History

The Riverton RSL Sub branch received its charter on the 16th of September 1919 with the first secretary being K.C. Baker, who was a staff sergeant in WW1.  Unfortunately, no official minutes have been located for the period between 1919 and 1945, as all records were sent to RSL State Head quarters in Anzac House in Angus Street, Adelaide for safe keeping. Sadly, the records of most SA sub branches were destroyed when the cellars of Anzac House were accidently flooded.  

During the years between WW1 and WW2, the sub branch had no building of its own. It met at members’ homes, in the Riverton Institute and in the basement of the building next door. In the early 1930’s, the sub branch looked likely to go into recess, but with the arrival of Mr Snell, the newly appointed station master, enthusiasm was rekindled and the Riverton RSL then met in the Saddleworth Sub branch club rooms, holding combined meetings . After WW2, the sub branch returned to Riverton and one of the main objects of the Sub branch was the acquisition of club rooms.  Our current building was erected as an ES&A Bank in 1878 where it remained in use until 1915, after which it became the ANZ bank manager’s residence. When it came onto the market it was deemed suitable for restoration, consequently the building was purchased in 1958 by the Riverton RSL for the sum of 1500 pounds and was officially opened in 1959 as Anzac House by the State President Mr A.J. Lee with the original honour roll being dedicated by Father Honner. A great deal of blood, sweat and tears went into raising funds to purchase and maintain the building including a cropping scheme in 1954 that was very successful and brought in 1000 pounds. Dances and social fund raisers also took place coupled with the RSL Women's Auxiliary working tirelessly to help realise the dream of self determination.

Eventually, the sub branch was forced to make the sad decision to hand the building over to the Riverton District Council in January 1997 due to the ever present cost of upkeep of the 142 year old building and decreasing membership. The arrangement with the council was to provide a meeting room, bar alcove and kitchen for the RSL. During 1997, major rebuilding and refurbishment of the building was carried out by council and on Australia Day 1998, Mayor Patricia Jacka opened the building which was then renamed RSL House. 

The official war memorial for the town is located in the memorial garden in front of the RSL House but the soldier figure was placed originally on a plinth located at what is now known as the Riverton War Memorial Swimming Pool. ANZAC Day marches would conclude at this monument for many years. It was decided that, due to advancing age of the marchers, that the memorial soldier on a new marble plinth be relocated to RSL House. This was done in 2003 with the area being landscaped prior to the installation. The Sub Branch received a seedling from the Australian War Memorial's Lone Pine in November 2003 that was then planted in the grounds of the Riverton Soldiers Memorial Hospital and is still thriving today.