Club Vice President Mike Turner greets Cathy Rowe, with Omagh Rotary visitor George Stewart (L) and club member Eric Fulton (R)

(For last talk of the Spring session, we have a different style of report!)

Coleraine Probus had a unique opportunity to learn a great deal about a very small country, and one that very few people ever get to visit - the British Overseas Territory of St. Helena.

(A look at the island)

Guest speaker at the club meeting in May was Cathy Rowe, who was a regular visitor to the tiny (about 10 miles by 5 miles) community, during the fifteen years she had spent in helping to train, develop and prepare the nursing service and hospital care for the people of the island. It is a VERY isolated place:-

(It's in the middle of the South Atlantic)

Cathy told the meeting about the history of the island from its first discovery by the Portuguese in 1502 through to the present British connections. She described its physical structure ('a big rook in the centre of the South Atlantic') with no harbour, BUT all supplies have to arrive by boat - the 'RMS Post Boat'! There are very minimal roads and a lot of steps (899 to climb to get from one side of the main mountain to the other). St. Helena is also an important breading ground for turtles, where many, many thousands are hatched every year.

(A stairway to…)

(The vital Mail Boat)

(Turtle time on the island)

Cathy went on to talk about the people living on St. Helena (population 4500), their way of life (mainly rural/agricultural) and work opportunities (very limited, many leave the island). The club also heard about the islands most famous resident, and its longest living one as well! Cathy went on to talk about her work and her role in modernising and improving the medical facilities on the islandShe painted a picture of a very different way of life, almost 'idyllic' to the one we all lead today. But then Cathy said that this was all going to change forever.

(Napoleon Bonaparte spent his last years on St. Helena)

(Meet 'Jonathan' the turtle, said to be 200 years old)

(The newly improved General Hospital)

(A unique and special island view, soon to change)

Within the next few months, and after 40 years of thinking and planning, the island will have its own airport and the Post Boat will be decommissioned. There will be one or two flights a week, bringing in supplies and possibly 'Tourists' as well.

(Work on the new airport - the change-maker?)

This could lead to some more job opportunities for the residents of the island - whether this is going to bring changes for the better, only time will tell. Perhaps Probus members will be able to visit St. Helena in the future and give an update on life there at that time, to compare with the fascinating talk Cathy had given the club.

(Will this be the last view of the way of life generations of islanders have known?)

(A special 'Thank-you' to Cathy for lending us her splendid presentation, of which some of the slides are above)

For a full history and current details of St. Helena, just 'Click' this link (this will open in a new window):