Switzerland has a vibrant Film industry even though the population of 9 million+ speaks many different languages apart from the 4 official Swiss Languages. Swiss films are produced mostly in French & Swiss German and filmmakers must find an international market to make then financially viable.

The Swiss Club of Victoria promotes "Swissness" and aims to foster Swiss Culture. With this in mind we have regular Screenings of Swiss Films (all with English sub titles).
Members & Guests are welcome to the free screenings which start at 19:30 on the following dates:
Thursday 9 July 2026
Thursday 20 August 2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Thursday 8 October 2026

Check the events page for film details. The films are a good opportunity to have a bite at the Edelwyss Bar & Bistro beforehand.

The Swiss club snow trip is on again this year for Swiss Club members, Swiss Society of Victoria and their guests. The event has been generously discounted by a donation from the Swiss Society of Victoria. Join family and friends in the comfort of a fully equipped privately chartered bus to Mount Buller, right up to the town square. The bus will depart Melbourne at 6am including an extra pick up point in Lilydale 6:40am) which should have you on the slopes by 10am where you have the day to explore skiing, hiking or tobogganing with your family and friends before we depart Mount Buller at approx 3.40pm that day. Your ticket includes transport, park entry and gratuity but you will need to organise any activities or equipment hire privately when we arrive.

Melbourne - Mt Buller - Melbourne
The journey by bus to Mt Buller passes through the Yarra Valley and the high country to take in the spectacular views of the mountains and the snowy landscape. We make a brief 10 to 15 minutes stop for a restroom break en route to the Mt Buller Village Square, ensuring that you can fully maximize your time on the mountain.

You will arrive at Mt Buller around 10:00-10:30 AM. From here, the day is yours; indulge in your chosen activity and explore the region. 
You will depart for Melbourne at around 3:40 PM and arrive in Melbourne CBD around 8:30 PM.

The anticipated schedule is subject to the weather and traffic, not guaranteed. Thus, early arrival or delay might occur. It is advised not to book flights departing on the same day.

**Itinerary Suggestions:

1. Sightseeing: You can purchase a sightseeing chairlift ticket online or upon arrival for a single return ride to see the stunning view from the Northside slopes. It departs from the Horse Hill car park where is connected to the Village Square with the free shuttle buses. There is a café/light meal available at the summit, which is perfect for enjoying the scenery.

2. Entertainment: You can purchase a Tobogganing park ticket to enjoy the activity or take part in a dog sledding tour. The opening dates are subject to the weather conditions. Please check with the reception of Mt Buller.

3. Skiing: The lift pass is essential for skiers, which is not included in this product. Please review your options for lift passes and ordering any hire equipment directly with the Mt Buller website for further information. https://www.mtbuller.com.au/winter

*Please note the SSV and SCV have coordinated affordable transport to and from Mt Buller Village and accept no liability for your chosen activities whilst on the mountain. We encourage you to check local conditions with the village information office and enjoy the day within your limitations. All skiing equipment and safety gear is available for hire at Mt Buller and can be booked online prior to your arrival. All participants must return to the village meeting point at the designated times and may be liable to source alternative transport home should they not make the published timelines.

Pickup times and locations
06:00 AM [Melbourne City] 42 Russell Street (In front of Grand Hyatt, Eagle Statues)
06:40 AM [Lilydale train station] Maroondah Highway Lilydale (In front of the bus terminal)

03:40 PM [DEPART] Mt Buller Village Square bus terminal

BOOK YOUR DISCOUNTED TICKETS HERE

Led by Patrick Rychner, the ‘100 x Swissness’ Arts Project set out to photograph 100 members of the Swiss Club of Victoria—not just as faces, but as people with stories, histories, and quirks worth sharing. The aim was connection. Members meeting members. Old hands crossing paths with newer faces. Conversations starting where they might not have before.

That matters, especially in a club where many long-time members are aging and many newer ones are second-generation Swiss who don’t yet know the people who built this place. A portrait, it turns out,
is a good excuse to stop, look, and ask a question.

Each participant brought one object to their photo session—something Swiss, something personal, or something that simply says ‘this is me’. 

These small details do a lot of the talking. They spark stories, memories, and the kind of exchanges that keep a community alive.

Shot in a consistent studio style, the portraits form a growing body of work—part exhibition, part art, part archive.

Together, they capture a snapshot of Swiss life in Australia, right now.
And this is only the beginning.

Exhibition Dates:

14/15 February 11am to 4pm

21/22 February 11am to 4pm

The Siwss Club of Victoria, Lvl 2, 89 Flinders Lane

Webinar: Political rights for Swiss citizens abroad: Voting, electing, collecting signatures

Tuesday, 4th November 2025 AT 8 PM Melbourne Time

Are you a Swiss citizen living abroad and would like to know what political rights you are entitled to and how you can exercise them?

Then we cordially invite you to the third and last for this year joint webinar organised by the Consular Directorate of the FDFA, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) SwissCommunity and Soliswiss – Cooperative of Swiss Abroad.

What can you expect?

Voting, electing, collecting signatures: we will show you what options are available today and take a look at the future. We address the following questions in particular:

• What political rights do Swiss citizens living abroad have and how are these currently exercised?

• What obstacles exist?

• Who is responsible for what?

• Where does Switzerland currently stand on E-Voting and E-Collecting and what does the future hold?

Speakers

In addition to experts from the FDFA, the OSA and Soliswiss, an expert from the Federal Chancellery and representatives from Swiss Post will also be present.

No time? No problem!

The webinar will be recorded and will be available on swisscommunity.organd soliswiss.ch.

Please send any questions at webinar@eda.admin.ch

Participation: 

You can participate on the day of the webinar via the link or QR code. The webinar is free of charge and no advance registration is required. Duration: approximately 60 minutes.

Tuesday, 4th November 2025

We look forward to welcoming you!

You can join the webinar on 4th November 2025 via the following links:

German: 12h00 (Swiss time) French: 14h00 (Swiss time)

Did you know you can easily add a button for the Swiss Club on your i-phone app screen.

Go to the club's website in your internet browser.

https://swissclubvictoria.au

When the page has loadedPress the up arrow button(at the bottom of the screen)Scoll till you see this menu
'Add to Home Screen' and select it. Add it

You will get a app button on your phone that directs you to the Swiss Club.

Its really this easy to have your Swiss Club website and member notifications on your phone.

In her 2025 National Day message to the Swiss Abroad, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter underlines the strong growth of the Swiss community abroad.

Play the Video
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Your number has now grown to more than 820,000 people, twice as many as in the 1980s. For Switzerland, this means that we have more bridge builders in the world, more unofficial ambassadors for our country. And more people who see and feel developments on the ground that we in Switzerland may not yet be aware of, or not to the same extent, but which will sooner or later also have an impact here in Switzerland.
We are living in times of upheaval. Power politics and protectionism are becoming more important than a multilateral order with the freest possible trade. Democratic institutions and fundamental freedoms are being called into question in several regions of the world. These worrying trends are causing uncertainty, including in Switzerland. As a geographically small country with an internationally networked economy, Switzerland is strongly affected by these developments. Our country is in favour of a multilateral order, peace and security, open markets and democracy. But it can influence the course of global affairs only to a very limited extent.
Nevertheless, I am confident that Switzerland will come through these turbulent times well by building on its strengths and focusing on what it can influence and control itself. It combines democratic and liberal traditions with innovation and openness. It is on this basis that the Federal Council is holding talks with our most important trading partners and all states. A country that retains its internal guiding principles can also become involved at international level and stand up for global interests in a spirit of solidarity.
Dear fellow citizens, many crises hit harder elsewhere than in Switzerland. You may be confronted with them in your country of residence. From the government’s point of view, it is important that you stay in contact with the Swiss representations – all the more so as the Swiss community abroad is spread across the globe and is constantly growing.
We all feel that we belong to different communities. Perhaps this year you have already celebrated the country in which you live. Or your region, your town or your village. And on August 1, we celebrate Switzerland all over the world. I wish you – also on behalf of the Federal Council – safety and well-being and a happy National Day!

Webinar: “Civil status – through the life cycle with the consular services”

The Consular Directorate of the FDFA, the Organization of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), SwissCommunity and Soliswiss are pleased to invite you to the first webinar of this year.

We invite you to the first webinar of this year, on June 17th, 2025, on the topic “Civil status: through the life cycle with consular services.” The webinar will take place at 12:00 noon Swiss time in German and at 2:00 p.m. Swiss time in French. It will last approximately 60 minutes. Participation is free of charge.

We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that further webinars will be held in 2025.

Are you Swiss abroad and planning to get married soon? Are you expecting a child? Is a relative abroad dying? Our webinar will show you what to look out for in these situations, what challenges need to be overcome and where you can find the information you need.

Topics

What are the tasks of Swiss representations abroad? Where can I find the information I need to register a civil status case? Why does the procedure seem complicated to me? Why does it take so long, for example, for the birth of my child to be entered in the registers of my home municipality in Switzerland? What steps do I need to take to prepare for a marriage? What route do the civil status documents take until they arrive in the registers of my home municipality in Switzerland? What happens if I am not registered anywhere, do not register the marriage, my child or the death of a relative?

Speakers

Experts from the Consular Directorate of the FDFA, the Organization of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), SwissCommunity, Soliswiss and the Federal Office for Civil Status will provide input and answer your questions. The webinar will be recorded and will be available to watch on the FDFA, OSA, SwissCommunity and Soliswiss websites after June 17th, 2025. If you have any questions about the webinar, please send an e-mail to webinar@eda.admin.ch

We look forward to your participation! 


You can join the webinar on 17 June 2025 via the following links:

German: 12h00 (Swiss time) French: 14h00 (Swiss time)

Swiss Club Ladies Luncheon

A beautiful return after 6 years- Bringing once again Ladies together for a celebration of Laughter, light and lovely delights

Tuesday 20 May 2025 at the Edelwyss restaurant 12 noon

Cost: A la carte pay your own lunch.

Don't forget members receive a 15% discount

(Bring your membership card)

RSVP on the events web page or ring 0386574991 (leave a message)our first Ladies Luncheon will not only give us a chance to catch up, but also collaborate on how we'd like the event to evolve.

Australian premier of the Swiss Film 'Luchsinger and the Gods'
In Swiss German with English subtitles

2 screenings only at the Swiss Club, 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Friday 30 May 2025 at 19.30 - 21.30 & Saturday 31 May 2025 at 16.00-18.30

Tickets free for SCV Members & $10 donation for non members.
Tickets for Friday Night        Tickets for Saturday Matinee

Financial difficulties and strokes of fate lead four Swiss senior citizens to Bali. A comedy with a quietly laconic tone about burdensome memories, insights into life, last wishes and the unexpected chance of happiness that is not necessarily due to the gods.
Because he can't make ends meet in Switzerland with his pension, Ruedi Luchsinger from Bern emigrates to Bali. At the resort where he is staying, the former taxi driver meets three other Swiss people in a similar situation. They become friends. They explore their new surroundings, talk about life, ask about its meaning and end up asking whether they would be different if they were born somewhere else and what that would feel like. And then suddenly death peeps round the corner, but life goes on.
Known from TV and the stage as an author, Markus Köbeli wanted to make his first film as a director in Indonesia with a small budget, a tiny team and spontaneous actors. Thanks to the involvement of Movie Studio Bali, it turned into something more: a Swiss comedy for senior citizens that takes up themes such as old age, poverty and emigration in the wake of films such as ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’.
The film is well cast with Andrea Zogg, Max Rüdlinger, Jürg C. Meier and Manfred Liechti in the leading roles. The prominent quartet play their way cheerfully through an abstruse story whose appeal is fuelled by the clash of two cultures as well as the subtle laconicism with which the protagonists view their lives. Rounded off with a twist that demands quite a bit of criminal inventiveness from Luchsinger and his mates, Markus Köbeli has succeeded in creating a refreshingly unpretentious comedy about the little bit of courage it takes to start all over again.


Director Makus Köbeli.
Arranged for Australian premier screening by Hon. Consul of Melbourne, Mrs. Manuela Erb

Full Members can get a 15% discount off their Bar & Bistro bill when showing their proof of membership.

The easiest way to prove that you are a member, when attending the Club Restaurant is to show your membership card on your phone.

Here is how you can get your Card.

1. Go to the App store or Google Play and download the

WILD APRICOT member app and put in your email address and password.

If you have forgotten your password, follow the prompts for password recovery.

Next time you are at the Bistro you can claim your 15% discount.

__________________________________________________________________________

Note: Social Members can receive a 10% discount off the Bar & Bistro Bill.

Some events do not qualify for further discounts.