Founding Date March 1998
Current Committee
| Position | Name | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
| President | Phill Wolfenden | E: [email protected] M: 0413 448 258 |
| Vice President | Vacant | |
| Secretary | Des Prien | E: [email protected] M: 0418 782 306 |
| Treasurer | Greg Decker | E: [email protected] M: 0417 464 251 |
| Merchandise | Andrew Heaton | E: [email protected] M: 0424 669 649 |
In the mid 1990’s Sterling ‘Mossie’ Hockley conducted a number of ‘back to 8/9 RAR’ BBQs at 9 RQR, then located at Kelvin Grove. At the 1997 BBQ Mossie and a number of other like-minded ex members thought it might be time to raise an ‘association’ to represent former members of the Battalion.
After some months of planning, in early March 1998, Mossie and 14 ex members of the Battalion gathered at the old Rams Retreat. With pledges from 40 other ex-members, it was agreed to form an Association to represent all former members of the Battalion, regardless of rank or corps. The inaugural meeting elected Mossie as President and appointed a small committee to support him.
Apart from the mundane ‘admin’ requirements of setting up a new Association, the Committee’s first order of business was to ascertain if the Association was allowed to ‘march’ in the Brisbane City Anzac Day Parade, as there was a view that as the Battalion had never deployed, it was not entitled to ‘march’. Approval, without hesitation was quickly given by both the Parade organizers and the RAR Association QLD Branch, both of whom saw that the Battalion had an important link to Brisbane, through the ‘local enlistment program’ conducted in the late 80’s and early 90’s and through the Battalion’s support during natural disasters. On Anzac Day 1998, 20 or so ex members proudly marched under the 8/9 RAR Association Banner as part of the greater RAR contingent. In 1999, Chris Laurensen, made and donated a larger Banner to the Association.
In 1999, an association member loaned the association a small amount of money to allow the Association to purchase merchandise and other material – that loan was instrumental to the survival of the Association and allowed it to grow and become an integral part of the greater Royal Australian Regiment family throughout Australia.
Today, the Association is Incorporated in Queensland and active in support areas and actively involved with the reformed 8th/9th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and holds the following functions:
Social gatherings up to four times a year sometimes coordinated with the current serving Battalion.
The AGM is held annually on the closest Saturday to the 31 Oct at various locations advised prior to the meeting.
ANZAC DAY : The Association marches on ANZAC Day in Brisbane and in other States as advised by the Regional Representatives and or injunction with the respective State RAR Association; and
It is intended to hold Re -Unions approximately every 3 (5) years as advised by the Committee.