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.