Adelaide - Returned Services League Evicts Member Pipers

Some 30 members of the Prospect RSL Sub-Branch (South Australia) have been evicted from the premises by branch President, Mr Neil Rossiter, citing a change of policy by the Prospect City Council, the owner of the actual building, who he says want to prioritise local community groups hiring the premises.

The premises has been the long term home of the City of Adelaide Pipe Band, a local band who have been South Australian Champions every year since 1991 and multiple time Australian Champions in Grade 1 and 2.  The band services the local area and performs at many local and charitable events, including remembrance services across Adelaide and those conducted at the Prospect RSL.  All band members are financial members of the Prospect Sub-Branch and form well over 50% of the branches active membership.  Members of the band can boast active service in the First Gulf War, Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Malay Peninsula, Dhofar, UK Police, local law enforcement and all branches of the Australian Defence Force.

Members of the Prospect RSL also voluntarily conduct the Gracenotes Academy, a youth project that provides piping and drumming lessons for a growing number of young people within the prospect area. They currently have around 20 - 30 students attending on a Wednesday evening, which includes members of the 413 Australian Army Cadet Unit. Gracenotes has just been awarded a commendation for achievement from Pipe Bands Australia.

The RSL premises is also utilised by Pipe Bands Australia SA Branch for meetings and seminars and the R U Brown Piobaireachd Society for monthly recitals and tuition, which makes the RSL something of a hub for local piping activities. The future involvement of these groups is yet to be determined.

The activity of the piping organisations over the years has turned the Prospect RSL from a branch of some 36 ageing members that was dwindling in size, to a thriving musical community attracting many people of all ages and doubling the size of the branch membership.  It also gave local ex-servicemen the opportunity to pass on valuable world-class skills to up and coming players.

During daytime hours the RSL premises has recently been rented to U3A, an organisation that provides low cost opportunities for semi-retired or retired people to come together to learn, socialise and belong. This is not affected by the piping activities that are all conducted of an evening or agreed weekends.

In correspondence received from Mr Neil Rossiter, Sub-Branch President the groups have been given until the 14th December 2018 to remove all equipment and return their keys.  He stated that this would help the RSL: "meet Council policy and with the demand of local Prospect groups".

The Mayor of Prospect, Mr David O'Laughlin has responded to our request for comment and stated: “Council has a policy that seeks to maximise the use of our very limited community facilities to local organisations or those providing material levels of service to local people. However the leases are in control of each club, who, within reason, have the ability to sublease or not sublease as they wish, provided they keep the policy in mind. Council has issued no instruction or direction to the Prospect RSL in this matter”.

Mr Rossiter was given the opportunity to respond and was asked to comment of the impact a loss of 50% of his membership would cause to the viability of the Sub-Branch in a state where the League has suffered significant financial difficulties and a substantial decline in memberships.  Rossiter had failed to respond at the time this article went to print.

A spokesman for the band has suggested that a desire to minimise involvement by a small group that see themselves as custodians of their own private club has seen the eviction of 50% of the RSL members, all of whom are involved in the piping activities. This eviction comes at a difficult time as the band prepares its second tour of Brittany, France.

“The band’s name, City of Adelaide Pipe Band Inc., was bestowed upon the band as it represents the entire city in local, national and international competition. It has for many years been based in Prospect, an inner Adelaide suburb and certainly considers itself a local community group.  The Gracenotes Academy has been located in Prospect since inception and cannot understand how it can possibly be regarded as anything but a local community group.  Combined with the fact that both groups are either all members of the Prospect RSL Sub-Branch, or in the case of Gracenotes, run by volunteers who are all members of the Sub-Branch, representatives appear rightly confused as to what makes some members more entitled to hire or use the premises than others.”