There is a small room at the Kilmore Memorial Hall that has a collection of military memorabilia. The artefacts include letters, reports, photographs, books, boots and clothing and are incredibly well preserved.
“This room is the heart of our club,” Rod Dally, President of the Kilmore Wallan RSL says. “We are a traditional RSL in that there are no pokies.”
“Every Wednesday, this room is pretty much full. We call it Coffee Club and we get up to 36 returned or serving soldiers here, for a coffee and a yarn.”
The most important part of his role is to create a sense of connection and community. “We have about 106 members in total, and we’d love to have more,” he says. “The RSL is such an important support organisation. Anyone is welcome to come join, as long as they have been in the armed forces for three or more years. Members of the emergency services are able to join as affiliate members, too.”