MyWhitsunday is a project of the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach and has been a part of the Whitsunday community for over 35 years.
The project began life as a printed telephone directory, at a time when the people of Proserpine and Airlie Beach had no easy access to a local directory of phone numbers for residents and businesses. From 2006 the MyWhitsunday website was launched as a companion to the printed edition and as of 2019 has replaced the printed edition as a single source of local information.
Presently, MyWhitsunday.com.au is entering a new phase, with significant upgrades coming over the next six months and beyond.
Funds raised through the sale of advertising on this website are returned to the community through the work of the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach.
Over 35 Years in the Community
Backyard beginnings
1984: Al Davis, considered the “father” of the Rotary phone book, assembled a basic list of phone numbers of residents and businesses for the Proserpine Shire Council area and printed it from home.
1986: Eric Bottle (Whitsunday Travel) saw the project had potential to become a fundraiser for Rotary, with the addition of paid advertisements from local businesses. Printing of the guide was taken on by the Proserpine Guardian (Whitsunday Publishing and Printing).
Stepping out
1989: Eric’s vision of a fundraiser became the responsibility of Kevin Bowe (Air Whitsunday) whose wife Sue became the first employee of the phone book with the task of compiling the listings.
1990: The first business and residential guide was published, in black and white, with a full-colour cover. Each year a local business was featured on the front cover.
1994: Rotary Member Ian Johnston (Hertz Whitsunday), with a background in sales and marketing, took on a role to further develop the guide. Ian continues in this role, taking an active part in guiding the transition to an online service.
Growing support
1997: Kerrie and Rob Leech, trading as Media Whitsunday (formerly Leech Marketing Services) took over production of the guide, under contract by the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach.
1999: The first comprehensive edition of the phone guide was published, adding a directory of community organisations (the “pink pages”), maps and a guide to cyclone preparations for locals.
2004: The first full-colour edition was printed. Previous years had seen a staged move to full colour with the introduction of two-colour listings.
2006: Recognising a shift away from print media, an online version was set up at mywhitsunday.com.au and the MyWhitsunday name was born.
2008: Amalgamation of the Bowen and Whitsunday shires saw Bowen, Collinsville and surrounding districts incorporated.
2010: Continued expansion of the project needed a bigger office. Media Whitsunday moved into larger premises on Carlo Dr, where they continued to operate until Rob and Kerrie’s retirement in January 2019.
Changing times
2016: As part of the evolution of the project, a vastly upgraded mywhitsunday .com website was launched. It featured full-page business listings and an expansion of the previous news, weather and tide information, local information and webcams.
2019: After 22 years of tireless dedication, Kerrie and Rob Leech retired and relocated to NSW, passing the torch to a team of new and established personnel, headed by Daniel Scott (of Resolv Internet).
2021+: Although a global pandemic has altered the make-up of the region, plans continue to launch a new phase of the MyWhitsunday website, with an expanded focus on the local community and tools to connect local businesses, residents and community groups. The first stage of this launched in June/July 2021 with the introduction of several new Webcams, the first in a series of public access cameras throughout the region.