By TANIA PHILLIPS
THE WARWICK RSL Sub-branch is set to celebrate their 100th anniversary next year, with those celebrations getting off to an early start at the weekend.
The club, which is now Queensland’s oldest continuing sub-branch, co-hosted a lunch to celebrate the centenary of the RSL in Australia.
Club president, John Skinner, said the Allora, Killarney and Warwick Sub-branches hosted the luncheon at the RSL Memorial Club with more than 250 attending.
“The function room was filled to almost capacity with 275 people including Sub-branch members from at least eight Sub-branches,” Mr Skinner said.
“We also had a large number of community organisations represented from throughout the region including Ambulance, SES, Queensland Fire and Rescue, Queensland Police, Warwick City Band, Warwick Thistle Pipe Band, 11th Light Horse Warwick/Montrose Troop, National Service Association, several schools from throughout the district, Killarney Co-op, Ulysses Club (Warwick Branch) and many others.
“Most of these are groups we work with during the year for Anzac Day parades, Remembrance Day, etc.
“Guest speaker was Queensland RSL State President, Stewart Cameron, who gave a brief overview of the history of what has become the RSL and then went on to speak about what the RSL does today with about 37,000 volunteers working across Australia to further the aims of the League which are basically, the care and welfare of war veterans, ex-servicemen and women and their families.”
Mr Skinner said the event marked the formation of the RSL in 1916.
“Soldiers returning from World War I were concerned about the lack of support being offered to their mates who were wounded or disabled, out of work and with no compensation or pension,” he said.
“Some community organisations and religious groups were helping to care for these veterans and new groups were being formed in communities across Australia, many with the aim of involving government in the repatriation and care of those unable to look after themselves.
Some of those new groups gathered in Melbourne on 6 June, 1916, and formed what has since become the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL).”
He said the Warwick Sub-branch had a proud history and was looking forward to marking it’s own major milestone next year with preparations already underway.
“We started in 1917 and are Queensland’s oldest continuing Sub-branch with, as of Saturday’s Quarterly General Meeting, 147 members,” he said.
“We will be having our own centenary dinner next year along with a history book.”
