Farewell

Sadly, the RSL Living History Project is due to conclude at the end of August and we will be retiring this Blog on August 29 2013. Thank you to all that followed our progress over the years and attended the exhibition. If you have any questions or require any information the collection after August 2013, please contact the WA state branch of the RSL on RSLWA@rslwahq.org.au.

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.  

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?