Queensland Pays Tribute Stepping Thousands Turn out to Honour Our Anzacs out & Stepping up Queensland’S First Female’S Trojan’S Trek
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QUEENSLAND EDITION 03, 2017 BRIGHTER FUTURES RSL THROUGH EDUCATION A NEW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS HELPING DESERVING DEPENDENTS OF AUSTRALIAN NEWS VETERANS PAGE8 LIFTOUT A GUIDE TO POST- TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER & YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH TRUE ANZAC GRIT REMEMBERING DAY 2017 KOKODA 75 YEARS ON QUEENSLAND PAYS TRIBUTE STEPPING THOUSANDS TURN OUT TO HONOUR OUR ANZACS OUT & STEPPING UP QUEENSLAND’S FIRST FEMALE’S TROJAN’S TREK THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RETURNED & SERVICES LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA (QUEENSLAND BRANCH) RSL Queensland State Congress and AGM 2017 Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th June REGISTER NOW to watch the RSL Queensland AGM live on your computer or your phone www.rslqld.org QRSL03-17 - RSL (Queensland Branch) OBC [ver02].indd 1 9/06/2017 2:42:29 PM inside Edition 03 2017 RSL NEWS STAFF & ASSOCIATES 16 Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) ABN 79 902 601 713 State President Stewart Cameron CSC State Deputy President John Strachan OAM State Vice-President Ewan Cameron Administration PO Box 629, Spring Hill, Qld, 4004 T: 07 3634 9444 F: 07 3634 9400 E: [email protected] W: www.rslqld.org Advertising Peter Scruby 10 E: [email protected] 48 Editor RSL (Queensland Branch) E: [email protected] Content Coordinator Meagan Martin | iMedia Corp Features Regular Graphic & Editorial Design Rhys Martin | iMedia Corp Printing & Distribution Fergies Print & Mail W: www.fergies.com.au 16 ANZAC Day 2017 08 News Bulletin Thousands of people gathered at RSL (Queensland Branch) dawn services and parades across 14 Editor’s Mailbox current membership: 34,815 Queensland to pay tribute to those Qld RSL News average who have served and died in war distribution: 33,000 80 This Month in History 30 True Grit Submissions: Editorial and photographic July 22 marks the 75th anniversary contributions are welcome. Please contact 82 RSL Mateship the editor for guidelines. Preference will be of the beginning of the battle of the given to electronic submissions and those Kokoda Trail in New Guinea articles adhering to word limits. Originals 84 RSL Community of all material should be retained by contributors and only copies sent to 40 Stepping Out & Stepping Up Qld RSL News. Queensland’s first female’s Trojan’s Trek 87 Mates4Mates provided a second chance at life Disclaimer: Advertisers and contributors to Qld RSL News acknowledge that 104 Last Post they are aware of the provisions of the 51 Special eight-page lift-out Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 and the A guide to post-traumatic stress Competition and Consumer Act 2000 in disorder and your physical health relation to false and misleading advertising or statements under other unfair practices and the penalties for breach of provisions 60 War Games & Sailors’ Graves of these Acts. The publisher accepts no responsibility for such breaches. Opinions George McCredie and the sinking of Front Cover expressed by contributors are their own and HMAS Perth COVER IMAGE: not necessarily endorsed by Queensland RSL News or the publishers. All material in Queensland RSL News is copyright and 66 Support from the Top Royal Australian may not be reproduced in whole or in part Brigadier Field praises Human Navy personnel without the express permission of the honoured their fellow publishers. All articles are general in nature. Performance Framework servicemen and Individuals should seek expert advice women at the ANZAC before acting on any information. Day parade in Cairns on April 25. ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO FORMAT AT RSLQLD.ORG LOOKING FORWARD TO THE STATE CONGRESS My fellow League Members, This is a great opportunity to As I write my column we are *** work more closely with our nearly two weeks out from the kindred organisations to ensure 2017 State Congress, which “We have called for the we are all aligned with delivering incorporates our Annual General the best possible service to the Meeting. This year, we will play establishment of a Minister veteran community. This is a live video as well as record for Veterans’ Affairs to unique to Queensland and is and publish portions of the another demonstration of how event online to enable provide for a stronger voice we are actively engaging to members who cannot attend to support veterans. follow proceedings. in State Government.” Recently, we saw the Boer War During the event, Deloitte will Memorial on ANZAC Parade also brief us on the future risks unveiled in Canberra. Hundreds facing RSL (Queensland Branch). *** of people commemorated what This body of work will be used to engaging the Australian Senate RSL (Queensland Branch) Governor-General Sir Peter guide the workshops on day two, on legislation affecting invalidity and Mates4Mates to remove Cosgrove described as “Australia’s where we will debate and discuss payments that impact those going any confusion over roles and forgotten war”. Among the crowd the future of the League and the through relationship breakdowns. eliminate any duplication of was the committee that brought governance of the League During our upcoming State services to ensure we are focused the memorial to life, including in Queensland. Congress, we will also report on on the needs of veterans and Ron McElwaine OAM, RFD and To ensure impartiality and RSL (Queensland Branch)’s work their families. his wife Pam, and Kevin Alcock, prevent District Presidents/ on veteran homelessness. As you More broadly, we must ensure descended from a Boer War Directors from influencing can appreciate, we are working to our resources are used on the veteran, and his wife Di, outcomes, I have directed that be at the forefront of community genuine needs of the veteran from Queensland. senior management staff of the efforts to assist veterans who find community. Sadly, we have In closing, I wish to thank Deloitte team will facilitate themselves without a home. become aware of instances where you all for the work you do these two workshops. This is Similarly, our funding of veteran welfare expenditure in support of the veteran important, as District Presidents/ research into post-traumatic has been used for the benefit of community in Australia. I look Directors must be at arm’s length stress disorder and transition has several Sub Branches, as opposed forward to meeting many of you from the process as they will been very important, and this to the genuine needs of veterans at the State Congress later be responsible for directing the work is now being acknowledged and their families. Thankfully, this month. senior management team to internationally. Dr Madeline such expenditure is not implement what members want Romaniuk from the Gallipoli widespread and we are confident once we reach consensus. Medical Research Foundation necessary action is being taken Turning to other issues, we will provide a briefing on these to ensure such practices have been busy developing important initiatives at the are stopped. several policy positions to Canadian Institute for Military We continue to develop our further the interests of veterans and Veteran Health Research relationship with Queensland- in Queensland. We have called forum in Canada later this year. based ex-service organisations for the establishment of a There will also be some (ESOs) and we were recently Minister for Veterans’ Affairs to changes occurring soon with asked to consider taking over Stewart Cameron CSC provide for a stronger voice in Mates4Mates. We will align the responsibility for conducting State President State Government. We are also the strategic direction of meetings of ESOs in our state. RSL (Queensland Branch) MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT LET’S REFLECT ON OUR GREAT WORK Since our foundation more than physical illnesses. These findings a century ago, it has always been will be used to train doctors important for the League to move *** to identify and better treat the with the times. health problems of veterans. You Sometimes we’ve moved “We must challenge ourselves can read more about this in the quickly, while at other times to exceed the expectations of special feature on page 51 of this we have failed to meet the edition of Queensland RSL News. expectations of society and both the service community We have also expanded our younger veterans. There’s no partnership with Queensland’s doubting, however, the impressive and the public in terms of being Sporting Wheelies and Disabled pace at which RSL (Queensland a transparent and veteran- Association, which supports Branch) is currently adapting its ex-Australian Defence Force operations as we begin our second focused organisation.” (ADF) members with physical century of service to veterans. or mental injuries in accessing As we head towards our State rehabilitation and sport programs. Congress and Annual General This specialist support Meeting, I feel it appropriate to *** complements the ground- reflect on the hard work of our technological makeover brings services officers have twice breaking programs run staff and volunteers as they strive our financial systems into the toured outback Queensland to for younger veterans by to keep our organisation relevant, modern age, enabling us to assess veterans’ needs on the Mates4Mates – an initiative of vital and accessible to veterans track, measure and report our ground and we have increased the RSL (Queensland Branch) – and and their families throughout performance more transparently number of paid veteran services the growing support we give to Queensland. than ever before. officers in regional Queensland. Queensland competitors in the This transformation also sets Services in Far North Invictus Games. HIGH-TECH the foundation for improved Queensland have also been As our understanding of REVOLUTION access to services for remote bolstered by the re-opening of the health needs of veterans Nothing better illustrates this and incapacitated veterans, the expanded Warhaven housing increases, we are also acting new era than our organisation’s together with the increasing complex in Cairns and we are to minimise health risks faced ongoing digital transformation.