Palmerston North Returned
and Services Association (2014) Inc
24 Linton Street, Palmerston North 4440
Venue: Bowls PN, PNRSA Club evenings at the Bowls Lounge 4.30pm on Wednesday’s.
Office days: Monday and Friday 1.00pm – 3.00pm. Except Public Holidays
NO EFTPOS AVAILABLE AT OUR OFFICE
Website: www.pnrsa.org.nz PNRSA Email: rsa@inspire.net.nz Office Phone 354 8271
October Newsletter V2
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PNRSA WELFARE TRUST
9am - 11am Tuesdays at the Senior Citizens Lounge
opposite the Globe Theatre, Main Street, Palmerston North
Albie Armstrong 06 358 6881 ~ Trevor Gillbanks 022 105 2316
~ Volunteers Required ~
The Palmerston North RSA Welfare Trust are looking for Volunteers:
We require Volunteers for Hospital Visits, Rest Homes and also people to assist with Poppy Day.
If you are interested, please call into the Senior Citizens Lounge, Palmerston North
on any Tuesday between 9 and 11am.
Or contact Trevor 022 105 2316 or Evan 027 647 4337
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INSIDE THIS MONTH
+ Our President’s Message
+ Remembrance Day Poster
+ Original Documents and Foundation Stones located
+ November Social Events
+ Inside The Wire a newsletter from Base Ohakea
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2026-27 Membership Subscriptions are now due
$35 for members under 80 years of age.
$20 for members over 80 years of age and widows of Returned or Service Members, up to 90 years of age.
Free for members over 90 years of age and serving New Zealand Defence Force or New Zealand Police members. (Request these members contact us and register their interest in retaining membership).
You can either pay in cash by visiting the office during opening hours (Correct cash only – no eftpos available) or via internet banking to our ANZ account 06-0746-0384063-00 for the Palmerston North RSA (2014) Inc.
Please remember to include your name and 4-digit membership number as reference when paying via internet banking so as we can identify who the payment relates to.
Thank you to those that have already paid.
Brian Gemmell,
Treasurer.
Already paid? Your Membership Card maybe available on Wednesday night or at our office please ring before you go to collect.
Please email our Secretary, Rosemary Hollander at rsa@inspire.net.nz for ALL your questions.
~ Presidents Message ~
Greetings Everyone
Well the weather has been quite good lately-however, it does mean that the lawns are growing faster! And… we have even heard that snow may well be on the way!
Val Lamb remains housebound and Teresa Gillbanks ended back in hospital. Also just found out that Gordon Smith is also in hospital he has been there a few weeks apparently. He is in Star – but sounds quite perky and is hoping to be discharged soon.
There were two excellent military history presentations this month – sadly I wasn’t able to attend either of them but we have had glowing reports of how good they were.
Quite a lot coming up next month. Of course, there is Remembrance Day on 11 November at 11.00 O’Clock in Te Marae o Hine – The Square in Palmerston North – followed by a further Poppy Places launch at the Cossie Club. And that evening, Peter Cooke will be giving a presentation at the Library on the New Zealand Tunnelling Company. On 15 Nov 26 – There will be a WWCT RSA District Central Hub meeting, hosted by the Levin RSA. A week later from the 21 November to 22 November, I’ll be attending the RSA 110th National Council in Wellington. So, a fairly busy November.
In addition, on the 26th November there will be another military history presentation on the Library on the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. See the attached flyer.
We had a great Cooks’ Night Off on Wednesday 14 October at Hilltop Restaurant, Thanks to Marj for organizing this. We are also looking at a Blackboard Menu with Gary Fryer on 25th November at Bowls Palmerston North. December Christmas function is on track at the Cossie Club on 13 December at 1130.
You will also see that we have had previous foundation stones from earlier Palmerston North RSAs that we are trying to take out of storage and reestablish them within the community.
Just a small snippet on the Military History front:-
On 15 October 1915 – Nurse Edith Cavell was shot by the Germans for having acted as a spy. I have an item of crested china depicting Edith Cavell and based on her statue that was erected in St Martin’s Square London – see attached picture.
Crested China became prominent in the late 1800s to early 1900s when various boroughs in England produced china with the crest of the borough as a souvenir. This practice continued during World War 1 and afterwards.
Edith Cavell was a British nurse who joined the Red Cross and worked in Belgium treating bestablishedoth allied and German soldiers alike. However, she was also responsible for helping some 200 British soldiers escape back to Britain and for that, she was executed as a spy / collaborator. However, this also resulted in condemnation from many neutral countries protesting against the barbaric acts of Germany.
There is a New Zealand connection here.:- There is an Edith Cavell bridge in South Island between Queenstown and Arrowtown over the Shotover River. The bridge was designed by the Public Works Department, with the bridge being constructed between 1917 and 1919, costing over $8000.
The bridge significantly improved the route for gold miners seeking their fortune. The bridge name actually came from an older miner, Jack (John) Clark, who came up with name, 'The Edith Cavell Bridge', in recognition of the well known British nurse, who was executed in 1915 by German soldiers for assisting the 200 Allied soldiers escape into Netherlands from Belgium. Although this suggestion was not popular with the council – who wanted to call it Cooper’s crossing from the name of the mayor at the time, he took the initiative and painted 'Edith Cavell Bridge' on the bridge and the name eventually stuck and is now a heritage site.
Well, that’s all for now. Don’t forget Members’ Draw this Wednesday.
Peter
PS She thought Chou-En-Lai was Chinese for breakfast in bed!
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Original Documents and Foundation Stones located
The first attachment is the original 1917 letters recording the establishment of the original PN Returned Soldiers Club building on the corner of George and Cuba Streets in Jan 1917. It also records the 1949 Licensing Control Commission licensing application for the Club Charter, by the ANZAC Club Building.
The “Synopsis” explains the background for the Manawatu Patriotic Society, incorporated under the War Funds Act of 1915. It also records how the “RSA” (Returned Soldiers Association) was incorporated on 31 Jan 1917 on the opening of the local club on 10 Jan 1917. Having said that, we do have records which show the original Soldiers Club was established on 11 May 1916.
The second and third attachments are photocopied versions of the same original documents.
The fourth attachment is the actual Rules of the original ANZAC Soldiers Club, approved on 29 Jan 1917. Copies of all these documents and foundation stone photos will be uploaded to the PNRSA website and to PNCL and Manawatu Heritage for wider heritage access and future reference purposes.
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PNCC MILITARY HERITAGE/HISTORY, ANNIVERSARY AND COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME FOR 2026
This programme follows on from the approved and successful previous activity listings. It includes the military history presentations known as the “Evening Public Lecture Presentations” (EPLP) and the “Monthly Midday Military History Presentations” (MMMHP) series. There are also “Major City Events” as shown below and other related NZDF and military historical anniversaries, activities, and events. Rather than a five-year rolling programme, PNDHAG members decided in 2025 to follow the annual “RNZRSA Remembrance Calendar” and significant military commemorations and historical anniversaries. Separate invitations will follow and confirm dates, timings, and venues, together with any associated booking, RSVP and/or health and safety requirements.
2026 Programme:
11 Nov 26 – Remembrance Day @ 1100hrs, with ceremony at Cenotaph, Poppy Places launch afterwards in the Palmerston North Cosmopolitan Club.
11 Nov 26 – Peering Into The Past @ 1800hrs – by Mr Peter Cooke – “110th Anniversary of the NZ Engineer Tunnelling Company on the Western Front” in the First World War.
26 Nov (Thu – MMMHP) - “60th Anniversary of 161 Battery, RNZA, Supporting 1 ATF at the Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam”, by WO1 (Rtd) Dave Hayward, MBE, MSM, RNZIR, former Sergeant Major of the NZ Army and Renowned NZ Author
MMMHP sessions are normally held at midday on the second Thu in each month, Feb through Nov 26. EPLP sessions are being held on Tue evenings in Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct and Nov 2026. All presentations will be held in the PN City Library Mezzanine Floor (unless advised otherwise). Other military history presentations by visiting historians and book launches/releases are also programmed throughout each year and will be advised separately. Event invite posters will confirm all timings and venues for these activities.
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Are YOU looking at the PNRSA Website to see if I have taken your photo or to read the new items posted?
Website. https://pnrsa.org.nz
Steps to open the Website:
1. Click on link above or type this into your browser
2. Click on the 3 horizontal lines at the top beside our logo
3. A contents list appears and click on what you’d like to view
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COMING UP IN NOVEMBER
@ 4.30pm Wednesday Evenings
4 November Quiz Night
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11 November Remembrance Ceremony
at the Palmerston North Central Library, Mezzanine Floor
Ode at 1800
No RSA night at PN Bowls Lounge
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18 November Yap Yap
25 November Members Draw and Cook’s Night Off ~ Blackboard Menu with Gary & Mere
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RSA CHRISTMAS LUNCH
Palmerston North Cosmopolitan Club
Sunday 13 December @ 11.30am
Menus will be available to view on Wednesday evenings
Confirmation of members attending will be taken soon.