THE BULLETIN Journal of The Legacy Club of Melbourne Inc. No 3377 – December 2018 FEATURE STORY JOE MAXWELL Joseph Maxwell VC, MC and Bar, DCM was born in the Sydney suburb of Forest Lodge on the 10th of February 1896. At school he was a member of the Army Cadets and became an apprentice boiler maker at a Newcastle engineering works. Just before the outbreak of World War 1 he became a member of the Citizens Military Forces. He joined the Australian Imperial Forces in early 1915 because it paid better than boiler making. After training he was posted to B Company of the 18th Battalion with the rank of Lance Corporal. After further training in Egypt, Maxwell and his comrades were sent to Gallipoli in August 1915. At Gallipoli Maxwell saw a great deal of action before being evacuated in December of that year, suffering from jaundice. On recovery he was sent back to his unit and travelled to the Western Front in March 1916. He was soon wounded in battle and spent time in hospital before returning to the front in time to take part in the Battle of Pozieres. His actions at Pozieres saw him promoted to Sergeant. In August 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres Joe Maxwell assumed command of his unit after all the officers had been killed. His leadership was so effective that their objective was taken with minimal casualties. For this action he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and promoted to Sergeant Major. Following further action Joe Maxwell was commissioned in the field as a Second Lieutenant. In March 1918 he commanded a reconnaissance patrol and encountered a superior force of Germans. Immediately attacking this force his patrol forced the Germans to retreat. For his actions Joe Maxwell was awarded the Military Cross. He would earn a Bar to his Military Cross at the Battle of Amiens. The action for which Joe Maxwell won his Victoria Cross occurred in October 1918 during the breaching of the Hindenburg Line. He led the attack after all other unit officers were killed and single handedly charged and neutralized a German machine gun post armed only with his revolver. While Maxwell was a courageous soldier, he was hardly a model one. He was broken to the ranks for being absent without leave and was charged several times for drunk and disorderly conduct. Post war he disappeared into obscurity working as a gardener in Canberra. In 1932 he wrote the book, “Hell’s Bells and Mademoisells” detailing his wartime experiences. His only public appearance was in 1964 when he attended the opening of VC Corner at the Australian War Memorial. He did not agree with the idea of placing so many VC’s in one place: he felt that it diminished the award and was determined that his own medals should not go there. On 6 July 1967 Joe Maxwell died in the street in his home town of Matraville, New South Wales. In 2003 his medals were placed on loan to the Australian War Memorial; precisely where he didn’t want them to go. Contributed by Legatee Keith Gaff MELBOURNE LEGACY BULLETIN- ISSUE 3377 DECEMBER 2018 Page No 2 DIARY DATES DECEMBER COMMITTEE MEETINGS 11 December 2018 Families Committee 10.30 am 11 December 2018 Personnel Committee 10.30 am DECEMBER BRANCH MEETINGS Monday 3 Outer Eastern Blackburn RSL 7.30 pm Tuesday 4 Bayside Highett RSL 5.30 pm Tuesday 4 Prahran/Malvern Toorak RSL 5.30 pm Wednesday 5 Inner Eastern Camberwell RSL 5.30 pm Wednesday 5 Oakleigh/Waverley Clayton RSL 1.30 pm Tuesday 18 Western TBC 7.00 pm Thursday 13 Northern Watsonia RSL 7.30 pm No Meeting North West NOTES FOR YOUR DIARY LEGACY HOUSE CHRISTMAS CLOSURE Legacy House will close on Friday 21 December, 2018 at 12.00 noon and re open on Thursday 3 January 2019 Tuesday 12 March 2019 MELBOURNE LEGACY CLUB AGM Time: 10.00am – LEGACY CLUB MELBOURNE Venue: Legacy House, 293 Swanston Street, Melbourne Sunday 17 March 2019 PRESIDENTS LUNCHEON Date: Sunday 17 March 2019 Time: 12.00 noon for 12.30pm start Venue: Olympic Room, MCG, Melbourne Cost: $45 per person (includes pre-luncheon drinks, three course meal and wine) RSVP: By 28 February 2019 For more details phone Abigail Gilroy-Smith on 8626 0500. MELBOURNE LEGACY BULLETIN- ISSUE 3377 DECEMBER 2018 Page No 3 -+FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK Legatee Hugh Roberton You may recall that several amendments to the By-Laws and Constitution of Legacy Australia Inc. were discussed at our recent Club Conference. At the LA Inc. AGM at the end of October, the amendments were all passed except the Sydney motion which had proposed that we should change “may give benefits” to “obliged to give benefits” to the children on the death of the veteran’s partner. The motion to increase the annual subscription passed 77% for to 23% against. This means that Melbourne Legacy’s contribution has increased from $18000 to $50000 for the coming year. At the Capital City Presidents’ meeting in Sydney there was no appetite for a critical review of what Legacy Australia Inc. is providing and what the clubs might need. The Legacy response to the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse and the implications of the Redress Scheme were discussed at length. Several legal opinions have been obtained and they all differ. It should be noted that a complainant has the option of not going through the Redress scheme and can still go direct to court. At this stage Melbourne Legacy has not opted in as further advice is being sought. On Tuesday 27th November, the process for the nomination and election of the Board of Management was discussed following questions raised at the recent AGM. The size and composition of the board was also considered as well as the question as to whether the president should also be the chair of the Board. The level 3 work area was last renovated in 2006. The last twelve years have seen a lot of wear and tear; the area is now tired and is not as safe as it should be. The Board of Directors has encouraged the refurbishment of Level 3 area. It will provide a better work environment for employees and better facilities for their interaction with Legatees as we seek to assist our beneficiaries. It will also allow post- 1991 families the opportunity to drop in and get assistance when they need it most. I am confident that once the work is complete, it will be a space of which we can all be proud. As this is being written we are looking forward to the Annual Christmas Concert in the Town Hall on Monday 3rd December. This year, thanks to the generosity of Acclaim Awards we will be treated to a performance by Hannah Kostros (Mezzo Soprano) and Jordan Aird (Soprano). The Cover Girls and the Pop Choir will round out a full and enjoyable programme. I would like to close by wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hugh Roberton MELBOURNE LEGACY BULLETIN- ISSUE 3377 DECEMBER 2018 Page No 4 CLUB SECRETARY NEWS Some three or four years ago, I sat with the then President of Melbourne Legacy, Legatee Ian Harrison, in a meeting at Legacy House attended by the Presidents of most of the Victorian Legacy Clubs. Amongst other topics, the meeting explored in general terms what the future of Legacy would look like in the state. My recollection of that meeting is that while change was accepted as inevitable, it was not on the immediate horizon. One aspect that did seem to be universally accepted, however, was that as some of the country Clubs begin to shrink to the point that they are no longer viable, they will be absorbed by the larger club whence they originally arose. I have a sense that, that time horizon has shrunk much faster than perhaps anyone appreciated even those few short years ago. From a Melbourne Legacy perspective, the situation with many of our country Groups mirrors that of perhaps several of the country clubs. Rapidly shrinking and aging beneficiary and Legatee numbers have already had a marked impact on many of our Groups. Whilst the workload throughout Legacy has changed and diminished significantly, the governance requirements have not. Difficulty in finding office bearers with the skills and inclination to take on these roles in what is becoming something of a regulatory minefield, only exacerbates the situation. Most of us, I suspect, became Legatees to help the families of veterans, not to get involved in the management of Legacy. And yet increasingly it is the latter which appears to occupy much of our time. Many Legatees, too, lament the increasing role and importance of the paid staff in our organisation. The fact is, however, that Melbourne Legacy now has a professional, qualified workforce which will be essential in assisting Legatees to carry out our role now and into the foreseeable future. I believe it is also this capability which will provide a lifeline for many of our Groups which are already struggling or will be soon. Melbourne Legacy undoubtedly has the skills and wherewithal to negotiate the legislative minefield we find ourselves in. From a Group perspective, one possible solution is that they might wish to consider becoming Branches of Melbourne Legacy rather than retaining their status as Groups. In this way their major focus can return to their beneficiaries with Melbourne Legacy assuming their governance and major administrative responsibilities. Of course, implementation of such a change will never be quite as simple as this, but it is certainly attainable, and many might already see it as highly desirable.