Preserving RSL Queensland’s memory

Forging an important partnership 

Over the past century, RSL Queensland has published countless veterans’ stories through its dedicated member magazine. In recognising the historical significance of these magazines, State Library of Queensland has become an instrumental partner in preserving RSL Queensland’s legacy.  

“State Library collects all sorts of things: publications like Queensland RSL News, unpublished manuscripts, personal papers, letters, diaries, narratives and personal remembrances and mementos from wartime,” State Library’s Lead, Collection Building and Interpretation Robyn Hamilton says.  

“The collection is intended to be rich and give us a full picture of Queensland life. 

“Publications are important in many ways. They are a means through which we record our history. They can be an expression of our creative capability, or they can be very informational and documentary about people in times and places.” 

As part of its mission to maintain the collective memory of the Sunshine State, State Library has acquired, preserved and stored every official edition of RSL Queensland’s member magazine published since 1925. 

First titled The Queensland Digger, the magazine was renamed to Vigilance in 1962 and then Queensland RSL News in 1989. 

“Stories of service and life after service provide a rich insight into the experiences of serving member and their lives beyond,” Robyn explains.  

“RSL News is an important publication because it keeps things current, has important and nostalgic information and points people to services. 

“It’s an amazing achievement that RSL Queensland has had a magazine in publication for 100 years. It’s important to understand where you came from because it helps you to understand where you’re going.” 

Making history and legacy accessible 

In 2017, State Library took on the mammoth task of digitising RSL Queensland’s first set of official member magazines as part of the State Government’s Q ANZAC 100 project. Robyn remembers the project fondly. 

“As one thread of three big legacy projects for the commemoration period of World War I, we went back and digitised all the issues of The Queensland Digger starting in 1925 up to 1962,” Robyn recalls. 

“It took quite a while to complete, but it was a great opportunity to break open that material and make it much more accessible to people.” 

As RSL Queensland’s member magazine celebrates 100 years of circulation in 2025, State Library is now working to digitise all remaining RSL Queensland magazine editions in their collection. The project is expected to make even more veteran history accessible to the public. 

“State Library has had issues of Vigilance and Queensland RSL News for many decades now, but we’ve decided to digitise the entire collection so that everyone can enjoy the contents,” Robyn explains. 

“It is important for RSL Queensland to have these magazines digitised because it means you can then access you own past. You can look back and see what RSL was like as an organisation right back at the start and all through the decades, right up to now.” 

Handling the collection with care 

Digitising 100 years’ worth of RSL Queensland publications is no easy feat and took months to complete. The process involves a variety of Sate Library specialists working across three key steps: document preparation, scanning, and digital archiving.  

“First of all, the magazines are prepared to be scanned. Any repairs are made up in our Conservation Lab,” Robyn explains. 

During this step, State Library’s collection preservation team uses specialised techniques to care, treat and manage the magazines. For example, conservators may work to maintain bindings, minimise or repair paper damage, and protect the documents from future fading and handling. 

“Next, the scanning happens. Only one person can scan at a time, but once that is complete, those digital objects are ingested into our archival management system,” Robyn says. 

During this step, an operator sets up and monitors an automatic book scanner. The scanner has robotic arms that gently turn each page of the magazine, using a light vacuum and air blower mechanisms to keep pages separated. Once completed, quality checks are completed by the operator before the document enters step three. 

“Then the cataloguers come in and join the digital objects to the catalogue record so that when someone comes to State Library and looks up an issue, they’ll be able to pop up the entire archive.” 

Once this step is complete, the magazine becomes discoverable online, meaning it can be enjoyed by readers, historians and veterans worldwide. 

Keep up with RSL News  

Queensland RSL News is published every quarter, highlighting engaging veteran news, stories, events, history and more. All RSL Queensland members receive a copy in the mail as part of their membership, while members of the public can read the latest edition online or subscribe to receive a digital copy via editor@rslqld.org