Mandurah RSL charts bright future for veterans and ex-service personnel

After finding their club homeless because of a dispute between RSL WA and the RSL’s retirement and aged care association, president Brian Dillon and vice-president Dave Mabbs have secured a building on Rouse Road in Greenfields, which they hope to have fitted out by March.

The men said when finished, the new RSL digs would look a million dollars, but luckily would not cost that much.

Mr Mabbs said the goal was to build the RSL WA’s flagship club, which would act as a model for other sub-branches around the state.

Read more:

“This will be completely refitted, it’ll be new, it’ll be vibrant, it’ll be family friendly and RSL WA also want it to double as the Peel regional advocacy centre or hub,” he said.

“This will make it user-friendly for any of the veterans and ex-service persons around town who just want to drop in and say g’day.

“It’ll be somewhere they can come rather than staying in their caves at home, instead of cave dwelling and creating more and more social isolation by ex-service persons or veterans who leave the defence force and can't assimilate back into civilian life.”

Mr Dillon said he hoped they would be commemorating Anzac Day in the new facility.

“One of the contractors who put in a tender reckons he can do it in 12 weeks,” he said.

“The sooner the better.

“All of our memorabilia, our library, our bar, and our advocates and the secretary, treasurer and all those sort of people will be here. We’ll be all here.”

Mr Dillon said they would also replicate their wall of remembrance.

Therefit was budgeted to cost $720,000.

The City of Mandurah RSL’s new home will be at 20 Rouse Road, Greenfields, and the interim administration is at 7/63 Ormsby Terrace.

Call 9581 4781 for more information or membership enquiries.