Release of the 1940s and 1950s Listening Post

The next release of the Listening Post is scheduled for the 15th of October at www.rslcentenary.org.au.  One of the initiatives of the RSL during WWII was the Volunteer Defence Corps, and its development and progress is reported in the Listening Post during the early 1940s.

RSL VDC armband

The Volunteer Defence Corps was formed in 1940 at a meeting in Melbourne between the State Presidents and Secretaries of the RSL.  The administration of the VDC fell to the RSL with guidance from the Army.  Membership of the VDC was largely made up of veterans from WWI and branches were formed across Western Australia attached to the sub branches of the RSL.  The VDC became a valuable part of Australia's defence system and its operation was taken over by the Army in May 1941.

The Listening Post - first two decades due for release

In the spirit of the Olympics, we thought we would focus on one of our former members and Olympian, Mr John Winter.  John Winter served in the RAAF during WWII and was a member of Bridgetown, Harvey, and Como sub branches.

In 1948, John represented Australia at the London Olympics in High Jump.  A graduate of Scotch College, John was not one of the favourites in the competition but managed to surprise his opponents eventually taking away the Gold.  In competition, John was recognised for his consistency, with his successful jumps being between 1.96m and 1.98m.

 

John Winter was the first West Australian to bring home a gold medal and went on to defend his title in the Auckland Empire Games in 1950.  John was inducted into the WA Hall of Champions in 1985 and passed away in 2007.

In the August 1926 edition of the Listening Post (due to be released online on Friday), there begins an interesting series of articles written by Captain C R Collins, supervisor of physical training for the Australian Military Forces.  Captain Collins explores the role of sport on the development of the Australian National character and goes on to provide a great level of detail on the history of the Olympic Games themselves from ancient Greece.

 

All issues of the Listening Post from the 1920s and 1930s will be available from Friday the 3^rd of August at www.rslcentenary.org.au. 

The Listening Post - first two decades due for release

In 1936, the RSL in WA began to explore options in relation to the provision of a War Veteran Home in Western Australia.  In a report printed in the October 1936 edition of the Listening Post, it was said that efforts made to support returned service personnel were ‘in the direction of assisting to consolidate the position of the man in his own home, which position advancing years may jeopardise’.

A committee was put together to explore the feasibility of the project and a report submitted to congress in 1936.  The committee was tasked with examining;

·         Estimate of numbers (present and future)

·         Acquisition or erection of premises

·         Government, administration and maintenance

·         Finance (and sources of)

·         Admission (conditions of)

It was calculated that in 1936 there were forty six war veterans in institutions in Western Australia, namely the Old Mens Home at Dalkeith, and the Salvation Army Retreat.  A considerable increase was predicted over the next ten years with estimates ranging from 300 – 500.  Adelaide, Launceston and New Zealand were all put forward as examples where work had already commenced in establishing War Veteran Homes.

The recommendations of the committee were that a ‘cottage-colony’ or separate homes were out of reach of the League at that time.  The committee suggested concentrating on providing inmates with ‘outdoor relief’ in the form of cash, food, clothing, board, lodging and medical attention and to explore the possibility of extending the Old Men’s Home at Dalkeith.

It would be another ten years before the League operated a War Veteran Home at Faversham House in York.  Faversham House was subsequently sold in 1961 with the opening of the War Veteran Homes at Menora which fulfilled the committee recommendations in 1936 of a ‘cottage-colony’.

The Listening Post - first two decades due for release

Soldier Preference was an issue explored at great length in the Listening Post.  It was the policy of the Federal Government that preference should be granted to those who served in employment and was supported by the RSL.  Preference was conditional on both candidates having matching skills and abilities. 

In 1923, the RSPCA reported an acting secretary Miss Villiers.  The appointment conflicted with the policy of preference to returned service personnel and drew criticism from the League and the general public.  The conflict resulted from the way the appointment was made, the position was advertised and a number of returned service personnel applied.  Miss Villiers was one of the applicants and was appointed in an acting capacity for six months.  The decision not to hire a returned service person of equal qualification was what brought the RSPCA directly into conflict with the RSL in WA. 

In an article appearing in the Listening Post July 1924, the position of the League in the matter is outlined.  Funds raised from street collections were said to have been ‘the poorest response for years’ during this period for the RSPCA with public opinion largely supporting preference. 

The resolution of this conflict wasn’t till 1925 with the rules of the RSPCA being re-written to include a rule in support of preference in employment to returned service personnel providing everything else was equal.   

The Listening Post - first two decades due for release

The official organ of the League in WA is ‘the Listening Post’ and on August the 3^rd we will be releasing the first two decades of the publication, from December 1921 to December 1939 online. Over the next few weeks we will be focussing this blog on what the Listening Post collection features during the 1920s and 1930s.

The Listening Post was recognised as a means with which to promote the work of the League and to promote veteran entitlements.  Kalgoorlie Sub Branch wrote in 1922 January edition of the Listening Post that ‘returned men must be shown that their obvious duty is to join the League and that there is little doubt that the Listening Post can do great work in this direction’.

The publication of the Listening Post was also a means of promoting veteran repatriation schemes, ensuring that veterans were aware of entitlements.  Policies such as Repatriation, War Service Homes Act, War Gratuity were summarised in an article appearing in the December 1925 issue of the Listening Post.   Details on Commonwealth entitlements were published in the hopes that ‘by the Leagues’s influence, no ex-soldier shall remain ignorant of the privileges which a sympathetic Parliament intended he should enjoy’.

Midwest - Geraldton Sub Branch

Geraldton Sub Branch Charter

Geraldton Sub Branch was formed in 1917 under the presidency of Captain W C Robinson.  In a Listening Post article, July 1927, the strength of the sub branch was noted by Mr Benson, State Secretary of the League.  ‘The Geraldton Sub Branch of the League….with all its patriotic feeling behind it should be one of the strongest branches in the State’.  The community support for the branch was evident in the fundraising for the Soldiers Institute and later for the development of Birdwood House.  

Birdwood House - Geraldton

The Geraldton Sub Branch throughout its history involved itself in community activities such as the Sunshine Festival, setting up an athletics club and organising a ‘mini olympics’ which was attended by Olympian Herb Elliot.  The sub branch worked in the establishment and running of the War Veteran Homes in Geraldton, actively fundraising and supporting the residents.  In 2012, the sub branch began working on developing its museum collection, extending part of Birdwood House for the continued commemoration of those who served.

Upper South West - Bunbury Sub Branch

The RSL Living History Project has recently been travelling through the Upper South West Region with trips to Narrogin, Collie, Harvey and Bunbury on the schedule.  Bunbury Sub Branch is one of the oldest sub branches in Western Australia.  Formed in 1917, the sub branch was the first in the Upper South West Region and from the beginning was active in supporting the Bunbury community.

Bunbury Sub Branch Hall today

The interest expressed in the sub branch and the League was evident with newspaper articles at the time devoting a good deal of space to explaining the aims and purpose of the organisation.  In the South West Times August 28 1917 edition, the RSA, as it was known at the time, was said to be established for the following aims;

“To promote the general welfare and protect the interests of returned soldiers and sailors and their dependents……To make enquiries as to what employment is available for members of the association.”

Bunbury War Memorial

The first action of the sub branch was to host a Ball in the Lyric Theatre.  The aim of the ball was fundraising and to promote the association.  The call for the formation of a ladies committee to help with the catering was also made at the time.  Bunbury from the outset involved itself in League policy, proposing in 1937 that membership be widened for all of His Majesty’s forces and not necessarily only those who served overseas. 

At a community level, the Bunbury sub branch saw a role for the League in the development of the State as a whole, according to an article in the Albany Advertiser 21 March 1929.  Bunbury Sub Branch petitioned the Bunbury Municipal Council for the establishment of a free public library service in Bunbury.  Initially proposed as the ‘Servicemens Memorial Library’, the Library was supported by the Apex Club and the Bunbury Municipal Council. 

The Bunbury Municipal Memorial Library opened on the 23^rd of October 1952 and was run by a committee on which the RSL was a member.  Unfortunately we don’t know too many details about the library and have no pictures or details on the location.  We do know that the library was closed in the early 1970’s when the new library was opened.