History of The Hong Kong Club VIC Inc.
The Club was initially formed in 1965 as the Overseas Hong Kong Students’ Association of Victoria in Melbourne. The purpose was to have an organisation to provide friendship and mutual help for the students from Hong Kong at the time.
In the early days, life as an overseas student was not so easy. Most of them had to face many difficulties. They were lonely and homesick as no families were around. They had to deal with language and cultural problems as well as financial ones, amongst other things. The Student Association provided a focus for students of similar background and circumstances to connect and to render support.
The Association was formally launched with the screening of a full-length feature film, “The Kingdom and the Beauty” in 1964, which attracted huge audiences. This was the first of its kind in Victoria, if not in Australia.
In the years to follow, small and large social and cultural activities and events were organised and run with good successes.
Apart from organising social activities, the Association offered assistance to settle the new comers of the students from Hong Kong and in liaising with the Immigration Department.
By the 1970s, many of the members had graduated and were students no more. It was felt that the name of the Association no longer characterised the nature of the majority of the members. In 1979, the Association changed its name to Hong Kong Club to reflect that it was now a social club for members dominantly from Hong Kong. In 1985, the Club was incorporated to become The Hong Kong Club Incorporated VIC.
In 2024, the official registered name is changed to The Hong Kong Club VIC Incorporated.
Currently, membership of the Club consists mostly of families of the previous students from Hong Kong and families migrated to Melbourne from Hong Kong in the later years. Social and community activities are continued to be run for the general welfare of the members.
維省香港會歷史
維省香港會成立於1965年，最初稱為 “澳洲維港學生會”，其目的是為當年的香港留學生提供友誼和相關的協助。
早期，留學生的生活並不容易，大多數都要面對各種各樣的困難。因為沒有家人陪伴，容易感到孤單和患上思鄉病。他們要面對語言、文化等等的難題，當然還有經濟上的問題。學生協會使來自類似背景和情況的同學們聯繫一起，互相支持和幫助。
協會於1965年舉辦了一場電影欣賞會，選映「江山美人」全劇，吸引大批觀眾。如果這不能說是澳洲首次舉辦該等活動，也肯定是維州此類活動的第一回。
接下來的幾年，協會成功舉辦了多個大、小型文化娛樂和社交活動。
此外，協會還幫助新來的留學生在維州安居，並與移民局聯絡各有關事宜。
到了70年代，許多成員已經畢業，不再是留學生，協會名稱已不能如實表示大部份會員的身份。在1979年，協會更名為 “Hong Kong Club” “香港會” 反映它的成員主要來自香港的一個社交團體。1986年正式註冊為 “The Hong Kong Club Incorporated VIC” ，並採用中文名稱 “維省香港會”。
2024年，維省香港會正式註冊為 “The Hong Kong Club VIC Incorporated”， 並保留 “維省香港會” 的中文名稱。
目前，維省香港會的成員主要是之前來自香港的留學生，以及後來從香港移民到墨爾本的家庭。維省香港會持續舉辦社交和社區活動，為會員提供福利。