Celebrating 80 Years of Trefoil Guild
Fun, Food, Friendship, and Flexibility
This year Trefoil Guild Australia is celebrating a remarkable milestone—80 years of active Trefoil Guilding. This celebration marks eight decades of fun, food, friendship, and, more recently, flexibility, reflecting the enduring spirit of Trefoil Guild. Originally, there were small groups of former Girl Guides throughout Australia who met under various names such as Ramblers, Twigs, Old Guides, and Old Salts. These groups enjoyed social outings, maintained friendships, and provided service where they saw a need.
The guiding principle of “Once a Guide, always a Guide” is especially applicable to the Trefoil Guild. Members recall their adventures in Guiding and look forward to many new adventures together. The added bonus of combined service that is both fun and rewarding underscores Trefoil Guild’s ethos.
Celebrations in Queensland:
Celebrations in 2025
Throughout the year Trefoil Guilds across Australia have been busy planting 80 trees in each State at Guide Campsites, Guide Halls, parks, and Landcare sites. This initiative actively demonstrates the Trefoil Guild’s commitment to a sustainable future for Guiding, Trefoil Guild, and local communities. The tree-planting project is a fitting way to celebrate 80 years of service and to look forward to the future.
Celebrations in Western Australia:
Our Guiding community is invited to join Trefoil Guilds in each state as Trefoil Guilds come together, raising their voices singing campfire songs. As the smoke from campfires across Australia swirls up towards the Southern Cross, members will share in the camaraderie and joy that has defined Trefoil Guild for eight decades. Of course, no campfire would be complete without S’mores, and there will surely be plenty to enjoy.
The celebrations have also include special events and gatherings, where members can reflect on the past 80 years and look forward to the future. These events will provide opportunities for members to share their experiences, celebrate their achievements, and plan for the next 80 years of Trefoil Guilding.
Celebrations in South Australia:
South Australia Update: Trefoil Guild Members and Guide Leaders including Heidi Rogers and Kym McGee planted 80 trees at Douglas Scrub to commemorate the anniversary.
Looking Forward
As Trefoil Guild Australia celebrates 80 years, it is fitting to add ‘Flexibility’ to the saying of Fun, Food, and Friendship. Trefoil Guild has adapted to many changes over the past eight decades, and flexibility will be key to embracing the future. Trefoil Guild will continue to evolve, finding new ways to engage members, support Guiding, and serve communities.
The future holds many exciting possibilities for Trefoil Guild. Members will continue to enjoy social outings, maintain friendships, and give service. They will also explore new adventures and opportunities, building on the strong foundation of the past 80 years.
In conclusion, the celebration of 80 years of Trefoil Guild Australia is a testament to the enduring spirit of Guiding and the commitment of its members. With fun, food, friendship, and flexibility, Trefoil Guild is poised to embrace the future and continue making a positive impact for many years to come.
Sharyn Smith Anderson
(ATGA)
- Trefoil Guild members enjoyed the opportunity to plant 95 trees across Tasmania to mark the anniversary.
- 12 trees planted at Nindethana Girl Guide campsite (near Launceston) – Cynthia Geard (State Trefoil Guild Adviser) and six members of Connection Infinity Trefoil Group and one member from Burnie Trefoil were involved. Members were especially pleased to welcome the Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides Australia Helen Reid.
- 22 trees planted at Orana Girl Guide campsite (near Hobart) – Members of the Eastern Shore Trefoil Guild went to Orana Campsite and along with Guides from Clarence, Glenorchy and Claremont, who were having a joint camp over the weekend, helped with the planting of 22 shrubs and trees. Cheryl Wilson found 11 Morrisbyi Gums which are endemic to the area and can only be found in the local area.
- 10 trees planted at the Bishopsbourne cemetery (northern Tasmania) – The Bishopsbourne community welcomed over 100 young Girl Guides from across Tasmania for a one day event called Mullala.
- 10 trees planted at Granton (near Hobart)
- 41 trees planted at Oatlands (Southern Midlands Tasmania). On a windy day two Connection Infinity Trefoil Guild members in conjunction with a local farmer planted 41 trees on the edge of Lake Dulverton near Oatlands.
Western Australia Update:
There was a beautiful state gathering in Rockingham. The program for the gathering was based around our history and involved games and memories. Every participant was given a tree/shrub to take home and plant. Any that were taken by a local member who helps look after some wetlands to plant in the bush. You can see the special badge that was designed by one of our members.
- To celebrate Trefoil Guild’s 80th year Queensland Trefoilers decided to hold campfires, singing lots of songs from their Guiding days and sharing friendship and fun.
- A large event was held in the southeast in May and several guilds travelled by bus, car and train to be there. Guilds from further away around the state also held campfires locally as near to the same date as they could manage.
- As well as holding campfires, several Guilds planted trees in honour of the special anniversary.
- One of the Guilds decided to use our State Good Turn as a way to acknowledge this special time. They made all together 80 carry bags and baby wraps for Escabags, a charity supplying bags of items to assist women escaping domestic violence.
- At the State TG AGM at Emu Plains Guide Hall in June, there was a special cake (with fairy lights!) cut by Sharyn Smith-Anderson (ATGA) and Susan Wakefield (STGGA).
- An indoor campfire was part of the program at the annual Coastal Valleys Trefoil Guild Fun Day in August 2025 (Lower Hunter, Singleton and Brisbane Water Trefoil Guilds).
- Lower Hunter TG planted 2 grevilleas at the Region Botanic Gardens which had been devastated in a massive storm earlier this year.
- Calare TG included a tree-planting ceremony at their AGM in a dry paddock – and have approached the Botanical Gardens in Orange in the hope they will grow some native trees to celebrate 80 years of Trefoiling.
- Several Guilds celebrated the 80th TG birthday with a special afternoon tea. In August, the Hills Trefoil Guild organised a special event to celebrate 80 years of Trefoil Guilding in Australia. Fun activities (and food) focused on some of the GG Word Centres: pinatas to represent Mexico, making a sari from colourful paper for India, bingo with symbols of London to celebrate the opening of Pax Lodge in 1991, an African safari where dices were tossed to match animals for Kusafiri (then onto visit Japan, to make origami butterflies).
- Belconnen Trefoil Guild members spent months restoring uniforms from many different eras, getting the Girl Guides Historic Uniform Display ready for ACT Heritage Week (as well as uniforms, there were camp blankets, badges and other memorabilia). Trefoil Guild members helped the ACT Archivist Fiona Langford provide information to the public over 3 weekends.