Camp Cooinda is still providing great experiences for young people every summer on the Gippsland Lakes as it has since 1960. Thousands of campers and leaders have experienced the Cooinda program in that time. If Cooinda was a significant experience for you and you would like to reconnect with camp, please fill out the 'Friends of Cooinda' inquiry form and we will keep in touch with you occasionally in future. In the meantime you might like to reminisce with videos of our 50th year celebrations below.

50th Year Celebrations

Thank you to everybody who helped us celebrate 50 years of summer camps at the Collingwood Town Hall on Saturday 23rd October 2010. We have photos and videos below for those who couldn't be there.

Photos from the night are now in our gallery: 50th Year Celebration Photos. We have also recorded the memories people wrote down on the night in the 50th Memories document.

As well as the ten minute history of Camp Cooinda in the video below, David Smith's 50th Anniversary DVD includes a 45 minute documentary of one summer camp in 2009 and a complete recording of the final night beach ceremony with David Merritt's telling of the 'The Legend of Wowasa'. The full DVD costs $25. To order your copy please contact the office.

50th Year Video with introduction (audio only) by David Smith

Phil Hart - President's Speech

David Merritt - Camp Director's Speech

The Flaming Rage Band

One Summer out of Fifty (full length documentary by David Smith) 

The Legend of Wowasa - final night story by David Merritt (produced by David Smith)