A place to call home

Construction started on a new RSL Club in the Far North Queensland town in December 2018.

The project has been 10 years in the making, with Sub Branch members dedicating hundreds of hours  to raise money for the building’s construction.

“Every Saturday we have conducted a raffle,” President Rob Moss said.

“Members have cooked up sausage sizzles at the local markets and in front of trade stores. The sale of  memorabilia,  particularly in the lead up to ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, combined with a huge Christmas raffle, has helped raise many thousands of dollars. It has been a long time in the making.”

A place to support local veterans

The Sub Branch’s two welfare officers – who for the past 10 years have been working out of their homes – will now have a dedicated office to provide support to local veterans from across the Atherton Tablelands. The club will also have a conference room for use by the Sub Branch and other local community organisations, such as the Lions Club, Laurel Ladies, Partners of Veterans, Senior Citizens and Legacy.

Rob acknowledged the tireless efforts of his committee, Sub Branch members, and support from the Far North District. He described it as a team effort to overcome numerous obstacles to get to where they are today.

Persistent grant applications

After three years of submitting applications, the Sub Branch was finally successful in obtaining a grant from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund. The grant was provided on a dollar-for- dollar basis to match what the Sub Branch has saved, along with some revenue received from the sale of the old RSL building by RSL Queensland in 2008.

Depending on the weather, they hope the new premises will be in the latter part of 2019. The club will be run by the Sub Branch and – in addition to an office and conference room – will also contain a bar, kitchen, some gaming machines and an outside entertainment area with a children’s playground.

They have also planted 28 native trees along the front of the property and named the walkway the ‘Pathway of Hope’. It is hoped the new building will bring renewed hope for people requiring RSL services on the Tablelands.

A place for the community to gather

“It will be great to have somewhere to call home and display the memorabilia we have in storage.

"We  wanted the community to have a place to gather together and,  given the ongoing support from the community over the past 10 years, I am confident they will come along to the club and support us,” Rob said.