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.