Auckland RSA

For 110 years Auckland RSA has continued to be a place of comradeship, support and remembrance for the Armed Forces community and our Auckland community.

The story continues . . .



PHOTO CREDITS

Anzac Day 2026
Photo Wawa Jordan

9 June 1916
AUCKLAND RSA BECOMES THE FIRST RSA TO INCORPORATE

The story continued ... 2/2

Auckland RSA was represented at the second NZRSA dominion conference in Wellington in late July–August 1916, which formalised the national structure of independent local associations affiliating with the NZRSA. After some reticence, the Auckland RSA affiliated with the NZRSA on 18 December 1916.

By the start of 1918, with the increasing number of wounded returning from the Western Front, Auckland RSA rapidly grew to a total of 2073 members. Half of the membership lived outside of Auckland as many local RSAs in the upper North Island owe their foundation to the sponsorship of the Auckland RSA, including Whangarei, Kawakawa, Kaipara, Waiuku, Te Awamutu, Taumarunui & District RSA, Tauranga RSA, Whakatane and Opotiki by 1919, while the majority of the suburban RSAs in Auckland today originated as branches. while the majority of the suburban RSAs in Auckland today originated as branches. In May 1918, it hosted the AGM of the New Zealand RSA in Auckland.

By this time, Mayor Gunson and fellow citizen members had stood aside to enable returned soldiers to take control of their own organisation. The first returned soldier president of Auckland RSA was Charles Ellis Waddingham (who had served with the New Zealand Medical Corps as a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli), while the secretary was the tireless organiser and returned soldier advocate Ernest Frank Andrews (who at 39 years of age, with a wife and two young boys, had enlisted to serve at Gallipoli with the Otago Infantry Battalion).



PHOTO CREDITS:

Auckland Returned Soldiers Association membership card, 1920-1921. Auckland Museum 1989.46

Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association : Anzacs' concert. Town Hall, Friday, Dec. 1st, 1916 in aid of Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association funds. Eph-A-VARIETY-1916-01-front. Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.

Charles Waddingham, New Zealand Medical Corps. Herman John Schmidt, 19-14–15, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 31-W1249

Quick March Vol. 1, No. 03 (July 1918), Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections QM_19180701