clubs of Australia is an Australia-wide association of autonomous clubs dedicated to fellowship, self-improvement, and community service, similar to other service clubs such as Lions International but with a younger membership (18–40). Apex organises a range of activities such as public speaking and debating competitions, ute musters, and B&S balls. Members call themselves "Apexians".

History

Apex had its beginnings in Geelong, Victoria in December 1930 with the formation of the "Geelong Young Business Men's Club" by architects Ewen Laird, Langham Proud and John Buchan with the support of the local chapter of Rotary International, the mayor of Geelong, and the Geelong Advertiser. Although Rotary has no formal connection with Apex, it figures in the club's formation, as Buchan's father was a Rotarian, and the three friends might have joined but for that organisation's rule of no two members in the same profession. This was the time of the Great Depression in Australia, when there was a great need for service-oriented men to work together, and the club soon boasted of 60 members. On 10 March 1931 they adopted the name "Apex" with the triangular badge symbolizing the club's three ideals: Service, Citizenship, and Fellowship. That day has since been recognised as the birth of the organisation. Within a few months a club was formed in Ballarat, with assistance from Rotary. Bendigo followed, then Camperdown, Albury, Warrnambool, Wagga, Launceston and Orange. By the start of the Second World War there were 41 clubs scattered across Australia, from Perth to Brisbane. Each year conventions were held, both at region level and Association-wide, where apart from socializing and attendance at workshops and speeches, decisions affecting all clubs were voted on. In 1958 a move was made to found Apex clubs overseas, and to that end the word "National" was dropped from the association's and "National President" became "President of the Association", and "National Council" became "Executive Council". Projects and causes adopted by the Association include: Proposals that were lost to the vote include fluoridation of water and decimalization of currency.

Club achievements

The range of works undertaken at a local level was great. Some clubs took on projects that were more ambitious:

Growth and decline

There were 100 chartered Apex clubs in 1954, 162 in 1956, 200 in 1958. In 1964 there were 410 clubs and 11,000 Apexians, with 70% of membership in the country; in 1970 615 clubs and almost 16,000 members. In 1976 membership had reached 17,400 in 796 clubs. By 1970 there was a small number of Apex clubs in Papua and New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia, Ceylon, India, East and West Pakistan, Nauru, Fiji and The Philippines. Initially Apex membership was restricted to males 18 to 35 years of age, with mandatory retirement at age 40. Beginning in the early 1990s individual clubs could declare themselves "all male", "all female", or "mixed", with the upper age for women set at 45. but since the 2006 National Convention there has been no gender requirement for membership. Geelong's last Apex club (Barwon) folded in 2015, but there were still 150 active clubs elsewhere in Australia.

Notable members

National Presidents

Life Governors

"Life Governor" is the highest award Apex can award its members.