Womens Auxiliary - Wreath Laying Ceremony

Recently the RSL WA Women’s Auxiliary donated funds to the RSL Living History Project, enabling them to convert a number of archival film and audio reels in the Archive Collection to digital format. The reels contained various ANZAC day addresses and other ceremonies as well as footage of a wreath laying ceremony performed by the Women’s Auxiliary 1957 Annual Conference.  The Ceremony was part of the 30^th Annual Conference and was to honour the memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice in War.

Membership Cards

When the RSL was formed as the Returned Soldiers Association (RSA) in Western Australia (in 1916) membership applications were open only to ex-service personnel.  At that time members' details were recorded on a card system organised in alphabetical order by surname.  The card system was used until the 1980s when the membership system changed (and computers were introduced).

We are fortunate in ANZAC House to have maintained our membership cards which detail our membership base in Western Australia.  Required work on the membership cards was identified early on in the project, with the order of the cards being somewhat mixed up from its origins as alphabetical order - possibly due to misfiling along the way.  It was decided to re-impose the original order of the cards and to remove the contaminants (staples and pins) from the cards to prevent them being damaged in the future. 

With over 100 boxes of cards taking up shelf space of 18 metres if we were to lay them side by side you can imagine it was no easy feat.  The cards were worked on by our team of volunteers, Joan, Kay and Barry and they took just over two years to complete the task.

Queen Elizabeth II - 1954 Visit to Australia

In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to tour Australia.  Western Australia was the last stop on her itinerary with visits organised in Kalgoorlie, Perth, Busselton, Albany, Northam, York and Fremantle.  With the visit of the Queen scheduled to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in two weeks, we thought it timely to reflect on her first visit as monarch in 1954 and the role of the RSL in the visit.

The State Director of the Royal Visit in WA, Mr R H Doig, charged the RSL in WA with the task of organising a wreath laying service at the State War Memorial and organising a march of ex-service personnel.

The photograph above has been identified by one of our members as taken on the occasion of the Royal Visit in 1954. The President of the League in WA at the time commented, "The success of the Wreath Laying Ceremony and the review of ex-servicemen was due to one simple fact.  This was the spirit of co-operation that existed.  The intense desire of all to assist on this historic occasion gave the organising committee a feeling of pride, that the spirit that built the League between wars is still with us."

Mosman Park Sub Branch

Buckland Hill Memorial Park

Mosman Park was formed in 1929 as Cottesloe Beach Sub Branch.  The name changed again in 1933 to Buckland Hill and finally to Mosman Park in 1937.  The sub branch in its early years was active in establishing the Buckland Hill Memorial Park.  With land set aside by the Buckland Hill Road Board, the sub branch worked to clear and prepare the site.  The Buckland Hill Womens Auxiliary were also active participants in establishing the Park through their fundraising efforts.  The Park features an Honour Avenue which is made up of Norfolk Pines, at the base of which are plaques for the fallen.  In 1952 a Brick Rotunda was added to the Park by the Mosman Park Memorial Committee with representatives from the sub branch, local progress association, Road Board and Horticultural Society all contributing.

Mosman Park RSL Hall - picture courtesy of the Grove Library

In 1938, the sub branch acquired a home of its own taking over the hall formerly belonging to the friendly society.  The Hall had fallen into a state of disrepair and sub branch members devoted weekends to working bees in order to renovate and repair the building.  The Hall opened on the 11^th December 1938 in the presence of about 250 people.  During the War, the Hall was used by the Womens Auxiliary to make camouflage netting and was a place for meetings and social activities.  In 1974, with membership in decline, the sub branch sold the Hall.  Meetings are now held in the Alf Adams Pavillion.

Applecross Sub Branch

Applecross had its origins as Melville Sub Branch, which was formed in 1936.  The first President was Colonel L E Dunkley and Mr H C Norris served as Secretary.  The first meeting was held at the Majestic Hotel.  In its early years, the Sub Branch was involved in the setting up of the Honour Avenue in Point Walter with a working bee arranged to put the plaques in place.

A unit of the RSL Volunteer Defence Corp was established in Melville in 1940.  The VDC was established by the RSL in the wake of German forces invading France and admitted veterans from WWI or those who were unable to serve due to age, ‘essential occupation’ or physical disability.   The VDC trained to protect Australia with its role increasing with the growing threat.  The VDC was taken over by the Government in 1941.

After World War II, Melville Sub Branch proposed establishing a memorial in the form of a Library in the Melville community.  A committee was formed and the Road Board approached for land.  The funding for the project was to be through public subscription.  According to the Minutes of the Melville Sub Branch, the sub branch eventually withdrew from the plan in 1960 with disagreement between the Library Board and Melville Road Board causing the project to stall.

In 1960, Melville Sub Branch changed its name to Applecross and the RSL Hall was renamed to include Memorial in the title in the same year.  

Applecross Sub Branch have managed to maintain its minute books so we have some record of its activities since formation.  Unfortunately we don't have much in the way of photographs or even memorabilia relating to the sub branch.  

Faversham House - York

During WWII, the RSL in WA began fundraising for the building of a War Veterans Home to service the needs of an aging population.  Faversham House was the first War Veteran Home in Western Australia and was run by the RSL up until the building of the War Veteran Homes in Menora.

Faversham House was built in 1840 by John Henry Monger  and was occupied by the Monger Family until it was handed over to the Commonwealth Government during WWII.

During the war the house was used by the Red Cross as a hospital.  In 1946, the RSL leased the property for the purposes of a convalescent home.  It was in 1949 that the Home was converted into a war veterans homes and became the first RSL War Veterans Home in Western Australia.

The running of the home was financed largely through contributions made by the sub branches and the fundraising efforts of the Womens Auxiliary.  A donation by Sir Ernest Lee-Steere in 1950 to Faversham House also helped to secure its future. 

Faversham House was surrendered to the government in 1960 with construction beginning of the War Veteran Homes in Menora that same year.    

Avon Region - Beverley Sub Branch

Beverley is located in the Avon region of Western Australia and is one of the oldest settlements in Western Australia.  With a population of 1700, the main industry in Beverley is agriculture.

The Beverley RSL Sub Branch is one of the oldest sub branches in Western Australia with mention of the sub branch being made in the Beverley Times as early as 1918.  In 1940, the sub branch was gifted the White Hart Hotel on Forrest Ave and the surrounding land.  The Hotel was built in 1904 and was in a deteriorating condition when gifted to the sub branch.

In 1954, due to the condition of the building, the sub branch elected to remove the top level to save the building from being condemned.  Over the years it became difficult to maintain the building and meetings were often held at other locations in the town.  It wasn't until 2001 that work started on major renovations to the building and the work was completed in 2003.

Avon Region - Toodyay Sub Branch

The Toodyay Sub Branch is one of our oldest sub branches of the League with mention of the sub branch printed in the Toodyay Herald in early 1919.  Within the community the sub branch worked with other organisations such as the Red Cross and the Welcome Home Committee after WWI to support veterans and their families.  Toodyay was active in fundraising and working towards supporting community needs such as improvements to the Toodyay Hospital and relief funding for those affected by bushfires.  Prior to WWII, the sub branch did decline with a drop in membership and it wasn't until 1944 that the sub branch renewed its activities.  

In 1948, Toodyay sub branch purchased a block of land in the main street of town with the intention of building a hall which would serve as a memorial to those who served in WWII.  In 1957 the sub branch donated its building fund to the Toodyay Road Board for much needed renovations to the Town Hall.  The donation was conditional on the sub branch being able to use the Hall and for the Hall to be renamed Toodyay Memorial Hall.  With the building fund donated, the sub branch further donated the land purchased in 1948 to the Toodyay Road Board to be set aside as park land for the use of the community, the park was named Newcastle Park. 

Toodyay sub branch today continues to play an active role in the community, organising ANZAC Day Services and other events throughout the year.  Today the sub branch meets at the Bowling Club and has an active membership.

New Library Premises in ANZAC House

The Library has now moved upstairs in ANZAC House.  We now have a dedicated space for people wanting to research our archive collection or simply wanting to catch up on some reading in our Library.  The Library is open on Thursdays and by appointment and is run by a dedicated team of volunteers.  The archive is available by appointment please contact ANZAC House for details.

South East Metropolitan Sub Branches - Buildings

To date, the project has visited the Armadale Sub Branch, Gosnells Sub Branch and the Canning Districts and Victoria Park Sub Branch.  All of the sub branches have their own premises which were largely built by voluntary labour within the sub branch itself.

Armadale Sub Branch was opened in 1935.  Smaller than originally intended, the sub branch was offered the space by the Road Board for the building of a hall.  The back section of the building was donated by Mr L Thorpe and a donation of 6000 bricks by the Metropolitan Brick Company meant that the structure could be extended by sub branch members.  Using voluntary labour and a loan from the Road Board, the sub branch was able to complete the premises for opening in December 1935.  

With the start of WWII, it became evident that the sub branch would outgrow their premises.  In 1941 the sub branch proposed the building of a new hall for 11 thousand pounds on land held by the sub branch in Jull Street.  With non essential building paused during the war, the sub branch was unable to proceed at this time with their plans.

In 1958 the sub branch abandoned these plans and decided to extend their existing premises.  The Hall was extended most recently in 2000, again using voluntary labour as much as possible.  The Armadale Sub Branch Hall in a municipal heritage report by the City of Armadale was quoted as being 

"a part of the social activities of the community, monthly socials, weddings, birthday parties, meetings and many other family orientated occasions.   The social heritage to the people of the Armadale district and Returned services League members from 1919 to 1994 is of immense value to the heritage of Armadale". 
    

Gosnells Sub Branch Hall, like Armadale, was built by voluntary labour.  The Hall opened in 1956 and was reported to fill a need within the community for a smaller district hall.  The Hall was built on memorial land, co-located with the Gosnells District War Memorial.  


With the resumption of land by the Road Board for the extension of the road, the Memorial was moved to its current location in the gardens of the council.  It also meant that any extension to the Hall was now limited.  The Hall was extended in 1966 at a cost of 1200 pounds.  The costs were kept down by using voluntary labour and expertise existing within the sub branch.  


Canning Districts and Victoria Park Sub Branch was formed through the amalgamation of Canning Districts and Victoria Park in 1989.  The Sub Branch meets in the Canning District Hall which was built in 1955 and extended over the years to deal with the needs of the community and its members.  Within the grounds of the Sub Branch are the tablets from the original Victoria Park memorial.  The original memorial was designed by Pietro Porcelli and featured a soldier standing on guard with the names of service personnel printed from the community carved into tablets below.  


Within the area was also the Kenwick Sub Branch, Maddington Sub Branch and the Victoria Park Sub Branch.  Maddington was the only sub branch without a Hall, holding meetings in the Maddington Centennial Hall which is no longer standing.  

ANZAC Day Identities - Miss Mary Meares

As ANZAC Day is fast approaching, I thought it an opportunity to focus on an individual who not only provided support for ANZAC Day in Western Australia but worked tirelessly for the welfare of the veteran community.  Miss Mary Meares (1889 - 1964) served on a number of committees in WA, devoting her time to the welfare of wounded and blinded servicemen.  

Awarded a certificate of merit by the RSL in 1921, Mary was involved in fundraising, visiting hospitals and organising social events to support the veteran community.  Mary served with the British Army in WWII as a welfare officer attaining the rank of captain and was the foundation president of the returned ex-servicewomen sub-branch of the RSL in 1948.

Mary Meares was involved with arranging transport for ANZAC Day services for 41 years.  Being asked by the first president of the League in WA Colonel Mansbridge to arrange transport for veterans requiring it for the march. She went on to fill the roll of Secretary of the transport committee which operated independently of the League with transport being extended to football and cricket games, royal visits and other official events.

The transport for ANZAC Day continues to be provided by volunteers, as it was for the first march in Perth and remains an important part of the organising of the event.  It continues to be run independently of the League and provides many veterans with the opportunity to participate in the march.            

How does your community commemorate ANZAC Day?

ANZAC Day is commemorated on the 25th of April and marks the anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli in 1915 which was a baptism by fire for Australian and New Zealand troops.  

Beginning in 1916, Australia and New Zealand have paused on the 25th of April, to commemorate the sacrifice of all service personnel throughout all conflicts and peacekeeping operations Australia and New Zealand have been involved in.

In Perth, ANZAC Day is run by the RSL with the generous support of Lotterywest.  The day starts with a dawn service at Kings Park War Memorial and then a march through town.  Historically, the RSL in WA has considered its role in the commemoration of ANZAC Day as one of the most important functions of the League and this commitment continues today.

Do you have any stories on how ANZAC Day is celebrated in your community?  

The Listening Post

The RSL WA Branch Publication of the Listening Post has now been microfilmed.  The collation and microfilming of the collection was done by the State Library of WA.  The microfilm will now be digitised in house, a task which is expected to take six months.  By microfilming and digitising the Listening Post, we are preserving the collection and improving access.

The Listening Post was first published in December 1921, and was sent to every member of the League in WA.  The period of publication changed over the years from Monthly to quarterly and every second month as did the format from small newspaper to magazine to large newspaper. 

The Listening Post contains detailed accounts of sub branch activities and RSL Policy in WA over the years.  To check out the current publications of the Listening Post click here.

The Listening Post microfilm 

South East Metropolitan Sub-Branches - Upcoming Visits - Darling Range Sub Branch

The Darling Range Sub Branch was formed through the amalgamation of Kalamunda and Maida Vale in 1924.  We don't know too much about the activities that the sub branch was involved in but we do know they also used to have an active Womens Auxiliary group.  The Sub Branch Hall and land was donated to the sub branch by Mr and Mrs Ken Lowden in the late 1940s and used to be a home up until this point.  If you have a story to tell about Darling Range or any other sub branch please contact Naomi at ANZAC House.

Darling Range Sub Branch Charter

South East Metropolitan Sub-Branches - Upcoming Visits

For the next few months we are concentrating on the South East Metropolitan Sub Branches of the League.  Our first scheduled visit is to the Armadale Sub Branch which was chartered on the 22/10/1919.  

We have a bit of information on Armadale, having done some research on Trove.  What we do know is that in 1935 the sub branch opened its club rooms, the construction of the facilities marked a rejuvenation in the community after the depression with the focus being investment in construction to. The sub branch also actively sought funding for amelioration hosting a gymkhana in 1940 which included a programme of mounted, pedestrian and cycle events.  Opened by the Governor Sir James Mitchell the event finished with a Ball which was open to all members of the community.

If anyone has any stories or pictures they would like to share then please do contact us at ANZAC House.  The current schedule for visits to sub branches is available on the blog.  

ANZAC House Opening 1934

The original ANZAC House was opened in 1934 by the Duke of Gloucester and was the home of the RSL in Perth until 1976.  Designed by Lieutenant Colonel A R Baxter Cox, ANZAC House featured a club, accomodation for the club manager, offices and the best dance floor in town.

Many dances and functions were held at ANZAC House which was located next to the current premises and the land was the former base of UWA before it moved to Crawley.  

Unfortunately we don't have many pictures of the inside of ANZAC House in our collection but we are on the lookout.  If anyone knows of any or has any then please do contact ANZAC House. 

Check out the slideshow below with images of the opening of ANZAC House in 1934.

Albany Sub Branch

We have uncovered this picture of the Albany Sub Branch in our collection at ANZAC House.

Unfortunately it doesn't come with any details as to what year it is and what the event is......

The sub branch, we know from our visits, has moved 3 times before building under the Stirling Club so this picture is possibly the re-opening of the building after one of the moves.

Can anyone provide any details on the photo?

Treasures from the Great Southern Region

Possibly the first membership badge for the organisation.  In Western Australia, the Returned Soldiers Association was formed prior to joining the National League in 1918.  We don't have much information about the RSA but was shown a badge by a member of the Denmark Sub Branch that could be the original badge.






The Denmark RSL Hall was opened in 1954 by the then State President, Mr Davies.  The Sub Branch used to      meet behind the civic centre but swapped land with the council to moved to its current location to allow for the expansion of the civic centre.  Below is a photograph of the opening of of the Hall on the 15th of May 1954 provided by the Denmark Sub Branch.

The Mt Barker Sub Branch was formed in 1919.  Mt Barker Sub Branch was surrounded by Cranbrook Sub Branch, Frankland River Sub Branch and Rocky Gully Sub Branch.  Competition existed between the sub branches, with Mt Barker competing with Cranbrook Sub Branch for the Walker Cup (Cricket).

Mt Barker Sub Branch remains active in the community running various events and functions.  The picture below is a programme from an event
                                                                                 sponsored by the sub branch in 1930.


The Mt Barker Sub Branch are at present located at the former kindergarten having moved from the annex attached to the shire offices.  Before this time the sub branch had a club in the centre of town proving support to the veterans and their families in the community.  The photograph above indicates the the club was formed in 1921 and was a war memorial club.

Great Southern Sub-Branches of the RSL

From the 15th to the 18th of February we will be travelling to the sub-branches of the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

15th   Gnowangerup Sub-Branch
16th   Albany Sub-Branch
17th   Denmark Sub-Branch
18th   Mt Barker Sub-Branch

Together with the visits we have scheduled to the sub-branches in the region we are looking at the sub-branches that were formerly in the area and have since closed down.  Information about Jerramungup, Ongerup, Tambellup, Cranbrook, Frankland River and Rocky Gully is also being sought.

What we are looking for are;

Photographs of sub-branch members, functions or commemorative services

Photographs of Hall or meeting place

Photographs of Memorials in the custody of the sub-branch

Photographs of Honour Boards and Rolls in the custody of the sub-branch

Documentation relating to the sub-branch the formation and/or operation of the sub-branch for example sub-branch charters, minutes and membership records.

We will also be conducting oral histories with those affiliated with the League focusing on the history of the sub-branch and the role of the sub-branch within the community. 

We will be equipped with a video and stills camera with which to conduct video oral histories and a scanner to make digital copies of any photographs or documents relating to the sub-branch.  All original material will be returned to the owner.

The Great Southern Region contains some of our oldest sub-branches in Western Australia with Albany, Denmark, Gnowangerup and Mt Barker all formed between 1916 and 1919.   Most of the sub-branches operated with the support of Womens Auxiliaries of which none are currently active.   

Anyone with any information about the sub-branches in the Great Southern Region can come and visit me at the sub-branches as per schedule above or contact via email at rslcentenary@gmail.com

View Great Southern Region in a larger map

State War Memorial WA

Over the past few weeks I have been working on the State War Memorial Collection.  The collection contains correspondence, programmes, maps and drawings, agreements and reports to do with the memorial and its origins.  The Memorial is modelled on the Australian Imperial Force Memorials erected in France and Belgium and its form as a monument over a utilitarian memorial was widely debated at the time.

In 1924, Western Australia was without a State Memorial.  A committee was formed by the government at the time to develop a memorial but failed to achieve its objectives.  The League proposed to set up another committee made up of representatives from various associations with the goal of setting up a suitable memorial to the fallen in the Great War.

The meeting was called on Wednesday, February 11^th at 3pm.  William Lathlain was elected chairman of the newly formed State War Memorial Committee and an appeal was launched.

The funding for the memorial was through public subscription.  The need for a memorial was never debated, but its form was debated between a monument and a more utilitarian model such as a hospital.  Premier Philip Collier was opposed to the structure of the memorial, strongly supporting a memorial in the form of a hospital.  In correspondence within the collection it is remarked that Collier looked at the memorial as a ‘pile of stones’.

The location of the memorial at Kings Park was also suggested as unsuitable for the memorial, it was suggested that the memorial could detract from rather than add to the beauty of the park.

Despite the debate, the public did subscribe to the memorial and the work began under the direction of Sir Talbot Hobbs, who was appointed as the architect.  The memorial was unveiled on the 24^th of November 1929 and custody of the memorial was vested in the League.  Each year the League appoints a warden to oversee the care and use of the memorial.  Over the years the memorial has been extended, in terms of its structure and in the addition of names.  The memorial stands proudly overlooking Perth attracting visitors from all over the world and is a central part of ANZAC Day services and Remembrance Day.