Did you miss our super soup night?

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm with meals on the first Friday of a month. Everyone is welcome ---- The super soup night on Friday, 2 June was one of the best attended, most enjoyable nights we've had for a long time after months (years?) of interruptions due to COVID lockouts and long-term construction and landscaping projects within the Tanunda Recreation Park.

Last Friday night made us feel as though we had put all that behind us and are now back to normal.

Our table setting at the Hut

Over 40 people attended and had options of four soups: pumpkin, mushroom, chicken noodle, or potato, bacon, and leek. These were accompanied by soft, tasty white bread rolls and of course a sweet consisting of apple crumble and custard or cream. Nobody was heard to say they didn't like the soup or the apple crumble.

As usual, a range of beverages was available at happy hour prices.

Making our night even more special were the presentation of cheques to three local organisations that provide services to us during ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorative events, and a couple of poems by our in-house bush poet, Maurie O'Brien who has presented on several occasions.

Maurie has a collection of 31 poems titled, "ANZAC Poems and Other Sprigs of Wattle" that is available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback versions. It's well worth a look if you're interested in poetry or military history.

On Friday evenings when the Hut is open and we aren't having a meal, we have a variety of snacks available, happy hour beverage prices including tea and coffee and plenty of friendly chat. If you live in the area or are passing through, please do come and join us after 5 pm. 

ANZAC Day 2023 - An Enormous Success

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome ----

ANZAC Day at Tanunda was another enormous success.

Outside the Hut

An estimated 1,500-2,000 people attended Tanunda RSL's commemorative dawn service at the Tanunda Memorial Gardens yesterday. Both President, Trevor Klose and member Patsy Biscoe, who had provided entertainment to troops during the Vietnam war, reminded us that this year is the 50th Anniversary of the Australian engagement in South Vietnam. 

The Australian Government plans a commemorative year of dedicated events for this anniversary.

Serving Army chaplain Father Mark Sexton led the commemorative services as he has for many years.

More than 165 people joined us at our Hut after the service for a Gunfire Breakfast we provided with the support of the Barossa Valley Rotary Club volunteers who did an excellent job yet again preparing and distributing food and refreshments.

As we marched along Murray Street to the Soldiers' Memorial Hall in Basedow Road, hundreds of people lined the street to watch and acknowledge us by clapping. It's very encouraging to see so many people turn out for ANZAC Day here, and across Australia.

Some people return every ANZAC and Remembrance Day, we remember their faces; some visit our Friday evening happy hours, and others were visitors to the Barossa Valley who took time to join us. Visitors like Lyndie and Gordon Minett from Rosewood, Queensland. Whoever they are, we are always happy to welcome them to our small club.

Lyndie and Gordon Minett

Behind the scenes, a lot of organization goes into organizing our commemorative days. Our Tanunda RSL management committee volunteers work for several months planning, ordering memorabilia, and liaising with all of those involved to ensure things run smoothly on the day.

We appreciate very much all those who help us organize, plan and run our commemorative days. There are too many to list here, but they know who they are, and they know they are appreciated.

A couple of additional photos of the occasion are shown below.

Join us for ANZAC Day 2023

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome ---- 

ANZAC Day is with us again as we commemorate the sacrifice made by many men and women in our services during various wars in which our country has been engaged.

Tanunda RSL arranges commemorative events and the first event, a Dawn Service conducted by Father Mark Sexton, begins at 6:15 am sharp at the Tanunda Memorial Gardens followed by a Gunfire Breakfast^ at the RSL Hut, Tanunda Recreation Park, Bilyara Road, Tanunda. 

At 10:30 am we have a muster outside the Tanunda Post Office, Murray Street for those who are marching. At 10:40 am we march off north along Murray Street and right wheel into Basedow Road to the Barossa Regional Gallery where the commemorative service is conducted by Father Mark Sexton.

A light lunch^ will be offered at the RSL Hut from 12:15 pm. Refreshments are available at a reasonable price. 

We look forward to having you join us.

^ - A folded note donation will be appreciated for both the Gunfire Breakfast and Lunch.

Happy Hour Barbecue Night

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome ---- 

On Friday 14th April, our next Happy Hour, we will be having a barbecue.

The pool table is available too for anyone who wishes to play pool. Committee member, Robin Henry, will run a pool competition if sufficient members are interested. Robin will get your details on the night and the competition will be a "last player standing" deal. You could win a prize. 

So, get yourself down to the Tanunda Hotel and practise your pool skills, every bit helps.

Secretary Dawn has asked that if you intend to join us, RSVP by 12 April so we can plan our catering to ensure nobody misses out.

We look forward to your joining us for a great Happy Hour.

Highlights from Committee Meeting 13 Feb 23

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on first Friday of month ---- 

We had an interesting meeting last night and reviewed some of our standard operating procedures to improve performance and take into account our new committee members. Exciting times!

Here's a bird's eye view of some of the things we have planned:

1. We are establishing small sub-committee teams to manage such things as catering, events, purchase and stock control of memorabilia, bar management, and more
2. We're considering running a survey to find out whether our members would like us to do something different or better
3. Committee members are running a "Working Bee" on Friday, 24 Feb 23 to clean up around the hut and maybe paint it. What colour would you like to see?
4. An advert and associated two-fold pamphlet is planned for distribution through the Tanunda Tourist Centre and other venues
5. 18-19 April will be our Memorabilia sales days with our kiosk outside Foodland Tanunda
6. 25 March is our first scheduled Sausage Sizzle at Mitre 10, Nuriootpa
7. Our "The Bugle" newsletter will get back on track and issued quarterly with posted copies to members without internet and email access
8. A recruitment drive is in order and we're keen to let people know where we are, how to find us and when we are open (can you help us with this? Spread the message.)
9. The Department of Veterans Affairs has given us a $10,000 grant to build an Honour Board Memorial within The Hut for which we are most appreciative. This is the third such DVA grant we have benefited from in the last three years
10. Our cannon has been reconditioned and we are determining where it can best be situated given the ongoing construction and landscaping activities within the Tanunda Recreation Park. At present it's waiting silently in a nearby shed

Any help you can give us by volunteering at any time will be gratefully accepted. 

If you are reading this and you're not a member, you can visit us any Friday evening for our Happy Hour which usually lasts longer than an hour, and meet our members. 

You don't need to be a serving or military veteran to join. Find out more here.

Management Committee Meeting

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on the first Friday of the month ---- 

The Management Committee consisting of 11 members, two of whom were newly elected at our 2022 Annual General Meeting in November, will meet on Monday, 13th February 23 for the first time this year.

Your committee meets every second month to discuss numerous issues relating to the efficient and effective running of the Club.

At this meeting, one of the key agenda items is preparing for ANZAC Day 23. Although it's a one-day event, preparing for it and similarly Remembrance Day takes a lot of work and requires a lengthy lead time.

We also plan and carry out two major fundraising activities at pop-up kiosks outside Foodland Tanunda preceding ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day and three sausage sizzles at Mitre 10, Nuriootpa.

During 2022 we held two highly successful Fashion Parades in conjunction with Lambert Estate and Dressed4Success.

Everyone on the committee is a volunteer, we have no paid staff and do not receive any financial assistance to run the club, our expenses are all covered by donations as we are a not-for-profit organisation. Fortunately, other members who are not on the committee assist us with fundraising and commemorative activities. 

If you are interested in volunteering for any of our activities, please contact us.

The names of our committee members may be found here.

What are You Doing on Friday 3 February?

The first Happy Hour for 2023 begins at 5 pm next Friday. 

You'll have a chance to catch up with your fellow members whom you may not have seen since early December. 

You'll have a lot to chat about as you share a few Christmas - New Year stories and enjoy a cool refreshment - or a cup of coffee, and a few snacks.

We hope to see you there.

3 February 2023: Our Next Happy Hour!

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on the first Friday of the month ---- 

Our sub-branch will be taking a break until 3 February 2023 when we will open for our Friday night Happy Hour at 5 pm with a meal available.

Members of the management committee will still be available if you need to contact us urgently. If you can't find one of us, please try another. We're here to help if you need us.

You'll see from the previous post that there is a couple of new members in the Management Committee and a new treasurer.

We hope you have an enjoyable, happy and safe Christmas-New Year break and look forward to seeing you back at The Hut in the new year.

New 'Veterans' Catalogue' of Services

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on the first Friday of month but activities have been suspended until further notice due to construction works ---- 

The RSL in conjunction with Servulink has created a Veterans' Catalogue to help veterans and their families locate services available from one handy location.

With the increasing number of organisations providing a wide range of services for veterans, it's very timely that this app has been produced as it will reduce the time spent searching for the help you want.

You can read all about the Veterans' Catalogue and download the application by clicking here or from the link in the right-hand column. 

A Successful Remembrance Day Appeal

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Meals on first Friday of month ---- Once again the generosity of our fellow Barossans and some visitors came to light during our Remembrance Day Appeal we held outside Foodland Tanunda.

Two lovely ladies agreed to pose

For those of us who volunteered at the memorabilia tables, it was a wintery experience as the front of Foodland is like a wind tunnel. But being the devoted and hardy souls we are, we beavered on and made a healthy amount for our sub-branch on behalf of those who serve and have served in the Australian Defence Force, their families, and our community.

We handed out 500 or more free poppies to young and old to wear on Friday, 11 November 22 or as often as they wish. I believe more will be available at the Tanunda Memorial Gardens where we hope we'll see you at 10:15 am for a 10:30 am commencement.

We were delighted to hear some parents telling their youngsters about the RSL and military and why we hold Remembrance Day.

As always, we are most grateful for the ongoing support we receive from our community.

As an afterthought, if you didn't get that badge, cap, mug or something from our memorabilia collection you really wanted, if you click on Military Shop link in the right hand column, you can visit their site to check out the vast array of militaria available.

1 July - Happy Hour with Meal

Stock Photo

On Friday 1 July 22, being the first Friday of the month, a meal will be available first-come, first-served.

Get in early. Don't miss out.

Meals are most often sourced from the Tanunda Lutheran Home and we provide you with two courses, a main meal and a sweet for $10. 

You can't do much better than that.

We'll have our wood fire burning too, so The Hut will be as comfortable as ever with good company, good food, and drinks of your choice. 

Come join us!

27 May - Don't Miss Happy Hour

 

Don't miss Happy Hour on 27th May!

This Happy Hour will be special because we're being visited by a ukulele group of which Paul (Ferdie) Fernandez is a member. 

They'll play a tune or two, sing a song and entertain us.

But that's not all. Your club will also be presenting donations to several local organisations who help us run ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorative services.

It's not one of our mystery meal nights, but snacks will be available.

Mark your diary to turn up at 5 pm on Friday, 27th May. We'll look forward to seeing you.

The Hut Closed Good Friday

The Hut will be closed on Friday, 15 April 22, for the Easter long weekend.

We hope you have a pleasant and safe weekend and look forward to seeing you at the Hut on Friday, 22 April 22, the day after our first ever Fashion Parade at Lambert's Winery, and of course the weekend of ANZAC Day on the following Monday.

Next week on Tuesday and Wednesday, several volunteers will be selling memorabilia outside Foodland, Tanunda. Don't forget to say hello and update or add to your collection if you are nearby.

Next week promises to be a busy week for our colleagues and the many others who support the RSL.

Another Success!

Photo by Trevor Klose

The Sausage Sizzle at Mitre 10, Nuriootpa went off without a hitch on Saturday. 

It wasn't as busy as some sizzles we've had previously, but we still managed to meet and feed a few of the locals and make a few dollars to boot.

Those of us who volunteer to staff these events have a good time together chatting about all manner of things and in the process learning more about each other. The companionship helps make the day.

In this photo from left to right are: Dawn Nuttall, Robin Henry, Christina Henry, Charmane Klose, and Elliott Nuttall.

In the foreground, you can see our new table cover. What do you think of it?

We are always grateful to our supporters such as Mitre 10, Barossa Fresh, Nuriootpa, and the many people who drop in for a sausage or a bacon and egg roll.

Our next fundraising event is our Memorabilia Sale outside Foodland commencing 19 April 22, the Tuesday after Easter weekend. We look forward to seeing you there.

Fundraising Sausage Sizzle Saturday, 26 March 22

Each year we run two sausage sizzles outside Mitre 10 at Nuriootpa, and sell memorabilia outside Foodland, Tanunda.

We are well supported by people who recognise the good work we do for veterans, their families, and the community.

These fundraisers provide revenue to keep our Hut going and support our ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorative events.

If you are heading to Mitre 10 this Saturday, why not drop in and get a breakfast sausage on bread or an egg and bacon roll? We'll also be beavering away around lunchtime, so you won't miss out. 

Our volunteer team will be delighted to see you.

Happy Hours with Meals Monthly - First Friday

Not the Chicken Kiev

Our first opening for the year, last Friday (4 Mar 22) was a great success with a large attendance and a lovely chicken Kiev meal with a cheesecake sweet to top it off, all from the Tanunda Lutheran Homes who provide most of our meals.

Several people submitted applications for membership and a couple of others asked for membership forms, so we'll have a few new people joining our happy group.

We were pleased to meet Mark Patton who will soon take up duty as our volunteer advocacy representative. 

A couple of committee members weren't able to attend and President Trevor Klose had to leave early, but all told, we had a very enjoyable evening.

Meals will be provided on the first Friday of each month and as Robin was asked to email people a reminder beforehand, he has agreed to do so. So, watch your inbox, but don't only turn up when we have meals, we look forward to seeing you at all Happy Hours.

We're Opening - 4 March 22!

 

We're delighted to advise that our Hut will be open on Friday, 4 March 22 with one of our usual meals available.

The Management Committee decided it will be safe to open for business from that date and proposes to provide one full meal per month and three Happy Hours where snacks will be available for purchase. These are expected to include party pies and sausage rolls etc on ad hoc occasions.

The water to the Hut has been turned off for some weeks during the ongoing construction and it's possible that construction will still be underway. The Bilyara Road entrance will most likely be inaccessible, but entry through the Elizabeth Street entrance and a temporary gate situated at your right when you enter the park will be possible. This gate will be opened shortly before 5 pm and locked when the last of us leave the park.

This is an arrangement we have with Barossa Council that will enable members to drive through the park to the Hut. An alternative is to park in Park Street near Langmeil Road and walk into the Hut via the tennis courts, however, the steps into the tennis park aren't easy to negotiate and will be best avoided if you have mobility challenges.

We look forward to seeing you at our first 2022 opening and if there is a significant change in arrangements between now and then, we will advise you.

Annual Subscriptions

Annual subscriptions of $40 for both affiliate and service members were due on 1 Jan 22. If you haven't yet paid but would like to pay by electronic transfer (EFT) now, you will find our bank details by clicking here:

While you're here, visit our Events page to get an update about forthcoming events.

Management Committee Meeting

The sub-branch Management Committee is to meet on 14 February 22 at a yet to be determined location. 

The Committee will determine whether we can safely open our Hut and if so,  schedule opening dates for the first semester.

All members will be advised when the Committee has made a decision which will be largely dependent upon the works program currently underway and whether there is safe and timely access to our Hut.

At the time of posting, it looks as though there is still a lot of work to be completed.

Stay tuned.

The Hut Access and Opening

As The Barossa Council has construction works in progress across the Tanunda Recreation Park restricting access to our Hut, the Committee Executive has decided that it will not be possible to open The Hut until late February, early March. 

 

The Bilyara Road entrance gate was locked on 7 January. A temporary fence (see photo) installed inside the park near Elizabeth Street will be locked at 5 pm daily and on weekends.  

The Council has said it will approve a limited number of people to access the digital lock on the Elizabeth Street temporary gate and these people will be responsible to open and close the gate on entering and leaving.   

Already many of the huge trees surrounding the oval have been removed and a few stumps remain as you can see in the photo below. 

 

This extended closure is disappointing for all of us and is also worsened by the current Covid-19 situation and the need to keep ourselves safe. 

The Management Committee will meet in mid-late February to reassess the situation with a view to open The Hut at the earliest. 

A fund-raising Fashion Show being organised for April may be at risk of postponement or cancellation but ANZAC Day is expected to go ahead. 

 

Subscriptions Due

Subscriptions were due on 1 January 2022 and are $40 per annum for both Service and Affiliate members.  

 

We will appreciate it if you pay your subscription directly into our bank account by EFT. Please include your name so we know who’s paid. 

 

Our sub-branch uses Bank SA and the EFT details should you wish to use them are: 

 
BSB 105-024 
Account 112036140 

 

If you are unable to pay by EFT, we will accept a cash payment when next The Hut is open. Receipts will also be available for collection at that time. 

We value your membership and continuing support. 

 

Further Information

Further details about the works being undertaken at the Park can be found on the Council’s site by scanning the QR Code or by visiting the site. 

 

  

President Trevor Klose

and Management Committee

10 January 2022 

NB: This Special Notice is posted to members without email