Proud day: Stan Brice takes his place in the Barwon Heads march. To see more of Tommy Ritchie’s Anzac Day photos from Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove enter ID numbers 80469 and 80593 at starphotos.com.au.
By Michelle Herbison
OCEAN Grove and Barwon Heads have celebrated the first Anzac Day since amalgamation of their RSL branches.
Ocean Grove Barwon Heads RSL’s John Dickinson said members were working cooperatively after “throwing rocks at each other for so many years”.
But each town still had its own march on Wednesday, he said.
“The Barwon Heads community was a little bit worried that with their members coming across to us they’d lose their Anzac Day march.”
Barwon Heads members marched at 9am and their Ocean Grove counterparts began marching an hour later, with some veterans joining both parades.
Mr Dickinson said Barwon Heads’ dwindling membership of 49 with an average age of 83 forced the amalgamation.
The combined group now had 203 members between 30 and 97.
A small number of ex-Barwon Heads members joined Geelong RSL instead of amalgamating, Mr Dickinson said.
They might have resented a breakaway group of Barwon Heads members who formed the Ocean Grove club in 1962, he said.
But former Barwon Heads RSL president Tony Wheal thought the members who transferred to Geelong lived outside Barwon Heads.
“No one who lived in Barwon Heads has transferred to any other RSL than Ocean Grove.”
Mr Wheal said the clubs merged “extremely well” but Barwon Heads would continue running separate ceremonies for Anzac and Remembrance days.
“The support Barwon Heads veterans receive from the community is just tremendous. While we get that support we would be crazy not to hold an Anzac day march in Barwon Heads.”
Other RSLs on the Bellarine Peninsula were unlikely to merge, members said in the lead-up to Anzac Day.
Drysdale RSL president Robert Wisbey said his branch was secure even though many of the town’s servicemen had joined Geelong’s club.
He believed they were attracted to Geelong’s gaming machines.
Mr Wisbey said Drysdale’s 76-member club was trying to encourage more Vietnam veterans to join.
Portarlington St Leonards RSL’s Noel Moreland said about 98 members were paid up for 2012 but he expected a final membership similar to last year’s 112.
“A couple of young service people are joining up. That’s where we really want it.”
He hoped Anzac Day would encourage younger people to become affiliate members.
Queenscliff-Point Lonsdale RSL president Allan Went said the group of about 130 was gaining about the same number of members as it lost each year.
“We’re doing pretty well and keeping our heads above water. The community’s pretty active.”
