Building a legacy of support in Edmonton

Twenty kilometres south of Cairns, in the suburb of Edmonton, local Navy veteran and Reservist Gordon Burgess has recently taken on the role of Edmonton RSL Sub Branch President.  

At 36, he’s one of the youngest ever Presidents in the Sub Branch’s history. 

“I was previously on the board of Cairns RSL Sub Branch for three years,” Gordon says.  

“But being an Edmonton local, I decided when there was an opportunity to get involved with Edmonton RSL Sub Branch, I would dive in straight away. So, in March this year, I volunteered for the President's position. 

“I'm very proud to be the President at such a young age. I feel like it's important for younger veterans to take on the risks and challenges that come with governing RSL Sub Branches. If we don’t, the Sub Branches may not survive as long as they need to.” 

Edmonton RSL Sub Branch President Gordon Burgess and Vice President Jeff Langham

Gordon spent 18 years in the Royal Australian Navy as a hydrographic officer and began to transition out around two years ago. He now serves part-time as a Reservist with the Navy Indigenous Development Program in Cairns.  

As a veteran who is beginning his own transition out of the Defence Force, Gordon knows how important it is to find that sense of camaraderie after service.  

“When you leave Defence, you don't realise how important camaraderie actually is because you are constantly surrounded by like-minded people that have gone through similar training,” he explains. 

“After Defence, it can sometimes be difficult for veterans to find that same sort of group. 

“So, I'd like to build a membership here at the Sub Branch that has that same notion of support and teamwork that you get in Defence. I want the Sub Branch to be a support hub on the south side of Cairns, where veterans support veterans by bringing all their broad backgrounds and skills to the Sub Branch.” 

Building a Sub Branch from the ground up 

To Gordon, it’s important for the Sub Branch to feel like a team and that everyone’s ideas and inputs are heard.  

“We have a group chat where a member can say, for example, ‘We’re going fishing for the weekend and have three seats free for anyone’ or ‘I’m moving house next week and need some help’,” he explains.  

“We just want to build a membership that allows veterans to feel like they can support each other – no matter what that might look like. 

“Members are enjoying what we’re offering so far. We’ve even got a couple of members who are keen to be involved and are constantly messaging me wanting to come down and do things around the Sub Branch house itself.” 

One of the first projects Gordon has led for the Sub Branch has been to refurbish the property. 

“We wanted to give the place a bit of a freshen up ahead of ANZAC Day this year, so we reached out to a local hardware group that generously donated all the internal and external paint,” Gordon says. 

While painting was first on the list of many renovation ideas, Gordon says it proved successful in providing a welcoming space for veterans and the community on ANZAC Day. 

“We had about 60 people come through the door on ANZAC Day from Army, Navy and Air Force – in and out of uniform – and police too,” he says.  

“It was great. Everyone decided to spend most of the day just comfortably in the backyard sharing their experiences and how they can support each other. We grew by about 15 members on that day alone.” 

Passing on the legacy 

As there are a lot of younger veterans and their families living in the area, Gordon says it’s important for local veterans to reach out and get involved with the Sub Branch. 

“A couple of younger veterans have reached out to me saying they want somewhere where they feel like they belong. Some of them are also eager to share their ideas of what activities we could do at the Sub Branch. So, I’m getting a lot of positive vibes that people want to be a part of this,” he says. 

“It’s great that we’re receiving this feedback because at the end of the day, young veterans need to understand that most organisations like the RSL evolve over time, and their involvement today will influence its evolution into the future.”  

Edmonton RSL Sub Branch Deputy President Jeff Langham echoes this idea and is equally excited to see the revitalisation of the Sub Branch. 

“Seeing the amount of interest that’s been generated by young veterans about the Sub Branch and what we’re trying to do here, and the amount of interest they’re giving to each other, is just great,” Jeff says.  

Gordon says his mission for the Sub Branch is to create a safe space for veterans and their families and become that soft point of entry for general support or advocacy. 

“I want to create a place that all our members are proud of. That's my one mission; that's my one aim,” he says.  

“I want them to look forward to coming here and in 10, 15 years’ time go, ‘Remember that time that we were at the Sub Branch and you helped me out?’. If I hear stories like that, I’ll know I’ve achieved my mission.”