A century of mateship: Stephens Sub Branch turns 100

When a small group of returned World War I veterans started meeting in 1922, in what was then Stephens Shire in Brisbane's inner south, they could never have foreseen that veterans just like them would still be meeting a century later.  

“It means a great deal to be able to celebrate 100 years as an RSL Sub Branch and share our story with others,” Stephens RSL Sub Branch President Brett Rankin says. 

Building a home

Stephens Sub Branch was officially chartered with RSL Queensland on 2 May 1926. In its earliest days, members gathered at the Walker Memorial Temperance Hall, before the Sub Branch purchased its own hall on Annerley Road on 1 August 1938 – a building that was renovated many times over the decades. 

A Women’s Auxiliary was formed in 1939 and continued to support Stephens Sub Branch for the next 60 years. The Sub Branch also bought its first set of indoor bowls, and the sport went on to become a popular pursuit for members until 1998.

A drawing of the original Memorial Hall 

A place the community could turn to

The Memorial Hall was always more than just a meeting place. During the 1974 Brisbane floods, it was a distribution and relief centre that provided items such as food, milk, mattresses, bedding and linen to affected areas. Sub Branch members and their families pitched in to sort clothing, cook and make tea and sandwiches for those who needed them. 

In the late 1990s, the neighbouring Junction Hotel made an offer to purchase the Memorial Hall to expand its own premises. Stephens Sub Branch accepted, and in return was given a 100-year lease on a new meeting room and facilities next to the site of the original hall. The new hall opened on 6 July 2001. 

"The new premises allows us to focus more on the welfare of our members rather than spending resources on having to maintain an aging building," Stephens RSL Sub Branch Treasurer Colin Diachkoff says. 

Honouring a century of service

In 2018, Stephens Sub Branch set out to complete an ambitious project: a sandstone Memorial Wall bearing bronze plaques for every war and conflict the Australian Defence Force has served in since World War I.  

In 2021, the wall was erected beside the Sub Branch's World War I Cenotaph, 100 years after it was originally dedicated. It is now a focal point for the local community to remember those who have served throughout the year, especially on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day 

"The Memorial Wall gives us a place to remember all the conflicts where Australians have served and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice," Colin explains. 

The new Memorial Wall at Stephens RSL Sub Branch 

A community that keeps serving 

Today, Stephens Sub Branch is home to 65 service members, two experienced veteran advocates and a number of social members, with veterans from World War II through to Afghanistan. 

They also work closely with local primary and high schools, supporting their ANZAC Day services and awarding an annual bursary to a Junction Park State School student – a much-loved tradition that started 75 years ago in 1951.  

"It's really important to us to keep this tradition alive and to pass the meaning of the ANZAC spirit along to the next generation," Brett says. 

Around Remembrance Day, Year 6 students interview Sub Branch veterans and write a poem or essay on what the day means to them. The winning student from each school is an integral part of the Sub Branch's Remembrance Day service as they share their work with the community. 

Veterans and locals gather at Stephens RSL Sub Branch on ANZAC Day 2026

Celebrating the milestone 

To mark its 100th year, Stephens Sub Branch held a Centenary Dinner at the United Service Club on 2 May 2026 – the 100th anniversary of its charter date. More than 80 Sub Branch members and their guests attended to celebrate everything the Sub Branch has achieved in the last 100 years and to look forward to everything yet to come. 

“The 100th anniversary acknowledges how Stephens Sub Branch has stayed true to its purpose,” Brett says.