Arabic version: اتحاد أربعة فروع لرابطة آر إس إل في صن رايزيا تحت مظلة ميلدورا

According to ABC News, RSL sub-branches in Red Cliffs-Irymple, Robinvale and Merbein will merge into the Mildura RSL in a move intended to sustain veteran support and commemoration across Victoria’s Sunraysia district. The arrangement is believed to be the largest merger in RSL Victoria’s history.

The four groups are responding to falling volunteer numbers, ageing committees, rising costs and heavy compliance requirements. Red Cliffs-Irymple RSL president Peter Fleming said his committee members range in age from 75 to 92, while younger veterans are more likely to use the larger Mildura branch. He said the merger was pursued while the smaller branches were still capable of making the change.

Under the new model, the Red Cliffs-Irymple, Merbein and Robinvale sub-branches will operate under the Mildura RSL name. They are expected to retain their own names for local activities, including ANZAC Day services. Their buildings and memorabilia will be kept, while financial and administrative responsibilities will be handled in Mildura.

The three smaller branches have long local histories: Merbein officially opened in 1922, Red Cliffs was established in 1925, and Robinvale began in 1944 as a branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Sailors’ and Airmens’ Imperial League Australia. Mildura RSL Sub-Branch president Brad McGlashan described the branches as valued pillars of their communities and said Mildura had the financial and operational capacity to support the merger.

RSL Victoria has more than 250 sub-branches and has been reviewing governance structures to reduce administrative pressure on smaller groups. The organisation said a coordinated veteran support pilot, directed by Mildura RSL manager of veterans services Paul Mensch, had begun and shown encouraging outcomes. The model is due to be refined before it is formalised at the end of the year, and RSL Victoria says it could offer lessons for other regions.