Story published in The Star Mail 28/11/2021

By Norman Smith, Former President Of The Gembrook RSL Club

I am not sure what year the Gembrook RSL was formed after World War I, as they didn’t have any rooms to have their meetings.

So in 1920 some of the First World War veterans got together with the Gembrook community to build a memorial hall with a committee room attached.

They were donated a steep block of land by the publican which is the block of land with the house on it on the top side of Banks Smith Drive.

All of the hard wood timber was donated by two of the local saw mill owners.

When it was completed in 1921, the meeting room and library were underneath the hall.

Above the stage they hung the honour board and flag.

They also had two captured German machine guns from the First World War which were confiscated during the Second World War.

The Memorial Hall was officially opened on 16 December 1921 (confirming with Graeme, a historian from the Emerald RSL).

Gembrook, Cockatoo and Emerald RSL’s had combined meetings – not sure whether it was the 1920s or 1930s – plus their own monthly meetings.

The original Avenue of Honour was supposed to be in the Main Street where the First World War veterans experimented with three different types of trees: blackwoods, flowering gums and oak trees.

They also planted one pine tree to represent the lone pine at Gallipoli, but with the depression and the Second World War, it was put on hold.

But after the Second World War when the Gembrook R.S.L. was reformed in February 1946, they decided on a new spot for the Avenue of Honour, which was Redwood Road (that got its name from the two redwoods planted in the park).

The oak trees were planted in the Avenue of Honour in July 1947 plus a chestnut tree, which must have some significance to Anzac Day.

This photo of the hall in the snow was taken seven months after the hall was opened.

I have also been president of the hall committee.

The hall (which no longer exists) would have been 100 years old on 16 December 2021.

The service road that runs into Remembrance Park, parallel to Redwood Road – it would be interesting to know the feelings of the Gembrook residents that live on the service road and the rest of the Gembrook community if it was named Remembrance Park Drive or Avenue one day?

The Gembrook RSL used the memorial hall until they had more members and raised enough funds to buy a block of land and build their own RSL club rooms sometime in the mid 50’s.

The Gembrook RSL club rooms are at 49 Main Street, Gembrook where the President Neville Bryant and the current committee will make sure everyone is welcome.

Open every Friday from 4.00pm till late

Gembrook RSL - Here for you