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.