RSL NSW

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

In 2017 twelve leading Australian artists visited the World War One battlefields of the Western Front a century after the conflict that claimed so many lives.  Salient: Contemporary Artists at the Western Front brings together the works they created in response to the history and present-day reality of these sites in a series of artworks that include paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture. 

Salient commemorates 100 years since the ceasefire on the Western Front on Armistice Day 1918.  During the four year conflict (4 August 1914 – 11 November 1918) over 46,000 Australian troops perished at the Western Front in a brutal campaign of trench warfare which stretched 440 miles from the Swiss border to the North Sea, the highest casualty per capita suffered by any Allied nation. 

Today the Western Front battlefields are the sites of fields, farms and villages, with memorials and cemeteries the only markers of the devastation that occurred a century ago.  For the artists participating in Salient, the journey was a powerful reminder of the impact of war on our history, culture and society. 

Salient: Contemporary Artists at the
Western Front will
be opened at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery at 6pm on Friday 10 August, by Brad
Manera, Senior Historian and Curator at the Anzac Memorial. 

Public Program: Friday 10 August, 5pm:
Join the Salient artists in a panel discussion about their experience visiting
and creating work in response to the Western Front. 

The tour includes areas within the secure precinct of Garden Island - which is not open to the public - including the Kuttabul Memorial, the Garden Island Chapel, heritage buildings and the top of the Captain Cook Dock. 

Please note, there is quite a lot of walking involved and some stairs
during the tour, so group members need to be relatively mobile.  The tour is not
suitable for visitors who utilise a wheelchair or walking frame. 

For security reasons, names of attendees must be submitted to the Naval
Historical Society of Australia no later than one week before the tour.  Photo
identification such as a passport or driver licence will need to be presented
on the day of the tour. 

The cost per person is $20.00.  More information about the tour can be found here. 

To book a tour or make an inquiry, please contact Paul Nolan or Frank Doughty on (02) 9359 2243 from the Naval Historical Society of Australia. 

Stand Tall for PTS International Awareness Event

Stand Tall for PTS is organising an international awareness event for post traumatic stress. 

This will be the largest convoy of Military vehicles and First Responder vehicles plus multiple support vehicles and personnel assembled in support of PTS.  It will travel from Brisbane to Canberra to Melbourne, back to Canberra and then on to Sydney for the opening of the Invictus Games in October 2018.  Stand Tall will also engage with 6 other countries via social and mainstream media to bring this awareness to a much wider audience. 

The convey will also be joined by DVA, VVCS and
Phoenix Australia who will provide support services and insight into public
awareness along the way. 

Sub-branches and veterans are invited to engage with the convey as they pass through the following towns on the following dates:

Further information can also been found here on the awareness program and here for background on the 2016 campaign. 

If your sub-Branch is interested in engaging with the campaign, please contact Tony Dell on 0419 771 736 or email tony.dell@standtall4pts.org

Fundraising for Veterans

Brad and Brodie Music are taking to the road in mid-August, travelling from Brisbane to Melbourne via Canberra and Wagga Wagga.  They are
pulling a coffee trailer and selling the 'Victory - Legacy of Legends Coffee' to
raise funds for the ANVAM festival of Arts at the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, EDit Transitioning and Mates4Mates veterans initiatives. 

They will be raising awareness of the Invictus Games with
rural regions through the love of coffee and music.  They are keen to work with NSW RSL sub-Branches to promote what they are doing and hope to pull up at participating sub-Branches to sell coffee and sing songs along the way. 

Brad and Brodie will also be interviewing veterans and their
families along the way, which will be recorded for campfire sessions for a veteran's radio station based in Cairns. 

They plan to arrive in Canberra on the 23rd August, 2018 and Wagga Wagga on the 24th August. 

Sub-Branches are invited to attend the VP Day Commemoration.  The Governor and Premier have been invited along with leaders of the ex-service community and consular Corp. Place: The Cenotaph, Martin Place, SydneyDate: Wednesday 15 August 2018Time: 11am Dress: Medals/decorations may be wornRSVP: No RSVP is required
Sub-Branches attending are welcome to lay a wreath under the direction of the Custodian of the Cenotaph. 

Invictus Games 2018 - Fly the Flag

On Friday, 17 August, Invictus Games Sydney 2018 will launch the
‘Fly the Flag’ event.  Hosting an event for ‘Fly the Flag’ is a great way for
sub-Branches to show support of the Games. 

If your sub-Branch is hosting a ‘Fly the Flag’ event, please email
news@rslnsw.org.au
as soon as possible, as the ABC has expressed interest in covering a regional
sub-Branch hosting the event.  We cannot guarantee ABC media coverage; however,
we will pass on details of participating sub-Branches.  Could you also include a
point of contact in your sub-Branch, who is willing to coordinate any activity
with the ABC. 

Find out how your sub-Branch can participate in a ‘Fly the Flag’ event
here. 

Supporting Younger Veterans Grants - Closing date 14 August 2018

The Australian Government is inviting organisations in an open competitive process to apply for grant funding in 2018-2019 under the Supporting Younger Veterans program. 

The Supporting Younger Veterans program aims to foster the ability of
ex-service organisations (ESOs) and non ex-service organisations to support the
needs of younger veterans as they transition out of the Australian Defence
Force (ADF), establish themselves into civilian life, and manage the challenges
that their ADF service presents through different stages of their civilian life. 

For more information about the services under the Supporting Younger Veterans program, as well as requirements for applicants, click here. 

Headquarter 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1ALSG) reunion

A reunion will be held for Headquarter 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1ALSG) in Ballarat from the 8th November 2019 - 11th November 2019. 

For more details, including accommodation, please contact Tony Brown on 0428 852 736 or email tony11raye13@bigpond.com

Rockwood Cemetery Remembrance event - 9 November 2018

For all of us at Rookwood General Cemetery, the ANZAC Centenary is of great importance, particularly as so many brave servicemen and women are interred or memorialised within our grounds. 

Over the last four years we have worked with Rookwood’s War Grave office to hold ANZAC events commemorating Rookwood’s servicemen and women. 

As a part of this initiative, we also discovered over 1600 unofficial war memorials located in Rookwood that commemorate servicemen and women from World War I. This includes memorials of young soldiers who died in training, returned service people memorialised in family graves, and symbolic monuments erected by families for soldiers killed or missing in action. 

As a sign of respect to these servicemen and women, their memorials have been cleaned and services have been conducted at each site.  Our aim now, is to complete monumental repairs on the more deteriorated memorials, whilst at the same time sharing the many stories that we have uncovered. 

One of the ways we will share these stories is through the development of a video and booklet which will be unveiled at a commemorative event on Friday 9 November 2018.  This event will include an official service and an opportunity for attendees to place a poppy in memory of a loved one. 

We would like to invite the community to attend this event and reflect not only on the servicemen and women interred at Rookwood, but on their own family and friends that for our country.  Attending this event will enable those that have lost someone through war, to reflect and remember their life. 

I hope that we can work together to communicate this event to our community and if you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Dimity d'Arbon, Rockwood Cemeteries Reserve Trust (02) 8575 8100

Free History Talk - Monash and The Battle of Hamel

The success of the Battle of Hamel on the 4 July 1918 was a result of precise coordination between various combat services and demonstrates the value of meticulous planning.  Hamel is remembered as the first occasion untested American soldiers fought alongside the war-weary veterans of the Australian infantry.  The success of the 93 minute battle is a testament to the finely tuned Australian infantry under superb field commanders and their indomitable Corp Commander, Lt.  Gen. John Monash. 

Hear Robert Muscat, Council member for the Military History Society of NSW and member of the Australian Army Reserve discuss the significance of Hamel and the role of John Monash. 

Have you served or had a relative in the 66th BN 2nd AIF, 2 AR, 2 RAR or 2/4 RAR?  Do you have images, gear, medals, maps, photographs, movies etc.  from you or your relative’s service in these units which form the lineage of today’s 2 RAR (AMPHIB)?  Are these items sitting in boxes or a trunk not seeing the light of day, with the possibility they could be thrown out by your family if you passed?  The Unit has served in places like The Dutch East Indies, Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, Malaysia, Rhodesia, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor, The Solomon Islands, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Timor Leste.  We are not just interested in operational service we are very much interested in the Battalion’s daily life, Exercises, Sport, Special Activities, parades, ETVCC, BN balls etc.  during its time. 

The 2 RAR Historical Collection would like you to consider donating these items for display and to be preserved as part of the collection.  We would like copies of any digital images or scanned copies if you don’t want to part with the originals.  Remember your negatives and photos are slowly degrading.  These items will be available to view and be appreciated by all who visit the historical collection.  Ex-members, relatives of these members, current and future members will be able to appreciate and view these items knowing they are at their home at 2 RAR.  The museum is funded by donations, sponsors and grants, if you are an individual or business that would like to be a “friend of the 2 RAR Historical Collection” please contact the curator.  The museum is looking to completely upgrade and refurbish the Historical Collection display in the near future. 

If you would like to visit or donate to the collection please also contact the curator.  The curator (CPL J Harrison, soon to be Mr) can be contacted on 0419 749 198 or email 2RAR.Museum@gmail.com.  Second to None! 

RESTORE Trial - Phoenix Australia

Do you believe you have developed PTSD during your military service? 
If so, you may be eligible to participate in a new treatment trial conducted at the VVCSoffice in Sydney.  The RESTORE trial investigates one of the most effective interventions for PTSD – prolonged exposure. Potential benefits of taking part in the trial include an improvement in PTSD symptoms and a better quality of life.  Prolonged exposure therapy is an effective and evidence-based treatment for PTSD, which can help a person to confront and come to terms with painful memories, challenge unhelpful thinking, and resume activities that are typically too distressing. 

The trial organisers are seeking veterans or current serving personnel between 18 and 75 years of age, who have PTSD-like symptoms related to a traumatic experience during their military service.  To express interest in participating in the trial or to find out more, call 1800 856 824 or visit www.phoenixaustralia.org/RESTORE

The RAAF Welfare Recreational Company offers discounted holiday accommodation to eligible persons, including ex-serving members.  The Ambassador Apartments on the Gold Coast have recently been improved with new furnishings, upgraded wet areas and new carpeting.  Bookings can be made six months in advance and there are usually ample vacancies outside the school holiday periods and in the quieter, cooler months. 
Ring Andrew on 07 5531 5692 or visit www.raafholidays.com.au

Defence Archives to provide secure online records access

Defence Archives and Service Centres (DASC) is upgrading its systems and processes to provide customers with faster, secure access to records via the internet. 
Beginning 10 January 2018, DASC will upload completed requested records to a secure Defence website for easy customer access. 
DASC will email a unique link and password to the relevant customer to provide them with online access to the requested records. 
Customers must provide a valid email address at the time of placing a records request to access the online service. 
Please call 1800 DEFENCE (1800 333 362) if you do not have a valid email address. 

Wingham and the Upper Manning Honour Roll Project

Wingham RSL sub-Branch commenced a project to update the Honour Roll at the Wingham Memorial Town Hall.  They aim to create, document and carry out a process to identify every person in the Wingham and Upper Manning locality who has completed military service in the Australian Defence Force and to recognise their service by placing their details on a military honour board at the Wingham Town Hall. 

The project committee has made determinations to include twenty-eight new names to the honour roll. 

Kedron State High School Needs Your Help! 

Do you know of any past or current Kedron State High School (Brisbane) students or staff (cleaners, groundsmen, office workers, teachers, principals etc), who have served as part of the Australian Defence Force during military campaigns?  If so, we need your help. This year, the Kedron High RSL Liaison Prefects are working towards acquiring an Honour Board for Kedron State High School. However, we need the community’s help to track down the names of Australian Defence Force servicemen and women from Kedron High who have served in military campaigns to ensure their names are included on the Honour Board.  If you know of any Kedron High staff or student who should be added to the Honour Board, please contact Kedron State High School. 

Please spread the word so that we may honour those who have served.  Thank you, Ryan Malone and Claudia Watson RSL Liaison Prefects

Our Spirit - Stories of past and current serving women of the permanent Australian Defence Forces

OUR SPIRIT will be an anthology that will tell the stories of our recent and current servicewomen.  The content will focus on the positive, negative, mundane, tragic, humorous, unique and unusual aspects of life as a woman in the Australia Defence Force.  We are seeking submissions from ex or current serving women who were in the ADF from the 1970s onwards, in the following formats: Short stories, essays, poetry, diary entry/entries, emails or letters, artwork (paintings, drawings, sketches, illustration) with a short caption (up to 100 words); and photographs with a short caption (up to 100 words). 

Any past or present servicewomen interested in contributing to Our Spirit, can email us to get our submission guidelines, or find out more via our email address ourspiritcollection@hotmail.com, or go to our webpage www.ourspiritcollection.weebly.com
Some information about us: Melanie was in the Royal Australian Air Force as a Supply Officer for 18 years and is a published author and poet. Jennifer was in the Australian Army as a Supply and Training and Development Officer, resigning in 1995 and is also a published author. 

Mordialloc College Proposed Honour Board

The Mordialloc College Alumni Association (MCAA) is gathering information for a proposed honour board to be installed at the school (formerly known as Mordialloc-Chelsea High School). 
We are seeking the names of former students who are veterans.  If you are a war veteran or know of war service personnel who attended the school please contact:
Paula McCarthy | ph: (03) 9587 4573 | email: paulamc@optusnet.com.au | PO Box 5121, Mordialloc 3195
or
George Raphael | 1104092 | PM6740 | ph: (03) 9798 4883 | 68/360 Cheltenham Road, Keysborough Vic 3173

Riverina Contempoary Veterans Group (RCVG)

Greetings all,
For those in Wagga Wagga and the surrounding areas, please feel welcome to attend the Wagga Wagga sub-Branch (26 Dobbs St, Wagga Wagga) on a Thursday and meet with members of the Riverina Contempoary Veterans Group (RCVG). 
We are a group of sub-Branch members who are supportive of all veterans but have a vested interest in the issues confronting Contemporary Veterans, their families, and their support networks. 
Want to know more email me at rsl.wel@bigpond.net.au (attention Richard Salcole)