Gatton RSL Sub-Branch

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

Today, we had the privilege of transporting 105-year-old WWII veteran Marie Kirkby and her family to Queensland Parliament House for the Queensland Day Awards Ceremony.

Marie was nominated for a Queensland Day Local Legend Award in recognition of her lifelong commitment to helping others. Over many years in Lismore, Marie tirelessly raised funds to support Legatees and veterans' causes. She lovingly handcrafted handbags, which she donated for raffles and fundraising activities, ensuring that every dollar raised remained in the local community to support Legatees and contribute to veteran cancer research.

Her dedication to service extended well beyond the veteran community. In her spare time, Marie knitted jumpers for penguins recovering from oil spills and environmental disasters, often producing between five and ten jumpers each week to assist wildlife rescue efforts.

More recently, Marie captured the hearts of the Gatton community when she proudly led this year's ANZAC Day parade as Queensland's oldest surviving WWII nurse.

Marie’s life is a remarkable example of service, compassion, and community spirit. We are incredibly proud to see her recognised as a true Local Legend and thank her for the lasting difference she has made to so many lives.

Marie, along with four other outstanding Queenslanders, received the honour of being named a Queensland Day Local Legend.

She was immensely proud to receive the award. Following the presentation, Premier David Crisafulli MP had a special gift waiting for her. Knowing of Marie's long history of knitting jumpers for penguins, he presented her with a ball of maroon wool and a set of knitting needles, joking that he wanted to make sure the penguins were wearing the right colours. The gesture brought plenty of smiles and laughter.

Throughout the day, Marie was inundated with well-wishers who wanted to meet her, hear her story, and congratulate her on her remarkable achievements. She also participated in several media and Parliament House interviews before we made the journey home.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable day, and the Gatton RSL Sub Branch was honoured to nominate and support Marie in receiving this well-deserved recognition. Congratulations, Marie—your service, generosity, and commitment to others continue to inspire us all.

04/06/2026

✨ DON'T FORGET!✨

🧵Saturday Class is 13 June, 2026🧵

We still have some seats available and we’d love to have you join us!

Whether you’re a total beginner or already have some skills, you’ll learn hands-on techniques to create a leather valet tray while having a great time in a relaxed, friendly environment.

Details:
Leather Valet Tray Making Class
Saturday 13 June, 2026 at 9.30am
Tickets available here 👉https://events.humanitix.com/leather-valet-tray-class/tickets

🪡 All tools & materials provided
🪡 Take home something you made yourself

Get your ticket now, don’t miss out!👍

For safety purposes, all participants must wear closed in shoes. Thank you 🙂

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

Bootstraps is for everyone, not just men or veterans.
Please have a read.

💙 A Message from Bootstraps 💙

It was recently brought to our attention that some people believe Bootstraps is only for men, similar to a Men's Shed. We also know that some people think our services are exclusively for veterans.

We'd like to clear that up.

Bootstraps is for everyone 🤗

We are proud to support veterans and they are our first priority, but our centre is open to anyone who may benefit from a welcoming, creative environment to help manage mental health challenges, PTSD, stress, anxiety, isolation, or simply life's daily pressures.

Through creative therapy in leathercraft, learning new skills, making meaningful connections, and working on projects together, we aim to provide a positive outlet for people from all walks of life.

If you've ever thought that Bootstraps wasn't for you, we hope this message reaches you.

Our goal has always been simple: to help as many people as we can find purpose, connection, and healing through creativity and community.

💙 Mental health matters.
💙 Seeking support is a sign of strength.
💙 And most importantly, you matter.

If you'd like to learn more about what we do, we'd love to welcome you through our doors and show you what Bootstraps is all about.

30/05/2026

✨Meat Tray Raffles Tonight - Saturday 30 May, 2026! ✨

Come and join us tonight at Porters Hotel Plainland, we're kicking off Saturday night with some chances to win big!

We will be doing meat tray raffles starting at 6:30 PM. So come in and support Bootstraps and the Veteran community - unwind, enjoy good company and food, and maybe even take home a delicious prize. We will have 2 x meat trays plus 2 x $100 Porters Hotel Gift Cards to raffle.

Bring your friends, family, and anyone looking for a great Saturday night out.

Your support means the world to us, and we can't wait to see you there!

📍 Location: Porters Hotel Plainland
🕡 Time: Starting 6:30 PM Saturday 30 May, 2026

See you there 🎉

27/05/2026

✨ We’re incredibly proud to share that the Queensland Transport Museum has once again been recognised through the Best of Queensland Experiences Program 👏🚂

This recognition reflects the wonderful support from our visitors, volunteers and community who continue to help make the museum such a special place to experience and explore.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has visited, left a review, shared their experience or supported the museum along the way. 💛