Army Cadet Receives Gold Commendation

Have you visited us yet? Fridays from 5 pm at Tanunda Recreational Park. Visitors are welcome. You don't have to be a veteran, an ADF member or associated with the ADF. 

It's always encouraging to see our younger generation and stories like this are always welcome.

In recognition of a most extraordinary feat of individual bravery, 13-year-old Australian Army Cadet Austin Appelbee, has been recognised with an Australian Army Cadets Gold Commendation

for his actions in saving his mother and siblings, who were washed out to sea on a kayak on the 30 January 2025. Austin, who parades with 50 Army Cadet Unit (Midlands), swam alone for more than 4 kilometres through rough open waters and ran a further 2 kilometres to call for help.

From everyone at the Australian Army Cadets and no doubt the Australian and international community, we salute you Austin for your courage and determination – you are a genuine hero!

From a post on the Australian Army Cadet’s Facebook page.

ANZAC Day Poetry Competition

Will you be the winner of our 2026 ANZAC Day Poetry Competition and win a surprise gift? 

Last year we held our inaugural ANZAC Day Poetry Competition and it was a great success. We had conjoint winners whose names were placed on our perpetual plaque and who presented their poems on ANZAC Day and at the RSL Tanunda Hut.

This year we are offering a surprise gift that anyone would appreciate. You could be the lucky winner and have your name forever displayed on our perpetual plaque.

You can download the following necessary forms here:

• The Terms and Conditions of the competition
• An Entry Form

We hope to receive your entry by the closing date and wish all competitors the very best of luck.

Our New Drinks Refrigerator

Have you visited us yet? Fridays from 5 pm at Tanunda Recreational Park. Visitors are welcome. 

We had a refrigerator in our bar that was so old that none of our members could recall when it was purchased and when it was installed. And some of our members have been with our sub-branch for a very long time. 

On a good day, the old fridge sounded like a train rolling through a desert town and seemed to get louder when anyone was nearby and trying to listen to a call on their mobile phone. On a bad day, determined by the air conditioning unit itself, it even sounded worse.

Now, without telling stories out of school, some of our members wear hearing aids (no names, no pack drill) and found it exceptionally difficult to hear members ordering drinks because of the racket coming from the almost dead fridge. When we rely on drinks sales as our only regular source of income, we can’t afford not to be delivering the goods.

An airconditioning and refrigeration tradie told us months ago it was a miracle that it was still going and that we shouldn't be suprised if we opened our doors one Friday evening ready for a coldie only to find it had died several days earlier. Can you imagine, 37 degrees Celsius, it's ANZAC Day and hundreds of thirsty marchers and supporters turn up and there's not a cold drink to be found anywhere. I can't imagine anything worse happening to a veteran than finding their parachute didn't work on a training exercise.  

Fortunately, while we were talking about replacement options, one of our committee members, Peter A said he’d donate a fridge to us. Thanks mate, that’s exceedingly generous.

Remarkably, the fridge arrived almost in an instant and today was installed by a team of our hard working, devoted, and highly intelligent members. From left above Malcolm, David, John, Clive, and Elliott. Somewhere out of view of the image is Dawn who also assisted.

What’s happening to the old fridge? In what is an excellent idea it’s being downgraded to a wine storage fridge in a location where it won’t annoy anyone. When it eventually dies, nobody will miss out on a cold wine as there will be a few bottles in the new, you-beaut, quiet, better looking new acquisition.

How good is that?