Ballan Red Cross will bring out its finest china this month to celebrate its centenary.
Also marking the milestone will be a bench seat and plaque, which was installed outside the Ballan Mechanics Institute on Inglis Street last week.
Moorabool council contributed $1700 to the bench, while Ballan Red Cross helped buy the plaque.
Ballan Red Cross held its first meeting in the Mechanics Institute on August 20, 1914, and is one of 20 Victorian branches celebrating a centenary this year.
Vice-president and long-time volunteer Mary Williams was thrilled to see the bench delivered last week and said she was looking forward to celebrating the milestone.
She said the chair was a great new addition to the town and was a lasting tribute to the community.
“All those years could not have happened without the community support,” Ms Williams said.
“We still rely on the community for support and to raise funds.”
Ballan Red Cross has held many fund-raisers and events over the 100 years to help provide support in many emergencies.
The branch has provided food, care, bedding and clothing for people who lost their homes in fires.
Ms Williams said it was hard for her to choose just one special moment from her 15 years of volunteering with the Red Cross, but the friendships she had made along the way were a stand-out.
“We have such a marvellous group of people and everyone works well together. That’s what I enjoy about it,” she said.
