25/06/2025
Veterans and Affiliates in and around Ellenbrook,
Please read this information the Ellenbrook Sub-Branch up to this current time June 2025.
• The Ellenbrook Sub-Branch received their Charter Seventeenth of Jan 2001. From this date the Sub-Branch has not had a premises where a Photograph of the ADF Commander in Chief, now King Charles, can be mounted, any memorabilia to possibly provide a local museum, for our members and the community to provide historical items to help all commemorate the effort the ADF has and still does provide to this country Australia, our home, wealthy and free. The endeavour our leaders, the Government, are willing to commit our ADF Members, who are always willing, to assist our nation and support other nations when required. Our Veterans who reside in or around our location have earned the right to have a premises where they are able to meet people of similar experience to assist in their recovery from any PTSD matters that have occurred. This venue when made available should be able to provide a local point of contact for all, particularly Defence Veterans to help find answers to any matters of concern that may occur. We will have no concern to assist any Veteran or their Family and friends, even a member of the general community or groups we can support, who may bring to our attention a matter of concern that requires to be assessed and managed to the most successful outcome that can be achieved. This may be a matter of providing any person who contacts us the contact details of a specialist or group who may assist.
• This community has grown considerably since 2001 so much that our original venue for our ANZAC Dawn Service, the Woodlake Memorial Amphitheatre was not suitable to house those who attended the service anymore. Our last Dawn Service at this location was the 2015 Centenary Commemoration Service. Although we had developed a Memorial at this site, after assessing the size of the audience who attended and finding out that many were not able to attend, not sufficient space, we felt a new location for future Dawn Services was required. We were quickly advised of the area at the Ellenbrook District Open Space (EDOS) the Amphitheatre Northwest corner of the large community sports oval area.
• When we moved the Dawn Service location to the EDOS we did not have a memorial to mark the location being a sacred event. However, a devout group of women in our community had made a large Banner covered with hundreds of Poppies. This was draped over a large metal tube frame that had been manufactured by a Sub-Branch member to emulate a type of memorial. We enlisted a new member who had ties with the local Ellenbrook Men’s Shed. This skilled group were able to design and manufacture a portable timber Cenotaph with a flame of remembrance from Marine Ply.
• This monument we find it is still in a satisfactory condition. However, the ware and tare of establishing on location after being brought from storage has caused some deterioration of the material it is constructed from. However, the State Government after much lobbying from Sub-Branch members has come forward with funds to support the installing of a new Monument in the Amphitheatre at the EDOS we plan to have constructed and installed before ANZAC Day 2026.
• Being provided the approval and allocation of an area of space by the City of Swan for the installation, including area modification, of the proposed memorial is just one step in the direction of continuing to provide, what we have been told is the third largest Dawn Service in the Perth Metro Area. Once the Memorial is put in place, stage one, the monument, flag poles, lighting and path, our proposal is to continue to add elements to the area to improve the message the monument and area represent. One of the unfortunate issues that will remain is where do we store all equipment, flag poles removable, flame of remembrance, marquees for the orchestra/choir the gunfire breakfast and other items we can only store at either our Sea Container that is 10 km from the location or our storage area where we conduct our Sub-Branch meetings, 5 km from EDOS. The facility where we conduct our monthly meetings and some storage of our equipment is a City of Swan, Charlottes Vineyard Community Centre. The shire has a shared use policy for all community centres which requires other users or user groups to have access of the facility outside our agreed lease times. This has created some problems with our use of the venue in our allocated lease times where the facility has been booked over our lease.
• Our Sub-Branch feels, for us to conduct our business to provide support to the veteran community we require a facility that we can have 24/7 access to assist any veteran or families in crisis for support through appointed specialists and the support of the RSL WA services and the appointed Welfare officer. We would like to have social gatherings of the members and the community to come and enjoy a night out, have a meal, to hold social events and feel welcomed. Every ANZAC Day Dawn Service we hold a gunfire breakfast to show our appreciation to our fallen and serving veterans but to offer our respect and appreciation to the community of Ellenbrook and surrounding areas for their continued support. Having our own facility provides us a better opportunity to commemorate other specific events in our history that have occurred that are entitled the honour and respect that we can provide for each specific event. We would like to open our clubroom on ANZAC Day after the Dawn Service is complete for the community to come and look at our memorabilia collected over the years and get an insight into the history of our fallen and the service they provided, the veterans that lived in this area and some who are still in this area, to keep the spirit of our ANZAC’s alive.
• The previous information is to show the intention, of our Sub-Branch, as to what our endeavour is to provide this community and surrounds when required. For our initial plans to have any success a facility to house our group RSL WA Ellenbrook Sub-Branch is required. The Ellenbrook President has spoken with the City of Swan Mayor Ms Tania Richardson on this matter when discussing the construction of the Ellenbrook Community Defence Memorial Monument at the EDOS Amphitheatre. The matter was spoken about a building be constructed to the North of where the Monument is being constructed, behind, this would allow the storage of any equipment we require to conduct our annual Dawn Service nearby to reduce the establishment time for the preparation of the Dawn Service from ten to twelve hours down to around three or four hours. This would also permit secure storage for any items required also the recovery time after the Dawn Service would be reduced from up to fourteen hours down to a more manageable time to permit members to attend other commemoration services though out the day.
• We are aware of the City of Swan policy of shared use of any facility that is approved for construction. We are aware of the 500 ACU Ellenbrook Unit are at this time Posted to the Averley Secondary College and the space they are permitted to store, and use is being reduced as the needs of the College increase. We have also been made aware of a plight with the Ellenbrook Scouts have no official location to conduct training and store the equipment they have locally to provide their needs. Taking into consideration the needs of our Sub-Branch the requirement for the 500 Cadet Unit and the Scouts. We believe these groups could be suitably housed within the same facility.
• Our Sub-Branch has commenced what we have determined as a building fund it does not contain a large fund currently. However, it is a start we require to seek support for finance, equipment, goods for construction and a team to construct the facility. We have the thought of what we require now is the time to seek finance, request support and get the job done. In our initial stages we require approval for the facility to be constructed at our location of choice from the City of Swan. In our original discussion for the construction to take place it may take as long as five years as City of Swan is required to seek approval form nearby residence that a building is constructed at the selected location and other planning matters that require approval for construction to begin.
• The battle begins; we are positive that our actions will end in victory for our Veterans to have a place to assist the community to support them. This will also provide a better opportunity for RSL WA Ellenbrook Sub-Branch to have a better identity in the community and assist other organisations, Cadets and Scouts establish a place they can also call home.
Thank you for your attention.
Veterans and Affiliates for this facility to house the important necessary support for the Veteran community, enlisted or discharged, the members need to be counted to indicate if the services that can be offered to Veterans, Affiliates and families are required.
Our proposal is for Ellenbrook Sub-Branch to provide support when needed for Veterans, Affiliates and Families a venue is required where matters, usually of a personal nature can be discussed between a Veteran in need and the relevant person to assist in private one on one situation what ever the time of day.
The availability of competent qualified people to assist resolving any troubles for them to find a solution to the traumer they feel. People with qualification to assist with tasks of reconciliation to help bring piece and wellness to them, their family, and all other people in their life.
Skilled person's such as:
Councillors, Psychologist/Psychiatrist, Membership Officer, Museum Curator, a point of contact when a traumer is needing attention with a place this can be done also a place that Veterans are able to meet great and chat with ADF Members to keep intouch with the broader family over a cuppa/drink and a decent feed.
Please any Veteran, Affiliate along with their family outside ADF both serving or discharged send a reply to this email: [email protected]. This is so that we can evaluate the need for a facility to support, not only the Ellenbrook Sub-Branch to conduct the areas annual Dawn Service but provide much needed support for ADF Veterans Serving or Discharged, Affiliatea and family.
Without the request to RSL WA or the local Sub-Branch any required support would be difficult to find. If Ellenbrook Sub-Branch had a facility to provide any needed support, at any time, this is able to be provided ASAP at a venue that allows any matter to be discussed and assessed in a private and secure environment.
