South Perth Sub-Branch RSL Hall

Statement of Significance

• The place has aesthetic value as a good intact example of the post war international style executed in brick, stone and metal.
• The place has aesthetic value as a prominent element in the streetscape since 1961.
• The place has historic value for its association with the Returned Services League who provide services and support for ex-service men, women and their families.
• The place has social value for the many members of the community who have attended events at the premises.

Physical Description

The South Perth Sub-Branch returned and Services League Hall is located on a corner plot at the intersection of Angelo Street and Anstey Street. the diminutive single storey building is somewhat over-dominated by the adjacent Post Office building in the Angelo Street street scene but due to its angled entrance, and feature stone wall, the RSL Hall does manage to make an impression.

The Hall is of single storey construction utilising a wide palette of materials including brick, stone and render.

The façade is formed by the angled corner elevation overlooking the intersection of Angelo and Anstey Streets. The entry door is set back behind a covered porch with concrete deck and rendered walls. The Angelo Street elevation is dominated by the random stone wall which incorporates the building name “RSL HALL” and emblem. This section of stone wall connects the utilitarian brick section of elevation and the angled entry feature. A narrow strip of high level timber framed windows extends across the brick section of elevation.

The rear section of the building, seen along Anstey Street, is of pale brick construction with randomly placed dark bricks and a dark brick plinth and a single timber framed window.

The roof is very shallow mono-pitched clad corrugated metal, the profile of which can be seen from Anstey Street.

History

The Returned and Services League Australia (RSL), Western Australian Branch, was formed in 1916 to represent and look after the interests, welfare, and well-being of returned (military) servicemen and women. Veterans of World War I (1914-1918) formed the South Perth Sub-Branch of the RSL on 16 December 1919.

Initially, the South Perth Sub-Branch met in rented accommodation, mainly in the (former) Swan Street Hall.
Following World War II (1939-1945), the City of South Perth provided the Sub-Branch with the block of land on the corner of Angelo and Anstey Streets in South Perth.

The South Perth Sub-Branch Returned and Services League Hall was built following a fundraising drive under the direction of Jim Walmsley (c1909-1993), President of this Sub-Branch. William S Lonnie CBE, MVO, MC, State President of the RSL, opened the Hall on 9 December 1961. The Hall cost £5,500 to construct. Under Jim Walmsley’s direction, the RSL also acquired the Field Gun situated outside the hall.

Since its inception, the South Perth Sub-Branch Returned and Services League Hall has been used as a venue for Sub-Branch meetings and, until the late 1970s, was also used for dances and social functions. From the late 1970s portion of the hall has been used as a commercial tenancy.

In 2018, Sub-Branch meetings were moved from the Hall to a new facility at Ernest Johnson Oval.

Integrity/Authenticity

High / High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.