Tag: RSL

Manly-Lota RSL Leads Nation With New Service for Modern Veterans

Photo Credit: RSL Queensland

The Manly-Lota RSL is making history this month by launching the nation’s first dedicated service specifically designed to honour the unique contributions of modern Australian veterans.

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A New Chapter for Local Service

Manly-Lota RSL
Photo Credit: Google Maps

For generations, the Returned and Services League has been synonymous with the major dates that define Australia’s military past. While these moments remain vital to the national identity, members at the Manly branch recognised a growing need to better acknowledge those whose service took place outside of those traditional historical windows. 

This new initiative aims to bridge that gap by highlighting the varied roles performed by members of the Australian Defence Force since the end of the Vietnam War. This includes the dedication shown by those involved in complex peacekeeping missions, various homeland defence tasks, and rigorous overseas deployments.

Honouring Modern Contributions

Manly-Lota RSL
Photo Credit: RSL Queensland

The idea for this event grew from discussions among local RSL members who are still actively serving in the Royal Australian Navy. Bruce Christensen and Fiona Ewington, who helped drive the creation of this service, expressed a strong desire to ensure that every generation of service is valued equally. 

Mr. Christensen noted that many who served in recent decades have operated in demanding circumstances that sometimes feel overlooked by the wider public. By formalising this recognition, the branch hopes to reinforce the message that the RSL provides support and community for all veterans, regardless of when or where they wore the uniform.

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Joining the Community

This event is intended to be a welcoming environment for all eligible service members, and there is no requirement to be an existing RSL member to attend. Organisers have specifically encouraged veterans to reach out to their former colleagues and bring a mate along, viewing it as a valuable opportunity to reconnect with those they served alongside. The inaugural service is scheduled to take place at the Manly War Memorial in Richard Russell Park. 

Following the formal remembrance, a luncheon will be held at the nearby Manly-Lota RSL Hall on Melville Terrace to allow for further conversation and fellowship. Interested participants are encouraged to contact the Manly-Lota RSL for any additional details regarding the day.

The commemorative service will be held on Sunday, 19 July, beginning at 1:00 PM.

Published Date 14-July-2026

War Stories Unearthed in Shoebox Inspire Brisbane Author

At Manly RSL this May, a Brisbane writer will share the hidden story of his grandfather’s role in a forgotten WWI scene — one that hung on his wall all his life.

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Manly Book Launch to Share Lost Family War Stories Unearthed in a Shoebox

A family war story buried for decades is set to be shared at the Manly-Lota RSL, where Brisbane writer Paul Dobbyn will launch a book that traces his grandfather’s forgotten role in one of World War I’s most haunting moments.

Photo Credit: Supplied

The event will take place on Friday, 9 May, at the Manly-Lota RSL Sub Branch Hall. The date is meaningful to Dobbyn’s family. It marks the anniversary of both his grandfather’s survival at the Battle of Aubers Ridge in 1915 and his uncle’s death during a 1944 Royal Air Force mission in France.

A Personal Discovery Leads to Public Sharing

Wynnum journalist and poet Paul Dobbyn found the heart of War Spoils in a leather-bound journal left by his grandfather, Captain Henry Dobbyn, a World War I veteran of the Indian Royal Munster Fusiliers. Discovered after his father’s death in 1991, the journal detailed frontline injuries, including wounds at the Somme, and the hardship of raising five children alone in Toowoomba.

Photo Credit: www.dobbynpoetry.com

A childhood memory of a painting gained new meaning when Dobbyn realised his grandfather was among the soldiers shown receiving a battlefield blessing in The Last General Absolution of the Munsters at Rue du Bois. Though the image hung in family homes, the connection had never been spoken of. It is a quiet discovery that became the book’s emotional centre.

Wartime Sacrifices Across Generations

The book follows Henry Dobbyn’s sons, Denis, who served in Papua New Guinea, and Robert, a Pathfinder pilot killed in 1944, with their stories rebuilt from family records and a blog that retraced Robert’s final flight.

War Spoils blends family history with poetry, drawing on Dobbyn’s public readings from the 1990s, enriched by archival images and wartime music.

Local Reflections for Anzac Day

With a foreword by RSL President Major General Greg Melick and praise from historian Dr Greg Poulgrain, the book is recognised as a moving tribute across three generations.

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For Dobbyn, sharing these stories in Manly and Wynnum is about honouring those who served and highlighting the personal side of Australia’s wartime history.

Published 16-April-2025