History
In January 1939, application was made to the Lands Department for a grant of land to erect a Soldiers Memorial Hall. In April 1939 the portion of the land reserved as a Memorial Park bounded by First and Memorial Avenues and George Street Maroochydore and for the erection of the Memorial Hall was approved. Eventually the Hall was completed. Activities of both business and social nature continued in the Memorial Hall in a routine manner for some years, focussing mainly on the welfare of veterans and their families. The Club was later established on the land occupied by the Diggers Memorial Hall. The Maroochydore and District Ex-Servicemen’s Club was officially opened in November 1972 and at that point in time the business activities of the Maroochydore RSL Sub Branch and the Maroochydore and District Ex-Servicemen’s Club were arranged as separate entities, however keeping close relations with each other, which still remain today. The most significant event in the affairs of the Sub Branch was the building of RSL House, Sub Branch headquarters opposite the Club in Memorial Avenue. Alteration to the car-park plans gave up the full section of the ground floor for dedication to Sub Branch occupation with all the facilities required. So ‘RSL House’ was born. This great achievement officially opened in 1996. Among the many benefits which the Sub Branch derived from the establishment of ‘RSL House’ was the setting up of a prestigious Memorabilia Collection: ‘preserving for posterity, records of the deeds and sacrifices of our veteran brothers and sisters’. In 2006 the Memorabilia Section was dramatically enlarged with the conversion of a large storage area at the rear of ‘RSL House’ to display rooms and is still a working process with regular updating of displays. So from the humble beginnings Maroochydore RSL Sub Branch stands strong with its main objectives still on the Advocacy and Welfare of the veteran community while the preserving our history of those whom fought for our freedom. The Maroochydore RSS&AILA Memorial Hall had another role in World War 2. From 1942 till the end of the war, it was the assembly point of the Maroochydore troopers of the 6th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps. (as shown in the above photograph) Executive 1969 to 2010Prior to 1969 the records were held in Brisbane and have been lost in the floods.
Life Members
|
Maroochydore RSL Sub Branch Charter was granted on 29thMay 1932. Meetings were first held in private homes, the E.S. & A bank premises, or anywhere else the public was kind enough to make available. The Sub Branch and the Women’s Auxiliary provided a great deal of welfare assistance to veterans and widows of World War 1.