The history of the Albion Park RSL Sub Branch begins during WWII. Eleven men gathered at the Albion Park Literary Institute Building on Thursday, May 25th 1944. Of these eleven men, some were WWI veterans, some had recently discharged from WWII and some were local veterans who were on leave in Albion Park at the time. These eleven founding members met on that day and founded the Albion Park RSL Sub Branch, appointing Mr Jack Hawke as their founder and Secretary, a position that he held for many years to come.
The ANZAC spirit was strong within these founding members and they quickly found support in the local community for the newly established Sub Branch and began saving and fund raising to build their own club house.
With such support from the community the Sub Branch were able to purchase land and build a Club House that was located within the current car park of the Albion Park RSL Memorial Club. The Albion Park RSL was officially opened on Saturday, 21st March 1953 in a grand ceremony that was attended by the Governor General of NSW, Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Northcott and many other local and State dignitaries including the Mayor of Shellharbour Municipality.
The club has always been run as a separate entity, but in close cooperation with the Sub Branch, and underwent many extensions and upgrades over the following years. On April 19, 1970 a fire which began in the kitchens ripped through the club causing extensive damages. Repairs with alterations and improvements were completed by October and theclub continued trading.
The Albion Park RSL Club was formed into the Albion Park RSL Memorial Club Ltd on Sunday, 24th October 1971 and continued trading and being extended and improved until 1998 when the club and lands were sold by the Sub Branch to the Memorial Club. Once this sale was complete the Memorial Club began making plans to either make significant alterations or to build a new licenced premises to improve and modernise the establishment. After much discussion a new club was designed, approved and built.
The new premises was completed and officially opened on the 29th of May 2000. It was, at the time of opening, heralded as the most modern club on the South Coast. The old Club was demolished in July 2000 and converted into what is now the club’s car park.
The Sub Branch made the decision to leave the premises of the Memorial Club, in an attempt to establish its own identity with the plans to temporarily occupy Albion Park Town Hall before establishing a new club house. These plans were put on hold and the Sub Branch moved again to a more spacious office located in Oak Flats.
It was felt by the members of the Sub Branch that the financial burden of establishing a new club house was too much to bear and the Sub Branch approached the Albion Park RSL Memorial Club to re-establish our relationship with them and to enquire about moving back to our traditional home. The Memorial Club were very gracious in accepting us back onto their premises and providing an air conditioned office next to the gaming area. This office is big enough for small meetings and for the Committee to effectively run the Sub Branch. The club also helps us to facilitate our meetings and Commemorative Functions.
The future of the Sub Branch relies on its present members, and on new members joining our ranks, either while still serving or after they have separated from the Australian Defence Force. The welfare of our older members is paramount, and while the occasional funeral is attended when one of our members passes, their memory lives on within the Sub Branch and on our memorial wall. We also remember all Veterans who have died or been injured in service to Australia and their families, no matter the conflict or circumstance and we will always be the bearers of their memory and the traditions of our nation’s Military.
