Local elected as interim RSL president

Former RSL Albany president Peter Aspinall has been elected as the first regional member to become president of RSL WA, effective next Friday.

According to RSL archives Mr Aspinall is the first known regional RSL member to become the WA president following the resignation of Graham Edwards for personal reasons.

Although Mr Apsinall will only hold the position for one year until the next election, he said he hopes his time as interim president will encourage other regional members to take on State roles.

“I am determined to demonstrate the role of State president can be performed by someone from regional and remote Western Australia.

“By using the technology available it doesn’t require me to be every day in Anzac House (Perth).

“If through my success I encourage more regional members of RSL to consider offering their services to sit on committees, become representative on the board and event to put their hand up as State president, then I would consider my time to be successful.”

Mr Aspinall has spent five years as RSL Albany president, eight years as the Great Southern representative on the RSL board and was also the chair of the Albany Centenary Anzac Alliance, and said although he would undertake new responsibilities, Albany will still remain important to him.

“I am taking on that role but in no way does that diminish my interests in Albany and the Albany RSL and it’s future commemorative events,” he said.

Mr Aspinall said he doesn’t plan to rewrite the RSL book but rather continue the initiatives Mr Edwards had put in place, including the impending return of the land Perth’s Anzac House sits on to the RSL, and the better management of RSL sub-branch welfare offices.