Todays Youth Honour the Sacrifice of the Youth of Yesterday

---- Come and join us - Friday evenings from 5 pm. ---- 

New entrance - RSL Tanunda Hut

In 1946 the RSL Tanunda Hut, an old Army quarters was moved to its current position and installed at the Tanunda Recreation Park where it has sat since with several upgrades. 

Throughout the last 12 months or so we have be progressively upgrading the Hut with a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs who part-funded our internal Honour Board Wall, and Lambert Estate winery who provided a very generous donation. We also ran two successful Fashion Parades at Lambert Estate that increased our revenue.

The several Memorabilia Kiosks and Sausage Sizzles we run at Foodland Tanunda and Mitre10 Nuriootpa annually are also helpful in keeping our sub-branch going as the people in our community are very generous, even in the current era of high costs, high inflation and challenges with rent and housing. 

As a not-for-profit organisation we rely on the generosity of our community and member-volunteers to keep operating.

The latest addition today in our Hut improvement program was the presentation of an attractive mild steel, plasma-cut bench seat donated by one of our long term members, Paul (Ferdie) Fernandez OAM and his wife Elizabeth. 

As you can see in the image below, the back of the seat has the informal name of our sub-branch, the tri-service badges in order of seniority of service from left to right. The words "Lest we forget" from the RSL Ode is cut into the seat immediately below the tri-service badges and the wording on the bottom is reflected in the the title of this post.

Click to see larger image

As an aging veteran, I think these 10 words are significant. It's important for our youth to be knowledgeable about the sacrifices young men and women made in the numerous wars in which we have been involved. It's important for them to know that wars should always be a last resort when all other options have failed, that they are ugly, and that one day they could be called upon to do what their ancestors have done - lay down their lives to protect their fellow Australians, our democratic system of governance, and the values we all treasure.  

The bench seat was bolted to the ground at the entrance of our Hut and welcomes all who walk past it. No doubt many members, visitors, and perhaps dog walkers will take a rest at what will probably be known as "Ferdie's Chair" for many years to come. 

Ferdie and Liz Fernandez

Here's a photo of Ferdie and Elizabeth shortly after the installation yesterday. 

The manufacturer of the bench seat who did such an excellent job of manufacture and installation was 

Plasma Art Adelaide who have made dozens of similar products.

If you are in the area call in and have a look at this wonderful addition to our Hut. 

Manage Committee Feedback

---- Join us most Fridays from 5 pm. You don't need to be a member. ----
We discussed a wide range of topics at our March meeting, most routine. I'll detail some of the more interesting highlights as we like to keep members aware of what is happening in their sub-branch.

Advocate Update

Dr Jack Urlwin is carrying out advocacy duties at RSL state office and although he has started dealing with local veteran enquiries, there are several IT issues that need to be resolved before he can operate from the Hut.

ANZAC Day Preparation

Our ANZAC Day preparation is well under way however, we have run into some challenges as the Tanunda Football and Netball Clubs are running events that will impact our entry, parking and general operation. Vice President (VP) Patsy has been liaising with relevant stakeholders to ensure we can all work together without too much chaos.

Lease Negotiations with Barossa Council

VP Patsy and President David have been discussing our new lease with the Barossa Council. The council's original lease proposal didn't meet our needs and thus we are negotiating a deal that will more readily accommodate our sub-branch.

Signage at Tanunda Recreation Park

We have arranged a new sign to go on the fence near the entrance to the park and we expect it to be up and viewable shortly. Keep an eye out for it. Patsy and Jack have generously donated a significant amount towards the cost of the sign. Patsy and Jack are contributing a significant amount towards the cost of the sign.

ANZAC DAY Poetry Competition

Several entries have been received for the above competition and we expect more to flood in via email or mail. One of the judges for this competition is our in-house bush poet, Maurie O'Brien (we certainly do have a lot of talent in our group). 

You can read a previous post about Maurie and his published title ANZAC Poems and Other Sprigs of Wattle.

Good Better Best Men (GBBM)

This group asked to hire the Hut for 10 weeks on a Tuesday evening to run men's health programs. In the spirit of giving back to our community, we have agreed to allow them access and will not be charging a hire donation.

On 25 March an information session will be offered to men and women and if there is sufficient interest, a nine week course will follow. The course will be held Tuesday evenings and commence at 6 pm and run until around 10 pm.

Given that men are often reluctant to express our feelings, it's an opportunity to discuss personal issues in a safe and comfortable environment.

More information about this later.

Vintage Festival Scarecrow Trail

The ubiquitous Kym Milne with the assistance of Patsy who has been busy with a string of projects, has decided to create a camouflage covered scarecrow called "Poppy" who will adorn the front of our Hut entrance. This is a welcome activity that will bring a truck load of people to our front door and promote awareness of our sub-branch.

Steel Military Figurines

In the near future, when you visit the Hut (you do visit don't you?), you will see some tall, steel shaped military figurines surrounding our flagpost. 

The figurines are a generous donation from Liz and Tony Boyle.

Pernod Ricard Event at the Vintage Festival

I mentioned this previously, but now it's confirmed. Pernod Ricard will provide it's truck for the Dawn Service with banners along each side, and also participate in the Vintage Festival Parade. We're trying to find a uniformed ADF member to accompany the truck on the parade.

If you know of anyone who would be happy to help out, please let me know.

At the end of the meeting President David acknowledged the generosity and significant donations of Jack and Patsy and Elizabeth and Tony.

Veteran Owned Business - Phoenix

Subscribe to receive updates when we post - it's spam free! Just send the message "Subscribe". 

There are numerous veteran owned businesses and in this post I'd like to introduce Phoenix.

Phoenix Workwear, is more than just a business—it's a proud family-owned and operated venture with deep roots in the Australian Veteran community.

With over 18 years of combined service in the Australian Army, the founders Marty Cornish and his team bring a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to excellence.

As registered members of the Veteran Community Business Chamber, they are dedicated to serving and empowering Australians. 

Collaboration is at the heart of what we they do. They proudly collaborate with Australian Veteran organisations and the broader community to share their mission of empowerment and support 

From working alongside organisations like HomeFront Australia, Cronulla-Sutherland Veteran Association, Kogarah Sub-branch to providing quality workwear to leading Veteran organisations, they're committed to making a difference.

Being a family Veteran-owned business isn't just a title—it's a badge of honor. It signifies their dedication to upholding the values of service, sacrifice, and solidarity that define the Veteran experience.

These values drive them to deliver the highest quality products and services, always with a focus on excellence and integrity.

When you choose Phoenix Workwear, you're not just purchasing great products—you're investing in Australian Veteran businesses and championing mental well-being.

Together, they're forging a brighter future for our community and beyond. 

A New Veterans' and Families Hub for Elizabeth

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome, you don't need to be a member. ---- 

A new Veterans’ and Families’ Hub will be established within the Playford Health and Wellbeing Precinct in Elizabeth Vale, enhancing access to support services for more than 11,000 South Australian veterans and families. 

This Hub’s location will enable seamless integration with existing health services and facilitate comprehensive support for veterans, closer to home. 

The new Northern Adelaide Hub will also be conveniently near the Edinburgh Defence Precinct, a ‘super base’ with more than 3,500 Royal Australian Air Force and Australian Army personnel. 

Hubs provide a welcoming space where veterans and families can receive integrated, holistic, wrap-around support – this can include mental and physical health services, wellbeing support, advocacy, employment and housing advice, and social connection.

 All current and former serving ADF members, including reservists, and families can access support at any Veterans’ and Families’ Hub. 

In January 2024, the Australian Government awarded a $5 million grant for Lives Well Lived to lead the development of a new Hub in Northern Adelaide. Lives Well Lived is working closely with the veteran community, ex-service organisations and veteran service providers to design a Hub and service model that meets the needs of the local community. 

Eight Hubs are already operating across the country in Adelaide, Burnie, Caboolture, Darwin, Nowra, Perth, Townsville and Wodonga. The Northern Adelaide Hub is part of the Australian Government’s $46.7 million commitment to establish eight new Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country, to ensure even more veterans and families can access supports closer to home. 

Hubs are also being established in Tasmania, Queanbeyan and the Hawkesbury, Hunter and Tweed/North Coast regions (NSW), Ipswich (QLD), Surf Coast/Geelong (VIC), and Southwest Perth (WA). All new Hubs are expected to be operational by mid-2026, with services to veterans and families likely to start before then. 

Learn more at the Veterans’ and Families’ Hub page.

Saluting their Service Display at Tanunda

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome, you don't need to be a member. ---- Anyone who has been a member for a few years will recall the joint venture we ran with "The Emu Tree's" Christian Teusner. The venture was funded by the Department of Veteran's Affairs for two years during 2021-22 under its "Saluting their Service" program.

We successfully applied for successive year grants totalling almost $80,000 and this was for Christian to obtain oral histories from veterans and their families. It also included obtaining written stories and photographs and displaying same across South Australia.

Display at Ayres House, Adelaide
 during SALA Week 2021

Christian did an excellent job and ran numerous displays across the state including at Tanunda and Adelaide as can be seen in the photo at left.

Most importantly, Christian obtained dozens of oral stories from WWII veterans whose lives were approaching their end and some have passed away since. These oral records are invaluable.

A link to listen to them appears under Links in our right hand column.

Our sub-branch didn't continue with the program because of the administrative load but mainly to give some other sub-branches an opportunity.

Christian took up the opportunity with, from memory, RSL Waikerie Sub-Branch, and continued with the work which he is still doing several years later. By now the collection must be huge.

The good news is, Christian will be displaying his collection at the Tanunda Football Club, Tanunda Recreation Park during the forthcoming Barossa Vintage Festival.

Mark it in your diary and make sure you don't miss what is an interesting and informative display with photographs of many people from our regions.

You can read more by going to the bottom of this site and entering "Saluting their Service" in the Search dialogue box which will list all previous posts about it.