St. Patrick's Day 24

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome ---- This year we want to get more happening at the Hut (see banner photo) located at the Tanunda Recreation Park off Bilyara Road, Tanunda.

Several of our Members

Instead of opening only on Friday evenings, we plan to have some ad hoc openings like we had today for St Patrick's Day.

This was our first "test run" called at short notice and we were pleasantly surprised that numerous of our members attended. Some rose to the occasion and had a Guinness or two for St Patrick. 

Most ad hoc days will be for military-related events such as the end of the Malaya Campaign. However, there is also room for some additional open days for significant international or national events that may be of interest to our members and visitors.

As we head into 2024 we will give you more notice of special openings of the Hut and as always, look forward to having you join us.

Happy Hour Has Returned!

---- We open most Fridays from 5 pm. Everyone is welcome ---- After a lengthy break over the Christmas-New Year period, our first Happy Hour for 2024 returns tomorrow - Friday, 9 FEB.

We hope you can make it. If you do you'll notice quite a few changes to the Hut premises that were made during the break.

Not only that, you'll be able to take part in a barbecue for a mere $10 per head.

Drink prices are still the same despite a recent increase in alcohol excise, and you'll have time to catch up or meet the usual friendly people who frequent the Hut.

And there's more: On Sunday, 11 Feb members of the Seaton Park RSL sub-branch are visiting us for an hour or so from around 12 midday. You are invited to join us to make them feel welcome.

Looking forward to seeing you.

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.

Get your Memorabilia - 18-19 April 23!

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

Image credit: Militaryshop.com.au

Before ANZAC and Remembrance Days each year, we hold a kiosk outside Foodland Tanunda where we have an extensive range of fantastic memorabilia available for sale.

There is a range of prices from $3 and items include pens, badges, water and other drink bottles and mugs, stubby holders, poppy umbrellas, baseball caps, wrist bands, poppy hold-all bags, and much more.

We update and renew our memorabilia collection twice annually, so there's always something new, novel, and interesting for sale. It's a gold mine for collectors of militaria.

We buy our memorabilia from the Military Shop, Australia's premier supplier of all things military and their catalogue for 2023 may be viewed here. If we don't have what you want, the Military Shop will undoubtedly have it. Anything you buy after clicking the two links above will accrue a commission for Tanunda RSL. 

If you are in the area on Tuesday, 18th, or Wednesday 19th April, please view our display and have a chat with our volunteers. We'd love to meet you. 

We're always happy to have new members too, so if you're interested in supporting Tanunda RSL, please ask one of our volunteers about membership which is open to everyone 18 years or older.

Last Hut Happy Hour for 2022

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

Friday, 9 December 22 is the last time our Hut will be open for Happy Hour this year. 

We will open again in February, so we hope you will join us for this last opening.

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.

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.