Description

For over one hundred years Lilydale has had an RSL sub-branch.

Today it is the oldest non-sporting or non-church related club in the township and the fact it is still around, after a roller coaster existence of ups and downs, is a credit to the hundreds of members who believed in its values and principles of service.

Started in 1919 by men who returned battered from the First World War as a non-political group that would fight for their rights and benefits, it continued decade after decade, helping many of their comrades along the way and eventually adopting their fellow ex-service members who served in the defence forces during the Second World War and in the years that followed.

Today the club continues to serve, assisting former service members and their dependants, educating on and protecting our Anzac heritage and providing a social atmosphere, so important to the well-being of many in the community. Their annual Dawn Service has grown to become the largest single event in Lilydale’s calender.

For a century Lilydale has been well served by its RSL sub-branch and long may the club continue to do so.

With a foreword by James Unkles