History

The German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria has been in operation under its current name since 1937, though the club itself has operated since 1929 in various forms.

In 1996, the Bendigo Branch of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria was established, with its first committee being made up of Dawn Trickey, Margaret Dix, Sharon Bacon and A. Adams.

In 1998, Terry Kennedy took over as Branch Manager. Terry remains an integral part of the Branch today, being our Assistant Branch Manager and Assistant Chief Instructor. Deb Kennedy has also served with the Branch throughout this time, having held the rank of Treasurer for some years and being a valued Instructor at the Branch to this day, often being the one to guide our new puppies during their first sessions at the Branch.

In 2006, the Branch hosted a Guinness World record attempt for the Longest Human Dog Tunnel, needing to beat the record from the USA at the time, which was 382 people. The Branch, with a number of competing dogs, beat the previous record by 5 and set a new world and Australian record of 387 pairs of legs! Sadly this record was beaten in 2009.

In 2016, the Branch celebrated its 20th Anniversary and members from across the wider club attended the celebration which included a special presentation from Cail, a member of the Police Dog Squad.

The Branch’s 30th Anniversary will soon be upon us in November 2026 and we anticipate a wonderful celebration, worthy of the members, committee and instructors that devote so much of their time, care and energy into our Branch.